Who among us wasn't a doomsayer about the Yankees' prospects this season because of their questionmark-filled starting rotation? Yet here they are third in the majors in ERA (3.02) behind the Dodgers and (say what?) Twins, and tied for fifth with the Cubs in batting average against at .217. Those you talk to around the Yankees — pitchers, coaches, front office people alike — say, unlike the Twins, this is not a mirage, and a lot more than just Luis Severino learning a changeup from Pedro Martinez, or Michael Pineda perfecting his secondary pitches from Yankee pitching coach Larry Rothschild. Rather, to hear them tell it, it's almost all about Austin Romine's game-calling and overall handling of the staff. Not that Gary Sanchez might want to start familiarizing himself with Wally Pipp, but in the first five games of the season he was behind the plate, Yankee pitchers gave up 22 runs. In the 10 games since he went on the DL with a strained right bicep, eight of which were started by Romine, Yankee starters gave up only 20 runs — and went six or more innings in all of their starts except one.