NEW YORK -- When 6-foot-4, 240-pound New York Yankees first baseman Greg Bird walks around the city with his 6-7, 282-pound rookie teammate, Aaron Judge, Bird can be overshadowed.

"I get recognized a little here and there, not like Judgey," Bird said the other day. "He is hard to miss."

Before Sunday night's 9-3 win over the St. Louis Cardinals, the only thing Bird had been doing was missing. He had just one hit in 26 at-bats. Half of his at-bats ended in strikeouts. Bird remained level-headed, answering questions more like a veteran and not like a player with a mere 54 career major league games.

The Yankees have entrusted Bird's sweet lefty swing to continue the club's recent legacy of standout first basemen -- from Don Mattingly to Tino Martinez to Jason Giambi to Mark Teixeira -- and the efficacy of that swing was on full display Sunday. Bird's second-inning smash off the Cardinals' Adam Wainwright was his first of the year, driven some 435 feet into the right field seats. With three hits, Bird fell just a triple short of the cycle.

Greg Bird raised his batting average by 100 points on Sunday after a 3-for-3 night. AP Photo/Rich Schultz

"It is nice to be back on the board and contributing to the team," said Bird, who raised his average exactly 100 points to reach .138 on Sunday.

Bird finally joined what has turned into an early-season party for the Yankees. New York has now won seven in a row, which matches its best stretch over the previous two seasons.

The past two three-game series sweeps have been against the Cardinals and Tampa Bay Rays, who may combine to lose close to 200 games this season. But that’s not the Yankees’ problem.

They can only beat who is put in front of them. Next up, the Chicago White Sox visit the Bronx for a three-game set.

The Yankees (8-4) have done it without arguably their two best positions players. Gary Sanchez is out for four weeks with an arm injury, while Didi Gregorius has yet to play this season because of a strained shoulder. The past two days, DH Matt Holliday has been out with a bad back.

It has been only 12 games, so no one can honestly tell you if this is real, but what could accelerate the Yankees’ rebuild is their starting pitching. It is the one area that felt especially flimsy come out of spring training.

Amazingly, the starting pitching has been a positive so far, despite the fact ace Masahiro Tanaka has an 8.36 ERA. CC Sabathia has turned back the clock in his first three starts, which is reflected by his 1.47 ERA. Luis Severino had a career-high 11 strikeouts his last time out. Monday’s starter, rookie lefty Jordan Montgomery, has intrigued the Yankees with his four-pitch repertoire, which allowed him to win the fifth spot.

But if there is one pitcher who could be a season-changer for the Yankees, it is Michael Pineda. Pineda is the ultra-talented, ultra-inconsistent righty, who can become a free agent in November. After pitching a perfect game through 6⅔ innings his last outing, Pineda went seven innings and allowed just two runs on Sunday night. It is too early to know if Pineda’s success is real, but Sabathia has said he thinks Pineda will win the Cy Young this year. The last two times out could make someone believe Sabathia is a soothsayer.

"You want him to keep building and gain some momentum," manager Joe Girardi said of Pineda, who was 6-12 with 4.82 ERA last season.

Pineda did his job, recording one more win in what he hopes is first complete season of his career. Bird, who lost his rookie status in 2015, is also trying to put together a full season after missing the entire 2016 following shoulder surgery.

On Sunday, it began with Bird providing the big knock. If he keeps hitting like he did against Wainwright and the Cardinals’ pen, he won’t be overshadowed by anyone. His team might not be either.