Game 33. Yanks edge Nats in 11, 4-3.

When two starters who have 5 CYA’s between them go against each other, you don’t expect many runs scored, and such was the case Saturday when Max Scherzer of Washington and Corey Kluber of the Yankees faced off.

The game started after a rain delay of almost 2 1/2 hours, and in the end, Gleyber Torres tied the game in the ninth for the Yankees and won it in the eleventh. Yanks (17-16) 4, Nationals 3.

The Nats got on the board first, when Kluber walked Juan Soto with the bases loaded in the top of the third inning.

Kyle Higashioka tied the game up in the bottom of the same frame with a solo HR (5).

Washington got a run off of Kluber in the top of the sixth to go up 2-1.

Meanwhile, Scherzer was dealing. He went 7 1/3, giving up just 2 hits and striking out 14.

In the bottom of the ninth, D.J. LeMahieu led off the inning with a walk. He moved to second on a groundout by Giancarlo Stanton and to third on a bloop single by the slumping Aaron Judge. Torres then singled to tie the game.

Washington got a run in the top of the tenth (I hate that extra innings start with a man on second rule) but the Yanks tied it in the bottom of the tenth when Mike Ford, who was 1 for his last 23, singled in “ghost” runner Clint Frazier.

Justin Wilson, who has been struggling this season, kept the Nats off the board in the top of the eleventh. In the bottom half, LeMahieu was the “ghost” runner starting at second. Both Stanton and Judge walked to load the bases. Torres nubbed a little dribbler towards third. Not pretty, but it got the job done and won the game.

Torres 2 hits, 2 RBI
Higashioka solo HR (5)

The Yankees won despite striking out 17X.

Kluber 5 2/3 IP, 2 R, 6 H, 3 W, 6 K. 3.06
Green 1 1/3 IP, 0 R, 1 H, 0 W, 2 K. 2.33
Luetge 2 IP, 0 R, 0 H, 0 W, 2 K. 3.26
Chapman 1 IP, 1 R, 0 ER, 1 H, 1 W, 2 K. 0.00
Wilson (W, 1-0) 1 IP, 0 R, 0 H, 0 W, 2 K. 6.23

Game 24. Yanks blank O’s, 7-0.

Now this is more like it. Domingo German was great over seven innings, the Yanks rapped out 12 hits, including 3 HR, and the Yanks (11-13) blanked Baltimore 7-0 Wednesday night.

Mike Ford homered (2) in the second inning to put the Yanks up 1-0.

With one out in the top of the third inning, D.J. LeMahieu singled, then Giancarlo Stanton singled, then Gleyber Torres singled in LeMahieu. For Torres, it was just his third RBI of the season. Gio Urshela then hit a 3-run HR (4) to make it 5-0.

Stanton singled to lead off the fifth, and an out later, Urshela singled. Ford walked to load the bases, and Aaron Hicks hit a SF to make it 6-0.

Clint Frazier hit his first HR of the season in the eighth to make it 7-0, the final score.

LeMahieu 2 hits
Stanton 3 hits.
Torres 2 hits, RBI
Urshela 2 hits, 3-run HR (4)
Ford solo HR (2)
Frazier 2 hits solo HR (1)

German (W, 2-2) 7 IP, 0 R, 3 H, 1 W, 6 K. 4.05
King 2 IP, 0 R, 1 H, 0 W, 2 K. 0.00

Game 21. Yanks lose to Cleveland, 7-3.

This time, it was the Yankees (9-12) who got a lead in Cleveland, only to see the Indians come back and win the game.

In the three previous games, the Yankees won after Cleveland scored first. The script was flipped on Sunday. Gio Urshela and Mike Ford hit back-to-back homers, with Gio’s being a 2-run blast. Top of the fourth, but that was all the Yanks’ offense.

Some observations. Jameson Taillon, coming off his second TJ surgery, appears to do fine for three innings, then seems to lose it in the fourth. Something about the second time around in the lineup. Fatigue? But it happened again yesterday. Three smooth innings, then in the bottom of the fourth, three straight singles for a run, then a 3-run HR.

Secondly, Nick Nelson needs more seasoning The youngster does have 15 K in just 8 1/3 IP this season, but is also 0-2 with an atrocious 9.72 ERA. He was sent down after the game. Deivi Garcia was called up to start Monday night.

Also, Miguel Andujar was activated off the I.L., but will continue at the alternate site.

Urshela 2-run HR (3)
Ford solo HR (1)


Taillon (L, 0-2) 4 IP, 4 R, 5 H, 0 W, 6 K. 6.23 Gave up 1 HR.
Nelson 2 IP, 3 R, 4 H, 1 W, 2 K. 9.72 1 WP
Cessa 2 IP, 0 R, 0 H, 0 W, 2 K. 0.77

Game 16. Yanks eke out a 3-1 win.

As the saying goes, beggars can’t be choosy.

With the Yanks’ recent hitting woes, any way you snap a five-game losing streak, you’ll take it, even if it isn’t pretty.

The Yanks (6-10) scored two runs in the bottom of the eighth—on a bases-loaded wild pitch and a bases-loaded walk—and beat Atlanta 3-1 Tuesday night.

The hitting woes continued, as they only got five hits in the game—two each by D.J. LeMahieu and Gio Urshela.

The team batting average actually dropped to .208. As mentioned, we’ll take the win. Beggars can’t be choosy.

On the other hand, the Yanks’ ERA of 3.44 is second in the league. The hitting has to catch up to the pitching.

Atlanta got a run in the third off Yankees’ starter Jameson Taillon on back-to-back doubles.

Urshela tied the game up in the fifth with a HR (2).

The Yanks escaped a bases-loaded, one-out jam in the top of the seventh.

In the bottom of the eighth, pinch-hitter Aaron Hicks walked and LeMahieu singled. Aaron Judge singled to load the bases, then the wild pitch that let Hicks score. After an out, an intentional walk (the first to a Yankee all season) to reload the bases and another out, Mike Ford walked to force in a run and make it 3-1.

Ford was brought up to replace the retired Jay Bruce.

LeMahieu 2 hits.
Urshela 2 hits, solo HR.

Taillon 5 IP, 1 R, 4 H, 1 W, 5 K. 5.40
Luetge 1 IP, 0 R, 0 H, 2 W, 0 K. 5.56
Green 2/3 IP, 0 R, 2 H, 0 W, 2 K. 0.87
Wilson 1/3 IP, 0 R, 0 H, 0 W, 0 K. 2.08
Loaisiga (W, 2-0) 1 IP, 0 R, 0 H, 0 W, 0 K. 1.64 1 HBP
Chapman (S, 2) 1 IP, 0 R, 0 H, 1 W, 2 K. 0.00

Game 8. Yanks blanked, 4-0. Make moves.

The Yankees (3-5) were blanked yesterday (Saturday) 4-0 by Tampa Bay, and moves were made before and after the game.

Before the game, Tyler Wade was sent down to make room for newly acquired Rougned Odor.

After the game, Domingo German was sent down after his poor performance. There has been no corresponding move yet.

German, who had a good spring training but who hasn’t carried it into the regular season, lasted only four innings, giving up four runs, two on home runs. The bullpen shut out Tampa Bay the rest of the way, but the Yankees’ bats only managed five hits.

Tampa Bay has the Yankees’ number, having beaten the Yanks 8 for 10 times last year, beating then in 5 games in the ALDS last year, and now the first two times they have met this season.

The loss was the Yanks’ third in a row.

German (L, 0-2) 4 IP, 4 R, 8 H, 1 W, 5 K. Gave up 2 HR. 9.00
Wilson 1 IP, 0 R, 0 H, 1 W, 2 K. 0.00
Loaisiga 2 IP, 0 R, 2 H, 1 W, 3 K. 0.00
Cessa 1 IP, 0 R, 0 H, 0 W, 2 K. 0.00

Aaron Judge (sore side) and Gio Urshela (covid shot reaction) returned to the lineup. Mike Ford was there for a day, with Urshela out.

Game 7. Rays hammer Yanks, 10-5.

The Yankees (3-4) entered Friday’s game with a team ERA of 1.74. It won’t stay that way after the Yankees got hammered by Tampa Bay, 10-5. (It went to 2.63, still very good after 7 games and an indication of why they are 3-4—the bats haven’t come alive yet. The top six players in WAR (Wins above replacement) after seven games are all pitchers).

(Another aside: those extra innings where a guy starts on second base [and the Yanks have lost two extra inning games this year] that runner is an unearned run, as if that runner got there via an error.)

Corey Kluber and Nick Nelson had rough outings, and except for one inning, the Yanks’ bats were silent.

An error by D.J. LeMahieu, playing 3B (more on that later) led to the Rays getting two unearned runs in the bottom of the second.

The Yanks came back with their only big offensive inning of the game in the top of the third. With two out, Tyler Wade singled, LeMahieu doubled, Giancarlo Stanton singled in two runs, and Aaron Hicks hit a 2-run HR (1).

After that, the Yanks bats went silent. They only scored again on a solo HR (1) by LeMahieu in the eighth.

Meanwhile, Tampa Bay was getting runs by matching the inning. After two in the second, they got three in the third and four in the fourth. They also tacked on another run in the seventh.

Before the game, Justin Wilson came off the IL. No corresponding move was necessary, because Michael King went to the alternate site a few days ago.

Gio Urshela went on the Covid-IL because of a bad reaction to the Covid vaccine. Mike Ford was brought up.

LeMahieu 2 hits, solo HR, but an error that allowed 2 runs to score.
Stanton 2 RBI
Hicks 2-run HR.

Kluber (L, 0-1) 2 1/3 IP, 5 R, 3 ER, 5 H, 2 W, 3 K. 5.68
Nelson 1 2/3 IP, 4 R, 4 H, 1 W, 3 K. 9.00
Luetge 3 IP, 1 R, 3 H, 0 W, 4 K. 7.20 Gave up 1 HR.
Cessa 1 IP, 0 R, 1 H, 0 W, 1 K. 0.00

I don’t know what will happen, but I can see King coming back soon, Luetge going down (or, if you want to keep Luetge because of an extra lefty, Nelson then goes down). I also can see Bruce (.125) possibly being released, the Yanks keeping Ford (more of a 1B than Bruce), with (once Gio gets back) D.J. going to 1B and Odor (once activated) taking over at 2B—at least until Voit returns. Just trying to look into a crystal ball here as far as future moves. The defense has been shaky, maybe that would help.

But ugh. Tampa Bay owned the Yanks last year (won 8 of 10, then the ALDS 3 games to 2), and not a good way to start this year.

I kill for sacrifice flies. Yes, it’s an out, but at least you are getting the run in. After seven games, the Yanks haven’t hit a SF yet. It’s better than striking out with a man on third and less than two outs. Get that runner in.

The one sac bunt Gardner (who is the #7 guy in WAR so far, after those pitchers) laid down the other day matched their total for ALL of last season.

S.T. Game 26. Torres and Ford power Yanks to 5-1 win.

With Luke Voit going on the DL, and Jay Bruce now making the team as the first baseman, it’s easy to overlook Mike Ford, who earlier in camp was optioned back to the minors.

Ford yesterday had a performance that basically said, “hey, don’t forget about me”, especially if Bruce doesn’t cut it.

Ford had a great 2019 for the Yankees, hitting 12 HR in just 143 at bats, and having an OPS+ of 136. His 2020 was lousy, as he hit just .135 in 74 at bats, OPS+ just 38. So which Mike Ford is it? Probably somewhere in between.

Yesterday Ford went 4 for 4 with a solo HR.

On top of that, Gleyber Torres went 3 for 3 with a double, two home runs, and 3 RBI in the Yanks’ (14-10-2 in spring training) 5-1 win over Toronto on Saturday.

Estevan Florial had 2 hits and an RBI.

A couple of cuts: Robinson Chirinos, who has a fractured wrist from a HBP a few weeks ago, and Derek Dietrich.

Pitching Line:

Chacin 2 2/3 IP, 0 R, 0 H, 1 W, 2 K.
L. Garcia 1 1/3, 0 R, 0 H, 0 W, 1 K.
Luetge 1 IP, 0 R, 1 H, 0 W, 2 K.
Barraclough 1 IP, 0 R, 0 H, 0 W, 0 K.
Abreu 1 IP, 0 R, 0 H, 0 W, 1 K.
Lyons 1 IP, 1 R, 2 H, 0 W, 1 K.

This was a covid-shortened, 8 inning game. 7 1/2 because the Yanks didn’t have to bat in the bottom of the eighth.

S.T. Game 18. Control issues doom Yanks in 9th, lose 4-1.

In a game that only featured four hits, two by each team, control issues doomed the Yanks (12-5-1 in spring training) as they gave up four runs in the ninth to lose 4-1.

There were fifteen walks in the game, and Yankees’ pitchers gave up nine of those. They also had 2 WP, and a HBP—all in the ninth inning, as well as a missed catch error on a ball thrown back to the pitcher by the catcher that let a run score. Embarrassing.

Aaron Hicks doubled for the Yanks, leading to a SF by Luke Voit for their only run.

Starter Deivi Garcia walked four in his three innings of work, including three in the first to load the bases, but didn’t give up any runs.

Not so with Kyle Barraclough in the ninth.

Ex-Yankee Ivan Nova started for the Phils, giving up 1 run in three innings. The Phils didn’t get a hit until ex-Yankee Ronald Torreyes singled leading off the eighth.

D. Garcia 3 IP, 0 R, 0 H, 4 W, 2 K.
Chapman 1 IP, 0 R, 0 H, 0 W, 0 K.
O’Day (H) 1 IP, 0 R, 0 H, 0 W, 0 K.
Wilson (H) 1 IP, 0 R, 0 H, 1 W, 1 K.
Green (H) 1 IP, 0 R, 0 H, 0 W, 2 K.
L. Garcia (H) 1 IP, 0 R, 1 H, 1 W, 1 K.
Barraclough (L; BS) 2/3 IP, 3 R, 0 H, 3 W, 2 K. 1 WP.
McClain 1/3 IP, 1 R, 1 H, 0 W, 0 K. 1 WP, 1 HBP.

The Yanks sent four down to the minors yesterday. Mike Ford (which could mean Jay Bruce makes the team?), Thairo Estrada (meaning Tyler Wade makes the team?) , Albert Abreu and Brooks Kriske.

S.T. Game 3. Yanks win 4-2 behind Gleyber, Ford.

Gleyber Torres went 2 for 2, and Mike Ford had a 2-run double as the Yankees (2-1 in spring training) won a Covid-shortened 7-inning spring training game, 4-2, over Baltimore today.

Jordan Montgomery started off shaky, giving up a leadoff triple, then a SF. He had to work his way out of a bases loaded jam in the first inning. His second inning went much smoother.

Montgomery 2 IP, 1 R, 2 H, 2 W, 2 K.
L. Garcia (H) 1 IP, 0 R, 0 H, 1 W, 2 K.
Lyons (H) 1 IP, 1 R, 2 H, 1 W, 1 K.
Kriske (H) 1 IP, 0 R, 0 H, 1 W, 1 K. 1 WP
Otto (H) 1 IP, 0 R, 0 H, 0 W, 1 K.
Lane (S) 1 IP, 0 R, 0 H, 1 W, 3 K. 1 HBP

#16. Whitey Ford. 1928-2020.

Yesterday morning, the sad news came that the greatest pitcher in Yankees’ history, Whitey Ford, passed away Thursday evening. Ford was 13 days short of his 92nd birthday.

Ford pitched for the Yanks in 1950 (when he wore #19), then 1953-1967 (wearing the now retired #16). He missed 1951 and 1952 due to Army service during the Korean Conflict.

Ford is the all-time Yankees’ leader in wins (Pettitte had more overall wins, but Andy spent three years in Houston, so his Yankees’ total is less than Ford’s), innings pitched, shutouts (45). He and Pettitte are tied for most starts by a Yankees’ pitcher.

Ford has the highest winning percentage for any pitcher post-1900 who had 200 or more wins (Clayton Kershaw is higher right now, but with 175 wins).

Ford was a 10x All-Star who pitched for 11 AL Pennant winners and 6 World Champions. He has World Series records for most wins (10), losses (8), games started (22), and once threw 33 2/3 consecutive scoreless innings in WS play.

With expanded playoffs, and more chances to get knocked out of those playoffs before reaching the World Series, his WS records for wins, losses and games started may stand forever.

He led the league in wins 3x (1955, 1961, 1963) MLB in 1961
25 wins 1961, 24 in 1963
Led league in winning percentage 1956, 1961, 1963 (MLB 1961)
Led all of MLB in ERA 1956, 1958
Led league in Games started 1961, 1963 (MLB 1961)
Led league in complete games 1955 with 18
Led league in shutouts 1958, 1960 (MLB 1958)
Led league in innings pitched 1961, 1963 (MLB 1961)
Led MLB in ERA+ 1958

Won CYA 1961 when only one award was given for all of MLB (25-4, 3.21). Of course, his great 1961 season was overshadowed by his teammates, Maris and Mantle in their HR chase.

1961 World Series MVP.

Besides 1961 CYA, finished 3rd in 1956 and 3rd in 1963.

Got MVP consideration 9x, finished 5th in 1961 (Maris) and 3rd in 1963 (Howard). Two top-five MVP years for a pitcher is something.

236-106, ERA 2.75. ERA+ 133 (33% above league average for time he pitched).

162 game average 17-8, 2.75.

10-8 in 22 World Series starts. 2.71 ERA

As a hitter, hit .173 with 3 HR. 4 for 49 in WS play.

He was a second ballot Hall-of-Famer, getting 67% his first year but 77.8% (75% needed) his second year. In a way it was nice because with his 1974 induction, he went in at the same time as teammate Mickey Mantle.