Kuroda and Ichiro Come Up Huge During Homestand

New York Yankees starting pitcher Hiroki Kuroda threw a pair of gems during this seven-game homestand. (Jason Szenes)

The New York Yankees keep finding ways to win baseball games, despite not having some of their best players due to injuries. One of the main reasons why is that other players have stepped up to help pick up the slack. During their seven game homestand that ended tonight, the Yankees went 5-2 against the Texas Rangers and rival Boston Red Sox. Two of the players that made probably the biggest difference during the homestand were starting pitcher Hiroki Kuroda and outfielder Ichiro Suzuki.

When CC Sabathia returned to the disabled list with an elbow injury, the Yankees lost their clear ace and number one starter. Someone needed to step up and take control of the number two spot in the rotation. That someone appears to have become Kuroda. On last Tuesday, he faced off against one of the most dangerous lineups in baseball, the Texas Rangers. Kuroda dominated that Rangers offense from start to finish while throwing a complete game. He limited the Rangers to two hits and two walks while striking out five batters.

Kuroda returned to the mound for a second time during the homestand to face the Red Sox on Sunday Night Baseball. He retired 13 of the first 14 batters he faced and then six of the next seven. Kuroda's only mistake was throwing a hanging slider to Red Sox first baseman Adrian Gonzalez, who turned into into a solo shot into the right field bleachers. Other than that, he was dominant in eight innings of work, giving up just four hits and the one run in eight innings of work.

Even though Ichiro Suzuki's numbers were down this season, the Yankees decided to take a chance on those improving by acquiring him from the Seattle Mariners. Sure enough, Suzuki has found his groove and seems to greatly enjoy playing with the Yankees. He particularly saw his numbers take off during this seven-game homestand. Tonight, Suzuki capped it all off with a rare display of his power. He cranked out two solo shots to help provide all the help Kuroda needed on the mound. During the entire homestand, Suzuki hit .526 with four runs, a double, a triple,  and two home runs. As a Yankee, Ichiro has a .301 average and has hit safely in 21 of 23 starts.

Even after other players return from injuries, the Yankees are going to need players to step up and make the crucial plays needed. Hiroki Kuroda and Ichiro Suzuki have done exactly that so far. If Kuroda continues to pitch like he has in his last two starts, he will be nearly impossible to hit. Suzuki has been a spark plug at times to his new ball club. The Yankees are reaping the benefits of these players and others making the differences needed. It will be interesting to watch Kuroda and Suzuki the rest of the season and into the postseason.