The Yankees end the first half with a series win over the Red Sox

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The Yankees end the first half with a series win over the Red Sox

NEW YORK — For the second time in 24 hours, the Yankees saw a series of crooked numbers on the video screen above center field at Yankee Stadium, representing an invitation to start their All-Star break a few innings early. They’ve undoubtedly earned this respite while reminding everyone within shouting distance that there’s more work to be done.

With a 13-2 win over the Red Sox on Sunday afternoon, the Yankees went into the break with 64 wins, setting a new club record for wins before the Midsummer Classic. It’s already one of the most impressive starts to a season in Major League history, but for a storied franchise measured by championships, this is only the beginning.

“It’s pretty big; It’s pretty cool,” said ace Gerrit Cole, who hit 12 in seven strong innings and finished the first half with a 9-2 record and a 3.02 ERA. “But we have bigger goals. We’ve got a lot more baseball to play, so we’re trying to keep it in mind in that regard.

According to the Elias Sports Bureau, the Yanks are the sixth major league team since 1947 to win at least 64 of their first 92 games, joining the 1954 Indians (64-28), 1969 Orioles (64-28), 1970 Reds (64-28), 1998 Yankees (68-24) and 2001 Mariners (66-26). Only one of those clubs – the 1998 Yanks – lifted the World Series Cup at the end of the year.

Because of that, manager Aaron Boone said his team is “very aware of how long we’ve got ahead of us,” noting, “Everything we’ve done is put us in a great position to do something special.” Boone plans to spend the holidays with his family and already has dreams of holding a spatula and putting on board shorts. He’s hoping his players will charge similarly after the first-half grind.

“You want to go into break feeling good,” Boone said. “It’s nice to see the boys finish a really strong half.”

The Yankees have won games in a variety of ways, including some by bludgeoning their opponents. After a disappointing extra-inning loss in Friday’s opener, the Bombers beat Boston 27-3 in the final 18 innings of the series — a torrid three-game set seen by the biggest crowds of the year so far in the Bronx.

In this one it didn’t take long to put on a show. New York scored three runs in the first inning ahead of Chris Sale, who was hit in the left pinky with a line drive and fractured it. Cole said the Yankees “felt really bad” about Sale’s injury, noting the left-hander’s efforts to return to the big leagues after missing most of the last two seasons due to surgery by Tommy John.

When the Red Sox played an unexpected bullpen game, the Yanks broke out for eight runs in the fourth inning, sending 12 men to the plate. DJ LeMahieu and Aaron Judge both hit runs, Matt Carpenter drilled a two-run double, Aaron Hicks hit another run and Isiah Kiner-Falefa lifted a victim fly before Tim Locastro strapped a two-run homer into Boston’s bullpen .

Locastro’s impressive game also included two hits and two stolen bases, earning him – for the first time – a chance to hold the wrestling-style title belt that the Bombers pass around their clubhouse after victories. The speedy outfielder has been back and forth at Triple-A this year, but these cameos gave a peek under the Yankees’ hood.

“There’s something special that’s going on here,” Locastro said. “In every single game, they are never out of the game. You notice that every night. That’s what happens with a successful ball hitter.”

The Yankees have six top-level Major League All-Stars heading west for this week’s celebrations at Dodger Stadium: Judge, Cole, Giancarlo Stanton, Clay Holmes, Nestor Cortes and Jose Trevino. According to Boone, this is a recognition of the “sense of purpose” his club has shown since spring training when it embarked on an organization-wide realignment toward doing the little things right.

For example, Locastro’s two steals on Sunday gave the Yankees 63 stolen bases for the season, matching their 2021 station-to-station tally. Boone also points to defence, positioning and attention to detail which have been honed by coaches and frequently discussed among players – all ingredients in the club’s success to date.

“It just looks like we can keep up with anyone in any game,” said Cole. “That’s a good feeling.”

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