Game 119. Yanks blast 4 HR vs. O’s in game 1 of DH, win 8-5.

The Yankees (78-41) made it 13 in a row over the Orioles by winning the day game of a day/night DH vs. Baltimore, 8-5. They are 14-2 against Baltimore this season.

I so doing, they hit 4 HR, making it 56 in 16 games vs. Baltimore this season.

The O’s got a run in the top of the first against James Paxton but the Yanks struck right back on a 3-run HR by Didi Gregorius (9) and a solo HR by Gleyber Torres (24). It’s the eleventh HR Torres has hit against the Orioles this season.

Back-to-back doubles by Brett Gardner and Gio Urshela made it 5-1 in the second inning.

Paxton gave up a HR in the third that cut the Yanks’ lead to 5-2.

In the bottom of the fifth, Urshela hit a 461 Ft. Bomb (18) to make it 6-2 Yanks.

Paxton gave up another HR in the top of the sixth, 6-3, Yanks.

The Yanks came right back in the bottom of the sixth on a HR by Cameron Maybin (8) to make it 7-3.

They scored in the seventh on a walk to Gardner, single by Urshela and SF by Didi. 8-3.

Luis Cessa came in for the eighth, didn’t have it, and gave up two runs. Zack Britton had to bail him out. 8-5.

Aroldis Chapman got the save, with Urshela making a great play to end the game.

Urshela 3 hits, 2 RBI. HR (18) .328
Gregorius 4 RBI, a 3-run HR (9)
Torres solo HR (24)
Maybin solo HR (8)  .319

Paxton (W, 8-6, 4.40) 6 IP, 3 R, 5 H, 2 W, 7 K.  Gave up 2 HR.
Kahnle 1 IP, 0 R, 0 H, 0 W, 0 K   2.92
Cessa 1/3 IP, 2 R, 2 H, 2 W, 0 K.  3.99
Britton (H, 24) 2/3 IP, 0 R, 0 H, 1 W, 1 K.  2.22
Chapman (S, 32) 1 IP, 0 R, 0 H, 0 W, 1 K.  2.51

The 2020 Yankees’ schedule has been released. They open in Baltimore (way too early in my opinion) on March 26. Hope it doesn’t snow. They have interleague vs. the NL Central, as well as the home and home vs. the Mets. The Cubs, Pirates and Reds come to the Bronx, and the Yanks go to Pittsburgh, Milwaukee and St. Louis. They also have that Field of Dreams game Aug. 13, 2020 in Iowa vs. the White Sox. The home opener is April 2 vs. Toronto. They close the season with seven against the Astros, and then the Rays.

The Yanks also received good news on the injury front from Luke Voit, Dellin Betances and Luis Severino in their rehab work today.

 

 

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Trade deadline. No major move done by the Yanks. Thoughts.

The Yanks did not make a major move at the trade deadline.

They only made a minor one, trading rookie RHP Joe Harvey (1-0, 4.50 in nine games this year for the Yanks) to Colorado for LHP Alfredo Garcia. Per the NY Post: Garcia, 20, has pitched for Single-A Asheville and Boise this season. With the two teams, he’s combined for a 3-10 record and 6.00 ERA in 22 starts.

They apparently were looking at LHP Robbie Ray of Arizona but Arizona wanted OF Clint Frazier, RHP Clarke Schmidt (the Yanks’ #1 draft pick in 2017, who is now pitching at High A Tampa) and two other prospects. The Yanks thought that price was too steep.

Arizona did trade Zack Greinke to Houston (they made other moves as well). Now Houston is really scary with Justin Verlander, Greinke, Gerrit Cole and Wade Miley.

Greinke never would have come to the Yankees. He has a no-trade to the Yanks, and with his problems with depression and anxiety early in his career (2005/2006) NY wouldn’t be right for him at all.

That is the situation at the trade deadline. Some teams are asking too much of you, like the teams that wanted Gleyber Torres for a pitcher that other teams say is an ace but you know they are middle to back end of the rotation caliber. And Torres shouldn’t be going anywhere. He is not even 23 yet, a 2x All-Star, and someone with 20+ HR in both of his seasons in the majors. Torres for Matthew Boyd of Detroit (6-8, 3.94 now, career 28-43, 4.82)? Please. Spare me.

Some players, like Greinke and Madison Bumgarner, have no-trade clauses. Whether Bumgarner would have waived his to go to the Yankees, who knows. But we also don’t know what SF would have wanted for him.

Some teams, like the Mets, won’t deal with the Yankees. I can see that with the Red Sox not dealing with the Yankees, but the Mets are in a different league. But the Mets have the fear of looking bad in a deal with the Yanks, and don’t want the Yanks to “take over the city” or is it “Citi”? LOL. But the Yankeephobia the Mets’ front office has hurts them if they are making trades with other teams and getting less return from them than in what the Yankees would give them for say, Wheeler or Syndegaard—and neither Wheeler or Syndegaard went anywhere.

So the Yankees don’t get a starter that could have helped them. No Minor, Bumgarner, Wheeler, Ray, Stroman, Boyd, Bauer, Roark, Leake, etc. Most, as I stated, don’t fall into the “ace” category.

They didn’t get relief help either. Shane Greene and Mark Melancon (both former Yankees, by the way) both went from their respective teams (Tigers and Giants) to the Braves.

By the way, ex-Yankee (twice) David Robertson, who went to the Phillies last offseason as a free agent, and who has barely pitched this year, is headed for elbow surgery that could include TJ surgery. If TJ (Tommy John) surgery, then he misses ALL of 2020.

So the Yankees have to hope some, or all of the following, get healthy enough to contribute soon: Luis Severino, Jordan Montgomery, Jonathan Loaisiga and Dellin Betances. Loaisiga had a rehab stint (2 innings for AA Trenton last night). The others haven’t pitched yet in a game for any rehab assignment yet.

Either that or some pitchers need to pick up the slack and pitch better than they have so far this season (Happ/Paxton, even Tanaka).

I don’t know if I would call the Yanks’ efforts at the trade deadline here a failure. If you DO want to point any blame for not improving the rotation, I don’t think it is now, but things that happened BEFORE getting to this point.

For example, the free agent market. I didn’t mind bringing back Happ at the time (and that may be a mistake, given what he’s done this year and that he has a couple years left on the contract). But Happ wasn’t my first option. He was a fallback option. I think that the Yanks felt as I did. Getting Patrick Corbin being the top priority, with Happ as a fallback. But Corbin wanted more than the four years that the Yanks were offering, and got six from Washington where he is 9-5, 3.23. The Yanks sure could use that now.

Then there was Gio Gonzalez. The Yanks signed him at the end of spring training to a minor league deal, one that Gonzalez opted out of a few weeks later when it was obvious, at that time, that there was no place in the rotation for him. He is 2-1, 3.48 for Milwaukee right now.

Lastly, Dallas Keuchel. The Yanks wouldn’t go an extra mile to land him, lost him to the Braves, and Keuchel is 3-4, 3.86 right now.

Any of those three would not have cost players, just money. Now the question is why the Yankees were not more proactive towards those three? And that may not be the fault of Cashman, but of Hal Steinbrenner, who, let’s face it, is more frugal than his dad. Hal may have set a certain price that he wouldn’t allow Cashman to exceed, and if a deal then wasn’t made, the blame falls on Hal then, not Cashman.

If there is something to gripe about, I feel as if it isn’t because of what wasn’t done today at the trade deadline, but what wasn’t done BEFORE—namely, Corbin, Gonzalez and/or Keuchel. For those three have/had better potential and results than almost all of what was out there today.

One more thing. I wasn’t too keen this offseason about bringing back CC. He hasn’t been bad this year, but you are getting what you expected you’d get from a guy who just turned 39. Two trips to the injured list. Not much length in his starts. He has not recorded a “W” in more than a month. Yes, having him retire as a Yankee is nice. It’s his final season. But sentiment doesn’t win titles. You think with your head, not your heart.

Being a clubhouse presence and a great teammate is great. But you also have to do it between the lines, and of course, CC isn’t what he used to be.

So we hope now for help from within. Severino, Montgomery, Loaisiga, Betances. Maybe Deivi Garcia, but I doubt it. I’d be surprised. At 20, he probably needs a full season of AAA, so maybe 2021 for him (or late 2020?)

And after this season is over, don’t mess up on the free agent market. For example, Gerrit Cole of Houston, who the Yanks once drafted (he didn’t sign) and later coveted (traded by Pittsburgh to Houston because the Yanks wouldn’t give the Pirates Miguel Andujar) is a free agent after this season. He is 12-5. 2.94 for Houston now. He was 15-5, 2.88 for them last season. He struck out 276 last year and leads the majors with 212 strikeouts right now. Houston is one of your top competitors right now for AL supremacy. You can improve yourself and hurt Houston after this season in one move. Are you listening, Hal? Cash?

 

 

Game 103. Pitching woes continue in Yanks’ 10-5 loss.

For the third straight time, James Paxton gave up a HR to the leadoff hitter.

And this time, that leadoff hitter then proceeded to go deep two MORE times against Paxton.

Mookie Betts hit three HR, all in the FIRST FOUR INNINGS, off of Paxton, to lead Boston to a 10-5 win over the (66-37) Yankees Friday night.

The loss cuts the Yanks’ lead to 8 1/2 over Tampa Bay and 9 over Boston.

Paxton has struggled, while targets like Patrick Corbin, Gio Gonzalez, and Dallas Keuchel are doing Ok elsewhere. Three guys the Yanks could have had (they had Gio, but he opted out when there was no room in the rotation for him).

Also disheartening is when guys like Paxton or Sonny Gray have success elsewhere (and what do you think Gray would tell his former Vanderbilt teammate, Mike Minor of Texas, a trade target, about NY?) come to NY and don’t do well. In Gray’s case, now that he is out of NY, he’s doing well again. You could put J.A. Happ in that category for this year, but to be fair, Happ did pitch well last year for the Yanks before the playoff outing.

Another disheartening thing is not having some players, like Michael Pineda or Nathan Eovaldi, realize their potential while in pinstripes.

You may say, that some guys can’t pitch in NY. True. But when it happens over and over and over again, that pitchers good elsewhere come to NY and have difficulties, when do you start looking at the pitching coach, and not just blame it on NY?

Remember that Larry Rothschild was inherited by Aaron Boone. Boone picked some, not all, of his coaching staff. He inherited the pitching part, Rothschild and bullpen coach Mike Harkey.

If the Yanks don’t turn this abysmal week by the starting pitchers around, they not only could blow their lead (Boston worries me more than Tampa Bay, because the Rays have now lost Snell for a month) and if so, could Rothschild be on the hot seat? The next few months will be very interesting to see how the starting pitching does. Because if it continues to flounder as it has, it won’t be good. Changes would have to be made, and maybe not just the pitchers but also the coach. Maybe this is only a blip. We hope so.

For the first 14 games of July, the Yanks’ starter’s ERA was 2.88. In the last six games, an atrocious 15.61. The Yanks have given up 64 runs in their last six games. 10.66 per game. Amazingly, they won two of those games. No Yankee starter in the last six games has pitched in the fifth inning. None in seven games has pitched in the sixth.

Forget about any of these starters, even when they are going GOOD, pitching in the seventh, eighth or ninth. They just don’t do that.

One worry I have is this. Even if they rebound, and wind up with 100 to 105 wins, who, amongst all the starters in the rotation, do you absolutely trust to start a must-win postseason game? A fair question, I think. None are “old reliable” Andy Pettitte’s, El Duque’s, or David Cone’s.

With this bad stretch, the Yanks’ ERA+, which was about 110 most of the year, has dropped to 104, just 4% above league average. No starter has an ERA less than 4.00.

Tanaka 7-6, 4.79. ERA+ 93 (7 % below league average)
Happ 8-5, 5.23  ERA+ 86
German 12-2, 4.03  ERA+ 111 ( his youth and inexperience are a concern)
Sabathia 5-5, 4.50  ERA+ 99
Paxton 5-6, 4.72  ERA+ 95.

As I mentioned, which of these would you trust to start a must-win playoff game? It’s a huge concern.

One last thing before the game recap. Could it be that Boston sees some guys tipping pitches or has some Yankee pitching been too consistent in their approach? Rumors are that Severino was tipping pitches in Game 3 of the ALDS last year. Boston has pounded Tanaka this year, and Tanaka thought he made good pitches at some points the other night. Did Boston know what was coming? Paul O’Neill on WPIX last night mentioned Boston waiting for hard stuff inside from Paxton, got it, and creamed it.

Paxton’s line is strange. 9 K in 4 IP. But 4 HR given up, 3 to Betts, 7 runs allowed.

If guys ARE tipping, why isn’t the pitching staff seeing it? Remember that Chad Green was straightened out at AAA, not by the major league staff. Once sent down, he worked it out. Also, Jonathan Holder has had to go down. He also, couldn’t work it out at the big league level.

Could there be a problem with the pitching coach? Sorry, Rothschild, but that has to be addressed right now. To stop that, the starting pitching, once again, has to improve, and IMMEDIATELY.

Let’s remember that Gray took some parting shots at Rothschild on the way out to Cincinnati, where Gray is doing well. Could there be something to what Gray said?

And it’s not just Rothschild. Let’s remember that the Yanks lost out on possibly getting Verlander, Cole, Corbin, Keuchel, and Gonzalez, all of whom could certainly be helping right now.  If the Yanks would have just one of those right now…

So something is amiss with their pitching philosophy. Whether it is the coach, or the whole organizational approach of what is coached, who is targeted, what you’ll give up for a stud pitcher…

Anyway you look at it, corrections and improvements are necessary. The Yanks have two more games against Boston this weekend, and after two games against Arizona on Tuesday and Wednesday, have four more against Boston next Friday to Sunday, including a DH on Saturday. If they don’t turn it around, and FAST, Boston could be right back in it. Let’s just say Boston takes 6 of 8 in the games this weekend and next. The lead goes from 11 to 7. If they take 7 of the 8, it’s 5. Sweep and 3. Yankees’ fans don’t want 1978 in reverse. Yes, there is the wild card to fall back on, and that wasn’t there in 1978. We don’t want that. Win the division, avoid the wild card game.

This is the time to bury Boston, not have them rise from the dead. So far, the shovels have been put away. Boston has woken up.

As for making a trade, I am getting really discouraged that that may happen. Teams are asking for Gleyber Torres in any deal. That is a non-starter. The two-time All-Star, who has hit 20 or more HR in both of his MLB seasons, isn’t even 23 yet.

As for the game, Paxton gave up, as noted above, a leadoff HR to Betts, marking the third straight time he gave up a HR to the first batter of the game. He has had (like German) first inning woes all season. Then a single, strikeout and HR (by J.D. Martinez) and it was 3-0 already. After the week the Yanks have had, it was like here we go again.

A HR by Betts and an RBI triple by Martinez made it 5-0 after three innings.

Then Betts hits his THIRD HR of the game to make it 7-0 in the fourth.

The Yanks got a run in the sixth when with two out, they got consecutive singles by Encarnacion, Gregorius and Voit.

Boston got two in the bottom of the sixth to make it 9-1. Betts doubled in one run and scored the other on another double. He was 4 for 5 with 5 RBI—3 HR and a double.

Before the game, Stephen Tarpley was sent down and Cameron Maybin came off the IL. Maybin walked to lead off the seventh, and went to third on a double by Mike Tauchman. Austin Romine singled in one run, and another scored when D.J. LeMahieu GIDP.

Boston got a run in the bottom of the seventh, 10-3.

The Yanks got two in the ninth before succumbing. Tauchman led off the inning with a single, and scored on a double by Romine. A walk to LeMahieu and an error on a ball hit by Judge loaded the bases. But then three consecutive outs ended the game. One out was a SF by Gregorius.

It is hard to win when you are giving up 10 or more runs a game.

Tauchman 3 hits
Romine 3 hits, 2 RBI

Paxton (L, 5-6, 4.72) 4 IP, 7 R, 9 H, 0 W, 9 K. Gave up 4 HR, 3 to Betts. Weird line.
Hale 2 2/3 IP, 3 R, 5 H, 0 W, 0 K.   2.89
Ottavino 1/3 IP, 0 R, 0 H, 0 W, 1 K.  1.59
Britton 1 IP, 0 R, 0 H, 0 W, 1 K.  2.57

The Yanks really could use a well-pitched, crisp victory right now. They are taking it on the chin right now.

July 27. The trade deadline is just four days away.

Is any pitching help coming from the outside? Or do the Yanks have to keep their fingers crossed that internal options who have been on the IL (Severino, Betances, Montgomery, Loaisiga) will be coming to the rescue?

 

 

 

 

 

Game 76. Yanks tie a team record in winning 8th in a row, 7-5.

The Yanks may be heading to England soon to face the Red Sox, but Britton wasn’t “great” as the Yanks held off Houston last night for a 7-5 win. He made us squirm a bit.

With the win, the Yankees (49-27) won their eighth game in a row, and the lead in the AL East is now 5 1/2 over Tampa Bay and 8 over Boston.

By hitting two homers, the Yanks tied their team record, set in 1941, of homering in 25 consecutive games. They may have difficulty breaking it today. The starting pitcher for Houston will be Justin Verlander.

Today is Old-Timer’s Day. Mariano Rivera will be honored, a month before his HOF induction. He’ll be making his first Old-Timer’s Day appearance, and apparently will pitch. Even though Rivera will be 50 in November, ex-teammate Paul O’Neill says “I wouldn’t want to face him.”

Now to the highlights/recap of the Yankees’ win.

Giancarlo Stanton drive in four runs. Masahiro Tanaka was sharp.

The Yanks didn’t get anything going until the fifth. Despite the final score, for half of the game this was a pitcher’s duel.

In the fifth, with one out, Aaron Hicks walked. Gio Urshela got the first Yankees’ hit of the game by slicing one into the porch. HR #6 for Urshela made it 2-0 Yankees.

Tanaka gave it back in the top of the sixth by giving up a 2-run HR. Watching on TV, the pitch actually looked like a good one. Reddick just went down and got it.

The Yanks went up 4-2 in the bottom of the sixth. D.J. LeMahieu and Aaron Judge led off the inning with walks and Luke Voit blooped a single that loaded up the bases. Stanton singled in two runs.

But in the seventh, Jonathan Holder gave up a 3-run HR and Houston took a 5-4 lead. I’m not sold on Holder, who may be the weak link in the Yankees’ bullpen right now. As one friend of mine has mentioned, he does well in games where the lead is safe, but in tight games…. now I don’t know how much that’s the case, but he didn’t do his job last night, and except for a great (and controversial) play by Aaron Hicks (the Yanks’ D was tight last night. Voit made a couple great plays, too, and Judge threw out a baserunner) another run would have scored. (UPDATE: Stanton made a fine defensive play, too).

The Yanks do have someone at SWB, J.P. Feyereisen, and I wonder why he hasn’t received a MLB shot yet. He has pitched decently in relief for them last year and this. Stephen Tarpley (see minor league report) is there too in case Holder doesn’t straighten out.

Speaking of straightening out, Chad Green has done well since that bad stint at the beginning of the year that required Green to be sent down for a while.

So maybe Holder (5.55 ERA) needs the same.

We only wonder when Betances is coming back.

But as far as coming back, the Yankees did, getting three in the bottom of the seventh of this see-saw battle to retake the lead at 7-5, and eventually make Holder the winning pitcher.

With one out, Austin Romine, probably the weakest hitter on the team among the regular position players (I am not counting the callups from SWB like a Tauchman or Wade), homered (2) to tie the game.

LeMahieu then singled and advanced on a WP. Judge reached on catcher’s interference. Voit grounded out, moving up the runners. Houston elected not to walk Stanton to load the bases to set up a force at any base for the final out of the inning, but to pitch to him. Stanton got another 2-run single, and the Yanks were up 7-5.

Adam Ottavino got out of a two-out, two-on jam in the eighth.

In the ninth, Zack Britton walked the bases loaded (the last one intentionally to set up a force at any base) before getting the final out of the ballgame.

Stanton 2 hits, 4 RBI (having missed almost the whole season so far, his first 4 RBI of 2019).
Urshela 2-run HR (6)
Romine solo HR (2)

Tanaka 6 IP, 2 R, 8 H, 1 W, 1 K. Gave up 1 HR.  3.21
Holder (W, 5-2; BS, 2; 5.55) 1 IP, 3 R, 3 H, 0 W, 0 K. Gave up 1 HR.
Ottavino (H, 17) 1 IP, 0 R, 0 H, 2 W, 2 K.  1.57
Britton (S, 3) 1 IP, 0 R, 0 H, 3 W, 0 K.  2.51

Five walks in those last two innings. Oh, my heart.

The Yanks still haven’t replaced injured Cameron Maybin on the roster. They won last night with 24 players.

Random thoughts:

Could Sanchez hit 50 this season? A catcher hitting 50?

Also, I saw a report on Justus Sheffield. The former Yanks’ top pitching prospect, traded this past offseason for James Paxton, is struggling so badly that he was DEMOTED from AAA back down to AA. Sheffield only got into one game in the majors for Seattle, giving up 2 runs in 3 IP. At AAA, he was 2-6 with a 6.87 ERA, causing his demotion back to AA.

 

 

 

Game 73. Sanchez and Torres power CC to win #250 as Yanks sweep Rays, 12-1.

CC Sabathia became the 14th pitcher in MLB history with 250 wins and 3000 strikeouts when the Yanks routed Tampa Bay 12-1 this afternoon.

All of the other pitchers, save for Roger Clemens, are in the Hall of Fame.

With the three game sweep of the Rays, the Yanks (46-27) opened up a 3 1/2 game lead over the Rays in the AL East.

The Yanks struck early, knocking out defending AL CYA winner Blake Snell in the very first inning. Snell only recorded one out.

D.J. LeMahieu led off with an infield single, stole second, and Luke Voit walked. Gary Sanchez then hit a 3-run HR (21) to make it 3-0. Edwin Encarnacion then walked, and after Aaron Hicks hit into a forceout, both Gleyber Torres and Cameron Maybin walked to load the bases. Gio Urshela was HBP to force in a run and make it 4-0, and after Brett Gardner popped up for out #2, LeMahieu singled in two runs to make it 6-0.

CC gave up a run in the fifth, but the Yanks struck for another six-run inning in the seventh.

After Gardner struck out, LeMahieu and Voit each walked. Sanchez doubled in a run to make it 7-1. Encarnacion singled to make it 8-1. Hicks walked to load the bases, then Torres hit a grand slam. HR #16 on the season was Torres’ first career grand slam. 12-1.

LeMahieu 2 hits, 2 RBI .315
Sanchez 2 hits, 3-run HR (21), 4 RBI
Torres grand slam HR (16), 4 RBI

Sabathia (W, 4-4, 4.14) 6 IP, 1 R, 3 H, 3 W, 7 K.  WIN #250 OF HIS CAREER.
Holder 1 IP, 0 R, 0 H, 1 W, 2 K.  4.93
Cessa 2 IP, 0 R, 0 H, 0 W, 3 K.  5.73

Aaron Judge should return to the Yankees Friday, making for an interesting decision who he replaces on the roster.

Good news on Severino and German in their progress rehabbing their injuries.

Not so good on Jordan Montgomery (MRI on shoulder needed) and Dellin Betances.

The Yanks released Danny Farquhar from his minor league deal. Farquhar was trying to come back after suffering a brain aneurysm while pitching for the White Sox last year.

In discussing Greg Bird’s problem when he does get better (players have passed him on the depth chart and there isn’t room for him in the majors, AAA or maybe even AA!) I left off one first baseman…. Ryan McBroom is doing well at AAA. So you have Voit, Encarnacion, Ford, McBroom, Logan Morrison, Chris Gittens…

 

Games 65 & 66. Yanks regain share of first with a DH Split vs. Mets.

Game 1: Masahiro Tanaka got through one bad inning, pitching into the seventh, as the Yanks pounded the Mets, 12-5.

The Yanks went up 1-0 in the second on a double by Didi Gregorius and an RBI single by Kendrys Morales.

Tanaka gave up 4 runs in the third, inc. a 3-run HR to put the Mets up 4-1.

In the bottom of the third, the Yanks got one back when Brett Gardner singled, he and D.J. LeMahieu were safe all around on an error, and with two out, Gary Sanchez singled to make it 4-2.

The Yanks got five in the fourth on a 2-run HR by Gio Urshela (5) and a 3-run bomb by Luke Voit (16).

With two out in the fifth, the Yanks tacked on two more runs on a double by Morales, RBI single by Urshela, and RBI triple by Gardner. 9-4.

After the Mets scored a run in the top of the sixth to cut it to 9-5, the Yanks got a run in the seventh when Clint Frazier and Urshela each doubled.

Sanchez hit a 2-run HR (20) in the bottom of the eighth for the final score of 12-5.

Voit 3-run HR (16)
Sanchez 2 hits, 3 RBI, 2-run HR (20)
Gregorius 2 hits
Morales 3 hits, RBI
Urshela 3 hits, 4 RBI, 2-run HR (5)
Gardner 2 hits, RBI

Tanaka (W, 4-5, 3.58) 6 2/3 IP, 5 R, 4 ER, 7 H, 0 W, 7 K. Gave up 1 HR.
Kahnle 1/3 IP, 0 R, 0 H, 0 W, 1 K.  2.81
Hale 2 IP, 0 R, 2 H, 0 W, 1 K.  2.57.

Game 2: You worry about the Yanks’ pitching and their health and if they need or will get another pitcher. German on the IL for now, Tanaka’s elbow, CC’s knee, Severino and Montgomery haven’t pitched at all this year, Loaisiga on IL, and with Game 2’s starter, James Paxton, you wonder if his knee is affecting him. In his last two starts, Paxton’s ERA has gone from 2.81 to 4.04.

He was knocked out in the third. After just 11 pitches, the Mets, who won this game 10-4, were up 3-0 after a double, single, and 3-run HR.

The Mets tacked on three more in the third, knocking Paxton out of the box.

The Yanks got three in the bottom of the third to cut it to 6-3. LeMahieu singled, Voit walked. Sanchez singled to load the bases. Gleyber Torres singled in one run, and forceouts by Frazier and Urshela brought in two more.

But a 2-run HR off of Chance Adams in the fourth made it 8-3 Mets.

Adams, the “26th man” for the DH (and therefore going back down after the game), gave up another HR in the fifth, 9-3.

Stephen Tarpley gave up a run in the top of the ninth, 10-3 Mets.

Brett Gardner homered (10) in the bottom of the ninth for the final score of 10-4 Mets.

LeMahieu 2 hits, .316
Sanchez 2 hits
Torres 2 hits, RBI
Gardner 2 hits, solo HR (10)

Paxton (L, 3-3, 4.04) 2 2/3 IP, 6 R, 7 H, 2 W, 1 K. Gave up 1 HR.
Adams 4 1/3 IP, 3 R, 2 ER, 3 H, 3 W, 3 K. Gave up 2 HR.  3.97
Cessa 1 IP, 0 R, 0 H, 0 W, 0 K.  5.10
Tarpley 1 IP, 1 R, 1 H, 0 W, 2 K.  8.53

Dellin Betances has been shut down for a few weeks. Lat issue.

The Yanks could be getting Giancarlo Stanton and Aaron Judge back in about a week to two weeks.

First round draft pick Anthony Volpe (SS) has signed with the Yankees.

With the split, the Yanks (41-25) are tied for first with Tampa Bay. They are off Wednesday.

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.