Marcus Stroman fired up the Yankees, in the clubhouse and on the mound.
Returning from a knee injury that sidelined him for 2 1/2 months, the 34-year-old right-hander resumed his pregame routine of lighting a scented candle in his stall Sunday morning to set the mood.
He then allowed one run and three hits over five innings in a .
鈥淚t鈥檚 not the same being on the side. You feel like you鈥檙e left out,鈥� he said. 鈥淪o definitely good to be back with the boys.鈥�
Among the shortest major league pitchers at 5-foot-7, Stroman is distinctive. Sunday's candle was Lavandula angustifolia (English lavender). Next to it was a stack of books: Osho鈥檚 鈥淭he Great Challenge,鈥� Marcus Aurelius鈥� 鈥淢editations鈥� and Don Miguel Ruiz鈥檚 鈥淭he Four Agreements: A Practical Guide to Personal Freedom.鈥�
He had not pitched for the Yankees since April 11, when he was chased in a five-run first inning during a . He got a cortisone shot and slowly worked his way back from left knee inflammation, an injury stemming from a torn ACL in 2015.
Stroman takes pride in his grit. He tore his ACL during a spring training fielding drill with Toronto that March 10, started minor league rehab outings on Sept. 2 and returned to a big league mound that Sept. 19.
Stroman started the season 0-1 with an 11.57 ERA in three starts. After the injury layoff, he was 0-1 with a 6.97 ERA in three rehab appearances with Double-A Somerset.
鈥淚 tore my ACL, made it back in five months, so I don鈥檛 do doubt,鈥� he said. 鈥淜new I鈥檇 be back at some point. It was just a matter of when.鈥�
Not a hard thrower these days, Stroman averaged 89.8 mph with his four-seam fastball. New York needed him for a rotation missing ace (Tommy John surgery), AL Rookie of the Year (strained right lat) and (strained right oblique).
鈥淚 thought he had a presence on both sides of the plate,鈥� manager Aaron Boone said. 鈥淲as a little unpredictable. Used his sinker, used his cutter and then the different kind of breaking balls. But he got after it in the zone when he needed to.鈥�
Stroman had a scare in the second inning, when Max Muncy hit a 97.2 mph liner off his right hamstring.
鈥淚t crushed me. Pretty firm. ... It hurt a lot," he said.
Stroman didn't think he'd have to come out.
鈥淎drenaline is a great drug,鈥� he said, 鈥渟o I won't feel it until tomorrow.鈥�
___
AP MLB:
Ronald Blum, The Associated Press
