The two Yankees heroes from Wednesday’s 3-1 second-leg win of a seven-inning doubleheader with the Philadelphia Phillies both said they wouldn’t mind if this new format stuck around in Major League Baseball.
“I’m kind of all for it,” outfielder Mike Tauchman said Wednesday night, adding that he wouldn’t be opposed t0 playing seven-inning doubleheaders on Sundays with the following Monday used as a day off.
Tauchman, who’s RBI single cracked open a 1-1 tie during Wednesday night’s final seventh inning also addressed that fewer innings equate to fewer chances for teams — a situation the Yankees fell victim to in the squad’s first game of the doubleheader, an 11-7 loss.
“Maybe there’s a little bit more pressure to execute and every two less times at the plate you’ve got to get your runs when you can,” he said, mentioning that it makes little difference to the team as the Yankees mentality is to score every time you can.
Yankees first baseman Luke Voit, one of the few bombers to hit Phillies starter Aaron Nola with a moonshot that set the team’s now 11-game, franchise-record home run streak also came out in favor of the new doubleheader format.
“I like it’s not as much wear and tear as the nine-nines,” Voit said. “It goes quick and you have to get your runs in early.”
In addition to these games being quicker and ultimately forcing teams to be immediately competitive, he sees them being advantageous for players’ longevity.
“It’s different but I like it a lot, I think it’s good for the players and injury prevention too,” Voit said.
From a managerial perspective, Yankees skipper Aaron Boone “thought the first one was too short and [the second] was just right.”
That first game saw the Yankees start a four-run rally in the seventh, which brought the Phillies’ blowout within striking distance in the 11-7 final.
“With seven innings you have to look at it as you get to that third, fourth inning like it’s the fifth, sixth inning so it’s a little bit more urgent obviously early in the game,” Boone said.
