Game 154. Yanks clinch playoff spot with 3-2 win. Stay 1 1/2 up on A’s.

The Yanks (95-59) clinched a wild card spot in the playoffs with a 3-2, 11-inning, win over the Bad News Bears (oops, 44-110 Baltimore Orioles) yesterday, but whether the Yanks will be playing that one-game, sudden-death wild card game in the Bronx is very much still up in the air.

Oakland scored in the bottom of the ninth, thanks to a Minnesota error and a passed ball (hmm, Twins imitating Sanchez) that let in the winning run, and won 3-2. The A’s remain 1 1/2 games behind the Yankees for the top wild card spot.

The Yanks’ magic # over the A’s to ensure that the wild card game will be played in the Bronx is 6. Any combination of Yanks’ wins and A’s losses adding up to 6 and the game will be in the Bronx. The Yanks own the tiebreaker.

The Yanks got two runs in the second on homers by Aaron Hicks (26) and Luke Voit (12, 11 as a Yankee). They now have 251 HR on the season, on pace to tie the 1997 Seattle Mariners for the all-time single season record by a team (264).

Gary Sanchez continued his defensive woes, committing a PB and a throwing error in the third inning that allowed the Orioles to score a run. Besides a PB and an error, Sanchez also went 0 for 4, striking out twice, and his batting average dropped to .182. He was dropped to eighth in the lineup, and you really wonder if it’s just best right now to have Romine in there instead.

The Yanks could really have been in trouble except that Steve Wilkerson was twice thrown out at home.

Baltimore tied it in the fifth, and would have had more except for one of those times Wilkerson was thrown out at home (by Judge) and the fact they left the bases loaded.

After the Voit HR, the Yanks didn’t do too much offensively, and it became a battle of the bullpens.

Jonathan Holder got out of a huge jam in the top of the 10th. The Orioles left the bases loaded.

Finally, in the bottom of the 11th, Didi Gregorius singled, and Aaron Hicks double drove in Didi with the winning run.

Hicks 2 hits, HR, 2 RBI
Andujar 2 hits
Voit HR

Lynn 5 IP, 2 R, 1 ER, 7 H, 2 W, 4 K.  4.80 (Min/NYY)
Green 1 IP, 0 R, 1 H, 1 W, 1 K.  2.60
Chapman 1 IP, 0 R, 0 H, 0 W, 2 K.  2.59  Encouraging outing since just off DL
Betances 1 IP, 0 R, 0 H, 0 W, 3 K.   2.64
Britton 1 IP, 0 R, 1 H, 0 W, 2 K.  3.26 (Balt/NYY)
Holder 1 IP, 0 R, 2 H, 1 W, 0 K.  2.97
Kahnle (W, 2-0, 6.75) 1 IP, 0 R, 1 H, 0 W, 1 K.

MLBTR states that CC wants to return in 2019, even if not to the Yanks. Tough call. Questionable knee, doesn’t go too deep into games. 39 next July. Yanks may want to cut the cord, so to speak.

Also, MLBTR reporting that Yanks have interest in bringing back McCutchen (a free agent) if the price is right, but that probably means buying out Brett Gardner’s option at $2MM instead of bringing him back at $12.5MM. Also, you have Clint Frazier and Jacoby Ellsbury (both of whom missed most or all of this year due to injuries) to think about…

Then again, Bryce Harper is a free agent….

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Minor League Report. SWB continues bid for playoffs.

AAA: SWB (71-64) won 3-1.  C Francisco Diaz 2 hits, RBI. SWB has a 1/2 game lead for the WC spot. Only 3 more games are scheduled before the playoffs start next Wednesday.

Swanson (W, 3-2, 3.86) 6 1/3 IP, 1 R, 3 H, 1 W, 8 K. Gave up 1 HR.
Espinal (H, 4) 1 2/3 IP, 0 R, 0 H, 0 W, 4 k.  3.12
J. Harvey (S, 8) 1 IP, 0 R, 0 H, 0 W, 2 K.  1.70

AA: Trenton (76-61) won 3-2. They’ve already clinched a playoff spot. I don’t know if there was an injury with Nelson, or just ineffectiveness.

Nelson 2/3 IP, 2 R, 2 H, 2 W, 0 K.  5.19   2 WP
Foley (W, 4-4, 2.98) 4 IP, 0 R, 0 H, 1 W, 5 K
Diehl (H, 4) 2 2/3 IP, 0 R, 1 H, 1 W, 4 K.  1.35
Wivinis (S, 4) 1 2/3 IP, 0 R, 0 H, 1 W, 2 K.  5.40

Tampa and Charlestown, listed below, will not be in the playoffs.

High A: Tampa (69-66) won 19-2 in a game that was started on August 12th and completed yesterday. The regularly scheduled game was rained out.  DH Estevan Florial 4 hits. LF Clint Frazier 2 RBI. CF Dom Thompson-Williams 2 Hits, HR, 3 RBI.  RF Isiah Gilliam 3 hits. LF-2B-LF Ben Ruta 4 hits. 1B Steven Sensley 3 hits, HR, 5 RBI. 2b/SS Angel Aguilar 2 HR, 5 RBI. C Chace Numata 3 hits, HR, 2 RBI. Tampa had 19 runs, 22 hits, and hit 5 HR.

Deivi Garcia 0 IP, 0 R, 0 H, 0 W, 0 K.  0.77
R. Garcia (W, 1-3, 3.34) 7 IP, 2 R, 6 H, 0 W, 8 K. Gave up 1 HR.
A. Severino 2 IP, 0 R, 2 H, 1 W, 3 K.  0.00

Low A: Charleston (62-71) scored two in the bottom of the 10th to win 4-3. SS Oswaldo Cabrera 2 hits. DH Welfrin Mateo 2 hits. CF Leonardo Molina 2 hits, RBI.

Contreras 6 IP, 0 R, 2 H, 3 W, 6 K.  3.38
Kriske (BS, 1) 2 Ip, 2 R, 3 H, 1 W, 3 K.  4.50
C. Espinal (W, 1-2, 2.51) 2 IP, 1 R, 0 ER, 2 H, 0 W, 1 K.

Juan DePaula was the second minor leaguer going to SF in the McCutchen deal. He was a pitcher for short-season Staten Island.

 

 

Game 135. Yanks comeback to win, 7-5. Boone tossed, faces suspension.

The Yanks (85-50) scored 3 in the bottom of the eighth and survived a 9th inning care to beat Detroit 7-5 Friday night.

Manager Aaron Boone was ejected in the fifth inning, apparently touched the home plate umpire in pointing his finger to make a point about the strike zone and faces a suspension. His arguing was great, however, and humorous. In making his point, he squatted behind home plate, and held out his arm like a catcher in two positions, as if to say “this is a strike, and this is too low.” The look on the ump’s face as Boone left was priceless, as if he wanted to cry because he was shown up in front of 40,000+ people.

If you think what I wrote was cruel or biased, consider this. Detroit’s manager, Ron Gardenhire, was also tossed from the game for arguing a checked swing call on Luke Voit, who drew a crucial walk late in the game.

Anyway, Boone’s tirade might have fired up the Yanks and may have won the game.

Detroit got a run in the fourth when Luis Severino gave up a HR, and the Tigers got two more off of Seve in the fifth.

Meanwhile, after five innings, the Yanks had no hits. In the bottom of the fifth, Boone put on his show.

In the bottom of the sixth, down 3-0, Romine reached on an error, and after an out, Brett Gardner finally got the Yanks’ first hit of the game, a 2-run HR (12) to make it 3-2. It appeared that a couple of pitches previously called strikes were now called balls, so maybe Boone’s outburst made a difference. After another out, Aaron Hicks (23) and Miguel Andujar (23) hit back-to-back HRs to put the Yanks up 4-3.

I still don’t know why the Yanks keep trusting Jonathan Holder in the middle innings of close games. I think they are placing too much trust in him. But then, with Adam Warren gone, there isn’t that cushion. In the seventh, Holder gave up a couple of hits, albeit bloopers. With two out and two on, in came Zach Britton who continued to struggle, giving up a hit to tie the game.

Britton then gave up another run in the eighth to put Detroit up 5-4.

In the bottom of the eighth, Gardner doubled, and after an out, Hicks walked. Another out. Voit walked to load the bases, after which Detroit manager Gardenhire was tossed from the game. Gleyber Torres singled in two runs, moved up on the throw. 2nd and 3rd, two out and Neil Walker was intentionally walked. Austin Romine singled to make it 7-5.

David Robertson made things hairy in the 9th, with a single, PB and a walk, but escaped.

Boston had a rain delay and was still playing and losing as I wrote this. It looks like the Yanks’ deficit will be cut to 7 1/2, but with just 27 games to go. Oakland and Seattle are playing each other late, too.

Gardner 2 hits, HR (12) 2 RBI
Hicks solo HR (23)
Andujar solo HR (23)
Torres 2 hits, 2 RBI

Severino 6 IP, 3 R, 6 H, 0 W, 10 K. Gave up 1 HR.   3.32
Holder (H, 6) 2/3 IP, 1 R, 2 H, 0 W, 0 K.  3.18
Britton (BS, 3; W, 2-0, 4.06 Balt/NYY) 1 1/3 IP, 1 R, 3 H, 1 W, 1 K.
Robertson (S, 5 ) 1 IP, 0 R, 1 H, 1 W, 3 K.  2.90

From Twitter: Moves.

Jack Curry‏Verified account @JackCurryYES 9m9 minutes ago

Stephen Tarpley, a lefty reliever, will join the Yankees when rosters expand on Saturday, says @ByDJEberle. Also, Cessa and Wade will be recalled. Boone said Sheffield wouldn’t be called up on Saturday, but that’s inevitable.

My note: Tarpley before tonight, AA/AAA 7-2, 1.94, 2 saves, 25.

 

Yankees PR Dept.‏Verified account @YankeesPR

The @Yankees have acquired SS Adeiny Hechavarria and cash considerations from Pittsburgh in exchange for a player to be named later or cash considerations. To make room on the 40-man roster, the @Yankees have designated LHP Ryan Bollinger for assignment.

Bollinger ,27, was 8-6, 3.87 AA/AAA

Hecavarria 29, hit .254-4-29 for Tampa Bay and Pittsburgh this year, OPS+ 75. For his MLB career, the righty hitter has a 162 g. average of .255-5-48, OPS+ 76.

Game 135. Yanks blow game in 9th, make deal for McCutchen

There will be no major minor league report because of typing up about the Andrew McCutchen deal.

With concern about Aaron Judge’s return, and also with possible concern over Brett Gardner’s .237 batting average as well, the Yanks traded for Andrew McCutchen. McCutchen will be postseason eligible. To get McCutchen from the Giants, the Yanks traded two prospects, Abiatal Avelino and another who hasn’t been named yet.

Another concern could be Giancarlo Stanton’s hamstring and the probable need to try to keep him off the field and just DH him. As for Clint Frazier, he just started rehab.

McCutchen will be a free agent at the end of the season. He’s 31 and hit .255-15-55 with 13 SB, OPS+ 110 for SF this season. He won the NL MVP in 2013 for the Pirates, and finished third, first, third and fifth in NL MVP voting from 2012-2015. McCutchen’s 162 g. average is .288-24-86 with 20 SB, OPS+ 134. He’s a 5x All-Star. 1x Gold Glove winner and 4x Silver Slugger. While not what he was, he helps. The Yanks were playing Neil Walker out of position in RF and also using Shane Robinson, whose bat (.143) is virtually non-existent. McCutchen provides relief until the Yanks get Judge back this season, if at all.

It’s a move the Yanks had to make with the uncertainty over Judge.

To get him, Abiatal Avelino is one player going to SF. Avelino, a 23 yr. old infielder, mostly 2B/SS, was hitting .287-15-66 between AA/AAA this season, with 25 SB. Both McCutchen and Avelino are righty bats.

That’s the good news. The trade. The bad news is that the Yanks (84-50) blew a 7-5 lead in the ninth when Dellin Betances gave up 3 runs on back-to-back homers as the Yanks lost 8-7 to Detroit.

J.A. Happ had his worst game as a Yankee, giving up 3 HR, one to the first batter of the game.

The Yanks went up 2-1 in the third on Stanton’s 33rd HR of the year, and #300 of his career.

But Happ gave up a 2-run HR in the top of the fourth. 3-2 Tigers.

The Yanks came back with 2 in the bottom of the fourth on a 2-run HR by Gleyber Torres (21). The ball was flying out of Yankee Stadium last night. Detroit hit 5 HR, the Yanks 3.

Happ gave up another HR in the fifth, and was knocked out of the game. 5-4 Detroit. The Yanks tied it in the bottom of the fifth when Hicks singled, Stanton walked and Andujar got an infield hit. Hicks scored on an error on the play.

Luke Voit put the Yanks up 7-5 in the bottom of the seventh with a 2-run HR (5), but in the top of the ninth, Betances, after getting an out, gave up a walk, then the back-to-back HRs to lose the game. Victor Martinez hit 2 HR for the Tigers, and Niko Goodrum had 4 hits, inc. the GW HR.

Hicks 2 hits
Stanton 2 hits, 2-run HR (33, #300 career), 2 RBI
Voit 2 hits, HR (5, 4th as Yankee), 2 RBI
Torres 3 hits, 2 RBI, HR (21)

Happ 4 1/3 IP, 5 R, 10 H, 0 W, 3 K. Gave up 3 HR.  4.00 (Tor/NYY)
Green 1 2/3 IP, 0 R, 1 H, 0 W, 3 K.  2.66
Robertson 1 IP, 0 R, 0 H, 0 W, 2 K.  2.95
Britton 1 IP, 0 R, 0 H, 0 W, 1 K.  3.94 (Balt/NYY)
Betances (BS, 2; L, 4-4, 2.59) 1 IP, 3 R, 2 H, 1 W, 3 K.  Gave up 2 HR.

The loss drops the 84-50 Yanks 8 1/2 back of Boston in the AL East. They are still 4 1/2 up on Oakland for the top wild card spot, and 9 up on Seattle for a playoff spot. The magic # over Seattle to clinch a playoff spot is 20.

Very brief minor league recap:

SWB (70-64) got 2 in the bottom of the 9th to win 3-2 and keep their playoff hopes alive. C Gary Sanchez 0 for 4 on rehab. Justus Sheffield pitched a scoreless inning of relief.

AA Trenton (75-61) lost 5-1 despite getting 11 hits.

High A Tampa (68-66) won 3-1 in 6 1/2 innings. The other game of the scheduled DH was rained out. DH Clint Frazier 1 for 3 on rehab. Domingo German on rehab 3 IP, 1 R, 0 ER.

Low A: Charleston (61-71) lost 7-3.

 

 

 

Games 128/129. Yanks Sweep Orioles, 10-3 and 5-1. Ensure winning record.

The Yankees swept a day/night DH from the Bad News Bears (oops, Baltimore Orioles) on Saturday, moving them to 82-47 on the season and ensuring a winning record for 2018.

The last time time the Yanks did NOT finish at .500 was in 1992. With the DH sweep and a Boston loss, the 82-47 Yanks are 7 back of Boston for the AL East. (Wild card info at the bottom of this report).

Game 1, afternoon: Yanks win 10-3, belting out 4 HR and Stanton was robbed of another (would have been career #300).

You can criticize Cashman for some moves, but the move for J. A. Happ? Give him credit for that. 5 starts, 5-0.

In this game, the Yanks went up 1-0 in the first when Stanton walked, Hicks doubled and Andujar hit a groundout for an RBI.

Happ gave up 2 in the bottom of the second. 2-1 Orioles.

The Yanks got 4 in the third. Robinson singled ,Gardner walked. After an out, Hicks singled in one and Andujar hit a 3-run HR (21) to make it 5-2.

Gardner hit a 2-run HR (11) in the fourth to make it 7-2.

To the fifth. Andujar singles, and one out later, Torres and Voit single to make it 8-2. Bird is really in jeopardy of losing his job to Voit.

Torres homers in the eighth (19) 9-2.

Hicks homers in the ninth, 10-2.

The Orioles score in the bottom of the ninth, but final, 10-3 Yanks.

Gardner HR (11) 2 RBI
Hicks 3 hits, HR (21), 2 RBI
Andujar 2 hits, HR (21) 4 RBI
Torres 2 hits, solo HR (19)
Shane Robinson 2 hits.

Happ (W, 15-6, 3.80 Tor/NYY) 6 IP, 2 R, 5 H, 1 W, 9 K.
Cessa (S, 1) 3 IP, 1 R, 3 H, 1 W, 2 K.  5.34

2nd game, night: Sonny Gray finally pitched great. 6 1/3 shutout innings. Low pitch count. Of course, the fact it was Baltimore has to be taken into consideration.

Other than Luis Severino, guess who is the only other Yankees pitcher with 10 or more wins (not counting J.A. Happ, 10 with Toronto and 5 with the Yankees)? Would you believe….Sonny Gray?

The Yanks scored in the first when Gardner led off the game with a double, Stanton walked and Hicks got an RBI single. Hicks cost the Yanks a run later in the inning when he was picked off of first.

In the second, the Yanks benefited from bad Orioles fielding (there are plenty of reasons they are 37-93).

Torres singled, and after a flyout by the slumping Bird (once again, job very much in jeopardy to Luke Voit), Romine and Torreyes each singled to load the bases. A WP moved everyone up, Yanks up 2-0. Gardner hit a grounder to first, the first baseman came home and it was a bad throw, 3-0. A good throw maybe has him. It was a poor throw.

In the fourth, with one out, Romine singled. Torreyes reached on an error (this is the Orioles, remember?) and Gardner hit into a force. Stanton singled (normally a double, but the ball was hit so hard down the RF line and off the scoreboard that it was just a single) to make it 4-0.

In the ninth, Austin Romine’s 9th HR made it 5-0.

Baltimore scored a run in the bottom of the ninth, final 5-1 Yankees.

Hicks 2 hits, RBI.
Andujar 2 hits.
Torres 2 hits.
Romine 3 hits, solo HR (9).

Gray (W, 10-8,  5.05) 6 1/3 IP, 0 R, 3 H, 1 W, 7 K.
Holder 1 2/3 IP, 0 R, 1 H, 1 W, 2 K.  3.02
Kahnle 2/3 IP, 1 R, 3 H, 0 W, 1 K.  6.43
Betances 1/3 IP, 0 R, 0 H, 0 W, 1 K.  2.18

The Yanks are 4 1/2 up on Oakland for the top wild card spot.

 

Game 127. Voit, Walker lead Yanks to 7-5, 10-inning win.

With Greg Bird disappointing with a .202 batting average, manager Aaron Boone decided to give Luke Voit a shot. Voit didn’t disappoint, hitting two 2-run HRs in a 7-5, 10-inning Yankees’ win over Baltimore Friday night.

The homers were Voit’s first two as a Yankee. The 27 year old has played in 78 MLB games, just 148 AB, and is .250-7-27. The Yanks wonder if he had 425 at bats in a year if that could translate to 20 HR/80 RBI or more.

He has shown power and potential in AA and AAA, and the Yanks are intrigued, and want to see what he can do with at bats in the majors, especially since Bird has been slumping.

In 136 AA games, Voit: .297-20-75.
In 150 AAA games, he is .314-23-89.

Hence the intrigue.

CC Sabathia, just off the DL (Chance Adams was sent down), was rusty early, giving up two runs in the first inning, but then settled in, giving up no more.

Voit tied the game in the fourth with his first two-run HR of the game. It was his first HR as a Yankee, second of the year. (St. L/NYY)

An error by Gleyber Torres and a 2-run HR given up by David Robertson put Baltimore up 4-2 in the seventh.

But Torres atoned for his error. In the top of the eighth, Stanton led off with a walk, and after an out, both Andujar and Walker singled to load the bases. Torres’ two-run single tied the game at four.

In the top of the 10th, Neil Walker homered (8) to put the Yanks up 5-4. Torres walked and Voit then hit his second two-run HR of the game (3) to make it 7-4.

The insurance runs were necessary because Zach Britton gave up a HR in the bottom of the tenth. Final 7-5 Yanks.

Both homers in the tenth were off of Cody Carroll, who was with SWB most of the season before the Yanks traded him to Baltimore for Britton.

The Yanks will have a interesting calls after the season. Both Brett Gardner and CC are in their option years and can be bought out. CC has pitched great (ERA 3.30), but turns 39 next summer, and there are always concerns about that knee. Gardner is slumping, 35 now, and hitting just .242. It’ll be tough calls. Do they get a free agent for LF or just platoon the now injured Clint Frazier with Jacoby Ellsbury? Do they go after a pitcher because of CC’s age? Will CC come back or retire?

Stanton 3 walks.
Andujar 2 hits.
Walker 3 hits, HR in 10th broke 4-4 tie
Torres 2 RBI. 2-run Single in 8th tied game at 4
Voit 3 hits, Two 2-run HR. 4 RBI. Tied game at 2 in 4th, gave Yankees much needed cushion in 10th.

Sabathia 6 IP, 2 R, 5 H, 2 W, 8 K.  3.30
Robertson 1 IP, 2 R, 0 ER, 1 H, 0 W, 1 K. Gave up 1 HR.  3.05
Betances 1 IP, 0 R, 2 H. 0 W, 2 K.   2.19
Green (W, 7-2, 2.66) 1 IP, 0 R, 0 H, 0 W, 2 K.
Britton (S, 5; Balt/NYY; 1st NYY save) 1 IP, 1 R, 2 H, 0 W, 1 K.  Gave up 1 HR.  4.33

The win puts the 80-47 Yanks 8 1/2 back of Boston in the AL East, and they are 4 up on Oakland for the top wild card spot.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Game 109. Division title hopes dim after 4-1 loss pushes Yanks 8 1/2 back.

The Yanks have 53 games left,  but it would now take a 1978-type miracle to win the division after a 4-1 loss Saturday pushed the 68-35 Yanks 8 1/2 games behind Boston in the AL East.

Meanwhile, even the top wild-card spot is in peril because the hot Oakland A’s won again.

Chance Adams, making his MLB debut, didn’t do too badly considering the circumstances. He gave up 2 HR but in pitching 5 innings, gave up just 3 runs, keeping the Yanks in the game.

But until the ninth inning, the offense, just like on Friday night, was non-existent, and for the second straight day, the Yanks fell to Boston by a 4-1 score.

Adams gave up a 2-run HR in the first and a solo shot in the fourth. Boston got a run in the seventh off of A.J. Cole when a video review overturned a foul ball into a double.

In the ninth, the Yanks scored their only run when with two out, Stanton and Didi both doubled. They actually got the go-ahead run to the plate, when Hicks and Torres both walked. Bases loaded. Bird flied to center, though, to end the game.

Stanton had 2 of the Yanks’ 5 hits. Going into the ninth, they had just 3 hits, and no runs.

Adams (L, 0-1, 5.40) 5 IP, 3 R, 3 H, 1 W, 2 K. Gave up 2 HR. MLB DEBUT.
Green 1 IP, 0 R, 0 H, 0 W, 2 K.  2.77
Cole 2 IP, 1 R, 3 H, 1 W, 4 K.  5.09  (Wash/NYY combined)

Tommy Kahnle, up for a day, was sent back so that Adams could come up and make the start.

After the game against Boston Sunday night, the Yanks’ schedule is relatively weak until Labor Day. They need to right the ship, and shave four or five games off of that lead between now and Labor Day.

The four game losing streak is the longest the Yanks have had all season.

As for the offseason, I don’t know if, after getting under the cap, Hal Steinbrenner will now go over it again, but there are a couple of moves I would do. These moves may not be popular among Yankees fans, because they would mean some options of aging Yankees players would not be picked up, in order to target two players via free agency.