Hal Steinbrenner says his New York Yankees may need a starting pitching upgrade if they’re going to reach their first World Series since 2009.

Steinbrenner Devin Singletary Jersey , the Yankees managing general partner, said Wednesday the club will explore the trade market for an arm, especially considering the recent loss of left-hander Jordan Montgomery, who had season-ending Tommy John surgery on June 7.

The Yankees entered Wednesday with the best record in baseball, narrowly ahead of AL East rival Boston. The club has space to acquire an impact player and still remain under the $197 million luxury-tax threshold, a goal the team has stated several times.

”Clearly starting pitching was always a concern,” Steinbrenner said, speaking to a small group of reporters at an owners’ meeting. ”It’s definitely one of the areas we’re going to be looking at.

”Purposely left a decent amount of money for just this,” he added. ”If we decide to go get a pitcher and if a pitcher’s available, I think we definitely have the flexibility that would allow me to do just that.”

Cole Hamels, Chris Archer and Madison Bumgarner are among the biggest names that could potentially be available at the deadline, but they would likely cost one or more of New York’s blue-chip prospects. Steinbrenner wants to be cautious about moving high-ceiling youngsters to beef up the rotation.

”It depends what the asks are. I mean, I love the young guys Kyler Murray Jersey ,” he said. ”Our fans love the young guys, and I think it’s obvious to all of us. They’ve made a heck of an impact, and to see Gleyber (Torres) and (Miguel) Andujar and others, you know, right off the heels of (Aaron) Judge and (Gary) Sanchez and (Luis) Severino, I mean it’s pretty amazing.”

The team does have internal options, and Steinbrenner said he’s willing to stick by some young, untested pitchers if needed. Jonathan Loaisiga will make his major league debut Friday, rookie Domingo German has held his own in six starts, and prospects Justus Sheffield, Chance Adams and Erik Swanson could get looks later this year, too.

”We’ve got some options for August, September http://www.billscheapshop.com/cheap-authentic-dawson-knox-jersey , but again, we’re going to look at anything that comes across our desk,” Steinbrenner said.

OFF AND RUNNING

Steinbrenner praised first-year manager Aaron Boone, pleased with his performance thus far despite the rookie manager having no professional coaching experience prior to the season.

”Everything we could ask for. Calm, cool, collected,” Steinbrenner said. ”Players have a lot of respect for him. He’s been great in the clubhouse and he’s been great with his coaching staff, and the coaches he’s brought in have been good so I mean it’s as advertised.”

NO WORRIES

Giancarlo Stanton has been good, but not great, in his first year with the Yankees. He entered Wednesday batting .240 with 14 homers, 34 RBIs and a .797 OPS – compared to a 1.007 OPS when he won the NL MVP Award last season. Steinbrenner believes New York’s marquee offseason acquisition will crank up his production soon, though.

”He’s had ups and downs, but when he gets hot http://www.giantsauthorizedshops.com/authentic-dexter-lawrence-jersey , he’ll carry a team,” Steinbrenner said. ”We’ve all seen that and it will happen. Work ethic is great. Worked his way right into the clubhouse in a great way, teammates like him, so he’s going to be great.”

NOT-SO-FRIENDLY SKIES

New York has had eight games either postponed or suspended by poor weather already this season. If that wasn’t enough of an inconvenience, they’ve also encountered their share of travel snafus- which included having to spend a night at Dulles International Airport in mid-May due to weather and a problem with the plane.

As an experienced pilot himself, Steinbrenner understands that air travel can be an inexact science.

”We all fly commercial and even small jets, even my plane has problems from time to time and I fly a dinky little propeller plane,” he said. ”So you start to get into these airliners, I mean they’re complex from the avionics to the life support systems to the engines to the hydraulics. They’re just complicated machines. … It’s obviously air transportation, very reliable and very safe. But it’s very safe and very reliable because they don’t take a plane up if it’s not close to a hundred percent, right?”

—

The Philadelphia Phillies won another one-run game to extend their winning streak to six games.

Nick Williams, Scott Kingery and Jorge Alfaro drove in runs on consecutive at-bats in the seventh inning to help Philadelphia win 3-2 on Saturday.

With two outs in the seventh, Williams sent a line drive down the right field line that took a funny hop off the fence and eluded Pirates right fielder Gregory Polanco http://www.arizonacardinalsteamonline.com/zach-allen-jersey , who bobbled the ball. The relay throw still made it to third baseman Colin Moran ahead of Williams, but he able to avoid the tag for a triple.

Carlos Santana scored on the play. Kingery followed up with a single up the middle and then scored when Alfaro hit a double to right-center to give the Phillies all they’d need to clinch their third straight series win and improve to an MLB-best 19-7 in one-run games.

”Another win in a one-run game,” manager Gabe Kapler said. ”I think that’s something to really be proud of and something we continue to focus on.”

Jake Arrieta (6-6) worked around six hits with the help of eight strikeouts to hold the Pirates to two runs over seven innings. It was Arrieta’s first win in eight starts, though it didn’t look that way at first.

”There’s no perfect formula for how the game’s going to play out,” Arrieta said. ”Yeah, you want to score first. You want to score often. Sometimes that doesn’t happen.”

Pirates starter Jameson Taillon (5-7) was charged with all three runs. He struck out eight and walked none in his 77 pitches over 6 2/3 innings. He had allowed just two singles and hadn’t allowed a runner to even get into scoring position coming into the seventh inning. Reliever Edgar Santana allowed the go-ahead run to score with Alfaro’s double. The three runs were scored on three straight pitches.

”I was really excited and looking forward to being the guy to put an end to our tough streak here,” Taillon said. ”I’m at 68 pitches without a guy touching second base and someone’s warming up? That’s tough. So, I don’t know. I haven’t been pitching the greatest. I understand the trust isn’t there. “

Starling Marte singled and scored in the first and homered in the second as part of a three-hit afternoon to stake the Pirates to an early lead. Pittsburgh has lost five straight.

Victor Arano worked around a leadoff double in the ninth for his second save.

ROSTER MOVES

The Pirates activated right-handed reliever Michael Feliz from the 10-day disabled list, selected the contract of right-handed pitcher Alex McRae from Triple-A Indianapolis and optioned relievers Dovydas Neverauskas and Josh Smoker to Indianapolis.

Feliz had been on the disabled list since June 24 with a right shoulder strain. He has a 5.51 ERA in 33 appearances this season. It’s McRae’s first MLB call-up. He had a 4.61 ERA in 17 appearances – 16 starts – with Indianapolis. He’ll work out of the bullpen in Pittsburgh.

TRAINER’S ROOM

Phillies: INF Cesar Hernandez did not start after fouling a ball off his foot on Friday. He flew out in the eighth as a pinch hitter.

Pirates: C Francisco Cervelli (concussion) returned from his rehab assignment and took batting practice before the game. He hopes to be activated from the disabled list on Sunday. . RHP Joe Musgrove (finger infection) threw a bullpen session. He expects to return from the disabled list on Tuesday. . RHP Chad Kuhl (right forearm strain) is getting a second opinion on his injury and expects to be out until after the All-Star Game.

UP NEXT

Phillies: Drew Anderson is expected to be recalled from Triple-A Lehigh Valley to make his 2018 debut. Anderson was 5-3 with a 4.15 ERA. It will be his third career MLB appearance.

Pirates: Nick Kingham (2-4, 4.70 ERA) will try to shake off a career-worst appearance last time out against Los Angeles on July 2, when he gave up seven runs in three innings. The rookie is 0-4 over his last five starts.