
Well, we know which pitchers should NOT be on the postseason roster. If this was an audition to see who makes it, a lot failed.
Despite holding a 6-0 lead over the team with the worst record in baseball (yes, worse than Baltimore), the pitchers used could not hold it, and the Yanks (95-61) lost to the Tigers, 12-11, despite hitting SIX homers.
The six HR put the Yanks in a tie with the Twins at 276, which is the most in a season by a team. We’ll see who comes out on top.
They remain in a tie with the Astros (Houston has the tiebreaker) for the best record in baseball, one game ahead of the Dodgers (the Yanks own the tiebreaker over the Dodgers). The AL East lead is 8 over Tampa Bay. The magic # to clinch the East remains 9. The magic # to just make the playoffs remains at 7.
Ugly. Terrible pitching. The fielding left something to be desired also. Errors, missing cutoff men…. The LF tonight was Frazier, the RF Wade.
The Yanks got a run in the first when Brett Gardner hit a HR (22), giving him a new season high.
Second inning: Yanks score five runs, go up 6-0 on the worst team in baseball, and you think this game is over. Didn’t turn out that way.
Gio Urshela led off with a double and Luke Voit singled him home. 2-0. Clint Frazier singled. Tyler Wade tripled home two runs, 4-0. Gardner homered AGAIN (23) and it was 6-0.
Nestor Cortes, who had pitched two scoreless innings to start the game, lost it in the third as Detroit tied the game with six runs, four of them unearned because of an error by Gleyber Torres.
Torres homered in the fourth (36) to put the Yanks up 7-6.
Fifth inning. Didi Gregorius homers (15) and Yanks go up 8-6.
Detroit gets a HR in the bottom of the fifth to cut it to 8-7.
Detroit gets three in the sixth. They take a 10-8 lead. Yanks did not hold a lead, again, to the worst team in baseball.
With two out in the seventh, Gary Sanchez singles and Edwin Encarnacion hits a HR (33) to tie the game. Edwin and Didi go back-to-back as Didi hits his second HR of the game (16) to put the Yanks up 11-10.
Once again, they could not hold a lead to the worst team in baseball. I hate to drum that home, but facts are facts. This was an ugly loss. Remember that if the Yanks lose home field advantage to Houston and/or the Dodgers. You can’t lose these types of games if you want home field advantage.
With two out in the bottom of the seventh and a man on, a passed ball and a single enable Detroit to tie the game.
Tommy Kahnle wasn’t available (wrist tendonitis). Chance Adams was in there for the ninth. I would have preferred John Quincy Adams. Chance Adams loses the game.
Torres solo HR (36)
Gardner 2 hits, both HR (23) 3 RBI
Encarnacion 2-run (33)
Gregorius 2 hits, both Solo HR (16)
Wade 2 RBI
Cortes, Jr. 2 1/3 IP, 4 R, 2 ER, 6 H, 1 W, 2 K. 5.23
Cessa 2 2/3 IP, 3 R, 1 ER, 3 H, 0 W, 0 K. Gave up 1 HR. 3.81
Gearrin (H, 13) 1/3 IP, 2 R, 2 H, 0 W, 0 K. 4.35
Loaisiga (BS, 1) 1/3 IP, 1 R, 2 H, 2 W, 0 K. 4.94
Dull 1/3 IP, 0 R, 0 H, 0 W, 0 K. 13.06
Ottavino (BS, 6) 1 IP, 1 R, 0 ER, 1 H, 1 W, 3 K. 1.73
Britton 1 IP, 0 R, 0 H, 0 W, 1 K. 2.04
Adams (L, 1-1, 7.50) 1/3 IP, 1 R, 2 H, 0 W, 1 K.
We can only assume that Cortes, Cessa(???), Gearrin, Loaisiga, Dull and Adams will all NOT be on the postseason roster. I mean, if you do that poorly, and can’t hold a lead against the worst team in baseball, why should you be on a POSTSEASON roster?
If healthy, and if you are taking 13 pitchers, you most likely will see:
Paxton
Tanaka
Happ (surprisingly)
Severino
Green
German
CC
Kahnle
Ottavino
Britton
Chapman
Update: Betances
That is 12. (Had 11 before, forgot Betances).
The question is will there be another? Will the Yanks go with 12 or 13 pitchers? It’s too bad Hale is out. He pitched well for the Yanks this year (3-0, 2.89). Could Montgomery sneak in here? How about Ben Heller (see below). I still am not sold on Cessa, but he may still make it.
I really wonder if the Yanks would chance Deivi Garcia.
The Yanks DFA’d Adonis Rosa to bring up Ben Heller.
Sigh. If the Yanks lose home field by a game and have to play a deciding game in Houston or LA, this is the loss I’ll remember and regret.