The injury-battered New York Yankees felt urgency coming into St. Louis for a three-game weekend series against the Cardinals. That was underscored by Yankees general manager Brian Cashman’s presence with the team.
“I feel like we need to step it up anyway, no matter if he was here or not,” infielder Jazz Chisholm Jr. said. “… We need to win games. We need to get to the playoffs, and we need to win the World Series. That’s all our thought is right now.”
Cashman brought good luck with him. The Yankees won 4-3 on Friday and 12-8 Saturday night and will bid for a series sweep on Sunday afternoon.
After winning four of their last five games, the Yankees hold the third and final American League wild-card slot with a 2 1/2-game lead over the Cleveland Guardians. New York is 6 1/2 games behind the division-leading Toronto Blue Jays.
“Right now, we’re not in control of the division, so our first goal is to try to win the American League East and automatically punch the ticket that way,” Cashman said. “If not, we’ll be fighting to punch a ticket a different way. And there’s a lot of time on the clock, but not enough time at the same time. I don’t want to misrepresent there’s not urgency, because there is.”
The Yankees will close this series with right-handed starter Will Warren (7-5, 4.34 ERA), who allowed just three runs on 12 hits in 17 2/3 innings in his last three starts, a 2-1 span for New York.
Warren lost his only previous start against St. Louis while allowing four runs on five hits in four innings of a 6-5 Cardinals victory last season.
For New York, former Cardinals star Paul Goldschmidt was out of the lineup again Saturday due to a knee sprain. Giancarlo Stanton was sidelined again with lower-body soreness, and Cody Bellinger missed the game because of illness.
Ben Rice played first base in place of Goldschmidt on Saturday and drove in seven runs on three hits, including a three-run homer and a bases-clearing double. He is 8-for-21 with two doubles, two homers, four runs and eight RBIs in his past five games.
The Cardinals have lost four straight games to fall 4 1/2 games back of the New York Mets in the race for the final National League wild-card slot.
Like the Yankees, St. Louis’ lineup has been depleted by recent injuries. Third baseman Nolan Arenado is on the injured list with a shoulder strain, utility player Brendan Donovan is sidelined by foot and groin injuries, and first baseman Willson Contreras has been out due to a foot contusion.
Outfielder Victor Scott II left Saturday night’s game with a left ankle sprain he suffered while trying to make a leaping catch on Aaron Judge’s home run in the third inning.
The Cardinals will start right-hander Miles Mikolas (6-9, 4.97 ERA) on Sunday while trying to avoid a sweep. Mikolas has allowed two runs or fewer in three of his last four starts.
He lasted a season-best 6 2/3 innings Monday in his most recent start while holding the Colorado Rockies to two runs on four hits and a walk. Mikolas struck out three in a game the Cardinals won 3-2, though he took a no-decision.
“There are lots of young guys in this locker room who have tremendous amounts of fight in them and tons of heart,” Mikolas said. “We’re not giving up, no matter what anybody else is throwing our way.”
Mikolas is 1-0 with a 3.97 ERA in two career starts against the Yankees.