Game #60. Judge’s heroics upstage Bauers’ 2 HR night in Yanks’ 6-3 win.

Jake Bauers hit two two-run homers, but it was Aaron Judge who stole the show in the Yankees’ (35-25) 6-3 win over the Dodgers last night.

The Yanks made a few moves before the game. Minor league C Jose Godoy was traded to Baltimore. P Ryan Weber and OF Greg Allen were placed on the IL, and Nick Ramirez and Oswaldo Cabrera flew cross-country to join the Yanks in LA. Cabrera would later HR in the game.

Both Weber and Allen will have MRIs. Weber’s injury is the most concerning. It’s his pitching forearm and you hope it doesn’t mean TJ surgery.

The Yanks got on the board in the top of the second when D.J. Lemahieu hit what appeared to be a single, but the Dodger CF misplayed it into a triple. Bauers followed with the first of his two HR on the evening to put the Yanks up 2-0.

The Dodgers came right back with a run in the bottom of the second when with two out, Yankees’ starter Gerrit Cole hit a batter then the next batter hit one down the LF line that found grass near the foul line despite three Yankees surrounding it.

Bauers hit his second two-run HR (5) of the game in the top of the fourth to put the Yanks up 4-1.

In the top of the sixth, Judge homered (19) to put the Yanks up 5-1.

After six innings, Cole was removed from the game. At first, I was wondering what was going on, since Cole was only at 80 pitches, and was texting friends and asking what manager Aaron Boone was doing. I didn’t see Cole hurt or anything. Here I found out later that Cole was suffering from leg cramps, thus the removal. But it sure seemed scary and confusing at the time because normally you wouldn’t pull an ace who was cruising (1 run, 4 hits) after just 80 pitches over six innings.

It looked worse when Cole’s replacement, Wandy Peralta, had nothing. A single to start the inning, then a ball misplayed in the corner by Cabrera, who had just replaced Bauers in LF for defense. Instead of a double, a run-scoring triple. 5-2. After a walk, Michael King came in for Peralta. King gave up a single that made it 5-3, and the Dodgers had men on first and second, no one out and you were wondering why the pitching change away from Cole (as I mentioned, didn’t know why until later). But King got two lineouts and a strikeout to get out of the inning.

In the bottom of the eighth, King got a strikeout to start the inning, but the batter reached on a passed ball by Jose Trevino. Judge then made a play that may have saved the game. J.D. Martinez lined one to RF and Judge made the catch while crashing into the fence, saving a double and possibly a run. The bullpen gate broke open upon Judge colliding with it, and the runner was given second because of Judge leaving the field of play (although it wasn’t his fault). Anyway, a tremendous play that probably saved a run and possibly the ballgame. Hopefully Judge is OK for tonight’s game. He said he felt discomfort in a toe (the base of the fence had a couple inches of concrete) and it sure made your heart flutter when he crashed into that fence. The Yanks are just getting back Stanton and Donaldson, have lost Allen and Bader for a while, and don’t need to lose their best player.

In the top of the ninth, Cabrera homered (4) to give the Yanks a 6-3 lead, which was the final score.

The Yanks only had six hits in the game, but four were HR.

Judge solo HR (19) and incredible catch.
Bauers two two-run HR (5), 4 RBI.
Cabrera solo HR (4)

Cole (W, 7-0) 6 IP, 1 R, 4 H, 2 W, 5 K. 1 HBP 2.82
Peralta 0 IP, 2 R, 2 H, 1 W, 0 K. 3.00
King (H, 2) 2 IP, 0 R, 1 H, 0 W, 3 K. 1.65
Holmes (S, 6) 1 IP, 0 R, 0 H, 1 W, 0 K. 2.96

Game #55. 7 runs in 3rd inning spark Yanks to 10-7 triumph

Gerrit Cole didn’t have his “A” game, but the Yankees’ (32-23) offense picked him up to have Cole improve his record to 6-0 on the season. A seven-run third inning proved to be decisive in a 10-7 win over the Padres.

Cole gave up a HR to the second batter he faced, and San Diego had a quick 1-0 lead.

Aaron Judge tied the game in the bottom of the first inning with his 15th HR of the season. With that HR, he took over the AL lead in HR, even though he missed ten games by being on the IL. Pete Alonso of the Mets leads the majors with 20 HR.

In the top of the third, the Yanks got sloppy. With two out and a man on second, Jose Azocar singled to make it 2-1, Padres. However, errors by Harrison Bader and Kyle Higashioka let Azocar come all the way around on the play and it was 3-1 Padres.

Then, in the bottom of the third, the Yanks exploded for seven runs to take an 8-3 lead. Higashioka led off the inning with a double and scored on an Anthony Volpe single. Volpe took second on the throw home. Gleyber Torres singled Volpe to third, and then Judge singled to tie the game at three, with Torres stopping at second. A single by Anthony Rizzo gave the Yanks a 4-3 lead. Now the Yanks had Judge on second and Rizzo on first. D.J. LeMahieu was robbed of a 3-run HR, but the long flyout enabled Judge to tag up and go to third. Bader grounded into a force out that scored Judge to make it 5-3. Bader’s hustle down the line avoided the inning-ending DP and enabled the inning to continue. The “Gas House Gorillas” procession continued with a double by Willie Calhoun to make it 6-3. A single by Isiah Kiner-Falefa made it 7-3, and Higashioka’s second double of the inning made it 8-3.

Ex-Yankee Rougned Odor hit a 2-run HR in the top of the seventh to cut the Yanks’ lead to 8-5, and after a single, Cole was relieved by Jimmy Cordero, who promptly gave up a double. Second and third, no out, tying run at the plate. Cordero gave up an RBI fielder’s choice, but then got two strikeouts to get out of the inning. 8-6, Yankees.

The Yanks got two runs in the bottom of the eighth to make it 10-6. With one out, Bader homered (6). Calhoun singled, and after a force out, IKF stole second and went to third on an error. Higashioka singled to make it 10-6.

The Padres pushed across a run in the top of the ninth, but the Yanks held on for the 10-7 win.

The next four games will have late starts, since the Yanks are now on the west coast. 9:40 PM Eastern Mon-Wed in Seattle, then after an off day on Thursday, Friday night’s game against the Dodgers has a 10:10 PM Eastern Time start. Saturday is 7:15 PM eastern for Fox, and Sunday night is 7:08 pm Eastern for ESPN. June 5th is an off-day, and the Yanks next play at home on Tuesday, June 6.

Tonight’s game (Monday, Memorial Day) will have Domingo German on the mound, as he returns from his 10-day suspension for too much sticky stuff on his pitching hand. He needs to be careful. The next time, it will be a 50-game suspension.

Judge 2 hits, 2 RBI. Solo HR (15). Took over AL HR lead.
Bader 2 RBI. Solo HR (6)
Calhoun 2 hits, RBI.
Higashioka 3 hits, 2 RBI.

Cole (W, 6-0) 6+ IP, 6 R, 5 ER, 4 H, 3 W, 9 K. Gave up 2 HR. 2.93
J. Cordero (H, 4) 1 IP, 0 R, 1 H, 0 W, 2 K. 3.47
Marinaccio (H, 5) 1 IP, 0 R, 0 H, 0 W, 1 K. 1 HBP 4.10
Holmes 1 IP, 1 R, 0 H, 2 W, 0 K. 3.27

After Friday night’s game, Randy Vasquez was sent back to SWB and Matt Krook, a lefty reliever, was called up.

Game #50. Yanks come back behind the Captain & the Kid, win in 10, 6-5.

Aaron Judge homered to tie the game in the bottom of the ninth, and rookie SS and #1 prospect Anthony Volpe hit a sacrifice fly in the bottom of the tenth to give the Yankees (30-20) a 6-5 come from behind victory over Baltimore Tuesday night. It was the Yankees’ fifth straight win.

Gerrit Cole got his 2,000th career strikeout, but otherwise wasn’t sharp last night. With two out in the top of the first inning, Cole walked two straight batters, then gave up a two-run double and the Yanks were down 2-0.

He gave up solo homers in the third and fourth to put the Yanks into a 4-0 hole.

Harrison Bader homered (5) in the bottom of the fourth for the Yanks to cut the lead to 4-1, then the Yanks scored three runs in the bottom of the fifth to tie the game.

Oswaldo Cabrera led off with a single and went to second on a single by Gleyber Torres. After Judge lined out, Anthony Rizzo doubled in one run. A single by D.J. LeMahieu brought home Torres, and Rizzo scored on a Bader SF.

Cole probably should have been pulled at that point, but he started the top of the sixth and gave up two singles to start the inning. Ron Marinaccio relieved him, and things got hairy. One run did score to give the Orioles a 5-4 lead, and the final out was Cedric Mullins (who homered earlier) just missing a grand slam, as he flied out deep to Judge in right.

In the bottom of the seventh, with one out and runners at the corners, D.J. LeMahieu twice tried to bunt the runner home. Instead, Torres was out at home. Manager Aaron Boone said D.J. was doing that on this own. There is a time for that, but that didn’t seem to be the time. Try it first, ok (he fouled that one off) but not a second time. That was a real head-scratcher.

With one out in the bottom of the ninth, Judge tied the game up with his fourteenth HR of the season.

Michael King stopped Baltimore and its ghost runner in the top of the tenth, leaving the runner at second. In the bottom of the tenth, Isiah Kiner-Falefa was the ghost runner for the Yankees, as he PR for LeMahieu. Bader grounded out, and that moved IKF to third. Willie Calhoun was intentionally walked as the Orioles hoped for a DP to get out of the inning, but Volpe flied to CF for a game-winning sac fly.

Torres 2 hits.
Judge solo HR (14). HR tied game in bottom of 9th.
Rizzo 3 hits, RBI.
Bader 2 hits, 2 RBI. Solo HR (5)
Volpe GW SF

Cole 5+ IP, 5 R, 6 H, 3 W, 2 K. Gave up 2 HR. 2.53 2000th Career K.
Marinaccio 2 IP, 0 R, 1 H, 1 W, 2 K. 3.75
Peralta 1 IP, 0 R, 0 H, 0 W, 1 K. 1.83
King (W, 1-1) 2 IP, 0 R, 0 H, 1 W, 3 K. 1.95

Off night for Cole, but five scoreless IP by the bullpen.

Game #45. Yanks lose on walk-off HR in 10th, 3-0.

Wandy Peralta gave up a three-run HR in the bottom of the tenth inning and the Yankees (25-20) lost to Toronto 3-0 Wednesday night.

The Yanks had their best chances to score in the eighth and tenth innings. In the eighth, with two out, the Yanks drew three straight walks, but PH Anthony Volpe struck out to end the inning.

In the top of the tenth, PR Isiah Kiner-Falefa (the ghost runner) was on third with one out but Gleyber Torres struck out. After Aaron Judge was intentionally walked, Anthony Rizzo struck out.

It was a great pitcher’s duel until the unfortunate ending.

The Yankees only got three hits in the game and made three errors.

Judge 1 for 3, 2 walks.
Calhoun 1 for 3, walk.
Cabrera 0 for 4, 3 strikeouts.
Torres 0 for 5, 2 strikeouts.

Cole 6 IP, 0 R, 7 H, 2 W, 6 K. 2.01
Holmes 1 IP, 0 R, 0 H, 0 W, 1 K. 3.63
J. Cordero 1 IP, 0 R, 2 H, 1 W, 0 K. 2.37
King 1 IP, 0 R, 0 H, 2 W, 0 K. 2.28
Peralta (L, 2-1) 1/3 IP, 3 R, 1 ER, 1 H, 0 W, 0 K. Gave up GW 3-run walk-off HR. 2.16

Luis Severino will come off the IL and start on Sunday for the Yankees. No corresponding move yet.

Nick Ramirez was brought up to replace Ian Hamilton, who went on the IL.

Game #40. More Bobbleheads! Rizzo’s 2 HR on his bobblehead nights lead Yanks to 6-5 win.

The Stadium was packed for a big matchup against the team with the best record in baseball, the Tampa Bay Rays, and also for the Anthony Rizzo bobblehead that was given away.

And based on the results of last night, more bobbleheads for the rest of the team may be on order.

Rizzo hit two homers, the last being a 2-run shot in the bottom of the eighth, to lead the Yanks (22-18) to a 6-5 win.

Gerrit Cole struggled through five innings and wasn’t sharp. He gave up a HR in the top of the first inning to Randy Arozarena.

Rizzo came right back with his first HR of the game to tie it at one in the bottom of the first.

Jose Siri homered off Cole in the top of the second to make it 2-1, Rays. Even after giving up the HRs, Cole (who needed 31 pitches to get out of the first inning) had to escape two-on jams to close out both the first and second innings. It could have been much worse.

Anthony Volpe homered (5) to tie the game in the bottom of the fifth.

In the bottom of the seventh, D.J. Lemahieu led off with a single, and after a force-out, Jake Bauers got a PH single. Volpe singled to put the Yanks up 3-2. After a flyout, Oswaldo Cabrera singled to make it 4-2, but Cabrera was thrown out trying for second.

It seems that every bullpen move manager Aaron Boone makes lately, even if it is the right move, is backfiring. Michael King gave up a 3-run HR to Josh Lowe in the top of the eighth that put Tampa Bay up 5-4 and that had the crowd worried. Talk about deflating the mood.

But in the bottom of the eighth, Aaron Judge walked, and Rizzo followed with his second HR of the game (8) to put the Yanks up 6-5 and they held on for the victory.

Rizzo 2 hits, (both of them HR (8) a solo and 2-run shot) 3 RBI
Volpe 2 hits, 2 RBI. Solo HR (5).

Cole 5 IP, 2 R, 5 H, 2 W, 4 K. Gave up 2 HR. 2.22
Hamilton 1 IP, 0 R, 2 H, 0 W, 3 K. 1.29
King 1 1/3 IP, 3 R, 4 H, 1 W, 0 K. Gave up 1 HR. 2.53
Holmes (W, 1-2) 2/3 IP, 0 R, 1 H, 0 W, 1 K. 4.61
Peralta (S, 1) 1 IP, 0 R, 1 H, 0 W, 2 K. 1.88

Aaron Judge is overdue. He had the IL stint, but his last HR was April 19. Hopefully he busts out—big time—soon.

How tough is the AL East? Despite a 22-18 record (at this pace, 89-73 for the season, which isn’t great but not bad at all) the Yanks are in last place in the division, 8 games out. With that record, they would LEAD the AL Central. Still and all, the Yanks are only 1/2 game out (it’s early) of a playoff spot. We are 1/4 of the way through the season. Some players have to improve. A lot of others need to get healthy.

Game #35. Ouch. Yanks lose 8-7 in 10 after having 6-0 lead with Cole on mound.

This hurts. It is the difference between being 8 back as opposed to 10 back.

The Yankees (18-17) had a 6-0 lead with Gerrit Cole on the mound. They wound up losing 8-7 in ten innings.

Cole hadn’t given up a HR this season after giving up a MLB leading 33 last year, but he gave up two yesterday.

The Yanks got three runs in the third inning on an Anthony Rizzo solo HR (6) followed by a two-run HR by Harrison Bader (2).

In the top of the fourth, Aaron Hicks got an RBI double to make it 4-0. It was Hicks’ first extra base hit of the season. Gleyber Torres later doubled in Hicks to make it 5-0.

In the top of the fifth, Bader tripled and scored on a SF by Oswaldo Cabrera. 6-0. With your ace, Cole, on the mound, you thought you were good. It didn’t turn out that way.

With one out in the bottom of the fifth, Cole gave up his first HR of the season. The Rays added another run with help from an error by Torres. 6-2.

Then in the sixth, Cole lost it completely. Back-to-back doubles made it 6-3. A walk. Then a 3-run HR that tied the game. Jimmy Cordero came in. A walk, then a WP. Then a bouncer back to Cordero while the runner was moving. Cordero didn’t do a good job checking the runner and the runner scored all the way from second on a 1-3 groundout. Inexcusable.

The Yanks tied the game in the top of the seventh. Bader sparked things again with a leadoff single. One out later, Cabrera hit a ground-rule double, then a groundout by Jose Trevino tied the game.

With one out and Hicks on third in the top of the tenth, Hicks, going on contact, got trapped in a rundown on a grounder by Torres. The Yanks failed to score.

While the Yanks failed with their ghost runner (I hate that rule) in the top of the tenth, Tampa Bay didn’t, getting a walk off single to win the game 8-7.

The Yanks were 1 for 15 with RISP.

Anthony Volpe 0 for 5, 3 strikeouts. He had a tough weekend in Tampa.
Torres 2 hits, RBI.
Rizzo solo HR (6).
LeMahieu 2 hits.
Bader 3 hits, 2 RBI. 2-run HR (2).
Cabrera 2 hits, RBI.

Cole 5 IP, 6 R, 5 ER, 8 H, 2 W, 6 K. Gave up 2 HR. 2.09
J. Cordero 1 IP, 1 R, 0 H, 1 W, 1 K. 1 WP 3.55
Holmes 1 IP, 0 R, 0 H, 0 W, 2 K. 3.75
Peralta 1 IP, 0 R, 0 H, 0 W, 2 K 2.08
King 1 IP, 0 R, 1 H, 0 W, 3 K 1.35
Abreu (L, 1-1) 1/3 IP, 1 R, 0 ER, 1 H, 0 W, 0 K. 4.50

Side Note: Vida Blue, who almost became a Yankee in June 1976 (the sale was voided by Bowie Kuhn) died yesterday at the age of 73. Blue won 209 games, mostly for the A’s and Giants. He was a 6x All-Star and 3X WS Champ.

Game #31. Volpe sparks Yanks, Calhoun HRs in 4-2 win.

Anthony Volpe homered, and later stole two bases to set up an insurance run, and Willie Calhoun hit his first Yankee HR as the Yankees (16-15) beat Cleveland 4-2 last night.

The Yanks have won each of Gerrit Cole’s starts this season, even though, like last night, Cole didn’t get the decision in all of them.

Cole wasn’t on his “A” game, but still gave up only two runs (both in the third) in six innings of work.

Volpe hit his third home run of the season with one out in the bottom of the sixth, then Gleyber Torres doubled. Torres came around to tie the game on a single by Anthony Rizzo.

Calhoun homered (1) in the bottom of the seventh to give the Yanks the lead.

In the bottom of the eighth, Volpe led off with a single, stole second and third, and scored on a D.J. LeMahieu single. Volpe is 10 for 10 in stolen base attempts this season.

Harrison Bader came off the IL. Franchy Cordero was sent down.

Jonathan Loaisiga had surgery for bone spurs in his elbow. His expected return isn’t until August or September. Lou Trivino had TJ surgery and will miss all of this season and most of next year.

Carlos Rodon’s back is still acting up. At this point, I don’t expect him before the All-Star break. I wanted Rodon (who didn’t) but the 6-year, $162MM pitcher hasn’t pitched a game for the Yanks yet and pitched in only one game in spring training. Sigh.

Volpe 2 hits, 2 SB (10) solo HR (3).
Rizzo 2 hits, RBI.
LeMahieu RBI
Calhoun solo HR (1).

Cole 6 IP, 2 R, 5 H, 3 W, 8 K. 1 HBP 1.35
Marinaccio 2/3 IP, 0 R, 0 H, 1 W, 0 K. 2.19
Peralta (W, 2-0) 2/3 IP, 0 R, 1 H, 0 W, 0 K. 2.38
King (S, 2) 1 2/3 IP, 0 R, 0 H, 1 W, 3 K. 1.56.

I wouldn’t mind King as the closer. Clay Holmes ERA since the All-Star break last year is 5.29.

Game #26. Yanks win 4-2, but Judge (hip) day to day and will miss some games.

Aaron Judge was pulled from last night’s game in the fourth inning, and at first it was thought because of a wrist or hand injury from an awkward slide on Wednesday. But it was because of hip discomfort as a result of that slide. Judge will be day-to-day and will miss a few games.

This will be quite concerning tonight especially, since tonight the opposing pitcher for Texas will be 2x CYA winner Jacob DeGrom.

The Yanks (15-11) did win last night’s game, 4-2, behind 3 HR and the pitching of Gerrit Cole and Michael King.

The Yanks got three runs in the second inning. D.J. LeMahieu and Gleyber Torres hit back-to-back home runs. For D.J. it was number three of the season, and Torres’ 443-ft. shot was his fourth HR.

After those homers, Oswald Peraza was HBP (he was HBP twice last night) and one out later, Jose Trevino singled. Aaron Hicks walked to load the bases, the Anthony Volpe singled to make it 3-0. The Yanks didn’t add on, because Judge and Anthony Rizzo both struck out. Rizzo and Aaron Boone didn’t like the call on Rizzo, and replays showed the ball was low. I wish MLB would make umps do post-game press interviews like the players have to. Shouldn’t they be held accountable to the press, too?

Texas got two runs in the bottom of the sixth. They loaded the bases with no one out and Cole got a strikeout. He then got a ground ball and got a forceout, but Cole dropped the ball while trying to complete what would have been a 3-6-1 DP. Since he only got the force, a run scored. Cole then gave up an infield single, making the score 3-2, before getting out of an inning where he was not getting hit too hard, but damage was done nonetheless.

Jose Trevino gave the Yanks some insurance with with second HR of the season to put the Yanks up 4-2 in the ninth, and that wound up being the final score.

Volpe RBI single
Judge 0 for 2, 2 strikeouts. Day to day with hip discomfort, will miss a few games.
LeMahieu solo HR (3)
Torres solo HR (4).
Trevino 3 hits, solo HR (2).

Cole (W, 5-0) 6 2/3 IP, 2 R, 6 H, 1 W, 8 K. 1.11
King (S, 1 ) 2 1/3 IP, 0 R, 0 H, 1 W, 2 K. 1.72

Game #21. D.J. walks off Blue Jays. Yanks win 3-2.

The aces, Gerrit Cole and Alek Manoah, went at it in the Bronx, and as expected, it turned out to be a pitcher’s duel.

Cole got out of jams in the first and second innings and Manoah got out of a jam in the third. Ron Marinaccio came in for Cole in the sixth and escaped a jam. Wandy Peralta got out of a jam in the top of the eighth.

Anthony Volpe broke the scoreless tie with a 2-run HR in the bottom of the eighth, his second MLB HR, but Peralta gave up a 2-run HR in the top of the ninth to PH Danny Jansen.

In the bottom of the ninth, Anthony Rizzo led off the inning with a double. Isiah Kiner-Falefa PR for Rizzo, and Gleyber Torres got an infield single, moving IKF to third. After a walk to Willie Calhoun that loaded the bases with no one out, D.J. LeMahieu PH for Franchy Cordero and singled to win the game.

Yankees 3, Toronto 2.

The win makes the Yanks 13-8 on the season.

Good article on the Yanks by Joel Sherman in the NY Post. Check it out.

Volpe 2-run HR (2)
Torres 2 hits.
LeMahieu GW RBI single.

Cole 5 2/3 IP, 0 R, 4 H, 2 W, 4 K. 1 HBP. 0.79
Marinaccio 1 IP, 0 R, 0 H, 1 W, 0 K. 0.93
Holmes 1 IP, 0 R, 1 H, 0 W, 2 K. 4.15
Peralta 2/3 IP, 2 R, 2 H, 1 W, 0 K. Gave up 1 HR. 3.38
J. Cordero (W, 1-0) 2/3 IP, 0 R, 0 H, 0 W, 0 K. 2.45

Observations 10% of the way in.

It is early, just 10% into the season, but with an off day tomorrow, some thoughts and observations.

Remember Spahn and Sain and pray for rain? That was a slogan of the 1948 NL pennant winning Boston Braves.

With Rodon, Severino and Montas on the IL, the Yanks can go with Cortes and Cole then dig out of a hole.

Cortes and Cole are 6-0, the rest of the team 4-6. Until Rodon and Sevy come back, others have to pick up the slack. Brito did so for two starts, German for one. Schmidt hasn’t carried his weight yet, and like Michael King, I wonder if Schmidt is far better in relief than as a starter. Just like with King, the ERA differences are huge between starting and relieving.

I am not sold on Holmes closing. He has been shaky so far this season. 4 saves but ERA 5.40 and he blew one game already and came close to blowing another.

I don’t mind having Isiah Kiner-Falefa on the team, and he was OK as a one-year stopgap last year until Volpe and/or Peraza were ready. They are now ready. IKF is still ok as a bench player who can play 2B, 3B, SS and even CF, LF, RF? and third-string catcher. Heck, he even had to pitch in a blowout and pitched a scoreless inning. But he has gotten into 9 of the 16 games so far. That is way too much for a player with no power (4 HR last year) whose OPS+ for his career is 80 (20% below league average). He is 2 for 22. IKF should be used more like the Yankees used Fred “The Chicken” Stanley. Stanley platooned at SS in 1975 and 1976, playing in 117 and 110 games, which was far too much for a guy who like IKF had no power (10 HR in his whole career and an OPS+ even worse at 62). From 1977-1980, after the Yankees got Bucky Dent (and Bucky didn’t have much power either) Stanley played in 48, 81, 57 and 49 games. Dent missed about a month in 1978 which is why Stanley’s 1978 numbers are higher. But IKF should be a 48-60 games a year player for the Yankees right now. Now 9 out of 16 which would be some 90 games. That is too many. And as mentioned, he is just 2 for 22 right now.

LF is another concern. Once Harrison Bader comes back and plays CF and moves Judge back to RF, the Yanks need to decide between Hicks, Cabrera, Cordero and Calhoun for LF. They are concerned about Calhoun’s defense, and it appears he may be sent down when Bader returns. What I really wish would happen is that the Yankees finally dump Hicks.

Hicks is 3 for 22 this season and the boos are just getting louder. he is this year’s Joey Gallo. A target for the boo birds who (and I hate to say it, but justifiably) hate the player. There is no fire in him anymore, just as there wasn’t with Gallo. Hicks, like Gallo, wants nothing more than to be out of there. You can see it in the body language. They are defeated.

Hal Steinbrenner needs to come to his senses and bite the bullet with Hicks. Eating the contract—the money and the years left on it—will not be appetizing, but it NEEDS to be done.

The problem with Hal and Cashman is that they are keeping bad players too long, and (like spoiled milk) way past their expiration dates. Think Sanchez, Frazier, Andujar, Gallo, Sonny Gray …. and now Hicks. Donaldson we will see about. I’m not too sold on that either. But Hicks?

I was really ticked off today when Suzyn Waldman during today’s game mentioned that Stanton’s injury could see more playing time for Hicks. Another reporter asked manager Aaron Boone the same in a postgame interview. What the hell are they watching?

Hicks’ time has passed. I’d rather see Cabrera (12 for 49, just under .250, no HR, but whose main problem this year is his walk to strikeout ratio. 1 walk to 16 whiffs.) Cordero (low batting average but the 4 HR and 11 RBI) or Calhoun. Heck, Jake Bauers at SWB had a 3 HR game today. If none of the above can step up (and I discount IKF in LF) from Calhoun, Cordero, Cabrera, even Bauers, Florial (if he is brought back) … etc. then a deal has to be made somewhere.

But no Hicks. Enough already.