Strong-starting Yanks proving cynics wrong, go for win No. 9 vs. A's

The New York Yankees are only 10 games into a season with most of the same roster that was underwhelming in the American League Division Series last fall against the Toronto Blue Jays.

So far, the results have been strong for the Yankees, who will attempt to earn a ninth win in their first 11 games Wednesday night when they host the Athletics.

The Yankees are off to their second 8-2 start in three seasons. Their quick start is occurring after many complaints from fans about "running back" the same group that was outscored 34-19 in a four-game ALDS loss to Toronto last year.

New York's past two wins have been decided in the late innings.

On Saturday, the Yankees earned a 9-7 victory over the visiting Miami Marlins when Giancarlo Stanton hit a tiebreaking, two-run single in the eighth inning. On Tuesday, New York collected a 5-3 home win over the Athletics after starter Cam Schlittler allowed three runs in the third inning.

Third baseman Amed Rosario made his third start of the season and spelled struggling Ryan McMahon. Rosario hit a go-ahead, three-run homer in the eighth inning after homering in the second inning and drove in four runs.

Rosario knocked in four runs for the eighth time in his career and had his first multi-homer game since Aug. 31, 2021, for Cleveland.

"I just like seeing our guys have success," Yankees manager Aaron Boone said. "It's about this, it's about the Yankees, but you're invested in these guys and you always get excited when they do well personally, too."

The A's are off to a 3-7 start and mustered six hits while striking out 13 times in Tuesday in 43-degree conditions. The A's did little offensively after scoring 23 runs in a pair of home wins over the Houston Astros over the weekend.

Nick Kurtz had a two-run double and Tyler Soderstrom an RBI double Tuesday, but the A's had four of their six hits in the third inning and saw former Yankees pitcher Mark Leiter Jr. (0-1) falter in a big spot, marking the third time a team beat the Athletics in the final at-bat this season.

"He's been in tough spots and high-leverage situations to start. I'm still confident in him to get the job done," A's manager Mark Kotsay said of Leiter, who pitched for New York in 2024 and 2025. "He had a lot of success last year versus lefties."

Will Warren (1-0, 2.70 ERA) will start for the Yankees on Wednesday after allowing three runs in 10 innings through his first two outings.

After getting a no-decision in San Francisco on March 28, the right-hander allowed two runs on four hits in 5 2/3 innings in Friday's 8-2 win over the Miami Marlins in the Yankees' home opener.

Warren is 2-0 with an 0.73 ERA in two career starts against the A's. He allowed a run in 7 1/3 innings on May 9, 2025, and allowed two hits in five innings in a 3-0 home win on June 27 of last year.

Athletics right-hander Luis Severino (0-1, 6.48 ERA) has allowed six runs on seven hits and walked eight through 8 1/3 innings over two starts. He yielded two runs in five innings on March 27 at Toronto and allowed four runs on four hits in 3 1/3 innings last Wednesday in taking the loss at Atlanta.

The A's hope to see the Severino who was 6-0 in his final nine starts of last season after he went 2-11 in his first 20.

Severino was 54-37 with a 3.79 ERA in 141 games (125 starts) over eight seasons with the Yankees, who promoted him to the majors in 2015 and saw him win 19 games in 2018 before he was beset by injuries.

Last season, Severino went 0-2 with a 15.26 ERA in a pair of starts against the Yankees, who hit two home runs off him. He was tagged for eight runs on nine hits in four innings in a 12-2 home setback on May 11, and he allowed seven runs on five hits in 3 2/3 innings in a 12-5 loss June 29 at New York.

--Field Level Media