Game 121. Bullpen blows it. Yanks lose to Boston 9-6.

The Yankees rallied from a 3-0 deficit to take a 6-3 lead, but the bullpen blew it as the Yanks lost to the Red Sox 9-6 Friday night.

With the loss, the division title is probably slipping away and the Yanks may have to concentrate on that top wild card spot. They are now 65-56 and five games back of Boston. Granted there are 41 games left, but…

Today doesn’t look good. You don’t know how someone will be just coming off the 10-day DL after missing a turn and that is exactly what CC Sabathia will be doing tonight. Worse yet, the Yanks are facing Chris Sale, who just owns them.

Even worse…. the struggles of Aroldis Chapman continued last night, and he appears lost and his confidence appears shattered. Not good.

Jordan Montgomery started and was ok. He did give up a 2-run HR in the second and a solo shot in the fifth. Not good, but not terrible.

The Yanks got back into the game on a 2-run HR by Todd Frazier (20) in the sixth, then got four runs in the seventh.

Gary Sanchez tied the game with his 23rd HR of the season. Ronald Torreyes singled in two, and Aaron Hicks was HBP (he was hit twice in the game) with the bases loaded to force in another run. 6-3 Yanks.

Then the bullpen imploded. The Yanks gave up four in the bottom of the seventh to blow the lead and another two in the eighth to give Boston some insurance.

On MLB, they correctly criticized the Yanks for a couple of things.

1. Tommy Kahnle, who has a 98 MPH fastball, threw three changeups to one hitter and got beat on a change with two strikes on the batter. If you are going to get beat, get beat on your best pitch.
2. Yankees’ pitchers frequently got two strikes on Red Sox hitters but couldn’t put them away.
3. Chapman, after giving up a hit and runs, stood disconsolate and lost on the mound and didn’t run to back up home plate as he should. His body language, both on the mound and walking off of it after the inning was over, was terrible. His ERA is now over 4.00…. terrible for a closer.
4. Offensively, they could have done more. They were 1 for 11 with RISP. They blew some chances to put the game away.

Aaron Judge tied a MLB record for most consecutive games striking out.

Brett Gardner and Chase Headley each had three hits. Todd Frazier 2 hits, 2 RBI. 2 RBI for Torreyes.

One good news for an ex-Yankee. Derek and Hannah Jeter became parents of a baby girl, Bella Raine Jeter, on Thursday.

Montgomery 5 IP, 3 R, 4 H, 2 W, 3 K. Gave up 2 HR. 4.00
Green 1 1/3 IP, 2 R, 1 H, 2 W,  1 K. 2.25
Kahnle (BS, 6; L, 2-4, 2.61) 2/3 IP, 2 R, 3 H, 1 W, 0 K.
Chapman 1 IP, 2 R, 2 H, 1 W, 1 K. 4.29 

Time to refocus. Winning the division would be nice. But five back, 41 to go, concentrate on not blowing the playoff spot.

Game 120. Sweep the Mets, Sweep the Mets, step right up and Sweep the Mets!

I hope I don’t have to pay copyright infringement on the Mets’ theme song. LOL.

The Yanks swept the Subway Series from the Mets, 7-5 tonight, to improve to 65-55. 4 back of Boston in the AL East, still in control of the top wild card spot.

They face Boston in Fenway this weekend.

Gary Sanchez drove in 5 runs.

In the first, he hit a 3-run HR. (22)

In the fourth, Tyler Austin (just called up b/c Garrett Cooper was put on the DL w/a hamstring problem) singled. Austin was 2 for 4 tonight. Torreyes singled and Severino was called upon to bunt. Even though he popped up the bunt, it was missed, and Severino got his first MLB hit to load the bases with no one out. Gardner doubled in two. Hicks grounded out softly, no advance. Judge was HBP to reload the bases and Sanchez singled in two to put the Yanks up 7-0.

The Mets got an unearned run in the seventh on a two-base error by Judge, WP by Severino (brilliant tonight) and RBI single.

So the Yanks took a 7-1 lead into the ninth. Garbage time for Bryan Mitchell, who was garbage, getting no one out. Double, Single, Walk loads the bases and Ex-Yankee Curtis Granderson hits a grand slam to make it 7-5 and send Mitchell out, Betances in, and Betances finishes off the sweep of the Metropolitans.

Severino 6 1/3 IP, 1 R, unearned, 4 H, 3 W, 9 K. (W, 10-5, 3.18)
Shreve 1 2/3 IP, 0 R, 0 H, 1 W, 3 K. 2.70
Mitchell 0 IP, 4 R, 3 H, 1 W, 0 K. 4.67 Gave up a grand slam.
Betances (S, 8) 1 IP, 0 R, 0 H, 0 W 0 K 2.15.

Imagine how scary Aaron Judge (3 K tonight) could be if he cut his strikeouts by 25-30%????

Gardner 2 RBI
Sanchez 2 hits, HR (22), 5 RBI
Gregorius 2 hits, .311
Austin 2 hits.

 

 

Game 109. Yanks “Chase” losing streak away with 2-1 win.

Chase Headley’s sixth HR of the year broke a 1-1 tie in the top of the eighth, enabling the Yanks to snap their 4-game losing streak with a 2-1 win over Cleveland Saturday night.

The win puts the Yanks at 58-51. Unfortunately, they don’t pick up ground on Boston, who won as well.

In the first, the Yanks scored on a walk to Gardner, and after an out, a single by Judge and double by Didi. But with runners on 2nd and 3rd, no out, they could not tack on.

Jordan Montgomery gave up a HR in the second which tied the game for some time to come.

Chase Headley’s sixth HR of the year put the Yankees up 2-1 in the eighth and was the deciding blow.

Brett Gardner and Ronald Torreyes each made great defensive plays in the ninth to save the game. One other ball was hit just foul, or it would have tied the game. A scary ninth for Chapman.

After Joe Girardi ripped Gary Sanchez for his defense, Sanchez DH’d tonight. Romine caught. Not only that, Matt Holliday has back issues that may force him to the DL.

The Yanks won despite striking out 15x tonight.

They must be trying to limit Montgomery’s innings and pitch count. He only went 5 innings and 65 pitches, and retired his last nine batters, but he appears to be hitting his innings limit, thus the quick hook. But… overusing the bullpen? Will they be taxed later down the stretch run?  You wonder.

Montgomery 5 IP, 1 R, 3 H, 0 W, 7 K. Gave up 1 HR. Great job, 4.05
Robertson (W, 5-2, 2.55) 2 IP, 0 R, 0 H, 0 W, 2 K. 2.55
Betances (H, 15) 1 IP, 0 R, 0 H, 0 W, 2 K. 2.41
Chapman (S, 14) 1 IP, 0 R, 1 H, 0 W, 1 K. 2.87

 

Game 108. Yanks lose 4th in a row, 7-2.

Jaime Garcia’s Yankees’ debut didn’t go well as the Yanks lost their fourth straight game, 7-2.

The loss puts the Yanks at 57-51 at the 2/3rd mark of the season, meaning they are on an 85/86 win pace.

They fell to 3 games behind Boston in the AL East. They still hold the top wild card spot.

The Yanks picked up a lot of pitching help at the trade deadline, but the bats have gone dead lately. Before the All Star Break, they averaged 5.4 runs per game. Since? 4.0.

Gary Sanchez needs to work a bit on his defense. One of the two runs Cleveland scored in the second inning came courtesy of Sanchez’ 12th passed ball of the season.

Sanchez’ passed ball was part of some sloppiness the Yanks have shown defensively over the past few games. Aaron Judge made an error in the third inning, an inning where Cleveland scored two more runs to make it 4-0. Both Garcia and Chad Green threw wild pitches in the game.

UPDATE: Joe Girardi called out Sanchez’ sloppy defense after the game.

Todd Frazier homered (18) in the fifth to put the Yanks on the board, but they left the bases loaded. Cleveland came back with two more runs in the bottom of the inning to make it 6-1.

Cleveland got a run in the eighth and Brett Gardner’s RBI single in the ninth for the Yanks accounted for the final score of 7-2.

Five different Yanks had two hits, but the Yanks were not bunching them at the right times. Rookie Clint Frazier is another who has cooled off lately. He isn’t alone.

Garcia (L, 5-8, 4.49) 4 2/3 IP, 6 R, 5 ER, 5 H, 4 W, 4 K.
Green 2 1/3 IP, 0 R, 1 H, 0 W, 5 K. 1.74. Green has been superb this year.
Kahnle 1 IP, 1 R, 2 H, 0 W, 1 K. 2.44

 

 

Game 105. Tigers edge Yanks, 4-3.

CC Sabathia gave up a 3-run HR in the second inning, a solo HR in the third, and Detroit held on to beat the Yankees 4-3 on Tuesday night.

All the Yankees’ runs came via Didi Gregorius. He hit a 2-run HR (17) in the fourth, and had an RBI single in the eighth inning.

The loss drops the 57-48 Yankees out of first place in the AL East. They are now 1/2 game behind Boston.

Wednesday’s game is an afternoon game.

Aaron Judge’s slump continues. Since the 4th of July, Judge is .192-6-12, with 34 strikeouts in 78 at bats. It has dropped his batting average from .329 to .299. Hopefully he adjusts and gets his second wind soon.

Gary Sanchez and Matt Holliday each had two hits.

Sabathia (L, 9-4, 3.81) 6 IP, 4 R, 6 H, 1 W, 3 K. Gave up 2 HR.
Warren 2 IP, 0 R, 0 H, 1 W, 1 K. 1.97
Robertson 1 IP, 0 R, 3 H, 0 W, 2 K. 2.68

Brett Gardner threw a runner out at the plate in the ninth.

Cessa was sent down for Holder recently, and Holder and Cooper were then sent down to make room for Gray and Garcia.

Game 102. Another Walkoff win for Yanks, 5-4.

Friends from Pinstripe Mania were there today to see the Yanks beat the Rays in walk off fashion 5-4.

Rumors still surround Sonny Gray. One thing is for sure. Down the stretch, Caleb Smith or Luis Cessa are not the answer. No disrespect intended.

Caleb Smith gave up a HR to the first batter he faced. 1-0. Rays.

The Yanks tied it in the second on a double by Sanchez, groundout and SF by Didi.

Run in the third for the Rays, 2-1.

Gary Sanchez tied it in the bottom of the fourth, 2-2. HR #16 for Gary.

The Yanks need to get another starter w/Pineda out. Smith (3rd MLB game, 2nd MLB start) was pulled in the fourth. You can’t have that. You can’t burn your bullpen every five days. The Yanks won this game, but…. The non-waiver trade deadline is Monday at 4 PM. See below for some news on some potential moves.

Adam Warren gave up a HR in the fifth. 3-2 Rays.

The Yanks took the lead 4-3 in the sixth on a PH, 2-run HR by Chase Headley. It was Headley’s fifth HR of the season and first in six weeks.

David Robertson gave up a HR in the eighth to Lucas Duda, his second in two games since joining the Rays from the Mets, and the game was tied.

In the bottom of the ninth, Headley walked, and Ellsbury PR for him and stole second. Todd Frazier was HBP and Ronald Torreyes beat out his bunt for a single to load the bases. Gardner then singled to win the game.

Smith 3 1/3 IP, 2 R, 3 H, 3 W, 4 K. Gave up 1 HR. 7.20
Warren 1 2/3 IP, 1 R, 1 H, 0 W, 1 K. Gave up 1 HR. 2.06
Betances 1 IP, 0 R, 0 H, 1 W, 1 K. 2.68
Kahnle (H, 9)  1 IP, 0 R, 2 H, 0 W, 2 K. 2.18
Robertson (BS, 2) 1 IP, 1 R, 2 H, 0 W, 1 K. Gave up 1 HR. 2.75
Chapman (W, 4-1, 3.03) 1 IP, 0 R, 0 H, 0 W, 1 K.

The Yanks improve to  56-46 and remain 1/2 game ahead of Boston, in first place in the AL East.

Zack Littell has been scratched from his Sunday start at AA. MLB Trade rumors reports that the Yanks may be close to getting Jaime Garcia from the Twins. The Twins just got him from the Braves, but instead of staying in the race, the Twins are falling out so they may now trade Garcia.

What is most interesting is that MLBTR states that getting Garcia would NOT keep the Yanks from pursuing Sonny Gray.

Gray & Garcia? Stay tuned.

Game 101. Tanaka gem puts Yanks back in first. 6-1.

This is the Masahiro Tanaka the Yanks expected this year, and this is the Tanaka the Yanks hope they got back from here on in.

Tanaka was absolutely brilliant tonight, retiring the first 17 batters he faced, going 8 innings, giving up just 1 run on 2 hits and striking out 14.

With the 6-1 win over the Rays, and because Boston lost, the Yanks regained first place by 1/2 game over Boston. The Yanks are now 55-46.

Brett Gardner led off the bottom of the first with a HR (19). He became the third Yankee to end a game on a walkoff HR and leadoff the next game with a HR. The others were Roberto Kelly in 1990 and HOF Joe Gordon in 1940.

Aaron Judge hit a HR in the fourth (33) to make it 2-0.

In the fifth, Clint Frazier hit a 455 ft. HR (4), a 3-run shot, to make it 5-0. I don’t know how, when Aaron Hicks returns, you send the kid down. He’s given this team a jolt.

Tanaka gave up a HR to Lucas Duda, who the Rays just got from the Mets, in the seventh to make it 5-1.

In the eighth, Didi Gregorius singled in a run to make it 6-1. It could have been two runs, but Gary Sanchez, the second runner attempting to score, was gunned down at the plate.

Tanaka (W, 8-9, 5.09) 8 IP, 1 R, 2 H, 0 W, 14 K. Gave up 1 HR.
Robertson 1 IP, 0 R, 0 H, 0 W, 1 K. 2.58.