Game 161. Yanks win 100, Stanton gets 100, and Yanks set a couple records.

In the next to last regular season game, the Yanks (100-61) beat Boston 8-5 for their 100th win of the season. It is the first time since 2009 that the Yanks have won 100 games in a season.

In so doing, they hit 2 HR which set a new single season record by HR by a team in a season.

Since Gleyber Torres, in the 9 spot, hit the HR for the new record, it meant that each spot in the lineup 1 through 9 contributed 20 or more HR, another MLB record.

Not only that, Miguel Andujar hit 2 doubles in the game, giving him 46 on the year, setting a new record for a Yankees’ rookie, breaking that of Joe DiMaggio in 1936.

In the first, Gardner reached on an error and two outs later, scored on a double by Stanton.

Boston tied it in the bottom of the second.

To the fourth. Didi singles and after an out, Bird doubles in Didi. After another out, Torres hits a HR (24) to make it 4-0. Torres’ HR, #265 on the season for the Yanks, sets the all-time record of HR by one team in one season. They weren’t and are not done.

Boston gets a run in the fourth, 4-2 Yanks after 4.

The Yanks get three in the fifth. Hicks and Stanton single, and after an out, Andujar doubles in two. After another out, Romine singles, 7-2 Yankees.

Stanton homers (38) in the seventh. It’s also RBI #100. Some jerk (hope you are reading this, asshole) throws the ball back and hits Stanton as he is rounding the bases. No harm, no foul, but what an asshole. He was kicked out, deservedly so.

Ugly eighth as Kahnle gives up a run. 8-3.

Ugly ninth with Holder before Chapman closes it out. Give up 2 runs, cut it to 8-5. Then Chappy.

McCutchen 2 hits.
Stanton 3 hits, HR (Yankees HR #266), 2 RBI.  RBI #100
Andujar 2 hits, (2 doubles) 2 RBI. Passes Joe D. for most doubles by a Yankees’ rookie in one season.
Bird 2 hits, RBI
Torres HR (he broke the record with HR #265, also set record of every position in lineup, 1-9, giving 20 or more HR) and 2 RBI

German 1 1/3 IP, 1 R, 3 H, 1 W, 3 K.   5.57
Tarpley 2/3 IP, 0 R, 0 H, 0 W, 1 K.   3.68
Lynn (W, 10-10, 4.77 Min/NYY) 3 IP, 1 R, 2 H, 1 W, 4 K.
Gray 2 IP, 0 R, 1 H, 0 W, 3 K.  4.90
Kahnle 1 IP, 1 R, 1 H, 2 W,  0 K.  6.56
Holder 1/3 IP, 2 R, 3 H, 0 W, 1 K.   Gave up 1 HR.   3.14
Chapman (S, 32)  2/3 IP, 0 R, 0 H, 1 W, 2 K.    2.45

CC suspended first 5 games of next year for what happened Thursday. He is appealing. So if he retires (he is 38), what are they going to do, put him on house arrest?

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Game 146. Yanks don’t get a hit until 8th in 3-1 loss. WC lead down to 1 game.

Some people are blaming Aaron Boone. It isn’t Aaron Boone. Boone isn’t the reason Giancarlo Stanton’s batting average has dropped 20-25 points in the past few weeks, and he isn’t the reason Sanchez and Bird are hitting under .200.

The players have to look in the mirror.

Maybe hitting coach Marcus Thames shares some blame but it is the players who need to get it done.

The good news tonight is that Luis Severino started to resemble again the Severino we saw at the beginning of the year.

The bad news is that the Yanks (90-56) didn’t get a hit until the eighth inning, and that any chance the Yanks might pull the game out late was flushed away by David Robertson.

The last time the Yanks were no-hit was in 2003, but it took six pitchers by Houston to do it after starter Roy Oswalt left with an injury. The last time a single pitcher no-hit the Yanks was almost sixty years ago to the day, 9-20-1958, by Hoyt Wilhelm of Baltimore.

Entering the bottom of the sixth, there was one hit in the whole game, and that was by the Twins.

Severino gave up a run in the sixth.

Robertson gave up two in the seventh.

Meanwhile, the Yanks were getting no-hit. With one out in the eighth, Voit walked, Bird doubled and the no-hitter and shutout were both gone.

But that was it. Andujar got a hit in the ninth, but two hits all game. Very tired bats.

Sad to say, but Stanton looks tired and lost right now. Down to .264.

The failures of Sanchez (.186) and Bird (.196) aren’t on Boone right now. The only thing Boone can do is drop them in the lineup or not play them at all. He cannot hit for them.

They have to look at themselves in the mirror and get pissed off at what they are seeing.

The Yanks’ lead for the top WC spot is down to just one game because Oakland beat the Bad News Bears (AKA the 41-104 Baltimore Orioles) tonight. If the Yanks have to rely on a 41-104 team to help them out…. well, you get the picture. Get things done yourself.

Severino (L, 17-8, 3.46) 5 2/ 3 IP, 1 R, 4 H, 0 W, 5 K.
Robertson 1 1/3 IP, 2 R, 3 H, 0 W, 2 K.  2.98. Poor job keeping the Yanks in the game.
Britton 1 IP, 0 R, 0 H, 0 W, 1 K.  3.71 (Balt/NYY).

Chance Adams up from SWB.

 

Game 139. Yanks offense wakes up late in 5-1 win. Voit homers again.

The Yankees’ offense woke up late in a huge 5-1 win over Oakland late Tuesday night. The win means the 87-52 Yanks are 4 1/2 games up on Oakland for the top wild card spot instead of just 2 1/2 up.

They are still 8 1/2 back of Boston in the AL East with just 23 games to go. Let’s face it, the division race is over. The tragic # for Boston clinching the division is 15.

The Yanks magic # for clinching the top wild card spot is 19. They are 10 up on Seattle for the final wild card spot, and the magic # for the Yanks reaching the playoffs is 14.

J.A. Happ pitched superbly but had nothing to show for it. He gave up a solo HR in the second, but that was it.

For a long time, it appeared as if that would be enough for the A’s to win 1-0. The Yanks didn’t get a baserunner until the fifth (via an error), and didn’t get their first hit until two out in the sixth, and after getting that hit, Gleyber Torres was picked off of first.

In the seventh, Gardner and Stanton singled, then McCutchen and Hicks walked to tie the game. But with the bases loaded and no one out, the Yanks couldn’t tack on any more runs.

Luke Voit homered to lead off the top of the eighth. It proved to be the game-winning hit. It’s Voit’s 8th HR of the season and 7th as a Yankee. It’s safe to say that Greg Bird has lost his job for now. Voit hit it off of Fernando Rodney, who can aim that bow and arrow act at himself for giving up the HR.

After Voit’s HR, Torres walked and was forced at second by Gardner. After the slumping Stanton struck out for out #2, McCutchen walked and Hicks singled in a run. 3-1.

In the ninth, Adeiny Hechevarria, in the game for defense, homered. It’s his fifth of the year and first as a Yankee. Sanchez singled, Walker walked, and after two out and a WP, Gardner singled for the final of 5-1.

Gardner 2 hits, RBI
Hicks 2 RBI
Hechevarria solo HR
Voit solo GW HR

Happ 6 IP, 1 R, 2 H, 1 W, 5 K.  3.90  Gave up 1 HR.
Robertson (W, 8-3, 2.85) 1 IP, 0 R, 0 H, 1 W, 3 K.
Britton (H, 7) 1 IP, 0 R, 0 H, 0 W, 0 K. 3.94 (Balt/NYY)
Betances 1 IP, 0 R, 0 H, 0 W, 1 K.  2.50

 

Game 137. Pitching disappoints in 11-7 loss.

I was up at the Stadium to see the pitching disappoint in a 11-7 loss to the Tigers on Sunday.

Giancarlo Stanton was given the day off. He didn’t PH in situations that may have called for it. After the game the Yanks brought up Jonathan Loaisiga, who’ll join them in Oakland, as the Yanks now start a west coast swing.

Lance Lynn was awful, and in the second inning I was wondering already why no one was warming up. It was obvious from the start he had nothing. He gave up a run in the first, and another in the second, and was finally pulled by manager-for-the-day Josh Bard in the fourth. Aaron Boone was serving a suspension for his antics and ejection on Friday night.

The Yanks did get two runs in the bottom of the first to go up 2-1. Aaron Hicks homered (24), Miguel Andujar doubled and Gary Sanchez singled. But as mentioned, Detroit tied it in the second and scored five in the fourth. I would have had Sonny Gray warming up in the second already. Not that Gray has had a great year (he hasn’t) but if Lynn needs to be pulled that early, you need someone to provide length. Instead, Lynn gave up three runs in the fourth, and was pulled with two outs and a man on. Instead of going to Gray right away (I guess Bard wanted Gray to start an inning, not come into the middle of one), Bard went to Tommy Kahnle for one out. Wrong. Kahnle’s first pitch was hit for a two-run HR and the Tigers now had five runs in the inning and a 7-2 lead. Kahnle struck out the next guy to close the inning but the damage was done.

Luke Voit homered (6) in the bottom of the fourth to make it 7-3. He has 5 HR with the Yanks.

Gray kept the Yanks in the game, going four innings, giving up one run on a HR.

In the bottom of the eighth, down 8-3, the Yanks almost came back to take the lead. McCutchen led off the inning with a HBP and Hicks walked. Andujar singled to make it 8-4 and Sanchez hit into a force out. Torres walked to load the bases but Voit struck out. Neil Walker PH and got an infield single to make it 8-5. Greg Bird PH and just missed a grand slam that would have put the Yanks up 9-8. The ball was caught at the fence.

Stephen Tarpley made his MLB debut and gave up 3 runs in the top of the ninth to the Tigers.

In the ninth, with two out, Hicks walked, Andujar singled. Sanchez walked to load the bases. Torres singled in 2 runs to cut it to 11-7 but Voit struck out to end it.

Not a good day when your best pitcher was Sonny Gray out of the bullpen.

The loss puts the Yanks at 86-51, keeps them 7 1/2 back of Boston in the AL East with 25 games to go. The tragic # for Boston winning the East is 18.

The Yanks are 4 1/2 up on Oakland for the top wild card spot and the magic # for that is 21.

The Yanks are 10 up on Seattle for the last wild card spot. The magic # to just get into the playoffs is 16.

Hicks solo HR (24)
Andujar 3 hits, RBI
Torres 2 RBI
Voit 2 hits, HR, RBI
Walker 1 for 1, PH, RBI

Lynn (L, 8-10, 5.10 (Min/NYY)) 3 2/3 IP, 6 R, 9 H, 1 W, 6 K.  Gave up 1 HR.
Kahnle 1/3 IP 1 R, 1 H, 0 W, 1 K.  6.06
Gray 4 IP, 1 R, 4 H, 1 W, 3 K.  4.96  Gave up 1 HR .
Tarpley 1 IP, 3 R, 3 H, 2 W, 1 K.  27.00   MLB DEBUT

Game 133. Do Yanks miss Judge, Sanchez, Didi? Yes, as Yanks lose 4-1.

Do the Yanks miss Judge, Didi and Sanchez (as long as Sanchez is what he should be, and not the .188 hitter of this season?) Yes, as evidenced in the 4-1 loss to the White Sox tonight.

The loss puts the 84-49 Yanks 7 1/2 back of Boston, who, down 5-3 in the seventh, had an 11-run inning to come back against the Marlins.

One piece of news. If the Yanks are the top wild card and host Oakland, as what now appears to be the case, the A’s put two pitchers on the DL, including their ace, who may be done for the season. That could be huge.

Before I get into the game recap, an observation.

Besides the players and front office, an overlooked part of a team’s success lies with their doctors and trainers. Remember the prognosis of 3 weeks for Judge? Hah. Broken bones take longer than that. We are probably looking at Judge coming back in mid-September, when minor league seasons are over. No rehab, straight into the fire, and not much time before the postseason. How many times do you hear a diagnosis that was wrong, whether it be on Judge, Bird, Pavano, Ellsbury where they diagnosed it wrong or recovery time took longer?

Yes, a team’s doctors and physicians can play an important part in a pennant race. Especially if they miss something or misdiagnose. Let’s say you are Brian Cashman and you are up against the trade deadline (like with Judge this year). You hear a diagnosis of 3 weeks until he is back. You think you can ride out those 3 weeks with a Shane Robinson. But the diagnosis turns out wrong and (just saying for an example, we all want Judge back soon) that the injury takes him out for the rest of the season. With a proper diagnosis you could have made a deal to fill the gap. Now things aren’t progressing well, it’s five weeks later, and you can’t make a deal. You are now stuck with a Shane Robinson for the long-term, not the short term. Ouch.

Yes, a proper diagnosis can make a huge difference. A team’s doctors and trainers do play a part in who wins a pennant.

Now to the game. Interesting point brought up by David Cone on the YES broadcast and relayed to me by my friend Josh “the Yankee Truth” Imboden. Greg (hearing the boo) Bird(s) is down to .198. He is hitting only about .100 this year on pitches 95 MPH or faster. Not squaring up, late on them, overpowered. Interesting stat.

Since hitting his 299th career HR, Giancarlo Stanton has struggled. Pressing for #300?

CC gave up 2 runs in the second. 3 opposite field hits. One strike away from getting out of the inning, he gave up a 2-run double. Sloppy fielding hurt him. On what appeared to be a inning ending DP, Ronald Torreyes caught the ball for a force, but dropped it in trying to throw it for the DP. It wound up costing two runs. Instead of out of the inning, CC then gave up the 2-run double.

CC gave up a run in the fourth.

The Yanks may have lost the game in the fifth, despite scoring their only run that inning. Walker and Torres singled and after an out, Romine walked. Torreyes singled in the Yanks’ only run of the game. Gardner whiffed. But Stanton was up with the bases loaded. You were hoping for a grand slam. Instead, a pitch got away and all runners tried to advance. Torres was gunned down at the plate. Inning over and you don’t know what Stanton might have done with the bases loaded. Tough break.

Chad Green gave up a HR in the seventh. 4-1, the final score.

When Judge gets healthy, the Yanks really should consider moving Hicks to leadoff (can lead off a game with HR, has speed to steal, draws more walks)…. and drop Gardner (.237) down in the lineup. This was discussed on WFAN today and I concur.

It’ll be an interesting decision this offseason if the Yanks pick up the 35 year old Gardner’s option. 35? .237? Clint Frazier possibly ready if he gets over this concussion issue?

And yes, don’t think Frazier’s problems haven’t hurt as well, …. besides Judge, Didi, Sanchez (and Chapman), Frazier’s situation has hurt too.

Torres 2 hits.
Torreyes RBI

Sabathia (L, 7-5, 3.36) 6 IP, 3 R, 5 H, 2 W, 6 K
Green 1 IP, 1 R, 1 H, 1 W, 0 K. gave up 1 HR.  2.73
Cole 1 IP, 0 R, 0 H, 0 W, 2 K.  5.24 (Wash/NYY)
Kahnle 1 IP, 0 R, 0 H. 0 W, 2 K.   5.63

 

 

 

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.