Game 159. Yanks sweep Bosox, but are eliminated.

The Yanks got a little bit of payback for getting swept up in Boston last weekend by sweeping Boston in three games at the Stadium this week, but with Baltimore’s win over Toronto, were officially eliminated from postseason activity.

CC Sabathia was great in the Yankees’ 5-1 win. It’s the last time the Yanks will have to face the retiring David “Big Papi” Ortiz.

CC’s win was #223 of his career.

The Yanks are now 83-76.

The Yanks got a run in the first when Jacoby Ellsbury walked, stole second, and scored on a Starlin Castro double.

Boston tied it in the fourth on a HR by Xander Bogaerts.

In the fifth, Aaron Hicks bunted for a hit and was doubled home by Ellsbury.

In the sixth, Castro singled, Headley walked and McCann singled to load the bases with one out. After a fly out by Hicks that failed to bring in a run, Tyler Austin walked to force in a run and another scored on a WP.

McCann walked and scored on a double by Hicks in the eighth.

It was a rough night for Gary Sanchez, who went 0 for 5 with four strikeouts.

Sabathia (w, 9-12, 3.91) 7 1/3 IP, 1 R,  4 H, 2 walks, 8 K.
Clippard (H, 25) 2/3 IP, 0 R, 0 H, 0 walks, 1 K. 3.63 (AZ/NYY)
Bleier 1 IP, 0 R, 0 H, 0 walks 1 K. 2.14.

One-time Yankees prospect Jesus Montero, who hasn’t lived up to his billing after the Yanks traded him for Michael Pineda a few years back, and who had some run-ins with his own team’s personnel, was suspended 50 games for testing positive for a banned stimulant.

Game 156. Yanks rally with 5 in 9th to win “brawl” game.

The Yankees scored 5 times in the top of the ninth and won 7-5 over Toronto in a game that saw a brushback battle, and Luis Severino, Joe Girardi, Rob Thompson and Larry Rothschild all ejected.

The Yanks go to 80-76 and close the season with six games at home. They are all but officially eliminated, being 5 out of a playoff spot with six games to go. The most wins the Yanks can have is 86. Toronto already has that and Baltimore has 85. Not only that, there are three teams between the Yanks and Baltimore.

In the first, Gardner got on on a bunt single (where was that all year) and went to third on a 2-base throwing error on the play. He scored on an RBI groundout by Sanchez.

In the bottom of the first, with one out, Severino hit Josh Donaldson with a pitch. A single and two walks later, the game was tied at 1. Severino got out of the inning giving up just that one run.

In the top of the second, Headley was HBP and the benches cleared. Girardi was tossed. In the bottom of the second, Toronto’s Josh Smoak was drilled, benches emptied and more ejections were made.

Toronto got two in the third to go up 3-1.

The Yanks got one back in the eighth. Gardner, who doubled,  scored on an RBI single by Ellsbury.

In the ninth, Teixeira homered with one out (14) to tie the game. #408 of his career passed Duke Snider on the all-time list. Gregorius singled, and Hicks homered (8) to put the Yanks up 5-3. Solano doubled, Gardner walked, and Ellsbury singled in a run to make it 6-3. Sanchez got a SF to make it 7-3.

Betances came in and needed help. He once again looked completely out of gas and couldn’t field his position. Layne came in to save it.

Gardner had 3 hits and scored 3 runs. Ellsbury had 2 hits and 2 RBI. 2 RBI for Sanchez. Big 2-run HR for Hicks.

Severino 1+ IP, 1 R, 1 H, 2 walks, 1 K. 2 HBP. Ejected. 5.75
Holder 1 1/3 IP, 2 R, 2 H, 1 walks, 0 K. 7.11
Pazos 2/3 IP, 0 R, 1 H, 0 walks, 0 K, 7.71
Yates 1 2/3 IP, 0 R, 0 H, 2 walks, 3 K. 5.36
Bleier 1 1/3 IP, 0 R, 1 H, 0 walks, 1 K. 2.33
Warren (w, 7-4, 4.64 Cubs/NYY) 2 IP, 0 R, 0 H, 0 walks, 1 K.
Betances 0 IP,  2 R, 1 earned, 0 H, 2 walks, 0 K.  Made an error. 3.13. Faced 3 batters, all reached. 2 walks and an error.
Layne (S, 1) 1 IP, 0 R, 1 H, 1 walk, 0 K. 3.14.

James Kaprielian, who was dominant in spring training and in three games for High-A Tampa this year before being shut down with a flexor strain, is now OK and will be making up time in the Arizona Fall League this offseason. Good news.

Game 129. Yanks blanked, 5-0.

Maybe I should go away for the weekend more often.

Or take more time off of work and stay longer. (Actually, it’s a weekend retreat, so I couldn’t stay longer).

While I was away, the Yanks beat the Orioles 13-5 on Friday night and 14-4 on Saturday afternoon. Gary Sanchez homered in both games to become the fastest player to hit 11 homers. Starlin Castro homered, Mark Teixeira got one (#405 career), Hicks, even Headley, who must have seen my criticism of him the other day when he complained about playing time and I basically said shut up and produce.

Then I come home Sunday afternoon and the Yanks lose 5-0. Sanchez did have a single and double, and is hitting .405. Ronald Torreyes, who has for now taken Headley’s job, had two more hits.

With Sanchez and Torreyes hot, McCann and Headley’s playing time has decreased.

Before the loss, the Yanks had hit their high water mark of the year, six over .500. They are presently 67-62 with 33 games left. 4th in AL East, 6 1/2 out. As for making the playoffs, they are 3 1/2 out of the second wild card spot, but the problem is the logjam. They have to jump five teams.

As Al Davis, former Raiders’ owner would say, “Just Win, Baby.”

Steve Pearce had 3 hits, inc. a HR, and 3 RBI for the Orioles yesterday. A few years ago, he was doing well for SWB and I thought he should be brought up by the Yanks to platoon. A certain NY sportswriter criticized me. Let’s just say that I don’t care for the reporter or his rag of a paper, and have been proven right. Pearce has proven to be a decent platoon player. (.301-12-33 this year so far between the Rays and O’s, 21 HR as a part-timer in 2014 for the O’s).

CC pitched well, made one mistake, a HR to Pearce, left with some runners on, and instead of shutting down Baltimore and getting out of the inning, Adam Warren gave up a hit that let the inherited runners score. Ballgame over.

Sabathia (L, 8-11, 4.31) 6 2/3 IP, 3 R, 6 H, 2 walks, 8 K. Gave up 1 HR.
Warren 1/3 IP, 0 R, 1 H, 0 walks, 0 K. 5.11 (Cubs/NYY)
Heller 2/3 IP, 2 R, 3 hits, 1 walk, 1 K. Gave up 1 HR. 2nd MLB game. 10.80
Parker 1 1/3 IP, 0 R, 0 H, 0 walks, 0 K. 1.17 (Sea/NYY)

To the NFL for a bit.

I see Tony Romo of the Cowboys got hurt AGAIN. He didn’t play in the first two preseason games, and on the third play of the third preseason game—and first one he plays in—he gets a broken bone in his back. This after a couple of broken collarbones, one of which cost him 12 games last year (in which Dallas went 1-11). Now he is out for 2 months.  Maybe he  should just retire.

… and a big resounding BOO to Colin Kaepernick for refusing to stand for the National Anthem. In what other country can you earn $19MM per year for doing what you do? And not too well lately, I may add. Spoiled brat.

Finally, back to baseball. Steve Arlin, a pitcher for the Padres in the early 1970s, in the first years of the Padres’ existence, passed away recently.

 

 

The Minors.

Yankees’ top prospect Jorge Mateo has been suspended for two weeks for popping off to the front office about a promotion from High A Tampa to AA Trenton. Apparently he said to release someone else so that he could be promoted. The suspension means that Mateo will not be playing in the Futures game.

AAA: SWB won 10-0. Remember a few days ago that I told you to watch out for Dietrich Enns? 7 IP, 0 R, 2 Hits. 3-1, 0.70 at SWB. Between AA and AAA, 10-3, 1.60 this year. Green is up, and for the time being anyway, has replaced Eovaldi in the rotation. Could Enns replace Pineda or Nova? 3B Donovan Solano 4 hits, 4 RBI….. but Headley has two more years on his deal unless the Yanks move him. Solano is hitting .305 with 39 RBI. OF Ben Gamel 3 hits, rbi (.300). Home runs for 1B Tyler Austin and OFs Cesar Puello and Jake Cave. Each had two hits, Cave with 2 RBI. All three are at .290 or better. 2B Jonathan Diaz 2 hits.

AA: Trenton lost 7-1. Lane Adams two hits.

High A: Tampa lost 7-0. Will Carter 2 R in 7 IP, then the bullpen fell apart. 2B Thairo Estrada 2 hits.

Low A: Charleston lost 4-1. Nestor Cortes 7 IP, 1 R, then the bullpen gave up more. OF Jhalen Jackson solo HR, 2 hits.  2 hits each for SS Kyle Holder, OF Cesar Diaz.

Game 53. Didi’s D saves Yanks, 5-4.

He didn’t start the game, but Didi Gregorius, brought in for defense in the 8th, saved it for the Yanks.

This wasn’t the way you expected the Yanks to win a game.

Michael Pineda finally pitched a decent game, giving up just one run. The Yanks, however, didn’t get a hit until the sixth.

Rob Refsnyder, starting against a lefty (with Castro at SS) doubled for the Yanks first hit of the game. He tug up and went to third a a flyball (to left!) and scored on a SF by Ellsbury to tie the game.

The Yanks got four in the seventh, and once again Refsnyder and Ellsbury were involved. A-Rod and Headley singled and after a force out, Refsnyder singled in a run to give the Yanks the lead, 2-1. Hicks singled to make it 3-1 and Ellsbury tripled to make it 5-1.

No problem with the big 3 on the way, right? Wrong.

Betances, Miller and Chapman EACH gave up a run.

In the 8th, a run scored off Miller to make it 5-3. It would have been 5-4 except that Didi’s relay throw gunned down Upton at the plate.

In the 9th, Chapman had the bases loaded and no one out when Didi and Castro converted a tough DP. The run scored, and now the runners had the tying run on third with future HOF Miguel Cabrera at the plate. Chapman got Cabrera to ground out to Castro.

Pineda 5 2/3 IP, 1 R, 7 H, 0 walks, 8 K. 6.41. (Where was this all year?)
Betances (w, 2-2, 2.81) 1 1/3 IP, 1 R, 1 H, 1 walk, 3 K.
Miller (H, 7) 1 IP, 1 R, 1 H, 2 walks, 2 K. 1.25
Chapman (S, 8) 1 IP, 1 R, 2 H, 1 walk, 0 K. 2.61.

You aren’t going to win many games when all three of Betances, Miller and Chapman give up runs.

The Yanks have to find a way to get Refsnyder’s bat into the lineup. Whether it is for Gardner in LF one day, for Headley at 3B another, for giving Didi a rest by playing 2B and having Castro slide over to SS, or if he works out at 1B, for Teixeira. Even DH him instead of A-Rod at times. He had two hits last night. As we know, Gardner, Hicks, Teix, Headley and A-Rod have all been slumping.Of those five, three are under .200, and Gardner is at .211. Maybe rotating Refsnyder around, and getting one of those five out of the lineup on each given day may help. It can’t hurt.Maybe Refsnyder can be a super sub.

Ellsbury had 3 rbi.

Cleveland’s Marlon Byrd recently was nabbed for the 2nd time for PEDs. 162 g. suspension. At his age and at this stage of his career, he is most likely done.

S.T. Game 7. Deja Vu all over again. Yanks fall 1-0.

Just like yesterday, the Yanks lost 1-0 in their spring training game today. Deja Vu all over again, as Yogi might have said. The loss drops the Yanks to 2-5 in spring training play.

The Yanks actually no-hit Donnie Mattingly’s Marlins for 6 2/3 innings, and gave up just two hits in the game.

The Yanks themselves managed just five hits, two by Aaron Hicks. Hicks and Rob Refsnyder had doubles.

The story today was CC Sabathia, for many reasons. CC hasn’t had a good season since 2012, and he turns 36 this year. He did pitch well once he tried a new knee brace late last season.

So it was interesting to see how he did today. Could he somehow get back to being the old CC, or would he be an “old” CC? How would he do with that brace?

Also, how is he OFF the field? For CC had to leave the Yankees right before the wild card playoff game last year (which the Yanks lost, 3-0) to check himself into a rehab clinic due to his alcoholism.

This was CC’s first appearance in any kind of game since checking himself into rehab.

It would be great to see CC get back to what he once was. Today was a good start.

More importantly, it is important for him to get his life back on track off the field.

Here is rooting for him on both accounts.

Today’s pitching line:

Sabathia 2 IP, 0 R, 0 H, 1 walk and 2 K.
Cessa 2 IP, 0 R, 0 H, 0 walks and 1 K.
Olson 1 IP, 0 R, 0 H, 1 walk and 1 K.
Yates 1 IP, 0 R, 0 H, 0 walks and 1 K.
Rumbelow (L) 1 IP, 1 R, 2 H, 1 walk and 0 K.
Shreve 1 Ip, 0 R, 0 H, 0 walks and 1 K.

 

Chapman gets 30 game suspension

Yankees’ closer Aroldis Chapman got a 30 game suspension from MLB for a domestic violence incident which occurred last offseason before the Yanks traded for him.

He should be able to return on May 9 vs. KC.

Chapman would still be able to participate in spring training and spring training games, and since the suspension is less than 45 games, would be eligible for free agency at the end of the season.

The Yanks had a team bonding event today. They begin spring training games tomorrow (Wednesday) with a game vs. Detroit. Luis Severino will start and is expected to pitch two innings.