Game 67. Un”Happ”y night. Yanks blow 4-0 lead, lose 5-4.

Before the game, the Yanks placed Kendrys Morales on the IL and sent down Stephen Tarpley. They brought back up Nestor Cortes, Jr. and Mike Tauchman.

With Aaron Judge and Giancarlo Stanton due off the IL soon, you wonder if, when Morales recovers, they’ll just DFA him then.

As for the game, disappointing. The Yanks (41-26) blew a 4-0 lead in losing 5-4 to the Chicago White Sox.

J.A. Happ’s season has been disappointing so far, and last night was no exception. Staked to a 4-0 lead after three innings, Happ had to escape a bases-loaded jam in the fourth, then in the fifth gave up a walk, single, double that cut the lead to 4-1, then a 3-run HR that tied it.

The Yanks had scored two runs in the second when Didi Gregorius and Gleyber Torres singled and after a forceout by Brett Gardner, a WP moved both runners up, scoring Didi. Clint Frazier singled in Gardner to make it 2-0.

Gardner made it 4-0 in the fourth with a 2-run HR (11). The Yanks didn’t score again.

Adam Ottavino gave up a HR in the seventh to make it 5-4.

Tampa Bay lost, so the Yanks maintained their 1/2 a game lead in the AL East, but still….

A disappointing night.

Gregorius 2 hits
Torres 2 hits.
Gardner 2-run HR (11)
Frazier 3 hits, RBI

Happ 5 IP, 4 R, 5 H, 4 W, 2 K. Gave up 1 HR. 4.66
Kahnle 1 IP, 0 R, 0 H, 1 W, 2 K.  2.70
Ottavino (L, 2-2, 1.80) 2/3 IP, 1 R, 2 H, 1 W, 2 K.  Gave up 1 HR.
Holder 1 1/3 IP, 0 R, 0 H, 1 W, 1 K.  4.68

I’ll be interested to see what pitching moves will be made soon (trade?). So far this month the pitching has been disappointing. The starters aren’t giving length, either, and the bullpen gets overworked.

The Yanks need a couple of games soon where a starter gives them 7 or 8 strong innings, not just five.

For a time last night, we thought last night could or should have been it.

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Games 65 & 66. Yanks regain share of first with a DH Split vs. Mets.

Game 1: Masahiro Tanaka got through one bad inning, pitching into the seventh, as the Yanks pounded the Mets, 12-5.

The Yanks went up 1-0 in the second on a double by Didi Gregorius and an RBI single by Kendrys Morales.

Tanaka gave up 4 runs in the third, inc. a 3-run HR to put the Mets up 4-1.

In the bottom of the third, the Yanks got one back when Brett Gardner singled, he and D.J. LeMahieu were safe all around on an error, and with two out, Gary Sanchez singled to make it 4-2.

The Yanks got five in the fourth on a 2-run HR by Gio Urshela (5) and a 3-run bomb by Luke Voit (16).

With two out in the fifth, the Yanks tacked on two more runs on a double by Morales, RBI single by Urshela, and RBI triple by Gardner. 9-4.

After the Mets scored a run in the top of the sixth to cut it to 9-5, the Yanks got a run in the seventh when Clint Frazier and Urshela each doubled.

Sanchez hit a 2-run HR (20) in the bottom of the eighth for the final score of 12-5.

Voit 3-run HR (16)
Sanchez 2 hits, 3 RBI, 2-run HR (20)
Gregorius 2 hits
Morales 3 hits, RBI
Urshela 3 hits, 4 RBI, 2-run HR (5)
Gardner 2 hits, RBI

Tanaka (W, 4-5, 3.58) 6 2/3 IP, 5 R, 4 ER, 7 H, 0 W, 7 K. Gave up 1 HR.
Kahnle 1/3 IP, 0 R, 0 H, 0 W, 1 K.  2.81
Hale 2 IP, 0 R, 2 H, 0 W, 1 K.  2.57.

Game 2: You worry about the Yanks’ pitching and their health and if they need or will get another pitcher. German on the IL for now, Tanaka’s elbow, CC’s knee, Severino and Montgomery haven’t pitched at all this year, Loaisiga on IL, and with Game 2’s starter, James Paxton, you wonder if his knee is affecting him. In his last two starts, Paxton’s ERA has gone from 2.81 to 4.04.

He was knocked out in the third. After just 11 pitches, the Mets, who won this game 10-4, were up 3-0 after a double, single, and 3-run HR.

The Mets tacked on three more in the third, knocking Paxton out of the box.

The Yanks got three in the bottom of the third to cut it to 6-3. LeMahieu singled, Voit walked. Sanchez singled to load the bases. Gleyber Torres singled in one run, and forceouts by Frazier and Urshela brought in two more.

But a 2-run HR off of Chance Adams in the fourth made it 8-3 Mets.

Adams, the “26th man” for the DH (and therefore going back down after the game), gave up another HR in the fifth, 9-3.

Stephen Tarpley gave up a run in the top of the ninth, 10-3 Mets.

Brett Gardner homered (10) in the bottom of the ninth for the final score of 10-4 Mets.

LeMahieu 2 hits, .316
Sanchez 2 hits
Torres 2 hits, RBI
Gardner 2 hits, solo HR (10)

Paxton (L, 3-3, 4.04) 2 2/3 IP, 6 R, 7 H, 2 W, 1 K. Gave up 1 HR.
Adams 4 1/3 IP, 3 R, 2 ER, 3 H, 3 W, 3 K. Gave up 2 HR.  3.97
Cessa 1 IP, 0 R, 0 H, 0 W, 0 K.  5.10
Tarpley 1 IP, 1 R, 1 H, 0 W, 2 K.  8.53

Dellin Betances has been shut down for a few weeks. Lat issue.

The Yanks could be getting Giancarlo Stanton and Aaron Judge back in about a week to two weeks.

First round draft pick Anthony Volpe (SS) has signed with the Yankees.

With the split, the Yanks (41-25) are tied for first with Tampa Bay. They are off Wednesday.

Game 64. A sloppy win, 7-6 in 10. Also, news on Lucchesi, Big Papi.

The Yanks (40-24) tried their best to blow this game. Their best relievers failed, and it was up to a rookie, who arrived at 4 AM after a seven-hour or so drive via cab or Uber (don’t know which; UPDATE: Yanks arranged a SUV for the 6 1/2 hour, 375 mile drive), to save the day.

But in the end, they won 7-6 in 10 innings over Cleveland and maintained their first place tie with Tampa Bay.

Before the game, the Yanks had to place Domingo German on the IL (hip) and recall Stephen Tarpley. Tarpley is the one who had to make the trip in the wee small hours of the morning.

Now we know that German didn’t “hit a wall” per se, but that something was physically wrong the past few starts.

Forced to use an opener again (Tanaka’s start pushed back a day due to his wife giving birth), the Yanks got 5 runs in the second inning. With two out, Clint Frazier singled and Brett Gardner homered (9). Gio Urshela walked and Cameron Maybin singled. D.J. LeMahieu singled in a run, 3-0. Then a WP and a walk to Aaron Hicks loaded the bases. Luke Voit doubled in two runs, 5-0. Gary Sanchez walked to reload the bases but Gleyber Torres flied out.

Chad Green, the opener, and Nestor Cortes, Jr.Greg combined to shut out the Indians for five innings, but in the bottom of the sixth, Tommy Kahnle gave up 4 runs on 2 HR and it was 5-4.

In the seventh, Adam Ottavino gave up a HR that tied the game at 5.

In the top of the ninth, with one out, Luke Voit singled and Gary Sanchez doubled. Gleyber Torres was inentionally walked to possibly set up a DP but Clint Frazier hit a SF to put the Yanks up 6-5.

But in the bottom of the ninth, Aroldis Chapman gave up a single, made and error on a pickoff attempt, and then walked the next batter. He rebounded to get two outs and then had two strikes on the next batter. One strike away, and then a ground ball to SS. Didi Gregorius, who didn’t start the game but who was in for defensive purposes, booted it for a two-base error and the tying run scored. Chapman then got out of the inning.

With one out in the tenth, Maybin doubled, and one out later, Hicks doubled to put the Yanks up 7-6.

Tarpley, who made that long trip hours earlier, struck out the side in the bottom of the tenth to earn his first MLB save.

Tarpley, you’ll recall, had a great spring training before getting roughed up earlier in the season, causing him to be sent down to SWB.

LeMahieu 2 hits, RBI (.321)
Hicks GW RBI double
Voit 2 hits, 2 RBI
Frazier 2 hits, RBI
Gardner 2-run HR (9)
Maybin 2 hits

Green 2 IP, 0 R, 1 H, 1 W, 3 K.  8.27
Cortes, Jr.  3 IP, 0 R, 0 H, 0 W, 2 K.  3.86
Kahnle 1 IP, 4 R, 4 H, 0 W, 1 K.  2.84   Gave up 2 HR.
Ottavino (BS, 3) 1 IP, 1 R, 1 H, 0 W, 0 K.  1.53  Gave up 1 HR
Britton 1 IP, 0 R, 0 H, 1 W, 0 K.  2.86
Chapman (W, 1-1, 1.40; BS, 2) 1 IP, 1 R, 0 ER, 1 H, 1 W, 1 K.
Tarpley (S, 1) 1 IP, 0 R, 0 H, 0 W, 3 K.  First MLB save.

The Yanks now play the Mets for two games in Yankee Stadium.

In other baseball news…

Frank Lucchesi died at the age of 92. Lucchesi managed the Phillies (1970-1972), Rangers (1975-1977, taking over for Billy Martin) and Cubs (1987). He was the last manager for the Phillies while they played at old Connie Mack Stadium. He also was the manager that Lenny Randle assaulted in 1977 when Randle took umbrage at how Luchessi was managing him. Luchessi’s managerial record was 316-399, a .442 winning pct., which averages to a 72-90 season.

Ex-Red Sox star David Ortiz (Big Papi) is in stable condition after being shot in the Dominican Republic. From MLB.com:

Retired Red Sox slugger David Ortiz was shot and wounded at an amusement center in his hometown of Santo Domingo on Sunday but was in stable condition and expected to be OK, his agent Fernando Cuza told MLB.com’s Jesse Sanchez.

Ortiz’s father, Leo Ortiz, also addressed reporters and said doctors anticipate a full recovery.

…

confirmed that he sustained a gunshot wound to the lower back/abdominal region…..

(FROM ESPN) The team had to remove part of Ortiz’s intestines and colon, as well as his gallbladder. Ortiz suffered liver damage. He was shot at a club in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic. Authorities say Ortiz was ambushed by a man who got off a motorcycle and shot him in the back at nearly point-blank range.

 

 

Game 63. Yanks skid continues with 8-4 loss. Drops them into a tie for first.

The script was set. CC Sabathia could win #250 at Cleveland, where his career began.

It didn’t work out that way, as the skidding Yanks (39-24, lost five of their last six) lost 8-4. With Tampa Bay splitting a DH with Boston, the Yanks and Rays are now tied for first with Boston 6 back.

It started out well when Didi Gregorius hit his first HR of the season, a 2-run shot, in the first inning.

CC threw three shutout innings but then gave up 2 runs in the fourth, and a 2-run HR in the fifth.

Jonathan Holder came in for the sixth and gave up 3 runs on 2 HR.

The Yanks made in 7-4 in the seventh. Didi singled and went to second on an error. Gleyber Torres doubled Didi home. Kendrys Morales grounded out, moving Torres to third, and Clint Frazier walked. Gio Urshela hit a SF to bring in Torres.

Cleveland scored an insurance run in the eighth.

Brett Gardner, in a fit of frustration, threw his helmet and it bounced back at him. Six stitches in his lower lip.

Masahiro Tanaka won’t start Sunday’s game. He has been placed on paternity leave and Nestor Cortes has been recalled.

LeMahieu 2 hits (.320)
Didi 2 hits, 2-run HR (1), 2 RBI

Sabathia (L, 3-3, 3.96) 5 IP, 4 R, 7 H, 1 W, 5 K. Gave up 1 HR.?
Holder 1 IP, 3 R, 3 H, 0 W, 2 K. Gave up 2 HR.  4.88
Cessa 2 IP, 1 R, 2 H, 1 W, 1 K.   5.28

Hopefully the ship gets righted soon.

Game 53. Yanks piece it together, win 5-2.

The Yanks (35-18) had to employ the “opener” again, but pieced it together for a 5-2 win over the Padres Memorial Day afternoon.

Chad Green opened and struck out the side in the first.

David Hale replaced him and went the next four innings, giving up 2 runs in the second inning, to pick up his first major league win since 2015.

Then it was Ottavino, Kahnle, Britton and Chapman to close it out.

After Hale gave up the two runs in the top of the second, the Yanks came right back with three runs of their own.

With one out, Clint Frazier hit his 10th HR of the season, Gio Urshela walked, and one out later, Brett Gardner’s 8th HR of the year, a 2-run HR, made it 3-2 Yankees.

It stayed that way until the eighth, when with one out, Gary Sanchez hit his 16th HR of the year to make it 4-2. Gleyber Torres then doubled, and Cameron Maybin singled. An error by the RF on Maybin’s single allowed both runners to take an extra base. 5-2 Yankees, the final score.

Although Green did great (3 up, 3 down, all K) , I do wonder how much more of the “opener” I can take. Paxton will come back Wednesday, CC possibly next Sunday.

The opener and bullpen usage today explains the moves of the day before.

Sanchez solo HR (16)
Frazier 2 hits, solo HR (10)
Gardner 2-run HR  (8)

Green 1 IP, 0 R, 0 H, 0 W, 3 K.   11.30
Hale (W, 1-0, 3.38) 4 IP, 2 R, 3 H, 1 W, 4 K.
Ottavino (H, 12) 1 IP, 0 R, 2 H, 0 W, 1 K.  1.42
Kahnle (H, 9) 1 IP, 0 R, 0 H, 0 W, 2 K.  1.64
Britton (H, 11) 1 IP, 0 R, 0 H, 0 W, 1 K.  2.22
Chapman (S, 15) 1 IP, 0 R, 1 H, 0 W, 0 K.  1.66

Bill Buckner, unfortunately mostly known for that one play that ended Game 6 of the 1986 WS, passed away at the age of 69. He played for the Dodgers 1969-1976, Cubs 1977-1984, Red Sox 1984-1987, Angels 1987-1988, Royals 1988-1989 and back with the Red Sox 1990.

He played for the Dodgers in the 1974 WS as well as for the Red Sox in the 1986 WS.

A 1x All-Star (1981), he got MVP consideration 5x, and finished 10th in the MVP voting in 1981 and 1982. He led the league in doubles 2x and won the NL batting title in 1980. He drove in 100 or more runs in a season 3x.

He played LF, RF and 1B, and had 2715 hits in his career, and a .289 batting average. His 162 g. average was .289-11-78, OPS+ 100. He played in 4 decades (1969-1990).

Games 50 and 51. Yanks sweep DH in KC, 7-3 and 6-5.

The Yanks (34-17) swept a DH in KC yesterday, winning the first (day) game 7-3 and the second (night) game 6-5. With the wins, the Yankees have won seven in a row and have opened up a 3-game lead in the AL East over the Rays, 7 1/2 over Boston.

In the first game, the Yanks scored two runs in the first on a two-run double by Clint Frazier.

They made it 3-0 in the sixth when Brett Gardner tripled and scored on a SF by Gio Urshela.

J.A. Happ, pitching a great game to that point, got victimized by the long ball in the bottom of the sixth. In that inning, he gave up 3 of the 4 hits he gave up, including a 3-run HR that tied the game. Billy Hamilton started everything off for KC with a bunt single.

But in the top of the seventh, Luke Voit hit a 470 ft. bomb. HR #13 of the season gave the Yanks a 5-3 lead.

A two-run double by Thairo Estrada in the eighth gave the Yanks a 7-3 cushion, the final score.

Voit 2 hits, 2 RBI. 2-run HR (13)
Frazier 2 RBI
Gardner 3 hits
Estrada 2 hits, 2 RBI

Happ (W, 4-3, 5.09) 6 IP, 3 R, 4 H, 0 W, 10 K. Gave up 1 HR. Good except for that sixth.
Ottavino (H, 11) 1 IP, 0 R, 0 H, 0 W, 0 K.   1.48
Cessa 2 IP, 0 R, 2 H, 0 W, 1 K.  3.33

In the second game, Chance Adams earned his first major league victory in the Yankees’ 6-5 win.

Chad Green started as the “opener” and his struggles this year continued as he gave up a run in his only inning of work.

The Yanks bounced right back with five in the top of the top of the second to take a 5-1 lead. Kendrys Morales singled, Frazier walked, and Urshela singled to load the bases with no one out. Austin Romine singled up the middle for two runs, Urshela going to third on an error. Cameron Maybin doubled in two runs. D.J. LeMahieu singled in Maybin.

The Yanks made it 6-1 in the third, then had to hold on for the 6-5 win. In the third, with one out, Frazier walked again. With two out, Romine singled Frazier to third and Maybin singled Frazier in.

Adams pitched better than his line. Two balls hit to the outfield were misplayed by Gardner and Frazier, and another dropped when neither saw the ball in the lights/dusky sky.

KC got one in the third, two in the fourth and their final run in the ninth to keep the game tight.

Romine 3 hits, 2 RBI
Maybin 2 hits, 3 RBI

Green 1 IP, 1 R, 3 H, 0 W, 0 K.  12.15
Adams (W, 1-0, 3.86) 4 IP, 3 R, 5 H, 1 W, 3 K.
Holder (H, 2) 1 IP, 0 R, 0 H, 0 W, 1 K. 4.68
Kahnle (H, 8) 1 IP, 0 R, 0 H, 0 W, 1 K.  1.71
Britton (H, 10) 1 IP, 0 R, 1 H, 0 W, 1 K.  2.31
Chapman (S, 14) 1 IP, 1 R, 0 ER, 0 H, 1 W, 1 K.  1.74

Adams was the 26th man, used just for the DH, and goes back down to SWB now.

Game 48. Yanks power past O’s 7-5. Sanchez and Torres at it again. Looks like CC to DL.

It is unbelievable how much Gleyber Torres (10 of his 12 HR) and Gary Sanchez (9 of his 15 HR) have owned Baltimore pitching this season.

Last night, Torres hit 2 HR, Sanchez one, and were joined by Thairo Estrada and D.J. LeMahieu as the Yanks (31-17) hit 5 HR in beating Baltimore 7-5.

With one out in the second, Brett Gardner hit the first of his 3 doubles on the night, and with two out, Estrada hit a 2-run HR (3). Cameron Maybin then walked and LeMahieu then hit his fourth HR of the season. 4-0 Yanks.

Torres made it 5-0 in the third with his eleventh HR of the season.

Baltimore got a run in the bottom of the third off of CC Sabathia.

Sanchez homered (15) in the top of the fourth to make it 6-1.

Baltimore got an unearned run in the bottom of the fourth (Torres’ error) to make it 6-2.

Torres hit his second HR of the game (12) in the top of the fifth to make it 7-2.

Then things got hairy. CC got lit up in the fifth inning, and I was surprised manager Aaron Boone even let him finish the inning. But it happened so fast Boone most likely didn’t have time to get anyone warmed up.

Even the outs were hit hard. CC gave up a HR to Richie Martin (his first MLB HR) to lead off the inning. The next batter flied out deep to right. Then a double. Then a lineout that LeMahieu at third made a great play on. Then a HR. 7-5. Double. Single, but instead of it being 7-6, Gardner threw the runner out at the plate.

CC barely made it through 5 for the win, #249 of his career (tying Vic Willis on the all-time list), but his knee has been barking recently. It looks as if he will be getting a lubricating injection in the knee and will be going on the DL for a while. We’ll see if it’s just one start he misses, or more.

We’ll have to see who his replacement would be. Remember Loaisiga is out until August, and Paxton isn’t off the DL yet.

There was no further scoring in the game.

Baltimore is on pace to give up about 338 HR this season(!)

LeMahieu 2 hits, 2-run HR (4), .329
Sanchez 2 hits, solo HR (15)
Torres 2 solo HR (12)  .302
Gardner 3 doubles, threw runner out at plate
Estrada 2 hits, 2-run HR (3),  .316

CC (W, 3-1, 3.48) 5 IP, 5 R, 4 ER, 6 H, 2 W, 7 K. 1 HBP. Gave up 2 HR.
Kahnle (H, 7) 1 IP, 0 R, 1 H, 0 W, 2 K.  1.42
Ottavino (H, 10) 1 IP, 0 R, 0 H, 1 W, 1 K.  1.54
Green (H, 3) 1 IP, 0 R, 0 H, 0 W, 2 K. 1 HBP.  12.41
Chapman (S, 13) 1 IP, 0 R, 0 H, 1 W, 1 K.  1.83.

I have to admit, there were a few things I was surprised at. One was Green in the eighth with the game close. Britton was unavailable. But Green, the way he’s pitched so far this year? But he did well and hopefully is turning the corner.

The other was the infield. I’d have moved LeMahieu to 1B (replacing Morales there) and put Urshela at 3B late in the game for defensive purposes (and Kenny Singleton suggested such on the WPIX TV broadcast) but that wasn’t done.

In other news: When the Yanks and Red Sox play 2 games (Boston “home” team) in London in late June, both will be wearing their home uniforms. The field will be astroturf. It’ll be 330′ down the lines, but only 385′ to CF with a 16′ high wall. Wembley Stadium may be a hitters’ ballpark.