There was no five-alarm fire in the Bronx. The Bronx was not burning.
But manager Aaron Boone was looking to end the Volunteers’ first possible four-game losing streak of the season, and Marcus Stroman doused the embers of hysteria swirling among Yankees fans with an 8-3 win over the Braves.
Stroman allowed a home run by Marcell Ozuna in the first inning, but then gave up a single by Austin Riley in the second inning before holding the Braves hitless until Travis d’Arnaud smashed a two-run homer the other way with two outs in the seventh. Stroman raised his glove and applauded the fans who applauded him on his way from the mound to the dugout.
The stro show couldn’t have come at a better time.
Stroman got the momentum going with Aaron Judge’s two-run homer in the top of the first inning and never looked back after that.
If he had done so, he would have seen Judge marveling at his stroking in center field.
“He’s just a competitor who wants to go out there and win,” Judge told The Post before the game. “He’s not afraid of anybody. It doesn’t matter who the opponent is. It doesn’t matter if it’s away or at home, it doesn’t matter if the offense is going well or not, he’s going to go out there and do his job.”
“I think what’s great to watch is he doesn’t let the outside noise get to him. Playing here in New York, you might hear the fans cheering and you might get annoyed if the offense isn’t picking you or giving you run support. But this guy comes out every day and does what he’s got to do, and he has fun doing it. That’s what I love, and I think the whole team owes a lot to that.”
Judge respected Stroman (7-3, 3.15 ERA) as an opponent and even more now that they’re teammates.
“He’s in the gym every day,” Judge said. “That’s amazing for a pitcher who only pitches once every five days. They just have to sit back and relax, but he continues to grow and continue to work. I see him all the time talking to the younger guys. I think the connection he has with them is incredible.” [Clarke] Schmidt’s offseason start to the season was a big deal. … It was fun to watch. [I’m] I’m glad he’s with us.”
Needless to say, Stroman is excited to have Judge (28 home runs) backing him up.
“He’s on another historic run,” Stroman said.
The Yankees pitchers had allowed 32 runs in their past three games.
“I was pretty in control right from the get-go,” Stroman said. “I was pretty calm after the home run. I knew I didn’t pitch well, so I wasn’t necessarily upset about it, but I was pretty calm all night. I was calm. I have a lot of confidence in Welthy.” [Austin Wells] I hid behind a plate and didn’t shake it once all night.”
Stroman grew up on Long Island and always dreamed of performing on the big, bright stage of the Bronx.
“I’m not a guy that shys away from the spotlight, the pressure, the lights,” Stroman said when he signed in the offseason. “I think a lot of people avoid coming to New York and playing for the Yankees for that reason. I feel like it brings out the best in me.”
His best performances were better than the Braves’ best.
“I feel like I was just mixing dinners and cutters and pennies and just keeping guys off balance,” Stroman said.
Boone had been preparing for the uncertain absence of Giancarlo Stanton (pending an MRI for a strained left hamstring), but thanks to Stroman, he left the office unencumbered by a four-game losing streak.
“We really controlled the game,” Boone said. “I thought we were throwing the ball where we wanted to, attacking the strike zone, being present all over the place. I thought everything was going well for us,” Boone said. “It’s been a little bit of a tough week for us, but I’m glad we got a good shutout game,” Boone said. “That was big.”
Stroman isn’t a big guy — 5-foot-8 and 180 pounds — and on Saturday night he was reminded of his belief that “height doesn’t equal heart.”
