Game 159. Rays’ big inning dooms Yanks, 9-6.

Not what you want to see from Sonny Gray in his final regular season start before the playoffs. No command, knocked out early, gave up a lot of walks and a pair of homers, and couldn’t hold a lead.

Tampa Bay scored seven in the fifth, knocking out Gray, and beat the Yanks 9-6.

The loss kept the Yanks (89-70) three back of Boston with three games to go. It seems inevitable that the Yanks will have to settle for the top wild card.

Gray gave up a HR to the second batter of the game, but the Yanks got back-to-back HRs from Gardner (21) and Judge (51) leading off the bottom of the first to go up 2-1.

They made it 3-1 in the second on a single by Ellsbury, passed ball, and an RBI single by Todd Frazier.

The red-hot Greg Bird homered in the fourth (9) to make it 4-1. Looking good.

Then the roof fell in. That seven-run inning featured Gray throwing a HR and a WP, and catcher Gary Sanchez committing an error and a passed ball. After Gray was pulled, Jonathan Holder gave up a HBP, single and triple in getting no one out.

Starlin Castro singled in a run in the fifth to cut it to 8-5, but Chasen Shreve gave up a HR in the sixth to put the Rays up 9-5.

Aaron Hicks hit his second HR (15) since coming off the DL this week to close out the scoring. It was a PH HR in the bottom of the ninth.

Jacoby Ellsbury had two hits.

Adam Warren is coming off the DL today.

Gray (L, 10-12, 3.55) 4 2/3 IP, 6 R, 6 H, 5 W, 2 K. Gave up 2 HR.
Holder 0 IP, 2 R, 2 H, 0 W, 0 K. 3.89
Shreve 1 IP, 1 R, 1 H, 1 W, 2 K. 3.77 Gave up 1 HR.
Heller 2 1/3 IP, 0 R, 0 H, 1 W, 2 K. 0.90
Gallegos 1 IP, 0 R, 0 H, 0 W, 0 K. 4.87

I am impressed this year with Heller and German as far as guys who may be able to really step up and contribute more in 2018.

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Yanks set up Severino for playoff game.

Game 140 is in the books, and the Yanks have announced that Jaime Garcia will be the starter this coming Wed. in Citi Field (neutral site (cough, cough) for the Rays series b/c of Hurricane Irma).

So, here is how the rotation shapes up from here on out. Numbers are game numbers.

It depends on how they juggle Montgomery vs. Garcia.

Barring weather, of course.

141: Severino
142: Montgomery
143: CC
144: Gray
145: Garcia
146: Tanaka
147: Severino
148: Montgomery
149: CC
150: Gray
151: Tanaka
152: Severino
153: Garcia OR Montgomery
154: CC
155: Gray
156 Garcia or Montgomery (whoever didn’t go in # 153)
157: Tanaka
158: Severino
159: Montgomery or Garcia (whoever didn’t go in #156)
160: CC
161: Gray
162: Tanaka

Which lines Severino up to start the WC playoff game.

Game 138. Golden opportunity missed, Yanks blow it in 9th, 7-6.

It was so close to being cut to 1 1/2 games. So close.

The Yanks had a 6-1 lead. They took a 6-5 lead into the bottom of the ninth in Baltimore. Meanwhile, Toronto took a 2-0 lead into the bottom of the ninth up in Boston.

With two out, Dellin Betances walked a batter and gave up a game-winning 2-run walk-off HR to the Orioles’ Manny Machado. It was Machado’s second HR of the game.

Meanwhile, Boston won 3-2 in 19 innings. Instead of cutting the lead to 1 1/2 games, the Yanks fall 3 1/2 back. Ouch.

With two out in the first, CC gave up a run on a walk, infield hit, WP and another infield hit.

The Yanks struck for six in the third, but couldn’t tack on. Romine singled, and after an out, Judge walked and Castro was HBP. Didi singled in two, 2-1 Yanks. Holliday walked to re-load the bases. Bird hit a sac fly, E-8 on Adam Jones, everyone moves up, everyone safe. 3-1. Todd Frazier grounded out, run scored, 4-1. Ellsbury singled in two, 6-1.

But the Yanks gave it all back. CC gave up a HR in the bottom of the third to Machado. 6-2.

He gave up a HR in the fifth to Yankee-killer Schoop. 6-3.

I would NOT have had CC start the sixth inning, and was surprised and angry when he did. My fears and anger were justified when he gave up a 2-run HR to Mark Trumbo to make it 6-5.

Pulls Montgomery early on Labor Day (puts in Green, right move) but doesn’t pull CC for Warren when the situation was about the same? I don’t know how Warren was feeling or anything, but….

I don’t know how Yankees fans around the country feel, but living close enough to NY to get WFAN and hear the Yankees fans there, I can say that there are a lot of Yankees fans not happy with Joe Girardi’s managing. This is the last year of Girardi’s contract.

One reason is this: his constant over managing. Guy comes in, pitches well, and he pulls the guy after one inning. Too often, by doing this, you eventually find the guy who doesn’t have it that night and blows the game. Guy doing well, leave him in! I’ve written that how many times this year.

Too many cooks spoil the soup.

It is one reason the Yanks’ real record is eight games worse than their expected record based on runs scored vs. runs allowed. It is one of the reasons they are 15-24 in one-run games. They are 3 1/2 back of Boston. If they were 19-20, not even .500 in those one-run games…. you can do the math.

So Kahnle gets two outs. Robertson only pitches one inning, 11 pitches. Same with Chapman, one inning, 11 pitches. Then instead of letting Robertson go two, or Chapman two, Girardi brings in Betances, who blows the game.

Joe. Simple concept. Guy does well, not many pitches, leave him in for another inning.

Stop over-managing.

Castro 2 hits.
Gregorius 2 RBI
Ellsbury 2 hits, 2 RBI

Tyler Austin was brought up from SWB.

Sabathia 5 1/3 IP, 5 R, 8 H, 1 W, 3 K. Gave up 3 HR. 3.91
Kahnle 2/3 IP, 0 R, 0 H, 1 W, 1 K. 2.82
Robertson 1 IP, 0 R, 0 H. 0 W, 1 K. 2.24. Threw just 11 pitches and pulled.
Chapman 1 IP, 0 R, 0 H, 0 W, 1 K. 4.02. Threw just 11 pitches and pulled.
Betances (BS, 3; L, 3-6, 2.73) 2/3 IP, 2 R, 1 H, 1 W, 1 K. Gave up GW HR.

So close to cutting it to 1 1/2. So damned close.

…and Boston was caught using illegal technology to steal Yankees’ signs recently. We’ll see about any ramifications for that.

Paul Schaal, a 3B for the Angels (1964-1968, 1974) and Royals  (1969-1974) passed away Sept. 1, age 74. His best year was 3B for the 1971 Royals, .274-11-63, OPS+ 129. For his career, .244 with 57 HR. 162 g. average .244-8-46, OPS+ 99.

Game 134. Long Ball hurts Gray, Yanks lose 4-1.

The Yanks got back-to-back doubles by Gardner & Judge in the bottom of the first to plate a run, but nothing thereafter in losing to Boston 4-1.

Sonny Gray got bit by the HR bug. He gave up just 5 hits in 7 IP, but 3 of them were HR accounting for all 4 Boston runs.

After those back-to-back doubles to start off the bottom of the first, the Yanks only managed two more hits the rest of the night.

With the expanded rosters, the Yanks added Erik Kratz, Matt Holliday, Ben Heller, Jordan Montgomery, and Bryan Mitchell.

Gray (combined A’s/ Yankees) (L, 8-9, 3.36) 7 IP, 4 R, 5 H, 1 W, 9 K. But gave up 3 HR.
Chapman 1 Ip, 0 R, 1 H, 0 W, 3 K. 4.12
Warren 1 IP, 0 R, 1 H, 0 W, 1 K. 2.40

Game 133. Bird is the word in Yanks’ 6-2 win.

It’s been a horrible year for Greg Bird, who had such a great spring training before fouling a ball off his ankle which messed up his swing, put him on the DL, and required surgery.

Last night, we saw what could have been for this year if Bird had stayed healthy. He hit a 2-run HR (3) to give the Yanks a cushion and had 3 RBI in the Yankees’ 6-2 win over Boston.

The win puts the 71-62 Yanks 4 1/2 behind Boston in the AL East. They have the top wild card spot by just one game over the Twins, and have a 2 1/2 game edge over the Angels for falling out of the playoffs altogether. The Angels made a couple of big moves to try to get over the hump and into the playoffs, picking up Justin Upton from the Tigers and Brandon Phillips off the Braves. Meanwhile, AL West leading Houston picked up Justin Verlander (Kate Upton’s fiancee, LOL) from the Tigers.

CC Sabathia escaped a bases-loaded jam in the first inning but gave up a run in the third. The Yanks won one challenge in the top of the third when Aaron Hicks threw out Andrew Benintendi when Benintendi was trying for a double, but lost another when Mookie Betts was called safe at second when the Yanks were trying for an inning-ending DP that would have prevented a run from scoring. Instead, one out, no DP and Boston up 1-0.

Gary Sanchez tied the game in the bottom of the third with his 28th HR of the season.

The Yanks got a big break in the fifth. With one out, Brett Gardner singled. Aaron Hicks was jammed, but his little jam shot found grass, and the single pushed Gardner to third. Sanchez popped up, but Eduardo Nunez, shifted over from his normal position, overran the popup, it fell for a single, and the Yanks were up 2-1.

Bird’s 2-run HR (3) made in 4-1 in the sixth. It came after a Chase Headley double that led off the inning. After Bird’s HR, Todd Frazier singled, and with one out, Aaron Hicks singled. With two out, Didi Gregorius singled to make it 5-1.

A walk to Aaron Judge (dropped to sixth in the lineup), a single by Headley and a single by Bird made it 6-1 in the seventh.

Boston got a run in the ninth for the final of 6-2.

Gardner 2 hits.
Hicks 2 hits. Robbed of a third, when a line drive was turned into a 1-3 DP.
Sanchez 2 hits, HR, 2 RBI.
Castro 2 hits.
Headley 2 hits.
Bird 2 hits, HR, 3 RBI.

Nice TEAM effort.

Sabathia (W, 11-5, 3.71) 6 IP, 1 r, 4 H, 5 W, 6 K.
Robertson 2 IP, 0 R, 0 H, 1 w, 1 K. 2.36
Betances 1 Ip, 1 R, 0 H, 2 W, 1 K. 2.34

CC was in and out of trouble, what with the walks, but got out of it. Hicks and Judge made nice throws from the outfield to nab runners at second.

UPDATE: Rosters can expand now, and Matt Holliday will be back with the Yanks tonight (Friday). We’ll see who else joins the team.

The Yanks got 37 year old catcher Erik Kratz off of Cleveland for cash considerations. This is because Romine and Sanchez will have to serve their suspensions soon (not simultaneously, of course). But it gives them a backup catcher. Kyle Higashioka is on the DL down at SWB. Kratz has played with the Pirates, Phillies, Blue Jays, Royals, Phillies again, Astros, and Pirates again. In 225 games, 599 AB, he is .200-24-73. Low average, has a bit of pop. 162 g. average: .200-17-53, OPS+ 66. This is just a temporary thing b/c of the suspensions.

This year, Kratz was at AAA Columbus, .270-13-37 in 86 games.

Game 129. Yanks rout Seattle with help from Mariners, 10-1.

I am back after a couple of days out of town, so I’ll BRIEFLY recap the Friday and Saturday games before getting into Sunday’s.

On Friday night, the Yanks lost to Seattle 2-1 in 11 innings. They were 0 for 12 w/RISP but Girardi once again got me mad. CC pitched great, 1 R in 7 IP, but Chad Green pitches the 8th, goes 1-2-3 on 8 pitches, 7 strikes, and stubborn Girardi pulls him. WHY? Let him go another inning! Instead, Girardi pulls him for Betances in the 9th, Robertson goes the 10th, and Chapman, struggling now as we all know, for the 11th, and of course, it’s Chapman who gives up the GW HR in the top of the 11th. Why pull Green? 8 pitches? Really? Let him go another inning and you can push the rest back. Joe, stop with the BS and “formula.” Guy has a 1-2-3 on few pitches, leave him in. Please.

Castro back, Wade sent down (until rosters expand Sept. 1).

On Saturday the Yanks won 6-3. Sonny Gray pitched a great game. Greg Bird back, Austin sent down (see above). Castro 2 RBI. Ellsbury 4 RBI, inc. 3-run HR.

Today, Tanaka gave up a run in the first but settled in, looking like the old Tanaka, which the Yanks need to see down the stretch. The Yanks got six in the bottom of the first, helped by FIVE Mariner errors.

Castro 4 for 4 w/an RBI.
Bird, looking good upon his return, had 2 RBI. Key for the stretch run.

Sad to see people dumping on Bird b/c of his 6 for 60 start this year. He played hurt. He hit over .430 in spring training with what, 8 HR? That misdiagnosed injury which requied surgery cost him this year. If he can have the month of September equal to the spring training he had…

Ellsbury 2 hits, 2 RBI.
Torreyes 3 hits.

 

Tanaka (10-10, 4.69) 7 IP, 1 R, 6 H, 1 W, 10 K. The Tanaka we need to go w/Severino, Gray & CC.

Smith 2 IP, 0 R, 0 H, 0 W, 1 K. 5.79.

The Yanks are 70-59 and now 2 1/2 back of Boston in the AL East. Big 4-game series against them next weekend at the Stadium. They don’t play each other after that.

As for Judge, we really need to get him going again. The strikeouts are something, but Aaron, they are called strikeouts. Swing the bat!

Suspensions from the Yanks/Tigers fight. We’ll see what happens w/appeals. Romine got 2 games, Sanchez 4.

Girardi got ejected from Sunday’s game.

 

Game 124. Sanchez’ 2 HR power Yanks, 13-4.

Gary Sanchez hit two HR, one 493 feet, to power the Yanks (67-57) to a 13-4 win over the Tigers Tuesday night.

With one out in the first, Sanchez’ first HR (24), the 493′ bomb, put the Yanks up 2-0. It was the second-longest HR this season, two behind a HR by Aaron Judge.

A walk to Judge, double by Didi Gregorius and SF by Tyler Austin later in the inning made it 3-0.

In the third, Judge walked, and Gregorius singled. Austin singled in a run to make it 4-0. After an out, Todd Frazier tripled in two runs for 6-0 and a SF by Ronald Torreyes made it 7-0.

Judge was 1 for 1 with three walks, and his striking out streak finally ended at 37.

Masahiro Tanaka came off the 10-day DL (Bryan Mitchell sent down) with a solid outing. He gave up one run in the third to cut the Yanks lead to 7-1.

In the fifth, Frazier and Torreyes singled, Brett Gardner hit into a force out. Aaron Hicks reached on a fielder’s choice, every one safe, run scoring. 8-1. After Sanchez struck out, Judge singled to make it 9-1.

A 2-run HR by Hicks (13) made it 11-1 in the seventh. Tanaka gave up a HR in the bottom of the seventh to cut it to 11-3.

Gary Sanchez’ second HR (25) of the game, a 2-run shot, put the Yanks up 13-3 in the ninth, and in the bottom of the ninth, Jacoby Ellsbury missed on a diving catch and Nicholas Castellanos of the Tigers got an inside-the-park HR to make it 13-4, the final.

Hicks 2 hits, 3 RBI. (HR)
Sanchez 3 hits, 2 HR, 4 RBI. (493 and 403 foot HR)
Austin 2 RBI
Frazier 3 hits, 2 RBI.
Torreyes 2 hits, RBI.

Tanaka (W, 9-10, 4.86) 7 IP, 3 R, 6 H, 0 W, 4 K. Gave up 1 HR.
Shreve 2 IP, 1 R, 2 H, 0 W, 3 K. 2.80. Gave up 1 HR.