Game 93. Yanks do big (4 HR) and small things in beating Phils, 6-4.

When you look at the Yankees’ win (6-4) over the Phillies last night, it’s easy to look at the four homers that were hit. But to me, most impressive was the little things that Greg Allen and rookie Estevan Florial did in the victory.

Both players are filling in while others are on the IL or Covid-IL.

Florial was brought up earlier in the day when Trey Amburgey (hamstring) had to go on the IL. This was his third MLB game.

The Phillies struck first when Rhys Hoskins hit a HR in the second inning off of Yankees’ starter Domingo German.

The Yanks tied it in the bottom of the third. Allen tripled, and Florial got him in with a groundout to second. Just doing the little things to get the run in.

The Phils got a run in the fourth to go up 2-1. They were helped by a balk by German, and ex-Yankee Ronald Torreyes doubled in the run.

The Yanks went up 3-2 in the fifth. Allen walked and stole second. He moved up to third when Florial flied out (doing the little things). I would have liked to have seen Tyler Wade squeeze home the run there, but he swung away and lined out to SS (to ex-Yankee Didi Gregorius). Gregorius tried to double Allen off of third but made a throwing error that allowed Allen to score. Brett Gardner followed that with a HR (4).

Gary Sanchez homered (17) in the sixth to make it 4-2 Yankees.

In the top of the seventh, Chad Green got out of a bases-loaded, one-out jam with a couple of strikeouts, the last one to Didi.

In the bottom of the seventh, Giancarlo Stanton homered (16) to put the Yanks up 5-2.

The Phillies got a run in the top of the eighth to cut it to 5-3, and it was Torreyes who got the inning going for them.

In the bottom of the eighth, Florial hit his first MLB HR to put the Yanks up 6-3.

Aroldis Chapman gave up a HR in the ninth to Andrew McCutchen (another ex-Yankee playing for the Phils, managed by, you guessed it, ex-Yankee Joe Girardi) that made the score 6-4 before closing out the game.

With the win, the Yanks, 49-44, are in a virtual tie for third, 7 games back. After tonight’s game with the Phils, they have four games at Fenway against Boston, followed by three in Tampa Bay. These games are right before the trade deadline.

I won’t write about rumors, but if the Yanks do make deals, I’ll write about the deal and my reaction to it.

Gardner solo HR (4)
Stanton 2 hits, solo HR (16)
Sanchez 2 hits, solo HR (17)
Florial 2 RBI, solo HR (1) FIRST MLB HR


German 4 IP, 2 R, 3 H, 3 W, 5 K. 1 Balk. Gave up 1 HR. 4.71
Cessa (W, 3-1) 1 1/3 IP, 0 R, 0 H, 2 W, 1 K. 2.89
Luetge (H, 3) 1 IP, 0 R, 2 H, 1 W, 1 K. 1 WP. 3.25
Green (H, 13) 2/3 IP, 0 R, 0 H, 1 W, 2 K. 2.76
Britton (H, 2) 1 IP, 1 R, 3 H, 0 W, 1 K. 6.00
Chapman (S, 17) 1 IP, 1 R, 1 H, 0 W, 3 K. Gave up 1 HR. 4.41

The Yanks are bringing up Asher Wojciechowski for a spot start tonight vs. the Phils.

Game 65. Yanks need to reassess things after a 7-0 loss.

The Yankees are off today, before starting a three-game set in Buffalo against the Toronto Blue Jays.

That doesn’t mean they should take the day off, especially ownership and the front office.

This team needs a reassessment. A total shakeup and breakdown starting at the top. A 7-0 loss yesterday to the Phillies puts the Yankees at 33-32, barely above .500, in 4th place in their division out of five teams, and 8 1/2 back of the first place Tampa Bay Rays.

It’s serious look in the mirror time.

It’s not just this year. Yes, the Yanks made the extended postseason last year, but the record wasn’t great. 33-27 plus this year’s 33-32 means that they are 66-59 in their last 125 games. That isn’t a small sample size, but a significant one. 66-59 isn’t excellent, or even good. It’s above average. And this team is supposed to be better than above average.

There are certain moves the Yankees cannot do because of contract limitations. Understood. But moves need to be made. This cannot continue.

Once again, the Yanks got into an early 4-0 hole. This time after two innings. They only got four hits in the game, two by D.J. LeMahieu.

With the two-game sweep of the Yanks this weekend, ex-manager Joe Girardi had the last laugh, you may say.

The Yanks looked flat. They played awful. There was another atrocious baserunning mistake (Odor). Even sure-handed LeMahieu made a sloppy error. Manager Aaron Boone snapped at one reporter’s question in the postgame press conference.

There is a lot of frustration, and it’s among everyone, players, front office, and fans.

Something needs to be done, or this team may be double-digits behind soon (they are 8 1/2 back now) and this season could be over very soon. I don’t see a 1978-like comeback in this team.

There isn’t much more to write. This team needs a major shakeup.

LeMahieu 2 hits (of the 4 the Yanks got).

German (L, 4-4) 4 1/3 IP, 7 R, 10 H, 1 W, 2 K. 3.88
Peralta 2/3 IP, 0 R, 1 H, 0 W, 0 K. 4.43 (combined SF/NYY ERA)
Luetge 2 IP, 0 R, 1 H, 0 W, 2 K. 1 HBP. 2.78
Loaisiga 1 IP, 0 R, 0 H, 0 W, 1 K. 1.83

Aaron Judge didn’t play because of back spasms. And in an NL park, no DH, they could not even risk putting Giancarlo Stanton in the OF for at least one game? Sheesh.

Stanton being unable to play the field hurts this team. A thought. The guy is 6’6″. A big target. Can he at least learn 1B in order to SOMETIMES play the field? Heck, a crippled Mickey Mantle learned 1B for his last two seasons. Just a thought. The same applies to the 6’7″ Aaron Judge.

Speaking of 1B, Chris Gittens is now 0 for 13 since being called up. Luke Voit began another rehab stint with SWB and was 1 for 3 yesterday, scored a run, had a double and an RBI. They need Voit back, and for Voit to be Voit again.

The Yanks did make some promotions in the minors. One of them is that of Ken Waldichuk, he of the 0.00 ERA at high A Hudson Valley (30 2/3 IP). He is being moved up to AA Somerset. Hayden Wesneski in also going from High A to AA and the same with Luis Medina. Three starting pitchers moving up from High A to AA. Recently SS Oswald Peraza went from High A to AA. It looks like P Janson Junk will be promoted from AA to AAA.

All four of the Yankees’ minor league affiliates won yesterday, three of them by shutout.

S.T. Game 5. Phils trounce Yanks, 15-0.

Not much to write about this one. If Joe Girardi wanted a little revenge against the Yanks for firing him after 2017, he got it as the Phillies trounced the Yankees (3-2 in Spring Training) 15-0 today. It was an 8 inning affair.

The Yanks only got 3 hits.

So far, the candidates for the #5 spot in the Yanks’ rotation haven’t done too well, save for Nick Nelson. King, Chacin, and today Deivi Garcia was spotty. Garcia struck out 3 in his 2 IP, but gave up 2 solo HR.

As for the others, the only other one that was expected to have a shot of making the team was Albert Abreu, and he didn’t help himself. Neither did anyone else, including ex-Yankee Nestor Cortes, trying to make it back onto the team.

We will see how controversial Domingo German does tomorrow as he tries to prove that he deserves that #5 rotation slot. At least until Luis Severino comes off the DL.

Here is the pitching line. It’s ugly.

D. Garcia (L) 2 IP, 2 R, 2 H, 0 W, 3 K. Gave up 2 HR.
Wojciechowski 1 1/3 IP, 5 R, 4 ER, 3 H, 1 W, 2 K.
Abreu 2/3 IP, 4 R, 3 H, 1 W, 1 K. Gave up 1 HR. A WP.
Luetge 1 IP, 0 R, 1 H, 0 W, 3 K. A WP.
McClain 1 IP, 1 R, 1 H, 0 W, 1 K. Gave up a HR.
Cortes 1 IP, 3 R, 2 H, 1 W, 2 K. Gave up 2 HR.
Y. Gomez 1 IP, 0 R, 0 H, 0 W, 1 K.

Hicks out 8-10 months. Minor surgeries also for Tanaka, Voit. Ex-mgr. Girardi Philly-bound.

The Yanks may have to sign free agent OF Brett Gardner to a one-year deal. They won’t have Aaron Hicks until next July at the earliest. Hicks is to undergo Tommy John surgery on that throwing elbow of his and will miss 8-10 months.

Even though Gardner had a career year, reaching highs in HR (28) and RBI (74), you do have to wonder if, with Hicks out, the Yanks may also look elsewhere and sign someone else to a one-year deal to platoon with Gardy or if they might just see if Mike Tauchman, who had 13 HR and 47 RBI as a platoon player, or maybe even Cameron Maybin (11 HR, 32 RBI platooning as well) could be a fit.

The problem with Gardner is that he is 36, and turns 37 next August. A good, career Yankee, a leader, but will his age be a problem?

Ex-Oriole OF Adam Jones is a free agent. Maybe on a one-year deal. And only to platoon.

Masahiro Tanaka had bone spurs removed from his pitching elbow, and Luke Voit had a procedure done, probably related to that sports hernia he got. Both are expected to be ready for spring training 2020.

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D.J. LeMahieu is a finalist for the Gold Glove Award, at 2B. He is the only Yankee to be a finalist (3 are named at each position). I thought maybe Gio Urshela,  Gardner, and Aaron Judge would be considered, but nope.

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Ex-Yankee C and later manager Joe Girardi got a 3-year deal with the Phillies to be their next manager, replacing Gabe Kapler. Girardi managed the Yanks 2008-2017, winning the WS in 2009, and had one year managing the Marlins prior to that.

Game 162. Yanks lose 6-1, look to ALDS vs. Twins.

There was no Game 161 recap since I was attending my niece’s wedding.

Briefly: The Yanks lost that game 9-4. There were no homers hit, Didi Gregorius drove in 3 runs, and the losing pitcher was starter Luis Severino (L, 1-1, 1.50), who gave up two runs in 3 IP. David Hale came off the IL. Luis Cessa and Nestor Cortes (who gave up a grand slam) pitched poorly. Yankees’ pitchers walked 11.

As for the last regular season game, the Yanks lost 6-1, getting just three hits, and striking out 13x. Aaron Judge hit a HR (27) for the Yanks’ only run. The Yanks wound up with 306 HR on the season, but the new team HR record goes to the Twins with 307.

The Yanks wound up 103-59, with the third best record in baseball. They won the AL East by 7 games.

A great season, but I am disappointed by how they finished it, losing four of the last five games and in those losses, were shutout in one of them and scored only one run in two others. They sure weren’t “savages” lately. With the ALDS starting Friday against the Twins, this is no time to go into any slumps.

We will see what the postseason roster looks like.

The ALDS will start Friday in the Bronx for the Yankees. Time TBA.

A few teams are looking for new managers. Besides SD letting Andy Green go, and going with interim Rod Barajas to close the year out, SF manager Bruce Bochy retired, KC’s Ned Yost retired, Clint Hurdle was fired by Pittsburgh, and Joe Maddon and the Cubs are parting ways.

We’ll see about other teams and their managers. For example, if the Phillies decide to switch managers, they may go after Maddon, who was born in Hazleton, PA and who attended Lafayette College in Easton, PA.

Maybe the Mets make a move. You have to wonder if one of these teams lures ex-Yankees’ manager Joe Girardi back to managing.

Game 162 recap:

Judge HR (27).

Green 1 IP, 1 R, 0 ER, 1 H, 1 W, 2 K.  4.17
Tanaka (L, 11-9, 4.45) 3 IP, 2 R, 1 ER, 5 H, 1 W, 2 K.
Kahnle 1 IP, 2 R, 2 H, 1 W, 0 K.  3.67
Ottavino 1 IP, 1 R, 1 H, 1 W, 0 K.  1.90
Britton 1 IP, 0 R, 1 H, 0 W, 1 K.  1.91
Chapman 1 IP, 0 R, 0 H, 0 W, 1 K.   2.21

P.S.: I wasn’t pleased with the way Texas ran against the Yankees this past weekend. The Yanks have to hold runners on better.

 

 

 

Angels and Reds choose managers.

The Angels and Reds have new managers. The Angels chose former Tigers manager Brad Ausmus (2014-2017, 314-332 in Detroit, playoffs in 2014) and Cincinnati chose David Bell. Joe Girardi was rumored to be the Reds’ #1 choice but he took himself out of the running.

 

Yanks set for tonight. Severino starting. Colorado eliminates Cubs.

In the NL wild card game last night, Colorado eliminated the Cubs in the wee hours of the morning, 2-1 in 13 innings. The Rockies advance to face the Brewers.

The Yanks and A’s meet tonight in the AL wild card game.  (8 PM, TBS). Luis Severino will start for the Yanks. Here is hoping he is dominant, but the Yanks also could say throw as hard as you can for as long as you can, even if it is only three or four innings and then turn it over to the bullpen.

Here is also hoping no passed balls from Sanchez, and that his .186 bat wakes up and he hits a homer or two.

The roster could change after the game. But for this game, besides the starters, C Sanchez, 1B Voit, 2B Torres, SS Didi, 3B Andujar, OF of McCutchen, Hicks and Judge and DH Stanton, the backups are OF Gardner, C Romine, C Higashioka, INF Walker, INF Hechevarria, INF/OF/PR Wade.

Backing up Severino are Happ, Lynn, Tanaka, Green, Chapman, Betances, Robertson, Britton and Holder. Should the Yanks advance, expect CC to replace Wade. As for Higashioka next round or Bird (or another pitcher) that’s up in the air.

The A’s are going with 11 pitchers, 10 of them relievers, and one guy for extra-innings protection. So the Yanks could be facing a new pitcher every inning or every other inning. Strange scenario but it is what it is. Hopefully, for the Yanks’ sake, too many cooks spoil the soup and eventually the A’s put a pitcher out there who doesn’t have it. Eventually, if you use too many pitchers, you may find the rotten egg.

In a one and done scenario, you never know who might wind up being the hero… or goat.

The Twins fired manager Paul Molitor. So Texas, the Angels, the Twins, the Blue Jays, probably the Orioles, others? looking for new managers. Surprisingly, Joe Girardi isn’t rumored for any of these open positions.

 

Game 143. Yanks go 2 for 15 w/RISP, lose, 3-2, see WC lead shrink to 2 1/2 games.

The Yanks (89-54) are hearing footsteps.

By losing to Seattle, 3-2 today, the Yanks lead over Oakland for the top wild card spot shrunk to 2 1/2 games.

Time to get nervous, Yankees fans.

What killed the Yanks today was that they were 2 for 15 w/RISP.

This team doesn’t bunt, as I mentioned at our recent Lehigh Valley Yankee Fan Club Meeting. 10 sacrifices all year. I mentioned that in the old days, Phil Rizzuto would have had that many at the All-Star break.  (Rizzuto led the majors 1949-1952).

In 1930, Babe Ruth (BABE RUTH!) had 21 sacrifice bunts. Lou Gehrig had at least 10 each season from 1925-1930, including 21 for the great 1927 squad. Joe DiMaggio had 6 in 1939.

As recently as 2004, Derek Jeter had 16. That is 6 more than the WHOLE YANKEES TEAM has this season.

The game has changed, and not for the better. Instead of a well-rounded team, you have teams that rely strictly on the HR, don’t hit-and-run, can’t steal bases and don’t bunt runners over. Sound familiar?

MeanwAnhile, Seattle won the game because they DID bunt a runner over.

The Yanks scored in the top of the first when Stanton and Andujar had back-to-back doubles.

But after getting the first two guys out in the bottom of the first, CC gave up four straight singles. Two runs. Seattle up 2-1.

Now, for a rookie manager, I think Boone has done a good job. How can you argue with 89-54? But….

I realize he was hired to project more calm as opposed to Girardi’s tenseness. But still, there are times when you have to light a fire under the team and bitch them out if necessary.

Girardi’s strength was bullpen management. Some of Boone’s bullpen decisions I question.

But I think the most questions I have regarding Boone is his lineups. Nothing consistent, and the biggest problem I have is this:

Why does he continue to bat Gary Sanchez 4th (as he did today) or 5th in the lineup? Sanchez is now hitting .181 on the season. What other manager bats a guy hitting .180 something 4th or 5th in the lineup? When will Boone ride the hot hand and have Voit cleanup, Torres 5th and have Sanchez and Walker 6th or 7th, instead of Sanchez 4th and Walker 5th?

Here are the numbers and today’s lineup. Batting averages as of the game’s finish.

4th. Sanchez .181 (PR for by Wade later, Romine finishing the game).
5th. Walker .221
6th. Voit .306
7th. Torres .280

Now, based on that, who should be batting 4 and 5, and who should be hitting 6 and 7?

Really?

Three singles and a bases-loaded walk to McCutchen tied the game in the fourth. But they had the bases loaded, no out and only scored that one run. No bunt by Hechevarria or Gardner with the bases loaded, and Stanton grounded out.

Voit doubled to lead off the sixth. He was left stranded. Torres nor Hechevarria with a bunt.

In the bottom of the eighth, a walk, steal, sac bunt and fielder’s choice brought in the winning run for Seattle.

Littleball, which the Yanks need to employ.

You can’t just rely on the HR. They didn’t get any today, and lost 3-2 as a result.

Andujar 2 hits, RBI
Voit 2 hits (once again, why him 6th, and .181 Sanchez 4th?)

Sabathia 5 IP, 2 R, 7 H, 1 W, 4 K.  3.54
Green 2 IP, 0 R, 0 H, 0 W, 3 K.  2.54
Betances (L, 4-5, 2.56) 1 IP, 0 R, 0 H, 1 W, 2 K.

Game 94. Yanks edge Indians, 5-4.

The Cardinals have fired their manager and have named an interim manager for now. Do not be surprised if Joe Girardi soon becomes their permanent manager.

The Yanks edged Cleveland Saturday night 5-4 to go to 62-32 on the season and remain 3 1/2 back of Boston. The Red Sox, down 2-1 in the bottom of the ninth, tied it up in the ninth and got a walk-off grand slam in the bottom of the tenth. Ugh.

Is this what 1954 felt like, when the Yanks won 103 and finished 8 back of Cleveland (who were swept in the WS by the NY Giants)?

Hopefully we catch up soon.

Didi Gregorius hit a 3-run HR in the first (17) to put the Yanks up 3-0.

CC gave up a HR (29) to Jose Ramirez in the bottom of the first. 3-1 Yanks.

Cleveland got a run in the bottom of the third to cut it to 3-2, but Greg Bird homered (8) in the top of the sixth to make it 4-2.

Shortly before Bird’s HR, Yankees’ manager Aaron Boone was ejected when he tried to say that Stanton fouled a ball off rather than having it hit him while he was swinging and striking out.

Lately, say in the last two weeks or so, the Yanks have been bad in leaving the starting pitcher in a batter or inning too long. It happened the last time CC pitched, it happened when Tanaka came off the DL, it happened the other night with German and it happened again tonight, once again with CC.

In the bottom of the sixth, a strikeout,  single and walk. CC then got a ground out that moved the runners up. Here I would have pulled him. Two out, men on second and third, a righty hitter up. I would have pulled him for Robertson, Holder or Green here. Instead, an infield single and BOTH runners score to tie the game. Nice stop by Andujar on the play, but bad throw home (too high) by Bird to try to nail the runner.

Just me, but I don’t think CC should have been left in to face the righty batter there.

In the top of the seventh, Romine doubled, and the OF made an error, moving Romine to third….but it didn’t stop there. In trying to nail Romine at third, the cutoff man, the second baseman, threw the ball into the Indians’ dugout, enabling Romine to score what turned out to be the winning run. Double and 2 errors on the play.

The Yanks got lucky in the ninth, when the lead off hitter hit a popup that wasn’t caught. Andujar and Romine collided on the foul popup and it dropped. It was Romine’s ball, Andujar (who got the error) should have been called off by the pitcher, Chapman. He got the hitter, so no harm, no foul, but a messy, sloppy play that should not have happened.

Didi 2 hits, 3-run HR.
Bird solo HR.

Sabathia 5 2/3 IP, 4 R, 4 H, 2 W, 2 K. Gave up 1 HR.  3.51
Robertson (W, 7-3, 3.09) 1 1/3 IP, 0 R, 0 H, 1 W, 3 K.
Betances (H, 15) 1 IP, 0 R, 0 H, 0 W, 2 K.  2.61
Chapman (S, 26) 1 IP, 0 R, 0 H, 1 W, 1 K.  1.35

Chapman will show at the All Star Game but won’t pitch in order to save that knee.

S.T. Game 11. Lind gets RBI, Yanks get double steal, and McKinney gets 3-run HR in Yanks’ 7-2 win.

I like some aggressiveness I see in the Yanks’ spring training so far. Even with all the power, I see a drag bunt by Tyler Wade the other day and a double steal today. I like it.

Now for Aaron Boone to call what Joe Girardi never did—a squeeze.

I like the aggressiveness. The homers will come, but be aggressive. Don’t just sit and wait for the HR.

The Yanks beat the Tigers today, 7-2, to run their spring training record to 9-2.

Jordan Montgomery pitched into and out of trouble, walking four in his outing.

After Detroit got a run in the second on a bases-loaded walk, the Yanks tied it in the top of the fourth on an Aaron Hicks single.

The Tigers went up 2-1 in the fifth.

The Yanks tied it in the top of the sixth when newcomer Adam Lind singled in a run.

In the eighth, a double by Tyler Austin (hard choice to back up Bird, a lefty hitter: the lefty Lind or righty Austin) an error and a walk to Erik Kratz loaded the bases. Estevan Florial grounded into a force out, scoring one run, then he and Shane Robinson, who had reached on that error, pulled off a double steal, Robinson scoring to make it 4-2. Nice aggressiveness there.

In the ninth, Tyler Wade reached on an error, Ron Torreyes singled and Billy McKinney hit a 3-run HR to make it 7-2.

McKinney 3 run HR, his 3rd HR of spring training.
Hicks 2 for 2 with an RBI.
Lind 2 for 3 with an RBI.

Montgomery 3 2/3 IP, 1 R, 2 H, 4 W, 4 K.
Holder 1 1/3 IP, 1 R, 3 H, 0 W, 1 K.
Shreve 1 1/3 IP, 0 R, 0 H, 1 W, 1 K.
Carroll 1 IP, 0 r, 0 H, 0 W, 3 K.
Lane (H) 2/3 IP, 0 R, 0 H, 1 W, 0 K.
Feyereisen 1 IP, 0 R, 1 H, 1 W, 0 K.