Happy, not satisfied: Yankees know they have to improve from big first half

CLEVELAND -- Regardless of whether the New York Yankees would have won Sunday's first-half finale at Progressive Field, to a man, the postgame clubhouse refrain still would have been the same.

We're good, but not yet good enough.

This is a team, nearly 30 games above .500 entering the All-Star break, that is mostly pleased with the way it performed throughout the earliest stages of the season. But the self-aware bunch also knows it can -- and must -- be even better if it wants to close the second half as a division champ and World Series winner.

"We're not satisfied at all in that room," Yankees manager Aaron Boone said.

The 4½ games his team trails the rival Boston Red Sox in the American League East are part of the reason why.

"I'm pleased with the way we played in the first half," outfielder Brett Gardner said Sunday following New York's 5-2 loss to the Cleveland Indians, "but I'm not pleased that we're not in first place in the division.

"So we've got some work to do."

That's the common sentiment among the 62-33 Yankees: that once they return to action at home Friday, hosting another Subway Series against the crosstown rival Mets, there is work to be done.

It's work that spans the entire team. The Yankees believe no one area is as strong as it can be at this point, nor is one part of the roster infinitely superior to any other.

"We can pitch a little better, we can play a little better defense, and we're capable of scoring more runs," Gardner said. "It's easy to sit here and nitpick and try and see what we could've maybe done different or to see how we could be better, but ultimately we have to be better if we want to win the division and get to where we want to be at, which is win a World Series."

Starting pitching has been among the list of Yankees bugaboos since the season began. With a distinct drop-off in consistency behind the likes of ace Luis Severino and vet CC Sabathia, questions about the Yankees' rotation have persisted.

The easiest and most discussed solution to address some of New York's starting woes is to add a veteran pitcher before the trade deadline.

Since near the start of June, the Yankees have been doing their due diligence in making phone calls with other big-league teams to see what it might take to get a trade partner. Although there have been conversations regarding trades for position players such as Baltimore's Manny Machado, New York's primary focus from the start has been to get more arms for their shaky staff's postseason run.

Might we see a deal that shores up the Yankees' rotation within the next two weeks? Boone couldn't say with 100 percent certainty as he began his All-Star break on Sunday. Still, he has full faith in the behind-the-scenes work general manager Brian Cashman and others are doing.

"I know Cash and the guys are turning over every leaf and kicking tires on everything, and I'm sure, making proposals and counters and all of that," Boone said. "So I know we're going to try. It comes down to, does it make the most sense for us short term and long term?

"As I've said before, it takes two to tango. If the right deal comes about, we'll make it."

During Sunday's series finale with Cleveland, starter Masahiro Tanaka made his share of pitches that Boone liked. The manager felt the right-hander commanded his secondary pitches well and worked efficiently in a 6
-inning, 77-pitch, six-hit, two-run, five-strikeout outing that was his best since returning last week from a hamstring injury.

"He's so important to us going forward in the second half, so hopefully this is something that'll, coming back from the injury, that clearly gets him rolling," Boone said.

Although Tanaka is sporting a 7-2 record, his 4.54 ERA and 18 allowed home runs belie some of the consistency issues that have bugged the Yankees' rotation. He's one of three New York starters ending the first half with an ERA over 4.50. Of that trio, he's the only one with a winning record.

"I haven't been able to pitch the way that I really want to," Tanaka said through an interpreter. "It's really important for me to just really keep on fighting and try to get my performance to the level that I had similar to [Sunday]."

The Yankees went on to lose Tanaka's strong start after reliever Chad Green gave up three runs in an eventful eighth inning. Cleveland All-Star Michael Brantley led it off with a home run to right just beyond the reach of right fielder Giancarlo Stanton's long left arm. The solo homer broke a 2-2 tie.

Moments later, another run scored on a wild pitch from Green, and then another came in on a sacrifice fly in which Stanton's throw home was just late.

After the Yankees had a 17-1 stretch across late April and early May, they wrapped up their most recent road trip with a 6-5 record. The near-.500 trip came on the heels of taking two of three in respective home series from the Red Sox and Braves.

Since trailing Boston by a game following those two series, the Yankees have slipped back another 3½ games of their rivals. Still, Boone isn't concerning himself with how the Red Sox are playing at this time.

"You could drive yourself crazy in July trying to keep track of that [division race]," Boone said. "Let's just take care of our own house, and hopefully start with a big series and a good game Friday with the Mets."

When the Yankees resume play, the approach on improvement will be their biggest focus.

"The biggest thing is that these guys really use these four days to kind of get your mind a break, get your body a break, freshen up the best that you can with the idea that we've got a long way to go, and that our mindset and our expectation is to be great," Boone said. "Where can we improve? Everywhere. One of the signs of a potentially great team is that you're not satisfied with anything we've done to this point."