Game 70. Up 5-1, Yanks’ miscues lead to 10-5 loss.

Since I am leaving early Saturday morning for vacation, and will be trying for sleep tomorrow night before my early morning flight, this will be my last post for a while.

Before the game, Refsnyder down, Tyler Webb, lefty reliever, up.

Ouch. Up 5-1, Yankees’ miscues contributed to a 10-5 loss.

Cameron Maybin  homered on the second pitch of the game from Luis Severino to put the Angels up 1-0.

In the bottom of the first, with two out, Judge and Holliday both walked and Castro blooped a single to tie it.

In the second, Carter doubled, Torreyes singled him to third, and Gardner drove him in on a forceout. Hicks singled and Judge hit a 3-run HR (25) to make it 5-1.

After that, it was all downhill.

Severino gave up 2 in the third.

He still had the 5-3 lead entering the seventh.

In the seventh, a leadoff single by the Angels. Then, the play that changed the game. A play that Castro needs to make. Instead of a DP, 1st and 3rd for the Angels, no out. This play was the turning point in the game.

If the Yanks ever make a move, I can see it here, like Torres taking over for Castro and Castro moving to third. There have been a few plays this week alone that Castro needs to make and he hasn’t, costing the Yanks some games. The bat has been great, but he has cost them two games this week because of the glove.

After the crucial Castro error, Betances came in. I was a bit concerned because Betances came in with a 0.40 ERA. A long baseball season is like the stock market. There are “corrections”. A pitcher with that low of an ERA is due for  a bad outing and that is what happened to Betances.

Betances wasn’t helped by an error on Sanchez. Then again, Betances threw a WP.

Domingo German, the rookie, didn’t help himself in the eighth with a WP and an error on a pickoff attempt.

Judge HR, (25) 3 RBI.  Carter had 2 hits.

Severino (L, 5-3, 3.30) 6 +IP, 6 R, 5 ER, 8 H, 2 W, 5 K, Gave up 1 HR.
Shreve (BS,1 ) 1 Ip, 0 R, 0 H, 0 W, 0 K. 1.80. Should have been out there longer.
Betances 2/3 IP, 2 R, 2 H, 1 W, 2 K. 1.16. Was due for a bad outing.
German 2 IP, 2 R, 1 ER, 1 H, 1 W, 3 K. 1.04

 

Game 69. Yanks snap losing streak, beat Angels 8-4.

The Yanks snapped their seven-game losing streak, beating the Angels 8-4 Wednesday night.

More woes for Tyler Clippard, though. The struggling Clippard faced two batters and gave up a double and HR. It’s looking like his role will be reduced.

The win puts the 39-30 Yanks back in first place by 1/2 a game over the Red Sox.

In the second, the Yanks jumped out in front 2-0 on a 2-run HR by Didi Gregorius (8).

Martin Maldonado hit the first of his two two-run HRs in the fourth to tie it up for the Angels.

Matt Holliday made it 3-2 Yanks in the fifth with his fifteenth HR of the season.

In the sixth, Sanchez singled, and Headley walked. Romine doubled in two runs, and Romine scored on a single by Hicks. 6-2 Yanks.

In the seventh, Holliday doubled and scored on a Castro single. Castro later scored on a single by Headley.

Put into a low leverage situation, up 8-2 in the ninth, Clippard faced two batters, gave up a double and HR, and was pulled. It has been a tough time for him lately. Aroldis Chapman then closed out the 8-4 Yankees’ win.

Holliday double, HR (15), RBI
Sanchez 2 hits.
Gregorius HR (8), 2 RBI
Romine 3 hits, 2 RBI.

Montgomery (W, 5-4, 3.74) 5 2/3 IP, 2 R, 5 H, 2 W, 5 K. Gave up 1 HR.
Green (H, 3) 1 1/3 IP, 0 R, 0 H, 1 W, 2 K. 2.31
Betances 1 Ip, 0 R,.0 H, 0 W, 2 K. 0.40
Clippard 0 IP, 2 R, 2 H, 0 W, 0 K. 3.77. Gave up 1 HR.
Chapman 1 IP, 0 R, 0 H, 0 W, 1 K. 3.07.

Ex-Yankees’ PR announcer James Hall passed away recently.

 

Minor League Report.

The Yankees released minor league pitcher Travis Hissong.

Lower level leagues, like the short-season and Dominican Summer League have started up but I don’t go down to those levels. Not enough time.

AAA: SwB (43-27) split a DH. They lost the reg. sched. game 4-3. Solo HR’s CF Dustin Fowler, LF Jake Cave and RF Mark Payton.

Mitchell 4 1/3 IP, 1 R, 1 H, 1 W, 5K.  4.50
Webb 1 1/3 IP, 1 R, 1 H, 1 W, 2 K. Gave up 1 HR.  3.24
Jones (BS, 3; L, 5-2, 3.93) 1 1/3 IP, 2 R, 2 H, 1 W, 1 K.

They won the makeup of a May 7 rainout 6-2. DH Tyler Austin a 3-run HR.  1B Ji-Man Choi triple, 3 RBI. 3b Miguel Andujar 2 hits. RF Payton 2 hits.

Mantiply 3 IP, 1 R, 4 H, 1 W, 1 K. 3.03
Wotherspoon (W, 1-0, 2.35) 3 IP 1 R, 3 H, 0 W, 1 K.
Graham 1 IP, 0 R, 1 H, 1 W, 1 K. 3.94

AA: Trenton (46-24) lost 14-4. 2B Abiatal Avelino 4 for 4, 2 doubles, RBI. 2 hits & an RBI for LF Devyn Bolasky.

Ramirez (L, 6-3, 3.47) 2 1/3 IP, 7 R, 8 H, 3 W, 2 K. Gave up 1 HR.
Carter 2 1/3 IP, 4 R, 5 H, 0 W, 1 K. 15.43
Rumbelow 1 1/3 IP, 0 R, 1 H, 0 W, 3 K. 0.00
Coshow 2 IP, 3 R, 5 H, 1 W, 2 K 4.71

High A: Tampa (38-31) won 6-0.  CF Jeff Hendrix 2 hits, 2 RBI. DH Tito Polo 2 hits. 2B Nick Solak 3 hits. 2 hits and rbi for 3B Kyle Holder.

Dillon Tate came off the DL (sore shoulder) for his first minor league game of the season.

Tate (W, 1-0, 0.00) 5 2/3 IP, 0 R, 3 H, 1 W,  5 K.
Reeves 2 1/3 IP, 0 R, 2 H, 0 W, 3 K. 4.26
Tarpley 1 IP, 0 R, 0 H, 0 W, 1 K. 0.00

Low A: The North and South for the South Atlantic League played to a 3-3 tie. It was played in rain which got worse after the seventh, when the game was stopped.

Charleston players (South): Blake Rutherford CF, 0 for 0; C Donny Sands 0 for 1.
SS Hoy Jun Park 0 for 1. LF Estevan Florial 0 for 2. 3B Angel Aguilar 0 for 2.

P Trevor Lane 1 IP, 0 R, 0 H, 0 W, 1 K.

Minor League Report. Torres needs TJ surgery, done for year.

Yankees’ top prospect, INF Gleyber Torres, needs TJ surgery and is done for the year. He injured his non-throwing elbow sliding into home the other day and hyperextended the elbow, injuring ligaments as well.

The Yanks were possibly grooming Torres to take over at 3B for Chase Headley later this year. They also now have promoted 3B Miguel Andujar to AAA. Andujar is an option for the future at 3B, also the Yanks may look at the trade deadline for a 3B. They aren’t happy with Headley’s performance so far.

Besides 3B, the Yanks may also look to upgrade at starting pitching and 1B. With CC out until early August and Tanaka struggling, an upgrade in the rotation, via Chance Adams being called up,Fo or a trade, looks imminent.

Also, 1B has been a problem with Greg Bird hurt and shut down, and the disappointing performance of Chris Carter. Here, the Yanks could look at a promotion (Tyler Austin, Mike Ford, Ji-Man Choi) or look to trade.

These are three positions that bear watching over the next month. How do the Yanks upgrade here? Is there a big deal brewing?

AAA: SWB (42-26) won 6-1. CF Dustin Fowler double, HR, 2 RBI. 3 hits, HR, 2 RBI LF Jake Cave. 3 hits, RBI 2B Donovan Solano. RF Clint Frazier 2 hits.

Lail (W, 4-2, 4.78) 6 2/3 IP, 1 R, 4 H, 2 W, 3 K.
Layne (H, 1) 1 1/3 IP, 0 R, 0 H, 0 W, 0 K. 0.00
Heller 1 IP, 0 R, 0 H, 1 W, 1 K. 2.48.

AA: Trenton off.

High A:   Tampa (37-31) won 4-2. 2B Nick Solak 2 hits, solo HR. LF Tito Polo 2 hits, rbi. C Sharif Othman 2 hits.

Widener (w, 4-6, 3.94) 6 IP, 1 R, 2 H, 2 W, 4 K.
Foley (H, 1) 1 2/3 IP, 1 R, 3 H, 1 W, 3 K. 1.59
Gomez (S, 2) 1 1/3 IP, 0 R, 1 H, 1 W, 3 K. 2.55

Low A: Charleston off.

UPDATE: Yanks’ minor league pitcher Matt Marsh has been suspended 50 games for using a banned substance.

Game 67. Road trip from hell ends with 6-game losing streak. Yanks fall, 4-3.

Ugh. The Road trip from hell ends with the Yanks going 1-6, losing six in a row, four by one run, two in extra innings.

It is not for me to figure out how the 40 man roster works, who gets  put on and off, but I kind of wish Chance Adams and Dustin Fowler, both not on the 40 man who would have had to be put on at the expense of others, were brought up instead of Mason Williams and Luis Cessa. Just my opinion b/c I think Adams and Fowler were and are doing better at AAA and deserved it more.

Cessa gave up four runs in one inning and it was enough to doom the Yanks, 4-3. The loss drops the Yanks to 38-29 and into a virtual tie for first with 39-30 Boston.

The Yanks are off today. Travel day back home.

The Yanks went up 1-0 in the second on Matt Holliday’s 14th HR of the year. They got another run in the third when Brett Gardner doubled and Aaron Judge singled him in.

Then Cessa gave up 4 runs in the bottom of the third.

Didi Gregorius homered (7) in the fourth to cut it to 4-3 but that was it.

The Yanks got the tying run to second (2-base error) in the ninth but Headley and Carter couldn’t get him in.

Gardner 2 hits. Gregorius 2 hits, inc. HR. Holliday HR.

Chapman came off the DL and got an inning of work.

Cessa (L, 0-1, 7.36) 4 IP, 4 R, 5 H, 1 W, 4 K. Gave up 1 HR.
Green 2 IP, 0 R, 2 H, 0 W, 2 K. 2.45
Clippard 1 IP, 0 R, 0 H, 1 W, 0 K. 2.22
Chapman 1 IP, 0 R, 0 H, 0 W, 1 K. 3.29

Minor League Report. Acevedo, Estrada continue to impress, Chapman rehab, FSL All Stars.

AAA: SWB (38-26) won 8-1. 2B Tyler Wade (.317) 2 hits, RBI. CF Dustin Fowler (who I thought they’d call up instead of Mason Williams, but apparently Fowler isn’t on the 40-man roster) 2 hits, 2 RBI. DH Tyler Austin 2 hits, RBI. RF Clint Frazier 3-run HR. SS Gleyber Torres 3 hits.

Domingo Acevedo promoted. First AAA game. Rapidly rising. Was 0-4, 4.57 at Tampa this year, then 2-0, 1.62 at AA, now this. Overall 3-4, 3.09.

Acevedo (W, 1-0, 1.29) 7 IP, 1 R, 3 H, 5 W, 4 K.
Layne 1 2/3 IP, 0 r, 0 H, 1 w, 2 K. 0.00   Sent here after DFA and not claimed.
Heller 1/3 IP, 0 r, 0 H, 0 W, 0 K. 2.57

AA: Trenton (43-22) won 4-2. Gleyber Torres gets all the attention, deservedly, but SS Thairo Estrada 2 hits, .323. Jorge Mateo at High A has been struggling and has already been passed on the SS depth chart by Torres, Wade and Estrada. Trade bait? Torres is 20, but Estrada is only 21.

1B Mike Ford solo HR. Aroldis Chapman put in a rehab appearance, hmmm…. Chapman is expected to rejoin the Yanks on Sunday.

Chapman 2/3 IP, 1 R, 0 H, 2 W, 2 K. 13.50. Threw two WP. Hit 102.
Pena 3 1/3 IP, 0 r, 1 H, 0 W, 4 K. 0.00. Just promoted, first AA game.
Mesa (BS, 1) 2 IP, 1 R, 3 H, 0 W, 3 K. 1.80. Just promoted, 2nd AA game.
Marsh (W, 2-2, 3.68) 2 IP, 0 R, 1 H, 0 W, 5 K.
Rumbelow (S,1) 1 IP, 0 R, 0 H, 0 W, 0 K. 0.00

High A: Tampa off. The Florida State League All-Star Game is today. For the FSL North, from Tampa (and some of these players have already been promoted to AA Trenton): P Cody Carroll, P Zack Littell, P Dillon McNamara, P Jose Mesa (son of ex-MLB reliever Jose Mesa), P Josh Rogers, SS Jorge Mateo (even though he is struggling). OF Tito Polo.

Low A: Charleston (32-36) lost 4-1. LF Ben Ruta and 3B Mandy Alvarez 2 hits each. RBI for Ruta.

Nelson (L, 0-6, 6.34) 3 1/3 IP, 4 R, 5 H, 1 W, 1 K. Gave up 1 HR.
DeCarr 4 2/3 IP, 0 R, 3 H, 1 W, 4 K. 2.16
Lane 1 IP, 0 R, 1 H, 0 W, 1 K. 0.84

Game 65. West Woes continue as Yanks lose another close one, 7-6.

The Yanks (38-27) AL East lead is down to one after a 7-6 loss Friday night in Oakland. The West coast trip has been hellish.

Gary Sanchez and Aaron Hicks are day to day with the injuries, and Adam Warren was put on the DL, joining CC. Giovanny Gallegos was sent down, Mason Williams (for Hicks) and Kyle Higashioka (for Sanchez) were brought up. It’s hard to keep up with the moves lately.

Once again the Yanks had a lead, and once again the B-listers (anyone not Warren, Chapman, Clippard or Betances) of the bullpen blew it. Chapman is supposed to return Sunday (see the minor league report for his rehab stint), Warren is now on the DL and the others aren’t getting the ball to Betances.

In the four-game losing streak, the Yanks have lost three games by one run, and two in extra innings. Excruciating. The losses have been by Shreve, Herrera (MLB debut), Gallegos (rookie on the NYY-SWB shuttle with 9 MLB games under his belt) and now Holder, another rookie.

The close losses have really affected their Pythagorean record. According to runs scored vs. runs allowed, the Yanks should be five wins better than they are right now. But close losses like these and big blowouts like last weekend against Baltimore skew that Pythagorean record. It’s a sign of what a team should be doing, and after all it’s the real record that counts anyway.

Luis Severino had one bad inning, giving up four runs in the second.

But the Yanks came back, and took a 6-4 lead late in the game. Aaron Judge started the comeback with a 3-run HR (23) in the third.

Gardner and Didi were getting days off. Sanchez and Hicks are hurt, day to day. As a result, the lineup had Refsnyder in left, Mason Williams (20 MLB games before last night) in CF. Romine was catching and Torreyes was at SS. So half the lineup was backups, who did OK.

In the fifth, the Yanks tied it on Torreyes’ double and a single by Williams.

Chris Carter hit a HR (8) in the sixth to put the Yanks up 5-4.

In the seventh, Judge tripled, Holliday walked and Castro singled to put the Yanks up 6-4.

Then the roof caved in.

The A’s got a run in the seventh off Shreve to cut the lead to 6-5. They then got two off of Holder in the eighth to win the game 7-6.

When Holder ran into trouble in the eighth, I wondered if Girardi would turn to Betances for a multi-inning save. Nope, and the Yanks lost because of it, but I can see you can’t just burn Betances out. With Warren and Chapman on the DL, the rest of the bullpen isn’t picking up the slack, and some guys are a bit fried right now. Clippard has been in a slump.

Judge 2 for 3, scored 2, 3 RBI, HR, triple. Walked twice.
Castro 2 hits, RBI.
Torreyes 2 hits.

Severino 6 IP, 4 R, 4 H, 4 W, 6 K. Uncharacteristically wild, all 4 hits in same inning.
Shreve (H, 1) 1 IP, 1 R, 1 H, 1 W, 1 K. 1.86
Holder (BS, 2; L, 1-1, 3.49) 1 IP, 2 R, 2 H, 2 W, 0 K. First MLB loss.