The Yankees have seen all the AL East has to offer, and it is not much.
Thirty games into the season and with 23 of those games against division opponents, the Yankees are sitting in first place and becoming one confident team.
They beat the Orioles, 5-4, on Friday night at Yankee Stadium to improve to 19-11 overall and 14-9 in the division.
Carlos Beltran, who has been struggling mightily, came up with a two-out, two-run double in the third after Brian McCann, who hit a two-run home run in the first, was walked by Miguel Gonzalez to load the bases.
That Beltran blast, his team-high ninth double of the season, put the Yankees up, 5-0, and they were able to hang on for the win.
The Yankees are beginning to trust one another to get the job done.
“We’re playing well,’’ Beltran said. “Things are clicking, offensively and with the bullpen. You see the guys coming to the plate and people are expecting good things to happen.’’
Beltran is hitting .191 and has yet to hit a home run. Joe Girardi mentioned the Yankees having high hopes for Beltran because the exit velocity of balls off his bat is the second highest on the team, behind Alex Rodriguez.
When told of “exit velocity,’’ Beltran asked: “What’s that? They are measuring that?’’
Then he smiled, perhaps knowing of his 23 strikeouts, the third highest total on the team, and added, “You’ve got to get hits, man.’’
Or else you exit the lineup.
After their slow start, the Yankees have gone 16-5 over the past 21 games.
Baltimore is stumbling along in last place at 12-15, having suffered through pitching woes, injuries, and the free-agent loss of Nelson Cruz, who had 14 home runs before Seattle’s game Friday night.
The Red Sox can’t get out of their own way with all their pitching problems. The Blue Jays have the offense, but not the pitching. The overachieving Rays are in second place at 16-14, but can they maintain a productive offense?
The Yankees have flaws, but their strengths outweigh their negatives, especially at the top of the lineup, where Jacoby Ellsbury and Brett Gardner have become ultimate table setters and the three and four hitters, Alex Rodriguez and Mark Teixeira, are the home run producers.
Add the killer bullpen of Andrew Miller, Dellin Betances and now Justin Wilson, and that is enough to give the Yankees all they need to win this division. Even with the arm issues of Masahiro Tanaka, the Yankees have been able to move to the top.
Rodriguez and Teixeira have combined for 17 of the Yankees’ 36 home runs. Rodriguez was suspended all of last season for his steroid escapades, while Teixeira struggled in his return from his wrist problems.
“I think Tex and I have been really good for each other,’’ Rodriguez told The Post. “It’s kind of like Ellsbury and Gardner feeding off each other.’’
Noted a scout at the game: “Alex has really done a nice job of shortening his swing, but for me the key is, how is he going to respond into the summer and the second half of the season? The pitchers are challenging him now with fastballs. Will they make an adjustment? And as for Teixeira, this shows that a wrist injury is similar to having Tommy John surgery, it almost takes two years to get your swing back.’’
The Yankees are doing what they need to do to win. They were out-hit, 10-8, Friday, but got the big hits, made the big plays and got the big relief pitching once again.
Getting Beltran going is imperative.
“I feel better at the plate, I’ve been hitting some balls hard but the results that I’m looking for are not there yet,’’ Beltran said. “When it comes it comes.
“Of course, when you go through tough stretches confidence gets a little bit low. I’ve been in situations like this before. This is my 17th year and when you go through it early in the season it’s noticeable.’’
Going 19-11 makes it a lot easier to take.