Reading around the Internets, I've noticed that some people are already starting to panic about the lack of offensive output to this point. To me, this first series was nearly as encouraging as if the Yankees had steamrolled the Jays in their victories. I think we can all easily remember the Yanks' overall struggles both early last year and in 1-run games especially. Through May and into early June, they were terrible in close contests; if they didn't score early and often, they didn't win.
To this point, the season has been different. Despite scoring only 8 runs against Toronto, the Yankees won two games. They were able to scrape together some timely offense, and their starters/bullpen was able to hold Toronto in check. The offense will be there eventually. This showed they can win the close games as well.
It also needs to be considered that the Yankees were facing some great pitching in cold weather. Halladay, Burnett, and McGowan all have good stuff, and AJ and Dustin have blazing fastballs, which can be tough to hit in cold weather. Facing three pitchers of that caliber, few teams would have put up huge run totals. I expect the offense to warm along with the weather...and the facing of some worse pitching.
As for the blog namesake's start, I was impressed. He didn't quite have the extra pop on his fastball or the command his curve, but he still looked good overall. He buckled a number of knees on the curve, and was able to paint the corners with the fastball. The pitch that got Frank Thomas ejected was perfect; Thomas spent the whole at bat backing away from the inside pitch, and Phil placed one in the exact right spot.
He will have plenty of starts this year where he is much worse than last night, but he'll also have plenty where he has better stuff. He won't make people forget Santana this year, but I think he very well could in a few years.
Update: Great article on Hughes' night from John Harper:
One sequence in the fourth inning, in particular, was telling. With a runner at third base and one out after the Jays had already scored a run to go ahead 1-0, Hughes struck out both Vernon Wells and Frank Thomas to escape further damage.
But it was the way he did it that made you notice. After going to 3-2 on Wells, he threw a changeup that Wells barely fouled off, then came back with a curve to get a swinging strikeout.
"That's something I probably wouldn't have done last year," said Hughes. "I probably would have thrown a fastball, and unless my location was perfect, he probably would have hit it hard somewhere.
"I have to be able to throw other pitches in counts where a guy like that is expecting a fastball."
On Thomas, meanwhile, he went all hard stuff inside, as the scouting report dictates. In fact, after getting ahead with a curve, Hughes threw four straight fastballs in, three just off the plate, to get to 3-2, and then came in one more time to get Thomas looking at a 93-mph fastball.
If you can't already tell, Hughes is probably my favorite Yankee. He's got one hell of a future ahead of him.
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