Minor League Report. Trenton’s Keller throws 7-inning no-hitter.

AAA: SWB (62-48) lost 5-3. 3B Mandy Alvarez 2 hits. 2B Wendell Rijo 2 hits.

AA: Trenton (58-51) split a DH.

Regularly Scheduled Game: Brian Keller throws a 7-inning no-hitter. Only one walk kept it from being perfect. Trenton wins, 2-0. (DHs are 7 inning games in the minors).

CF Matt Lipka 2 for 2.

Keller (3-1, 2.32) 7 IP, 0 R, 0 H, 1 W, 6 K.

Makeup of 5/30: Lost 4-2. 1B Chris Gittens 2 RBI.

High A: Tampa had both games of a DH rained out. One game is scheduled for an 8/23 makeup date, the other 8/25.

Low A:   Charleston (54-56) scored in the bottom of the ninth to win 2-1. SS Oswald Peraza GW RBI single. LF Canaan Smith 3 hits (.322). 1B Eric Wagaman 3 hits, RBI.

Rony Contreras 6 IP, 1 R, 0 ER, 2 H, 1 W, 5 K.     4.00
Hardy (W, 1-0, 3.86) 3 IP, 0 R, 1 H, 1 W, 3 K.

With Aaron Judge not pulling a ball for a HR this year, and with the struggles James Paxton has had, you wonder if the injuries that put them on the IL are still affecting them. That can go for other players as well, and is a concern regarding guys on the IL or even those not on the IL but day-to-day as far as how they will be when they come back (Stanton, Severino, Betances, Voit, Gardner, LeMahieu)…    just a thought.

The Yanks were off yesterday, but Tampa Bay beat Boston, so the Yanks (68-39) are 7 up on Tampa Bay (9 in the loss column) and 10 1/2 up on Boston (12 in the loss column). They have a 4-game series against Boston this weekend, with a day/night separate admission DH on Saturday.

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Game 97. Yanks Rout Rockies, 11-5.

The Yankees (64-33) routed Colorado Saturday afternoon, 11-5.

We will see about tonight’s games regarding the Rays and Red Sox.

I am writing this recap early because my bus for Cooperstown, and Mariano’s HOF ceremony (along with Mussina’s and others) leaves at 5 AM tomorrow morning.

Masahiro Tanaka’s day was better than it will appear. He pitched five scoreless innings before tiring because of the intense heat in the sixth inning.

The Yanks scored in the first inning when D.J. LeMahieu singled and Aaron Judge doubled.

The scored five in the second inning to make it 6-0. Didi Gregorius doubled to lead off the inning. Gleyber Torres singled in Didi and went all the way to third on an error. Didi had stopped at third and the error enabled Didi to score and Torres, who was heading for second, to advance to third. Austin Romine singled in Torres to make it 3-0, and after an out, Romine stole second. LeMahieu and Judge each walked to load the bases, and Aaron Hicks singled in one run to make it 4-0 then Edwin Encarnacion doubled in two to make it 6-0. At that point, you figured the Yanks had this game. Luke Voit walked to load the bases with one out, but the Yanks didn’t score any more runs that inning.

The Yanks made it 9-0 in the fourth. Hicks led off the inning with a walk, and one out later, Voit was HBP. It hit his shoulder and ricocheted into his face. Although he finished the inning and was OK, Voit was removed after the inning, what with the 9-0 lead and the heat to be sure he was OK. Didi Gregorius then singled in Hicks, Voit moving to third, to make it 7-0. A WP moved Didi up to second, Voit holding. Gleyber Torres then singled in two runs to make it 9-0.

Tanaka, who pitched five shutout innings, fell victim to the intense heat with one out in the sixth, giving up a single, run-scoring double, walk, 3-run HR, double, and RBI single before getting the last two outs. 9-5 Yankees.

On a day as hot as today was, the pitch count limit probably gets dropped from say, 100, to 80. Tanaka threw 85, so the heat may have gotten to him after say, 65? It was about 97 degrees in NYC today, heat index higher.

The Yanks got two runs in the seventh. Brett Gardner walked, and D.J. LeMahieu singled him to third. Mike Tauchman, who replaced Aaron Judge when the Yanks had a big 9-0 lead to give Judge a break, grounded into a force out that brought the run home, making it 10-5. After Aaron Hicks struck out, Edwin Encarnacion hit a ball that should have been caught but wasn’t. Another case of hustle by Tauchman. With two out, he was running on the pitch and scored on a single by Encarnacion, who only moved to second because of the attempt at the plate to nail Tauchman.

Tauchman is growing on me. I like his hustle the past few games.

LeMahieu 3 hits.  .334 leads AL
Encarnacion 2 hits, 3 RBI. Heating up.
Gregorius 2 hits, RBI
Torres 3 hits, 2 RBI
Romine 2 hits, RBI

Tanaka (W, 7-5, 4.00) 6 IP, 5 R, 7 H, 1 W, 3 K. Gave up 1 HR. Heat got to him in 6th. Gave up no runs on only 2 hits through first five innings.
Kahnle 1 IP,  0 R, 0 H, 0 W, 1 K.  2.82
Hale 2 IP, 0 R, 0 H, 0 W, 1 K.   2.23

 

 

 

Game 85. Yanks win 8-4 in extras. Lead is 7 1/2.

I have an early doctor’s appt. tomorrow so an early recap of today’s 4th of July game.

First, some All-Star news. Because of an injury, Gleyber Torres was FINALLY selected to the All-Star Game. About time. It was a travesty he was originally left off the team.

Aroldis Chapman blew a 3-1 lead in the bottom of the ninth, but D.J. LeMahieu (MVP!) and Gary Sanchez came through in the top of the 10th as the Yanks (56-29) beat the Rays 8-3.

The win puts the Yanks 7 1/2 games up on Tampa Bay, and it is nine in the loss column. The Yanks have played three less games than the Rays, so three less games in order for the Rays to try to catch them. Boston, depending if they win or lose, will be 11 or 12 out.

The Rays scored a run off of J.A. Happ in the first inning, but Happ, who has been so inconsistent and disappointing this season (ERA over 5), settled in to pitch a good game.

A couple of breaks helped the Yanks score twice in the third. Mike Ford singled, went to second on a PB and scored on a single by Mike Tauchman. Two outs later, Tauchman went to second on a WP and he scored on a double by Aaron Hicks.

Edwin Encarnacion hit a HR (25) in the seventh to make it 3-1 Yanks.

But in the bottom of the ninth, Aroldis Chapman gave up a walk and double to make it 3-2, then two wild pitches enabled the Rays to tie the game. Chapman was all over the place. He needs better command and control than he showed today.

On the double, Aaron Boone challenged the call at the plate. The runner didn’t appear to touch the plate and should have been called out. The call stood, and a freeze-frame showed by the YES network appeared to show that the runner did miss the plate. Tough break, but it did appear he missed the plate by millimeters.

After the two wild pitches that enabled the Rays to tie the game, two singles and a walk loaded the bases before Chapman finally got out of it with a strikeout. Whew.

The Yanks then scored five in the top of the tenth. Gio Urshela walked. Urshela didn’t start the game, but got there in the middle of the game after an MRI showed no problems from that almost injury he had last night. Aaron Judge PH for Tauchman and walked. Brett Gardner put down a beautiful bunt…so beautiful it wasn’t a sacrifice, but a single that loaded the bases. D.J. LeMahieu (too early to start the MVP chant? Yes, but if he keeps this up… ) got a 2-run single to make it 5-3. After Aaron Hicks struck out, Gary Sanchez hit a bomb (461 ft). for a 3-run HR (24) to make it 8-3.

Luis Cessa came in for what should have been an easy tenth inning. What the heck, he had a five run lead.

But he gave up a run, and David Hale had to come in with the bases loaded and the tying run at the plate to close out the 8-4 win.

A little messy from the bullpen trying to close out the game, but a win.

LeMahieu 2 RBI
Sanchez 3-run HR (24)
Encarnacion solo HR (25)

Happ 5 1/3 IP, 1 R, 3 H, 3 W, 5 K.  5.02
Ottavino (H, 21) 2/3 IP, 0 R, 0 H, 1 W, 1 K.  1.88
Kahnle (H, 17) 1 IP, 0 R, 0 H, 0 W, 1 K.  3.18
Britton (H, 18) 1 IP, 0 R, 1 H, 0 W, 0 K.  2.43
Chapman (BS, 3; W, 2-1, 1.85)  2 R, 3 H, 2 W, 2 K. 2 WP.
Cessa 2/3 IP, 1 R, 2 H, 2 W, 2 K.  4.75
Hale (S, 2)  1/3 IP, 0 R, 0 H, 0 W, 0 K.  3.00
 

 

 

 

Yanks/Mets rained out. Day/night DH today. Yanks fall into 2nd place.

The Yanks and Mets were rained out last night. They will play a separate admission, day-night DH today, weather permitting.

There was one piece of bad news. Tampa Bay won last night, and that pushed the Yanks into second place, 1/2 game back.

Yanks/KC rained out.

The Yanks and KC are rained out today (Friday). It’ll be made up tomorrow as a split DH, 2:15 pm and 8:15 pm Eastern Saturday.

 

Game 40. Yanks beat Rays, 7-1.

With all of the injuries, the Yanks still hit the quarter-pole of the season at 24-16 after a 7-1 win over Tampa Bay today.  With the win the Yanks climb back to within a 1/2 game of the Rays.

They won despite striking out 17x. In return, Yankees’ pitchers struck out 12 Rays.

It started out as a pitcher’s duel between Masahiro Tanaka, who was great today, and last year’s CYA winner Blake Snell. Snell early on was mowing down the Yanks.

But with two out in the fifth, Austin Romine and Mike Tauchman doubled, Romine scoring on Tauchman’s double, and Tauchman scored on a single by D.J. LeMahieu.

Tanaka’s only mistake came when he gave up a HR in the bottom of the sixth that cut the Yanks’ lead to 2-1.

The Yanks made it 3-1 in the eighth. Luke Voit led off the inning with a walk, and one out later, Brett Gardner, who didn’t start the game, singled. Miguel Andujar bounced into a forceout, but Voit then scored on a WP.

In the ninth, after a long delay due to a power outage, Thairo Estrada hit his second HR of the season to make it 4-1. Romine and Tauchman both singled. LeMahieu bunted the runners over and Voit was intentionally walked. Gio Urshela, who up until that point was 0 for 4 with 4 strikeouts for the game, singled in two runs. Gardner followed with a SF to make it 7-1.

Chad Green, just back from SWB struck out the side in the ninth. Good to have the old Chad Green back and not the guy who was struggling so badly earlier in the season that he had to be sent down to straighten himself out.

LeMahieu 2 hits, RBI
Voit 0 for 2 (1 for last 26) but walked 3x, scored 2x.
Urshela 2 RBI (see above; tough day until that last at bat)
Gardner 1 for 1, SF, RBI
Andujar 0 for 5, 3 strikeouts. You wonder if that shoulder is really OK. Down to .128
Estrada solo HR. Prior to that, he was like Urshela. 0 for 3, 3 strikeouts. Both came through in the ninth.
Romine 2 hits
Tauchman 2 hits, RBI

Tanaka (W, 3-3, 3.44) 7 IP, 1 R, 5 H, 0 W, 7 K. Gave up 1 HR.
Britton (H, 7) 1 IP, 0 R, 2 H, 0 W, 2 K.  3.12
Green 1 IP, 0 R, 0 H, 0 W, 3 K.  14.54

UPDATE: FROM THE NY POST:

In case the injuries continue, the Yankees added some infield depth Sunday.

The Yankees announced they had claimed Breyvic Valera off waivers from the Giants, and they’ll send the 27-year-old from Venezuela to Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre. To make room for him on the 40-man roster, they moved Greg Bird to the 60-day disabled list. Bird, who has said timetables are “pointless,” last played a game April 13.

Valera, a second and third baseman, adds some depth to a farm system that has graduated Gio Urshela and Thairo Estrada, valuable contributors since injuries forced their call-ups.

Valera, who has appeared in 37 big-league games since his 2017 debut, has played in the majors for the Cardinals, Dodgers and Orioles. At Triple-A this year, the switch-hitter was slashing .257/.396/.338 with a home run and two steals in 24 games. He rarely strikes out, having K’d 10 times and walked 16 times.

Valera in his 37 MLB games is 16 for 74, .216, with 0 HR and 8 RBI.

 

Games 13 & 14. Yanks lose Friday, win Saturday on 1-hitter. CC back, but bad Betances news.

This will be brief, because I was out of town Friday night and all day Saturday.

The Yanks lost Friday night 9-6. J.A. Happ (0-2, 8.76, took the loss Friday) and Chad Green (0-2, 11.81) have been disappointing so far and both didn’t pitch well at all Friday night. They have to improve.

Greg Bird has to also. 6 for 35, 16 whiffs. Only one hit for extra bases.  James Paxton is 1-2, 6.00.

As for Bird, when guys get healthy, then someone has to be sent down, and if your numbers aren’t there, then….

It’s just the nature of the business. If he wants to stay in the majors, he’ll have to pick it up. Voit is only hitting .200, but Voit does lead the Yanks with 13 RBI.

The Yanks are in 2nd in the AL East, but 4 1/2 back of the Rays. It’s early but don’t discount Tampa Bay. Boston, like the Yanks, has been struggling so far. (5-10).  For the Yanks to get better, some players (see above for an example) must play better, as well as others have to get healthy.

The Yanks (6-8) snapped their four-game losing streak on Saturday. CC Sabathia returned from the DL (Stephen Tarpley sent down) and combined with three relievers on a one-hit shutout as the Yanks won 4-0.

Aaron Judge hit his 4th HR of the year in this game.

Tyler Wade squeezed home a run. I love to see that. With all the injuries, the Yanks have to find different ways to win. With Wade’s speed and bunting ability, this is one of them.

I can’t remember the last time the Yanks squeezed a run home.

If short on power because of the injuries, then pitching and defense and speed.

Dellin Betances’ shoulder isn’t better. Bone spur. Cortisone shot. Shut down 6-7 weeks, probably out 3 months.

Saturday’s pitching line:

CC 5 IP, 0 R, 1 H, 0 W, 3 K
German (W, 3-0, 1.38) 2 IP, 0 R, 0 H, 0 W, 4 K.
Britton (H, 3) 1 IP, 0 R, 0 H, 0 W, 1 K. 4.05
Chapman 1 IP, 0 R, 0 H, 0 W, 1 K. 3.00

CC is now 11 strikeouts short of 3000 for his career.