Game 17. Yanks edge Jays, 4-3.

The Yanks beat Toronto 4-3 tonight to go to 9-8 on the season.

The Yankees scored twice in the second inning to go up 2-0. Sanchez singled, and after a forceout, the disappointing-so-far Neil Walker doubled. Tyler Wade at least got a run home with a groundout. (With a fast guy, Hicks, at third, and a fast guy, Wade, at the plate, and with Wade hitting under .100, I would have called for a squeeze bunt). Wade, now 3 for 35 (.086), is a candidate to be sent down to SWB when Gleyber Torres comes up, and it appears that may be soon. After Wade’s RBI groundout, Ronald Torreyes got an RBI single.

Here is where the Blue Jays tied the game. In the third, they got a run courtesy of a PB by Sanchez. In the fourth, an error by Torreyes led to another unearned run. The Yanks are making too many errors. Two unearned runs, there. Maybe the weather has something to do with this. Another game (and it’s late April!!!) played in temps under 40 degrees. Wondering what the Yanks can do in BASEBALL weather. Taking nothing away from Boston’s hot start, and the Red Sox did take two of three in Boston from the Yanks, but how do they (15-2) get a schedule that let’s them open in a dome (Tampa Bay), go to Miami, and now they are in Anaheim, while the Yanks (other than the opening series in a dome in Toronto) are playing in a frigid NY, Boston, and Detroit (where two games were postponed)????? Really????

Anyway, the Yanks’ defense must, to put it like the old Archie Bell and the Drells’ song would go, Tighten Up. They are last or next to last in the league in making errors, and that isn’t including WP and PB.

The Yankees took a 3-2 lead in the fifth on a walk to Torreyes (who seems to provide a spark whenever he plays), single by Gardner, and after Judge hit into a force-out, an RBI single by Didi.

In the seventh, Aaron Judge hit HR #5, to make it 4-2 .Fastest guy ever to 61 career HR.

The Yanks needed it. David Robertson had a VERY SHAKY eighth inning. Single, two walks to load the bases. Strikeout. Single to make it 4-3. Strikeout, Flyout. WHEW.

No problems for Chapman in the ninth. 1-2-3, all strikeouts.

Judge solo HR
Didi RBI
Stanton was dropped to 4 in the lineup

CC Off DL for the game.

Sabathia 4 1/3 IP, 2 R, 0 ER, 4 H, 1 W, 1 K. 2.70
Green (W, 1-0, 1.80) 1 2/3 IP, 0 R, 0 H, 0 W, 2 K
Betances (H, 1) 1 IP, 0 R, 0 H, 0 W, 1 K. 6.23
Robertson (H, 3) 1 IP, 1 R, 2 H, 2 W, 2 K. 4.22
Chapman (S, 3) 1 IP, 0 R, 0 H, 0 W, 3 K. 2.25

 

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Game 15. Yanks maul Marlins, 12-1.

You kind of wish this didn’t happen against two Yankees’ legends, CEO (Yankees #2) Derek Jeter and manager (Yankees #23) Don Mattingly of the Miami Marlins, but you gotta do what you gotta do.

The best way, it seems, for teams to get healthy right now is to play one of the Florida teams, the Rays or Marlins, because both stink.

Still, you have to win the game. The Yanks, playing after two days of rain outs, pounded the Marlins 12-1 to go to 8-7 on the season.

Going into the game, the Yanks were the perfect .500 team at 7-7. What do I mean by perfect? They scored 77 runs, and gave up 77 runs. The offense was 10% above league average, the pitching 10% below league average. If that isn’t a perfect .500 team, what is?

Before the game, some news. Jacoby Ellsbury is morphing into Carl Pavano. First a rib cage injury, then a hip injury, now it is his plantar fascitis. He hasn’t played a game for the Yanks yet, hasn’t played since how many weeks ago in spring training, is the #5 OF, is owed $68 million over this year and the next two…. Sheesh.

As for Brandon Drury, he is taking meds to calm down the migraines, but still has blurry vision. Blurry vision he says he has had over the last several years, and he admits to stepping in the batter’s box with the blurry vision! Which makes what he has done in the majors so far that much more impressive and scary. Blurry vision while facing a 100 MPH fastball? No thanks. Get that vision and migraines taken care of and hopefully, the situation isn’t major.

If he was a good player with blurry vision, what could he become with clear vision?

Now to the game. A mauling which you wish didn’t happen against Donnie and Derek, but what can you do?

Ex-Yankee Caleb Smith (there with the Yanks briefly last year) started for the Marlins and got mauled.

The Yanks scored in each of the first five innings.

In the first, Gardner singled,  Judge walked. Stanton walked to load the bases. After Didi popped up (He would make up for it later), Sanchez’ IF single brought home a run. After Hicks popped up, Austin walked to make it 2-0.

In the second, Judge homered (4) to make it 3-0. Judge became the fastest player ever to 60 career HR.

In the third, two more runs. Didi walked, Sanchez singled. Hicks doubled both home. 5-0.

In the fourth, with two out, Stanton was HBP. Didi hit a HR, his first of two on the night, to make it 7-0.

To the fifth, and the Yanks put up four more to make it 11-0. Austin led off with a double and Andujar doubled to make it 8-0. Torreyes singled Andujar to third. Gardner walked. Judge singled in a run. After two outs, Sanchez singled in two to make it 11-0.

In the seventh, Didi hit his second HR of the game (5) to make it 12-0.

Meanwhile, Severino was dealing. 6 IP, no runs, one hit. Miami got its only run of the game in the eighth, after Seve was out of the game.

15 hits, 8 walks, 1 HBP.

Didn’t realize. Jace Peterson back with the team…

Gardner 2 hits, walk, 2 runs scored.
Judge 2 hits, HR, 2 runs scored, 1 walk.
Didi 2 hits, both HR, 3 RBI, scored 3 runs. Walked. How he has developed.
Sanchez 3 hits, scored one run, drove in 3. Starting to heat up. Walk.
Hicks 2 RBI, walk
Austin 2 hits, rbi, walk.
Andujar 2 hits, scored one, drove one in. Walk. He’s starting to get hot.

Some guys, notably Andujar and Sanchez, seem to be picking it up. A good sign. Getting Hicks back helps, too.

Severino (W 3-1, 2.63) 6 IP, 0 R, 1 H, 1 W, 8 K
Warren 1 IP, 0 R, 2 H, 1 W, 2 K. 3.18
Shreve 1 IP, 1 R, 0 ER, 1 H, 2 W, 1 K. 0.00
Betances 1 IP, 0 R, 1 H, 0 W, 2 K. 7.04

Sad NBA note. #15 for the Philadelphia 76ers, G Hal Greer, passed away on April 14 at the age of 81. A great guard for the 76ers in the 1960s, and on their 1967 NBA title team.

From Wikipedia:

He played for the Syracuse Nationals / Philadelphia 76ers of the National Basketball Association (NBA) from 1958 through 1973. A guard, Greer was a 10-time NBA All-Star and was named to the All-NBA Second Team seven times. He was named to the NBA’s 50th Anniversary All-Time Team and he had his uniform number retired by the 76ers.

Greer had an unusual but highly effective free throw technique, shooting a jump shot from the charity stripe. He is usually considered the third-best guard of the 1960s, behind Oscar Robertson and fellow West Virginia native Jerry West.

 

 

 

Game 14. Hicks, Torreyes spark Yanks. 8-6.

Even against a righty pitcher, Manager Aaron Boone sat the lefty swinging, slumping (.094) Tyler Wade in favor of Ronald Torreyes. The move paid off as Torreyes had 3 hits and an RBI in the 8-6 Yankees’ win at Detroit Friday night that evened their record at 7-7.

Aaron Hicks hit 2 HR, one an inside-the-parker, and drove in 3 runs.

Miguel Andujar, who came into the game hitting .107, got a double and triple. Hopefully a sign he is out of it.

The Yanks scored first when Hicks hit his inside-the-park HR to make it 2-0 in the second inning.

They got three in the third when Andujar doubled, went to third on a groundout, and scored on a double by Brett Gardner. Aaron Judge singled in Gardner to make it 4-0, and after Stanton struck out, Judge stealing second, a two-base error let Didi get on and scored Judge.

Jordan Montgomery pitched four scoreless innings then gave up a solo HR in the fifth.

The Yanks made it 6-1 in the sixth when Hicks hit his second HR of the game and season.

Montgomery tired in the seventh, giving up two runs that cut the Yanks’ lead to 6-3. The Yanks got two in the top of the eighth on a triple by Andujar, single by Torreyes to drive in a run, Gardner was HBP and Judge walked to load the bases, and after Stanton hit into a force at home, Didi got a SF.

They needed those runs because Dellin Betances had a bad outing, giving up three runs in the bottom of the eighth. Aroldis Chapman closed it out in the ninth.

Gardner 2 hits, RBI
Hicks 2 HR, one an inside-the-parker, 3 RBI
Andujar 2 hits.
Torreyes 3 hits, RBI.

Montgomery (W, 1-0, 4.70) 6+ IP, 3 R, 5 H, 0 W, 4 K. Gave up 1 HR.
Robertson 1 IP, 0 R, 2 H, 0 W, 1 K. 4.15
Betances 2/3 IP, 3 R, 5 H, 0 W, 2 K. 8.10 Gave up 1 HR.
Green (H, 1) 1/3 IP, 0 R, 0 H, 0 W, 1 K. 2.45
Chapman (S, 2) 1 IP, 0 R, 0 H, 0 W, 3 K. 2.57

Game 10. Yanks blow early lead; Stanton’s struggles continue.

Already this year, the Yanks have had three ugly losses. This was one of them.

Jordan Montgomery could not protect a five-run first inning lead, and the Yanks wound up losing 8-7 in 12 innings to even their record at 5-5. Today is an off-day, and they go to Boston (8-1) Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday. They are already 3 1/2 games behind the Red Sox and …. well, you can figure out that even though it’s early, how important these games are already.

It would behoove some guys to start hitting. Gary Sanchez is 2 for 32 for the season. Giancarlo Stanton is 7 for 42 with 20(!) strikeouts. That is a combined 9 for 74, .122 batting average. Tyler Wade is 3 for 20, as is Miguel Andujar. The Yanks are only hitting .237 as a team after 10 games. 

The Yanks got five in the first inning yesterday. Gardner and Judge singled. Stanton, who was 0 for 7 for the day with 5 strikeouts, struck out. Walker reached on an error, scoring Gardner. Austin walked to load the bases. (Sanchez and Didi didn’t start the game, Didi got in later, Sanchez didn’t play). Andujar singled in two, and after an out, Romine singled in a run to make it 4-0 and Torreyes’ double made it 5-0.

But Baltimore got one in the second, one in the third, and two in the fifth to cut it to 5-4. Romine singled in a run in the fifth to make it 6-4 Yanks.

But the Yanks couldn’t hold them. The Orioles got one in the sixth and two in the seventh to go up 7-6. Romine, who had a big day, tied it up in the bottom of the seventh with an RBI single.

After Baltimore scored in the top of the twelfth, the Yanks loaded the bases with no one out in the bottom of the twelfth, but Judge hit into a 1-2-5 DP and Stanton struck out.

Montgomery 4 1/3, 4 R, 10 H, 2 W, 4 K. Gave up 1 HR. 4.82. Disappointing. Could not hold an early  5-run lead.
German 2 2/3 IP, 3 R, 3 H, 1 W, 5 K. Gave up HR. K’s nice, but gave away the lead. 10.13
Betances 1 IP, 0 R, 1 H, 0 W, 2 K.  4.50
Chapman 1 IP, 0 R, 0 H, 0 W, 1 K. 1.80
Shreve 1 IP, 0 R, 0 H, 0 W, 0 K. 0.00
Robertson 1 IP, 0 R, 0 H, 0 W, 0 K. 5.40.
Warren (L, 0-1) 1 IP, 1 R, 2 H, 1 W, 3 K. 4.91.

Yanks’ pitchers struck out 15, but….

Gardner 2 hits.
Judge 2 hits, 2 walks, but that 12th inning DP….
Austin 2 hits,
Andujar 2 hits, 2 RBI
Peterson 2 hits
Romine 3 hits, 3 RBI

The third disappointing loss already this season in ten games.

One thing we know: Sanchez and Stanton have to get going….

Game 8. Yanks lose in 14, 7-3, could have lost much more.

Jonathan Holder gave up a grand slam in the top of the 14th, and the Yanks lost to Baltimore 7-3. The loss puts the Yanks at 4-4 on the season.

The Yanks could have lost a lot more. By the time the game ended, they had used up just about everybody.

CC had to leave after four because of a sore hip. An MRI revealed no problems, and he is hopeful of starting next Thursday in Boston.

Brandon Drury had to leave the game because of a migraine. Tyler Wade had to leave with flu-type systems. Gary Sanchez had to leave with leg cramps.

There was also concern about Aroldis Chapman, and even about Didi Gregorius.

The Yanks already are without Ellsbury, Bird, Clint Frazier, Billy McKinney and minor league reliever Ben Heller.

For a while, you didn’t know what was going on and feared that CC, Drury, Wade, Chapman, Gregorius and Sanchez were all DL bound, and all on the same night.

In the first, Manny Machado homered off of CC. The Yanks tied it when Gardner walked, Judge was HBP and Stanton singled.

Machado, who owns CC, hit another HR off of him in the third. After this HR, Machado is 20 for 53 off of CC with 5 HR. The Yanks tied it up in the bottom of the inning on a double by Gardner and single by Judge.

Chris Davis put the Orioles up 3-2 in the fourth with a HR.

Tommy Kahnle got out of a second and third, one out jam in the fifth. Kahnle threw three wild pitches in the game, and also made an error on a pickoff attempt.

A controversial play occurred in the bottom of the sixth where the umps blew a call on a rundown but it turned out not to affect anything.

Didi Gregorius tied up the game with a HR (3) in the bottom of the eighth.

Chapman got in and out of trouble in the ninth, but not without a mound visit because Sanchez was concerned about Chapman’s velocity.

In the bottom of the eleventh, Didi tried to score headfirst from third on an errant pitch but was thrown out at the plate. For a while, you worried about that headfirst slide. A bang/bang play at the plate could have injured his hand or shoulder.

Chasen Shreve got out of a bases-loaded jam in the twelfth.

Aaron Judge robbed Caleb Joseph of a HR in the thirteenth.

In the fourteenth, Holder gave up a walk and a single, and Ronald Torreyes made an error on a sac bunt attempt. Bases loaded, no one out and Sanchez had to leave the game with leg cramps. After an out, Pedro Alvarez hit a grand slam to win the game for Baltimore.

Gary Sanchez has to start hitting soon. He had a great spring training, but has started the season 2 for 32. He hasn’t even walked. Tyler Wade is only hitting .150. Stanton .212, Gardner .182, Austin .158. Andujar is 0 for 12. As a team, the Yanks are only hitting .207. Hopefully they heat up soon. You know they will, but like the cold weather we are experiencing, when? Law of averages. When they do heat up, look out.

But sooner than later, please.

Sabathia 4 IP, 3 R, 4 H, 0 W, 3 K. 4.00. Gave up 3 HR
Kahnle 2 IP, 0 R, 0 H, 2 W, 2 K. 3.18. 3 WP and an error.
Betances 1 IP, 0 R, 0 H, 1 W, 1 K. 5.40
Robertson 1 IP, 0 R, 0 H, 0 W, 1 K. 9.00
Chapman 1 IP, 0 R, 0 H, 2 W, 2 K. 2.25
Green 1 IP, 0 R, 1 H, 1 W, 2 K. 3.60
Shreve 2 IP, 0 R, 2 H, 1 W, 3 K. 0.00
Holder (L, 0-1) 2 IP, 4 R, 3 ER, 2 H, 1 W, 2 K. Gave up grand slam.

The minors just started but after using eight pitchers, I wouldn’t be shocked if Holder goes down and someone like Gallegos gets called up today.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Game 7. Yanks fall, 5-2.

It was a pitcher’s duel into the sixth. In the bottom of the sixth, Aaron Judge hit his second HR of the year to make it 1-0 Yankees.

But Masahiro Tanaka couldn’t hold the lead. He gave up a two-run HR and Chad Green, brought in to slam the door, instead opened the floodgates and the Orioles scored three more runs in a five-run seventh for them which won the game for Baltimore, 5-2.

So far this season, the Yanks have gotten good performances from their starters but the bullpen, predicted to be one of the best bullpens ever, has failed them.

The Yanks got only four hits tonight. Judge’s blast being only the second hit.

In the third, Wade doubled and moved to third, but with one out and Gardner up, no squeeze. Perfect situation for one. Speed at third and at the plate. No one squeezes home runs anymore. Instead Gardner struck out, couldn’t even get the SF, and Judge made out.

We will have to see if Boone is like Girardi and never squeezes.

After Judge broke the scoreless tie in the bottom of the sixth with a HR (2), Tanaka gave up a 2-run HR to Adam Jones in the top of the seventh. After a ground out and single, Chad Green replaced Tanaka.

A single and double made it 3-1 O’s. Then a strikeout but another single made it 5-1 O’s. Instead of slamming the door, it was kicked wide open.

The Yanks got a run back in the bottom of the inning on a double by Didi and a single by Neil Walker.

They loaded the bases for Walker in the eighth but he grounded out.

A lot of guys aren’t hitting right now. Whether it is the cold or something else, who knows.

Tanaka (L, 1-1) 6 1/3 IP, 3 R, 6 H, 0 W, 7 K. Gave up 1 HR. 2.92
Green 2/3 IP, 2 R, 3 H, 0 W, 2 K. 4.50
Warren 1 IP, 0 R, 1 H, 0 W, 1 K. 3.86
Betances 1 IP, 0 R, 0 H, 1 w, 3 K. 6.75

The Yanks fall to 4-3 on the season.

Trayce Thompson to the Yanks didn’t last long. The Yanks wanted to send him to AAA SWB but to do so, Thompson, who was out of options, had to clear waivers. He did not and Oakland claimed him. So off he goes to the Bay.

Game 3. McKinney out to injury, Warren day to day to injury, and Andujar recalled as Yanks lose 5-3.

Tyler Austin homered twice, but Dellin Betances was awful again and the Yanks lost 5-3 to Toronto Saturday to drop them to 2-1.

The Yanks have to be concerned after Betances ended last year poorly and has not started this year well.

They also have to be concerned about the OF situation.

With one out in the first, Josh Donaldson doubled for Toronto and Billy McKinney, in his 2nd MLB Game because Aaron Hicks has joined Ellsbury and Clint Frazier on the DL, ran into the wall and suffered a left AC joint sprain (sprained shoulder) and X-rays didn’t show damage, according to an announcement in the press box. But he will be out a while.

Still in all, removed from the game. Justin Smoak then singled to put the Jays up 1-0.

In the third, an error by Drury and a double by Smoak made it 2-0 Jays.

In the fifth, Drury walked and Austin homered to tie the game.

To the sixth, and Warren replaced CC. With one out, a walk, and with two out, Warren had to be pulled from the game after the second out, which moved the runner to second, struck him. Yanks’ snake bit with injuries or near-injuries right now. Holder came in and gave up a hit to make it 3-2 Toronto before getting the final out.

Austin homered again, in the top of the seventh, to tie the game at 3.

But Betances, who gave up a HR on Thursday, gave up another today. Ex-Yankee Yangervis Solarte led off the eighth with a HR (based on how he finished last year so poorly and is starting this year poorly, should we be concerned about Betances?) After a K, single and K, there was an SB and walk. Then a SB of third, and SB of second and then, with runners on 2nd and 3rd, an SB of home to make it 5-3, and Betances poor throw to the plate let the runner on 2nd go to 3rd on the error. A BUNCH OF SB. Betances is pathetic in fielding and in holding runners on. An all-star recently, but only if he isn’t forced to field his position or hold runners on and a big concern lately.

The Yanks only got 4 hits in the game, and two were the 2 HR by Austin. CC was Ok, but Betances was awful.

Sabathia 5 IP, 2 R, 1 ER, 5 H, 2 W, 4 K.
Warren 2/3 IP, 1 R, 0 H, 1 W, 0 K.
Holder 1/3 IP, 0 R, 1 H, 0 W, 1 K.
Betances (L) 2 IP, 2 R, 3 H, 1 W, 4 K. Gave up 1 HR. …. and a lot of SB.

The Yanks signed LHP Oliver Perez to a minor league deal.

Triple-A depth: According to The Athletic’s Marc Carig, right-handed reliever Giovanny Gallegos will start the season on the Triple-A disabled list with a groin injury. Perez slides into his spot.

Perez, 36, was 0-0, 4.64 for Washington last year. ERA+ 96. He is 69-86 in his career, ERA 4.46, ERA+ 93.

Since McKinney has to join Hicks, Ellsbury, and Clint Frazier on the DL, the Yanks could bring up Jeff Hendrix or Estevan Florial, even Shane Robinson…. maybe necessitating a 40-man roster move. They could shift Drury or Wade to the OF and bring up Andujar. (which is what they did).  We’ll see how bad it is.

Update: …McKinney out to injury, Warren day to day to injury (bruised ankle), and Andujar recalled. Wade to OF mix, and Torreyes may be added there as well.

Doctors eventually diagnosed McKinney with a strained AC joint, but X-rays didn’t show damage. It was McKinney’s second big-league game. He was called up Friday when regular center fielder Aaron Hicks (right intercostal strain) joined the legion of Yankees on the disabled list (10 day DL, as with Hicks).

Warren was diagnosed with a right ankle bruise. His X-rays showed no damage, too.

Can’t predict injuries. An early test for Boone and the Bombers.

…and let’s not forget about Bird on the DL….