Yankees takeaways: DJ LeMahieu and unlikely heroes finish off surprise sweep of Phillies

PHILADELPHIA – How’s this for a “You Can’t Predict Baseball, Suzyn’’ three days at Citizens Bank Park?

On Wednesday, the Yankees' 6-5 victory completed a three-game sweep of the NL East-leading Phillies, with embattled closer Clay Holmes getting Bryce Harper to ground into a double play to end it.

And it validated a career offensive day for DJ LeMahieu, who drove in all six runs, at an extremely uncertain stage of his career.

"It's been a tough go for me,'' said LeMahieu, who entered Wednesday afternoon batting .173 in 45 games, with one homer, 13 RBI and a .490 OPS.

"Definitely, it feels good to come through and see how excited (my teammates) are.''

Along with excitement of Jazz Chisholm’s power-and-energy display , there was tension leading up to Tuesday’s 6 p.m. MLB trade deadline, where Yankees’ lefty Nestor Cortes was being discussed.

Chisholm’s arrival had also essentially rendered LeMahieu a late-inning defensive replacement for rookie first baseman Ben Rice, further clouding the veteran infielder’s pinstriped future.

But the Yankees couldn’t land starter Jack Flaherty from the Detroit Tigers, allowing Cortes to take his scheduled turn Wednesday against the Phillies.

And with Phillies lefty Cristopher Sanchez starting Wednesday, Yankees manager Aaron Boone had LeMahieu back in the lineup.

Starting with a grand slam, LeMahieu backed Cortes’ pitching (5.1 IP, 3 ERA) and sent the Yankees home after a five-game road winning streak that began in Boston.

In the second inning, LeMahieu cracked his third career grand slam, which required an umpire’s review, and followed it with a two-run double in the sixth.

"Obviously want to play, but it was kind of good just to take a step back and work on a few things that have been on my mind,'' said LeMahieu, who didn't specify those adjustments. But, "I feel like I'm on to something.''

Yankees tried to land Jack Flaherty

There’s a chance Cortes could be in the bullpen if the Yankees get to the postseason, assuming they’ve got five other healthy starting options with Clarke Schmidt’s return from a strained lat.

Cortes’ name came up in discussions for Flaherty , who eventually went to the Los Angeles Dodgers late Tuesday afternoon.

Speaking Wednesday, Yankees GM Brian Cashman didn’t say what he offered Detroit for Flaherty, but he made no secret of the desire to bring him aboard.

“I think Jack Flaherty is an exceptional starter,’’ said Cashman. “I certainly would have loved to have him as a choice for us as well as anybody else that could have upgraded our rotation.’’

If there were any medical concerns about Flaherty, it didn’t preclude the Yankees from wanting him for their playoff run.

“All the way to the end, I was talking to the Tigers regarding Jack Flaherty,’’ said Cashman. “In the end, we bailed because we couldn’t match up on value.’’

Cortes said he tried to focus solely on his upcoming start, while trade talk swirled around him.

"I know my name was out there,'' said Cortes, also believed to be discussed in a potential deal with the St. Louis Cardinals. "Whether I left or I stayed, I had to make a start.''

In the end, "it was a whole lot of nothing,'' Cortes said.

This article originally appeared on NorthJersey.com: Yankees takeaways: DJ LeMahieu and unlikely heroes finish off surprise sweep of Phillies