MINNEAPOLIS _ There was a time when some Yankees fans were upset with Brian Cashman for not acquiring a starting pitcher at the July 31 trade deadline.
Aaron Boone wasn't that upset. He knew Cashman had tried his best. The manager also knew Cashman already had made a June 15 deal that bolstered the Yankees' lineup. What he didn't know was that the benefits would be felt in the first two games of the AL Division Series against the Twins.
Edwin Encarnacion, whom Cashman picked up from Seattle six weeks before the trade deadline, drove in the first run in each of the Yankees' ALDS victories in the Bronx. It's nothing new for the 15-year veteran, who goes into Monday night's Game 3 with four hits and a walk in 10 plate appearances in his fifth consecutive postseason (with three different teams).
