New York Yankees v New York Mets / Jim McIsaac/GettyImages

The New York Yankees made an emphatic case on Tuesday night that they’re heating up, all together, at the right time. Against a Mariners team that’s currently staring longingly at an open door, held ajar by the Minnesota Twins, the Yankees triumphed 11-2 in a late-night pummeling that was never in doubt.

The lopsided scoreboard gave the Yankees a chance to rest their hottest hitter (and defender!) for the final three innings — yes, we’re talking about Gleyber Torres. It also finally allowed them to get a peek at a wrinkle that’s been lingering for weeks, sending Marcus Stroman in from the bullpen to cover the final three frames.

Though he ultimately earned the save — the first since his rookie season in MLB — there wasn’t much during Stroman’s three-inning stint suggesting he’d worked out the kinks and could be counted on to keep traffic off the bases in October. Fans hoping to watch him attack the zone and thrive as his fastball played up instead saw five hits in three innings (though nary a walk in sight), punctuated by a long Luke Raley home run.

If the Yankees were hoping to see a new Stroman rather than someone who could eat innings in a pinch, they didn’t receive much workable data.

Does Yankees playoff roster have room for Marcus Stroman?

Odds are, Stroman will be carried into October. His vibes have had too much intrinsic value to this team to be ignored in crunch time. He belongs in the dugout. Unfortunately, it remains unclear if he belongs on the mound, or what exactly he can bring to a late-inning appearance that differs from a typical fatigued late summer start.

The alternate options to carrying Stroman include Mark Leiter Jr., who’s been a gas can for weeks and must be hiding an injury (either that, or he regressed overnight after slipping off a Cubs uniform). The Yankees could also carry Tim Mayza as a deep-cut lefty or a recovering Lou Trivino, who still doesn’t seem MLB-ready despite an extended rehab. Scott Effross? The pool’s running dry.

Stroman can be counted on to take the ball and give it his best shot, but didn’t show much on Tuesday night indicating he should be more than an emergency option down the stretch and into the postseason this year. Hopefully, he still has something left to unlock, because the lifelong Yankee fan righty deserves an October moment.