Giancarlo Stanton tied a one-time Yankee slugger with his 412th career HR as the Yankees (31-15) bested the White Sox Friday night 4-2.
Aaron Judge started the scoring in the bottom of the first inning with his 12th HR of the season.
Chicago got an unearned run in the top of the third that was set up by a two-base throwing error by Oswaldo Cabrera.
In the bottom of the fourth inning, Judge led off with a walk, moved to second on a passed ball, and scored on a double by Alex Verdugo. Stanton followed with a double to score Verdugo and put the Yanks up 3-1.
Stanton homered (10) leading off the bottom of the sixth to make it 4-1. The homer tied Alfonso Soriano on the all-time HR list with 412.
Nestor Cortes went seven innings. Ian Hamilton came in for the eighth and didn’t have it, giving up a run and exiting with men on second and third. I was concerned when manager Aaron Boone brought in Caleb Ferguson, who has struggled with an ERA of 6.00 so far this season, but Ferguson rose to the challenge, stranding both runners and keeping the score at 4-2.
Clay Holmes locked down the ninth for his 13th save.
Cortes helped himself in the game with a play at third base and a pickoff at second.
Judge 1 for 1, solo HR (12) 3 walks. Stanton 2 hits, 2 RBI. Solo HR (10) #412 career HR. Rizzo 2 hits.
Cortes (W, 2-4) 7 IP, 1 R, 0 ER, 5 H, 1 W, 6 K. 3.56 Hamilton (H, 6) 1/3 IP, 1 R, 3 H, 0 W, 1 K. 3.18 Ferguson (H, 7) 2/3 IP, 0 R, 0 H, 0 W, 1 K. 5.74 Holmes (S, 13) 1 IP, 0 R, 0 H, 1 W, 2 K. 0.00
Before I get into a game recap, I have to mention something here. In about five or six weeks, Gerrit Cole should be rejoining the rotation, and what a joy it will be to get last year’s CYA winner, the ace of the staff, back.
What that also means, is that one of the guys in the rotation now will be replaced by Cole. Now we know that it won’t (unless an injury happens) be Rodon or Stroman, because of their respective salaries. That leaves the following. Luis Gil, Clarke Schmidt, and Nestor Cortes. Well, after today’s game, their respective records are:
Gil 3-1, 2.92 Schmidt 4-1, 2.95 Cortes 1-4, 4.02
Like it or not, the past couple of months have been an audition for them as far as who stays in the rotation and who does not when Cole returns. And so far, it is Cortes who hasn’t held up his end of the bargain. Things could change, especially if there is an injury (hope not) but as of now, who would you take out of the rotation when Cole is ready?
Cortes’ first pitch of the game was hit for a HR by Yandy Diaz, who just owns Cortes.
The Yanks did come back to take a 2-1 lead in the top of the second when with one out, Anthony Rizzo walked, then Austin Wells doubled. One out later, Trent Grisham walked to load the bases. Anthony Volpe, who had three of the Yankees’ (26-15) five hits, then singled in the Yankees’ only two runs of the game in the 7-2 loss.
In the bottom of the third, Cortes walked the leadoff man, then his nemesis, Diaz, doubled. Randy Arozarena then hit a 3-run HR to make it 4-2 Rays and Tampa Bay never looked back.
The Rays got three runs in the bottom of the seventh off of Dennis Santana, Diaz doubling in one of the runs, Arozarena another.
Volpe 3 hits, 2 RBI.
Cortes (L, 1-4) 4 R, 5 H, 3 W, 5 K. Gave up 2 HR. 4.02 D. Santana 1 IP, 3 R, 2 H, 1 W, 1 K. 4.58 Hamilton 2/3 IP, 0 R, 1 H, 0 W, 0 K. 2.79 Tonkin 1 IP, 0 R, 0 H, 1 W, 2 K. 3.45 (3 team ERA)
Jasson “the Martian” Dominguez will start rehab with Low A Tampa on Tuesday.
Juan Soto’s bases-clearing 3-run double in the bottom of the seventh broke a 2-2 tie, and the game, played in dreary, rainy conditions, was called after 7 1/2 innings, giving the Yankees (23-13) a 5-2 victory.
With the win, the Yankees swept the three-game series with the Tigers. They are off on Monday.
The Yanks scored first when Aaron Judge, in his first at bat since being ejected for the first time in his career on Saturday, homered (7) in the bottom of the first to put the Yanks up 1-0.
The Yanks went up 2-0 in the bottom of the second when with one out, Gleyber Torres singled. Jon Berti singled Torres to third, and after Jose Trevino struck out, Oswaldo Cabrera hit a ground-rule double to drive in Torres.
Nestor Cortes was nasty for six innings, but in the top of the seventh, left after giving up a pair of singles sandwiched around a strikeout. Ian Hamilton came in but couldn’t slam the door, giving up a double for one run. A walk loaded the bases before a force out tied the game. Victor Gonzalez came in and got a force out to end the inning.
The Yanks came back with the three runs in the bottom of the seventh, highlighted by Soto’s double, to win the game. Berti walked, and went to third on an excellent hit-and-run single by Trevino. After Cabrera struck out, Anthony Volpe walked, setting the stage for Soto to clear the bases with his double. The Yanks loaded the bases after that but didn’t push across another run.
Dennis Santana pitched a scoreless top of the eighth before the umpires delayed the game. After about an hour, it was called, and the Yanks had themselves a rain-shortened win.
Baltimore won the AL East last year and the road to the AL East title appears to be going through them again. For the second straight night, the Yankees (19-12) pitched well but had their bats stifled by Orioles’ pitching, losing 4-2 after a 2-0 loss the night before.
The Yanks only had five hits in the game, two each by Juan Soto and Austin Wells, who provided both of the Yankees runs, each with solo homers.
I’ve written about how the Yankees need to tighten up their defense, and in the bottom of the second, that loose defense cost them a run. A leadoff double never should have been. A ball hit down the RF line fell in for a double when Anthony Rizzo couldn’t catch it. 1B Rizzo actually was way too far up the RF line to catch that ball and should have been called off by RF Soto. The next batter hit a ground ball to 2B Gleyber Torres, who instead of taking the out at first like usual, thought he had a play at third, had the throw hit the runner in the back and everyone was safe, and the error enabled the runner on second to come around to score.
Wells led off the top of the third with his first HR of the season to tie the game, but Nestor Cortes had one bad inning—the bottom of the fourth—and it cost the Yankees the ballgame.
A leadoff double, a strikeout, but then four consecutive hits led to three runs and a 4-1 Orioles lead.
Soto hit a 447-foot HR (8) in the top of the sixth, but the Yanks couldn’t muster anything else.
Soto 2 hits, RBI. Solo HR (8th). Wells 2 hits, RBI. Solo HR (1).
Cortes (1-3) 6 IP, 4 R, 8 H, 2 W, 5 K. 3.86 ERA belies his record. He hasn’t pitched too poorly. No support. Weaver 2 IP, 0 R, 1 H, 0 W, 3 K. 3.20
Eleven hits. Just one run. The Yanks (17-9) had their chances and did not take advantage of them. Then, late in the game, they had to face the A’s Mason Miller, which you don’t want to do. The result? A 3-1 loss.
In the bottom of the first, the Yanks loaded the bases with no one out and didn’t score. Strikeout and GIDP.
Jose Trevino homered (2) in the bottom of the second for the Yanks only run of the game.
Nestor Cortes pitched well but had one bad inning which cost the Yanks the game. In the top of the third, he gave up a one-out HR followed by a single. He then got a strikeout, but that was followed by a 2-run HR for all of Oakland’s runs for the ballgame.
The Yanks had the bases loaded with one out in the bottom of the fourth, but the old GIDP struck again.
Once the game got into the late innings, Oakland brought in their closer, Mason Miller, who throws a 103 MPH fastball. He’s nasty, and twice in this four-game series against the Yankees, he struck out Juan Soto. If there is any way the Yanks can trade for him and not give up Spencer Jones or Jasson Dominguez, they should go for it. Miller, 25, is electric. If not, when he becomes a free agent, who knows.
When you saw the lineup for today’s game, you had your fears. Aaron Judge DH’d, which meant Giancarlo Stanton was not in the lineup. They only problem is, Judge hasn’t been hitting, and we are 21 games into the season now. And Judge didn’t hit today, taking the golden sombrero, 0 for 4 with 4 strikeouts. 21 games into the season, Judge is at .179-3-11, with 27 strikeouts. You really wonder if it is a slump or if he is playing injured. Maybe he needs to be taken out of the lineup for a few games, review video of what he did in his unbelievable 2022 season and see what adjustments he needs to make. Clear his head. See what he is doing wrong now that he was doing right then. A few days off wouldn’t hurt right now.
Also out of the lineup was Gleyber Torres, who in his first 20 games, had no HR and only two RBI. Jahmai Jones, who has hardly played at all this season, was at 2B instead, and he went 0 for 3 with two strikeouts as he is looking for his first hit of the season.
Trent Grisham was in CF today, and after an 0 for 2, he is looking for his first hit of the season as well. Add into that Austin Wells who caught today (day game after a night game, and a righty starter for Tampa Bay), and Wells, after an 0 for 2 today, is at .091. Put all that together, and our fears of today’s lineup were justified as the Yankees (14-7) were shut out today in losing to Tampa Bay 2-0 in ten innings.
Nestor Cortes was fabulous, pitching seven shutout innings, but it was for naught.
The problem with going extras is that you look into the bullpen and not everyone is available. Which guys were used heavily recently? Who is available? The one guy the Yanks had to go to in the top of the tenth was the one guy who so far, has not adjusted well to the pinstripes—Caleb Ferguson, who so far, has the worst record among the Yankees pitchers. Hopefully he turns it around soon, but he gave up two runs in the top of the tenth and that was enough for the Yanks to lose the game, especially since their offense didn’t put anything on the board.
The Yanks only got four hits in the game, two by guess who? Yup. Juan Soto.
Soto 2 hits.
Cortes 7 IP, 0 R, 6 H, 0 W 9 K. 3.41 Weaver 1 IP, 0 R, 0 H, 0 W, 1 K. 5.40 Holmes 1 IP, 0 R, 1 H, 0 W, 2 K. 0.00 Ferguson (L, 0-3) 1 IP, 2 R, 1 ER, 2 H, 0 W, 2 K. 6.23
You don’t want to nitpick about a team that after losing today 8-7 in 10 innings is 12-4, but you do have to remember the words of the late, great Vince Lombardi that went something like this:
We will pursue perfection. For we will never attain it, but in striving for it, we will achieve excellence.
The Yankees entered Sunday’s game 13th in the league in errors made and 13th in fielding average among the 15 AL teams. Not good. Anthony Rizzo had 2 errors and he made two more in today’s game. Anthony Volpe had three errors. Volpe won a GG last year. Rizzo won it in the past. Oswaldo Cabrera had three errors, Gleyber Torres two, Jon Berti one. The infield defense needs shoring up. And that is just the errors. You have to watch the games. There are other things going on besides errors. Balls that should be outs but are ruled infield hits. Force outs that should have been double plays. A runner reaching on a fielder’s choice that isn’t an error but should have been an out. Things that don’t show up in the box score. Things that may or may not result in a run for the other team. Even if the other team doesn’t score a run, these things force your pitcher to throw more pitches, force him out of the game earlier, make you use your bullpen earlier and more often. Things like that. The Yankees need to tighten up their defense. Today, some of that loose defensive play hurt them.
The Yanks struck first in the top of the third inning when with one out, Anthony Volpe walked, Juan Soto singled Volpe to third, and then Aaron Judge crushed a 469-foot HR to make it 3-0 Yankees. The HR was #260 of Judge’s career, tying him with Derek Jeter on the all-time list.
Nestor Cortes gave up a 2-run HR in the bottom of the third and Cleveland cut the lead to 3-2.
The Yanks got one back in the top of the fourth when Jose Trevino homered (1) to make it 4-2.
But in the bottom of the fifth, Cortes gave up a HR to lead off the inning, then a single and HBP. Nick Burdi relieved Cortes and got a popup but then gave up a single that tied the game.
In the bottom of the eighth, ex-Yankee Estevan Florial homered for Cleveland to put them up 5-4.
But the Yanks tied it in the top of the ninth when with one out, Jose Trevino singled. Oswaldo Cabrera forced PR Jahmai Jones at second, but Volpe doubled Cabrera home to tie the game.
Juan Soto was the ghost runner for the Yanks in the top of the tenth. Aaron Judge was intentionally walked, and Giancarlo Stanton hit an infield nubber single that loaded the bases. Anthony Rizzo singled in two runs and the Yanks entered the bottom of the tenth with a 7-5 lead.
Then it all fell apart.
Cleveland had their ghost runner. Caleb Ferguson was on the mound for the Yanks. Single. Runner to third. Force out, runner scores. But Volpe had trouble on the relay, and instead of getting the DP, the Yankees had to settle for the force. That was the first problem. Then a double that just missed being a GW HR. Men on second and third, one out, where the DP would have made it man on second, but two out. Now the infield is in. A grounder to Torres at second, and he had trouble with it. His throw home was too late and the tying run scores. Now it’s first and third, tie game. Then a SF won it.
Those plays in the tenth. A couple of errors by Rizzo in the game. You got to tighten up the defense.
Volpe 3 hits, RBI. Soto 2 hits. Judge 3 RBI. 3-run HR (3) #260 of career ties Jeter on all-time list. Stanton 2 hits. Rizzo 2 RBI. Trevino 2 hits, RBI. Solo HR (1).
Cortes 4+ IP, 4 R, 5 H, 1 W, 6 K. 1 HBP. Gave up 2 HR. 4.50 Burdi 1 IP, 0 R, 1 H, 0 W, 2 K. 0.00 V. Gonzalez 1 1/3 IP, 0 R, 0 H, 0 W, 1 K. 1.50 Weaver 1 2/3 IP, 1 R, 1 H, 0 W, 3 K. Gave up 1 HR. 4.82 Holmes 1 IP, 0 R, 0 H, 1 W, 1 K. 0.00 Ferguson (L, 0-2) (BS, 1) 2/3 IP, 3 R, 2 ER, 2 H, 0 W, 0 K. 4.05
Nestor Cortes had a couple of shaky outings his first two outings of the season, but not tonight. His first two outings were marred by rough first innings, in which he was touched for three runs each time. Not tonight. Tonight, he was Nasty Nestor, pitching eight shutout innings as the Yankees (9-2) shutout the Marlins, 7-0.
Good to see length from a starter.
The Yanks got all the runs they needed in a six-run fourth inning, highlighted by two three-run homers. Giancarlo Stanton led off the inning with a single, and Anthony Rizzo got a Baltimore chop single over the first baseman’s head that moved Stanton to third. Anthony Volpe followed with a three-run HR (2) to put the Yanks up 3-0. Alex Verdugo followed with a double. Jose Trevino walked, then Jon Berti laid down a sac bunt to move the runners over. After a flyout by Gleyber Torres that wasn’t deep enough to score Verdugo, Juan Soto got his second HR of the season, and first Yankee Stadium home run as a Yankee, to make the score 6-0.
In the bottom of the fifth, Stanton doubled, and two outs later, scored on a single by Verdugo for the final run of the game. 7-0, Yankees.
Soto 2 hits, 3 RBI. 3-run HR (2). First Stadium HR as a NYY. Stanton 2 hits. Volpe 3 RBI. 3-run HR (2). Verdugo 3 for 3, RBI.
You can’t win them all. In baseball, I want 3 out of 5. After all, in a 162-game season, 3 out of 5 means you wind up 97-65, which is pretty damn good and most of the time, would have you winning your division.
For the second straight time, Nestor Cortes gave up three runs in the first inning, then settled in. This time, his teammates could not come back, as the Yankees (5-1) only managed three hits against Arizona while losing 7-0.
Double, single for a run, flyout. SB. Single to put runners on the corners. Single to make it 2-0 and put runners on first and second. Another single to make it 3-0 and put runners on the corners. Five of the first six batters against Nestor got hits. A DP ended the inning.
To Nestor’s credit, he settled in and gave the Yankees a chance to get back in the game, but I haven’t liked the way Nestor has pitched in spring training or the way he has pitched in the first two outings he has had so far this season. Both outings giving up three in the first and putting the Yankees behind early. When Gerrit Cole comes back, someone will need to be dropped from the rotation. If Nestor continues to pitch like this, it could be him. If Nestor straightens himself out, which I hope he does, then Luis Gil could go into the role I’d like him to go into, which would be that role Michael King had. That two-inning reliever (think 1996 Mariano Rivera before Mo became a closer). Gil has some gas. But right now, I’m kind of shaky on Nestor. While things could change by the time Cole comes back, as of now, I’d drop Cortes.
In the bottom of the seventh, Victor Gonzalez, who relieved Cortes, gave up an infield single to Ketel Marte, who advanced all the way to third on a two-base throwing error by Oswaldo Cabrera. Gonzalez then gave up a walk. Newly acquired Jake Cousins relieved Gonzalez and got a pop up but then gave up a three-run homer to Christian Walker to make the score 6-0. The way the Yanks were hitting (and the Diamondbacks’ starter was their ace, Zac Gallen), that cinched the game for Arizona.
Arizona scored another run off of Cousins in the bottom of the eighth with the help of two wild pitches from Cousins.
The Yanks only managed three hits in the game. Outside of Juan Soto’s .417 and his 1 HR, the other main guns so far are:
Torres .174, no HR; Judge .125, no HR; Rizzo .182, no HR; Stanton, .150, 1 HR; Verdugo .143, no HR.
The only guys hitting so far are Soto, Volpe and Cabrera. We need the other guys to get going.
Cortes (L, 0-1) 5+ IP, 3 R, 8 H, 2 W, 2 K. 6.30 V. Gonzalez 1 IP, 2 R, 2 H, 1 W, 1 K. 7.71 Cousins 2 IP, 2 R, 1 ER, 2 H, 1 W, 4 K. 2 WP. Gave up 1 HR. 4.50
Earlier in the day, Nick Ramirez was traded to the Dodgers for cash.
Also, the Yankees signed Phil Bickford to a minor league deal, and he will go to SWB. Bickford has pitched for the Brewers (2020-2021), Dodgers (2021-2023) and Mets. He has a career record of 11-8, 4.43 in 179 mlb games. RHP, 28.
Over the past seven years or so, the Yankees would lose games like this in their house of horrors in Houston. They’d give up a bunch of runs early and get blown out. Or they’d give up a bunch of runs early, claw their way back, only to blow it in the end to those hated Astros.
It looked like scenarios #1 or #2 would come into play today. For the first four innings, it was awful. Nestor Cortes had nothing early on. He gave up three runs in the bottom of the first inning and then a leadoff HR in the bottom of the second. The Yanks were down 4-0 right away. To make it worse, even though Nestor settled in, and to his credit, did not give up any more runs and went five innings, saving the bullpen, the Yankees’ offense wasn’t taking advantage of opportunities. In the top of the first, with one out, and one on, Aaron Judge grounded into a DP.
In the top of the second, the Yanks loaded the bases with one out, but Jose Trevino hit into that dreaded DP.
In the top of the fourth, the Yanks loaded the bases AGAIN, and AGAIN didn’t score because for the third time in four innings, another DP ball, this time off the bat of Alex Verdugo.
An ugly beginning.
But in the top of the fifth, they got back into the ballgame, scoring three runs. Trevino led off the inning with a walk, one of nine the Yanks got in the game. Oswaldo Cabrera got an infield single, moving Trevino to second. Gleyber Torres walked to load the bases. You were hoping for no more DP balls. Juan Soto got his first Yankee hit and RBI to cut the Astros’ lead to 4-1. Then, ugh. Both Aaron Judge and Giancarlo Stanton struck out, and you were wondering if the Yanks would keep wasting opportunities all game long. You also were concerned about Judge, because he was only .208-0-2 in spring training and already in the game had GIDP and struck out. But then Anthony Rizzo got HBP to force in a run, and Anthony Volpe walked (he walked 3x in the game) to force in another, and the Yanks were back in the game at 4-3.
In the top of the sixth, Oswaldo Cabrera homered (1) to tie the game at 4. Oswaldo started spring training 1 for 23 but then found his groove and has carried it over. Good. I was worried about him after that bad start in spring training. Good to see he found it. Players will have their good and bad streaks over the long season, but when he started spring training that poorly, you had to wonder.
In the top of the seventh, the captain, Judge, came through with a leadoff double. One out later, Rizzo singled Judge to third. After a walk to Volpe loaded the bases, you hoped Verdugo could stay out of a DP and get the ball in the air. Mission accomplished. A SF to left put the Yanks up 5-4.
Now to hold on. It wasn’t easy. Verdugo made a nice running catch in the left center field gap to turn what could have been a game-tying double into an out in the bottom of the seventh.
In the bottom of the ninth, Clay Holmes gave up a leadoff single, got a lineout, then gave up another single. With men on first and second, Holmes gave up a single to right to Kyle Tucker, but Soto charged the ball perfectly, threw home and nailed the runner, Mauricio Dubon, out at the plate. The call stood upon review. Holmes then got a force-out for the final out and the Yanks escaped with a thrilling 5-4 opening day victory. It was their largest come-from-behind Opening Day victory since 1950.
Soto 1 for 3, RBI 2 walks Game saving OF assist Rizzo 1 for 3, RBI, walk, bases-loaded HBP Volpe 1 for 2, RBI 3 walks, one with bases loaded. Verdugo 1 for 3, RBI SF nice run-saving catch Cabrera 2 for 4, RBI Solo HR. (1)
Cortes 5 IP, 4 R, 5 H, 2 W, 5 K. Gave up 1 HR 7.20 After shaky start, went 5. Retired 12 of last 13. Loaisiga (W, 1-0) 2 IP, 0 R, 4 H, 0 W, 1 K. 0.00 Hamilton (H, 1) 1 IP, 0 R, 1 H, 0 W, 1 K. 0.00 Holmes (S, 1) 1 IP, 0 R, 3 H, 0 W, 0 K 0.00
The Sommer Frieze 
