Even as the injury lingered, with the discomfort stemming from an ACL tear and surgery back in 2015, Stroman never wavered in his thinking about whether he could return to the level of pitching that helped the Yankees defeat the A’s 12-5 to close their series in The Bronx.

Marcus Stroman lit up the Yankees, in the clubhouse and on the mound. Returning from a knee injury that sidelined him for 2 1/2 months, the 34-year-old right-hander resumed his pregame routine of lighting a scented candle in his stall Sunday morning to set the mood.