News and Notes.

To no one’s surprise, Aaron Judge was named as one of the three finalists for the AL MVP award. He is considered the favorite to win the award. I still get ticked by people pushing for Alvarez (it’s a regular season award, people!) or Ohtani (the Angels finished 33 games back. So, you are telling me that without him they are 45 back? Whoopdie damn do.).

The Contemporary Baseball Committee will be looking at 8 ex-players for the HOF. Albert Belle, Barry Bonds, Roger Clemens, Don Mattingly, Dale Murphy, Fred McGriff, Rafael Palmeiro and Curt Schilling. Five of the eight would be controversial selections because of steroids and/or personality issues, despite in some cases 3000+ hits, 500+ HR, 300+ wins. I won’t get into that. We know about all that. That leaves McGriff, Mattingly and Murphy. I believe McGriff, who is tied on the all-time list with Lou Gehrig with 493 HR (and no steroids) should have already been put in. I’d love Mattingly, but Mattingly’s 1994-1989 pre-back injury (HOF quality) and 1990-1995 post-back injury numbers (merely above average) are drastically different. If Donnie could have only stayed healthy and put up numbers 1990-1995 that matched his 1984-1989 numbers, then he would be a more serious candidate. Murphy I am on the fence on. A back-to-back MVP (1982 and 1983) that like Maris (1960 and 1961) isn’t in the HOF. Maybe a few more HR (he had 398) or a higher average (.265) would have given him a better shot. Once he turned 32, he wasn’t the same player. A few more seasons at his peak would have given him a better chance.

The Yanks have not only players as free agents, but coaches too. Pitching coach Matt Blake is a free agent. (GM Brian Cashman is coming back but as of now is working pro bono. His contract expired October 31 and no new deal has been done yet). Assistant pitching coach Hensley Meulens is gone to be hitting coach for Colorado.

As expected, the Yanks picked up the team option for Luis Severino at $15MM for 2023. Anthony Rizzo opted out of his contract and is a free agent. Here are the Yankees’ free agents and my thoughts.

Andrew Benintendi. Yanks will make an offer to try to keep him.

Zack Britton. Interesting call. With Chapman departing, Yanks could use a lefty reliever, but Britton will be 35 next year and missed almost all of 2022 after a poor 2021 and TJ surgery. Pass. Use $ for Judge.

Matt Carpenter. A tough call. Turns 37 around Thanksgiving. If Stanton is DH most of the time, where does that leave Carpenter? I think it depends on if Judge stays or goes. If Judge stays, pass. If Judge goes, then the Yanks may look to sign Carpenter and Stanton and Carpenter could switch between RF and DH.

Miguel Castro. Pass. The Yanks could probably replace him with Weissert at a lower cost (save $ for Judge). They already have Trivino, Marinaccio, King, Holmes, as RH relievers, as well as Schmidt and German if Schmidt and German aren’t starters. And Stephen Ridings should be over his injury issues that cost him 2022.

Aroldis Chapman. Pass. Goodbye and Good Riddance for missing that mandatory workout before the ALDS.

Marwin Gonzalez. Pass. Only hit .185 in 2022. Since 2019, has only hit .198. Oswaldo Cabrera can fill his utility role for less money. 34 next year. Like Britton, pass, go with youth and less $$. Save $ for Judge.

Chad Green. Pass. Will miss most if not all of 2023 because of TJ surgery. Instead of paying him will need to throw that $ at Judge.

Aaron Judge. Obviously the #1 Yankees target and priority.

Anthony Rizzo. The Yanks will look to retain him.

Jameson Taillon. Questionable. Even if the Yanks get Judge back, is there enough money left to go after a Carlos Rodon (my choice)? Would they give a low in years but high in $$ deal to Verlander, DeGrom or Kershaw? Could go either way here.

Of course, getting rid of the salaries of Donaldson and Hicks would help. As of now, the Yanks think both have something left (excuse me while I get sick), but of course they aren’t going to say anything that diminishes whatever trade value they have.

Game 96. Yanks lose in Baltimore, 6-3.

The Yankees (65-31) are in a funk, having lost 8 of their last 12 games, and are just 16-15 over their last 31 games. They still have a 12-game lead in the AL East, but their lead over Houston for best record in the AL is down to a game and a half, and Houston plays in an easier division (Texas, LAA and Oakland).

Some of that regression is of the Yankees’ own making, regressing to the mean after a blistering start to this season. For example, Taillon’s ERA going from 2.30 to 3.93. Another example is Giancarlo Stanton, who, despite 14 HR in that timeframe, is hitting .178 since May 14. Some of it is not, due to circumstances beyond their control (Michael King’s injury).

Last night’s 6-3 loss to Baltimore showed a bit of both.

First reason, and that of their own making. They were 1 for 14 w/RISP. In other words, they had their chances.

Second reason, not of their own making, was the injury to Michael King (fractured elbow) and what it did to a bullpen already depleted with the losses of Miguel Castro and Chad Green, hurting by the failures of Jonathan Loaisiga and Aroldis Chapman, and other guys who were unavailable due to recent usage. The Yanks did try to help out their bullpen by making some moves. Shane Greene (a Yankee back in 2014) was brought up from AAA to replace King. Tim Locastro was sent back to AAA and Clarke Schmidt was brought up. Nevertheless, the team was depleted. On a hot night (97 at the start of the game), Gerrit Cole was forced to go longer than he should have. Cole went out for the seventh inning even though he was over 100 pitches. He, and the Yankees’ brain trust, thought he could give another inning and save the bullpen. They were wrong.

Third, a key error by reliever Albert Abreu led to the game winning runs.

Fourth, Greene’s return to wearing the pinstripes didn’t go well. He gave up a 2-run HR that cinched the game for the Orioles.

The Yanks got off to a 3-0 lead before the roof fell in.

D.J. LeMahieu led off the game with a single and scored on a double by Aaron Judge. 1-0 in the first.

Matt Carpenter led off the second inning with his 14th HR of the season. 2-0.

In the top of the fourth, Isiah Kiner-Falefa led off with a single, and one out later, LeMahieu singled. A popup by Judge found real estate for an RBI single and the Yanks were up 3-0.

But with two out in the fifth, the Orioles cut the Yanks lead to 3-2, thanks to two SB going along with the three hits they got.

Then came the seventh, when Cole, at over 100 pitches, went out there on a hot night. A double and game-tying single proved he had nothing left. Albert Abreu came in, tried to pick the runner off of first, and threw the ball away for a 2-base error. A SF put the O’s up 4-3.

Greene gave up a 2-run HR in the 8th and the final was 6-3, Orioles.

Ron Marinaccio may be back with the Yankees today. We’ll have to see. That should help, but Marinaccio has had only one rehab outing since coming off the IL. That may not be enough.

The Yanks have to ride out the storm. We will see about any rumored trades, but guys like Taillon, Stanton, Loaisiga, Chapman and some others need to turn it around.

LeMahieu 2 hits
Judge 4 hits, 2 RBI
Carpenter solo HR (14)
Higashioka 2 hits.

Cole (L, 9-3) 6+ IP, 4 R, 3 ER, 9 H, 2 W, 6 K. 3.09
Abreu 1 IP, 0 R, 0 H, 1 W, 1 K. 2.05 (combined 3-team ERA; TEX/KC/NYY) Made key error.
Shane Greene 1 IP, 2 R, 1 H, 1 W, 1 K. Gave up 1 HR. 6.00 (combined ERA Dodgers/Yankees).

Game 95. Yanks win (7-6) over Orioles is costly. King injured, done for season.

The Yankees (65-30) win over the Orioles, 7-6 last night, came at a very high cost.

Reliever Michael King, who has been superb in his setup role this season, fractured his right elbow making a pitch, and is done for the season.

Expect GM Brian Cashman to make a move to help the bullpen as we near the trade deadline. King joins Chad Green and Miguel Castro as bullpen pieces on the injured list. Ron Marinaccio just started rehab so he is still a little ways away from rejoining the team. Ryan Weber was just DFA’d, maybe they can get him back. J.P. Sears was sent to AAA after his outing on Thursday. Because of the injury, maybe he can be recalled sooner than teh usual time, but he did pitch 3 innings Thursday so even at that, he wouldn’t be available for a while.

Besides a trade and making other moves, the injury to King also means two other relievers who have been struggling all season and who struggled last night, Jonathan Loaisiga and Aroldis Chapman, need to get back to their former selves. Both were not good last evening, forcing King to come into the game, where he got injured.

On top of THAT, the Yankees are probably looking for a starter since Luis Severino is out for a while on the injured list, Domingo German did not do well in his start (first appearance of the season) on Thursday, and last night’s starter, Jameson Taillon, has been struggling for a while and struggled again last night.

Expect Brian Cashman to be very busy in the next ten days, even though the Yanks are 65-30.

In the game, Aaron Judge homered twice, and Joey Gallo added a homer as the Yanks squeaked out a 7-6 win.

With two out in the top of the third, Gallo walked, D.J. LeMahieu singled, and Judge hit a 3-run HR, his first of the game, to put the Yanks up 3-0. The HR went 436 ft. That was nothing compared to what was to come.

Taillon gave up 2 runs in the bottom of the third and was knocked out of the game. He had escaped an earlier jam in the first inning.

In the top of the fourth, with one out, the Yanks got back-to-back doubles by Josh Donaldson and Jose Trevino to take a 4-2 lead.

Judge hit his second HR of the game, a 465-ft. blast, #36 on the season, in the top of the fifth to put the Yanks up 5-2.

A one-out double by Donaldson, followed by a two-out single by Isiah Kiner-Falefa, put the Yanks up 6-2 in the top of the sixth.

But here is where Loaisiga and Chapman need to step it up. Loaisiga gave up a run in the bottom of the sixth that cut the Yanks’ lead to 6-3.

In the top of the seventh, Gallo homered (12) to put the Yanks up 7-3.

But in the bottom of the seventh, Chapman struggled, throwing a couple of wild pitches, then giving up a 3-run HR that cut the Yanks’ lead to 7-6, necessitating the call for King. In his last ten innings, Chapman has given up 13 runs on 13 hits, ten walks, and 4 HR. With the King injury, he needs to get straightened out.

King’s injury forced Clay Holmes to get a five-out save.

Judge 2 hits. Both HR (36). 4 RBI
Donaldson 2 hits, both doubles.
Gallo Solo HR (12)

Taillon 2 2/3 IP, 2 R, 4 H, 3 W, 2 K. 3.93
Luetge (W, 3-3) 2 1/3 IP, 0 R, 1 H, 0 W, 3 K. 2.88
Loaisiga 1 IP, 1 R, 1 H, 1 W, 0 K. 7.52
Chapman 1/3 IP, 3 R, 2 H, 1 W, 1 K. 2 WP. Gave up 1 HR. 5.75 (He and Loaisiga need to get right)
King (H, 16) 1 IP, 0 R, 0 H, 0 W, 0 K. 2.29 Fractured pitching elbow ends his season.
Holmes (S, 17) 1 2/3 IP, 0 R, 1 H, 0 W, 3 K. 1.26

Given the Yanks’ pitching woes, let’s hope today’s starter, Gerrit Cole, can go DEEP into today’s game (I’d wish for a complete game, but with the heat wave on the East coast, that would probably be too much to ask for).

Games 40 and 41. Offense and Bullpen fail Yanks as they lose both games of a doubleheader.

The Yankees starters, Jameson Taillon and Luis Severino, gave up just one run combined in 14 innings, but the Yankees scored just one run (an Aaron Judge HR) in losing both games of a doubleheader to the Chicago White Sox on Sunday.

The bullpen, like the offense, didn’t come through, and the Yankees got and saw some bad news. Chad Green is done for the season. He needs Tommy John surgery. With Green out, both Aroldis Chapman and Jonathan Loaisiga, both struggling, will need to step it up. Both were the respective losing pitchers today, and Loaisiga’s ERA is now over 7.

Joey Gallo and Kyle Higashioka were out because of Covid. Estevan Florial was up for the DH. Dave McKay and Rob Brantly also came up from AAA.

Game 1: Taillon gave up a run in the fourth, and Judge’s 15th HR of the season tied it in the bottom of the eighth. But in the top of the ninth, Chapman gave up a HR to the leadoff hitter. After a flyout, a walk, WP, PB and double gave Chicago an insurance run. 3-1 loss.

Judge 3 hits, solo HR (15)
Hicks 2 hits, but was picked off at a really bad time (Kiner-Falefa also was picked off in the game)

Taillon 7 IP, 1 R, 5 H, 1 W, 7 K. 2.95
Luetge 1 IP, 0 R, 1 H, 0 W, 0 K. 5.73
Chapman (L, 0-2) 1/3 IP, 2 R, 2 H, 1 W, 0 K. 1 WP. Gave up 1 HR. 3.86
Marinaccio 2/3 IP, 0 R, 0 H, 0 W, 1 K. 1 WP 9.64

Game 2: The Yankees (29-12) didn’t get a hit (or baserunner) until the sixth inning, and had just three hits in the game. Luis Severino shutout the White Sox for seven innings, but Loaisiga gave up a couple of singles, and then with two out, couldn’t get out of the inning, giving up two more hits for two runs. Miguel Castro then came in and gave up a 3-run HR. 5-0 loss.

Judge had a double, but it seemed today he was the only offense the Yanks had. Others need to help him out.

Severino 7 IP, 0 R, 8 H, 0 W, 5 K. 2 HBP. 3.02
Loaisiga (L, 1-2) 2/3 IP, 4 R, 4 H, 0 W, 1 K. 7.02
Castro 1/3 IP, 1 R, 1 H, 0 W, 0 K. Gave up 1 HR. 3.38
McKay 1 IP, 0 R, 0 H, 0 W, 1 K. 0.00 SEASON DEBUT

Game 39. D.J. Grand Slam leads Yanks to 7-5 win over Chisox.

D.J. LeMahieu hit a grand slam as the Yankees (29-10) defeated the Chicago White Sox 7-5 Saturday afternoon.

Nestor Cortes wasn’t as Nasty as he usually has been this year, making one mistake, and neither was Michael King, but Clay Holmes continued to be absolutely filthy on the mound.

In the bottom of the second inning, Giancarlo Stanton singled and was forced out at second by Josh Donaldson. Singles by Gleyber Torres and Isiah Kiner-Falefa scored Donaldson, and after a groundout by Kyle Higashioka put runners on second and third, Aaron Hicks walked to load the bases. LeMahieu then hit a grand slam, his third HR of the season, to put the Yanks up 5-0.

Cortes, who was solid otherwise, gave up a 3-run HR to Jose Abreu in the top of the third that cut the Yanks’ lead to 5-3.

The Yanks got a run back in the bottom of the third. With one out, Anthony Rizzo walked and Stanton singled Rizzo to third. A forceout by Donaldson scored Rizzo.

King replaced Cortes for the top of the sixth but wasn’t the lights-out King we have seen this season, giving up two runs. Now it was 6-5 Yankees.

The Yanks got an insurance run in the bottom of the sixth. Higashioka walked and moved to second on a groundout. LeMahieu walked, and an infield single by Aaron Judge loaded the bases. Rizzo hit a SF to make it 7-5.

Over his last 19 appearances covering 21 innings, Clay Holmes has not given up a run, and Holmes closed out this affair.

Good to see the Loaisiga of last year. The Yanks will need him to get back to last year’s form, especially with Chad Green out. Green was placed on the 15-day IL (expect much longer than that) and Ron Marinaccio was brought back to replace him.

LeMahieu 4 RBI; grand slam. HR #3
Stanton 3 hits.

Cortes (W, 3-1) 5 IP, 3 R, 6 H, 0 W, 7 K. 1 HBP. Gave up 1 HR. 1.80
King (H, 6) 1 IP, 2 R, 3 H, 1 W, 1 K. 2.03
Loaisiga (H, 6) 1 IP, 0 R, 1 H, 0 W, 3 K. 5.06
Castro (H, 5) 2/3 IP, 0 R, 1 H, 0 W, 1 K 2.77
Holmes (S, 4) 1 1/3 IP, 0 R, 0 H, 0 W, 2 K. 0.42

Yankees and Minor League News.

The Yankees were rained out yesterday, but there were minor league games and other news, and some news wasn’t good.

The Yankees await word on Chad Green’s injury but it appears that word won’t be good. Meanwhile, Luis Gil will need Tommy John surgery.

AAA: SWB (13-26) lost 6-2 as Deivi Garcia’s regression continues.
SS Oswald Peraza (#2 prospect) 2 hits, 2 RBI, 2-run HR. .207
1B Ron Guzman 2 hits.

Garcia (L, 0-3) 2 1/3 IP, 4 R, 4 H, 2 W, 3 K. 2 HBP. 9.90 #29 prospect
Nittoli 2/3 IP, 0 R, 1 H, 0 W, 2 K. 7.94
Sears 4 2/3 IP, 1 R, 0 H, 1 W, 7 K. 0.83 This guy deserves to come back up soon. #24 prospect.
Greene 1/3 IP, 1 R, 2 H, 1 W, 1 K. 5.40

AA: Somerset (24-12) won 6-2.
CF Blake Perkins 2 hits, RBI
C Rodolfo Duran 2-run HR (3)
2B Oliver Dunn 2 hits, 2 RBI. Solo HR (2).

Randy Vasquez 5 1/3 IP, 2 R, 3 H, 0 W, 5 K. Gave up 1 HR. 2.19 #16 prospect
Ernst (W, 2-0; BS, 1) 1 2/3 IP, 0 R, 1 H, 0 W, 1 K. 1 WP. 1 HBP 3.32
Loseke (H, 1) 1 IP, 0 R, 0 H, 0 W, 1 K. 1.74
Mujica 1 IP, 0 R, 0 H, 1 W, 1 K. 0.00

High A: Hudson Valley’s game ppd.

Low A: Tampa (15-21) won 7-3.
3B Benjamin Cowles 2-run HR (3)
LF Grant Richardson 2 hits.

Carela 5 2/3 IP, 3 R, 2 ER, 6 H, 4 W, 6 K. Gave up 1 HR. 2.43
Watson (W, 2-2) 1 2/3 IP, 0 R, 0 H, 1 W, 2 K. 1 HBP. 3.32
Neely 1 2/3 IP, 0 R, 0 H, 1 W, 1 K. 1 WP. 6.38

Game 38. O’s walk-off Yanks with 3-run HR, 9-6

The Yankees’ (28-10) bullpen has been very good this year so far, but it wasn’t in Thursday afternoon’s loss to Baltimore, 9-6.

Lucas Luetge gave up a walk-off three-run HR to Anthony Santander that won the game for the Orioles.

In the process, Chad Green hurt his pitching forearm, and that is never a good sign.

The Yanks got two runs in the top of the first when with one out, Aaron Judge walked, Anthony Rizzo doubled Judge to third, and Giancarlo Stanton hit a 2-run single (that would have been a HR last year before the Orioles moved the fence back and higher).

Jordan Montgomery was off today, but he did keep the Yanks in the game. He gave up a two-run HR to Robinson Chirinos in the bottom of the second that tied the game, and another run in the third that put Baltimore up 3-2.

Stanton tied the game in the top of the fourth with his eleventh HR of the season.

In the top of the sixth, the Yanks took a 5-3 lead when Judge and Rizzo singled, and Stanton walked. Bases loaded, no one out, but Gleyber Torres and Aaron Hicks both struck out. Isiah KIner-Falefa singled in two runs.

But in the bottom of the sixth, Baltimore scored three runs off of Miguel Castro and Green before Jonathan Loaisiga closed out the inning. 6-5 Orioles.

The Yanks tied it in the top of the ninth, Kiner-Falefa walked and stole second. With two out, D.J. LeMahieu singled to tie the game. Judge and Joey Gallo (who replaced Rizzo afer Rizzo was ejected earlier) walked, but Stanton lined out.

But in the bottom of the ninth, an error by Josh Donaldson let one runner aboard, and after an out, a single preceded Santander’s walk-off blast.

LeMahieu 2 hits, RBI
Rizzo 2 hits
Stanton 2 hits, 3 RBI. Solo HR (11)
Kiner-Falefa 2 hits, 2 RBI

Montgomery 5 IP, 3 R, 5 H, 0 W, 3 K. Gave up 1 HR. 3.35
Castro 0 IP, 3 R, 2 ER, 1 H, 1 W, 0 K. 2.92.
Green (BS, 3) 2/3 IP, 0 R, 1 H, 0 W, 1 K. 3.00
Loaisiga 1/3 IP, 0 R, 0 H, 2 W, 1 K. 5.40
Peralta 2 IP, 0 R, 0 H, 0 W, 2 K. 1.38
Luetge (L, 1-1) 1/3 IP, 3 R, 2 ER, 2 H, 0 W, 1 K. Gave up GW HR. 6.30

Game 35. Yanks beat Orioles 6-2.

Luis Severino gave up just one hit over six innings and the Yankees hit 3 HR as they beat Baltimore Monday night 6-2. The win improves the Yankees’ record to 26-9.

The Yanks got a run in the top of the third inning when with one out, Josh Donadson singled, and a forceout later, Giancarlo Stanton doubled home Anthony Rizzo.

In the fourth inning, Jose Trevino hit his first HR of the season, a 3-run shot, to put the Yanks up 4-0.

The only hit off Severino was a fourth inning HR by Anthony Santander.

In the ninth, Donaldson (5) and RIzzo (10) hit back-to-back HRs to put the Yankees up 6-1.

Santander hit his second HR of the game in the bottom of the ninth off of Aroldis Chapman. Final score 6-2. Santander had two of Baltimore’s three hits in the game, and both of his hits were homers.

Donaldson 3 hits, solo HR (5)
Rizzo solo HR (10)
Torres 2 hits
Trevino 2 hits, 3 RBI. 3-run HR (1)

Severino (W, 3-0) 6 IP, 1 R, 1 H, 2 W, 7 K. 1 HBP. Gave up 1 HR. 3.63
Loaisiga (H, 5) 1 IP, 0 R, 1 H, 0 W, 1 K. 5.52
Green (H, 3) 1 IP, 0 R, 0 H, 0 W, 1 K. 3.14
Chapman 1 IP, 1 R, 1 H, 0 W, 2 K. Gave up 1 HR. 2.13

C Ben Rortvedt has a knee injury now (before had oblique rib strain). The knee may require surgery.

Game 31. Yanks’ bats explode in 15-7 win over White Sox.

Before the game, Luis Gil was brought up and Ron Marinaccio sent down. The move was made because the Yanks needed an emergency starter after the rains last week forced a doubleheader last Sunday.

I was a bit concerned about the move because Gil, although he did ok with the Yanks last year, wasn’t brought up on merit, but because his turn in the rotation lined up. After all, his ERA at SWB was 9.53. I was hoping for a few innings, and for him to keep us in the game. Which is what Gil did. And it was a good night for the Yankees bats to explode as they (23-8) beat the White Sox 15-7.

Giancarlo Stanton hit a 2-run HR in the top of the first after a D.J. LeMahieu double. He was just warming up.

Gil gave up 3 runs in the bottom of the second as the White Sox took a 3-2 lead.

The Yanks came right back with three runs in the third to go up 5-3. With one out, Aaron Judge walked, Anthony Rizzo tripled him home and Stanton hit another 2-run HR (9).

With two out in the top of the fourth, Kyle HIgashioka singled and then LeMahieu doubled him home. 6-3.

A walk, a couple of singles and a WP by Gil let Chicago score in the bottom of the fourth and it was 6-4.

Judge hit his 11th HR, a 456-ft. blast, to make it 7-4 in the top of the seventh.

Even though the Yanks are now 23-8, everything isn’t clicking on all cylinders (Scary isn’t it?). Jonathan Loaisiga is not the Loaisiga of last year, and that is very concerning. Of all the bullpen guys outside of Marinaccio, Loaisiga has performed the worst so far. He gave up a 3-run HR that tied the game at 7 in the bottom of the seventh. Loaisiga had a 2.17 ERA last year, when he may have been the Yanks’ best reliever, but now it is 5.93. I hope nothing is physically wrong but he needs to get straightened out.

The Yanks exploded for seven runs in the top of the eighth, and it all happened with two out. Three straight walks, to Marwin Gonzalez, PH Gleyber Torres, and LeMahieu, loaded the bases. Judge got an infield single to make it 9-7, and put runners on first and second. A PB moved the runners up. Rizzo walked to load the bases, and Stanton singled in two runs to complete a six-RBI night for him and make the score 11-7. Josh Donaldson then hit a 3-run HR (3) to make it 14-7.

In the ninth, Judge hit a SF with the bases loaded to make it 15-7.

LeMahieu 3 hits, RBI
Judge 2 hits, 4 RBI. Solo HR (MLB LEADING 11th)
Stanton 3 hits, 6 RBI. Two 2-run homers (9)
Donaldson 2 hits, 3 RBI. 3-run HR (3)
Higashioka 2 hits.

Gil 4 IP, 4 R, 5 H, 2 W, 5 K. 1 WP 9.00
Castro 1 IP, 0 R, 0 H, 0 W, 0 K. 1.46
Luetge (H, 3) 1 IP, 1 R, 1 H, 0 W, 1 K. 4.66
Loaisiga (W, 1-1; BS, 1) 1 IP, 2 R, 1 H, 1 W, 0 K. Gave up 1 HR. 5.93
Green 2 IP, 0 R, 1 H, 1 W, 2 K. 3.38

Game 29. Judge walks off Blue Jays, 6-5.

Aaron Judge hit a 3-run HR with one out in the bottom of the ninth to defeat Toronto Tuesday night, 6-5.

George Springer led off the game by homering off of Yankees’ starter Luis Severino. Toronto got two more runs off of Severino in the second inning.

The Yanks didn’t get a hit until the bottom of the sixth. Down 3-0, D.J. LeMahieu led off the inning with a double, and Judge reached on an infield single. After Anthony Rizzo flied out to moved D.J. to third, Giancarlo Stanton homered (7) to tie the game.

After that HR, Josh Donaldson was hit by a pitch, and Toronto pitcher Yimi Garcia and pitching coach Pete Walker were both ejected. Later in the game, Toronto manager Charlie Montoyo was also ejected.

Toronto got two runs in the top of the eighth to go up 5-3 and the Yanks went into the bottom of the ninth looking up at that score.

With one out in the bottom of the ninth, both Jose Trevino and LeMahieu drew walks. Judge then crushed his tenth HR of the season, a 450 ft. shot, to win the game.

The Yanks are now 21-8, four games up on Tampa Bay and five up on Toronto. The offense is still not clicking, as they are hitting .237. But that .237 is still good for 4th in the AL. They are 2nd in HR, 3rd in OBP, 2nd in Slugging, 2nd in OPS and the OPS+ is 116. The pitching has been carrying them. The ERA of 2.59 is best in the AL, and the ERA+ is 142. (100 is average).

Judge 2 hits, 3 RBI. GW 3-run HR (10) Leads MLB in HR.
Stanton 2 hits, 3 RBI. 3-run HR (7).

Severino 4 2/3 IP, 3 R, 5 H, 2 W, 8 K. Gave up 1 HR. 4.08
Castro 1 1/3 IP, 0 R, 0 H, 0 W, 4 K. 1 HBP. 1.59
Loaisiga 1 IP, 1 R, 1 H, 1 W, 0 K. 4.97
Green 1 IP, 1 R, 1 H, 0 W, 2 K. 3.97
Peralta (W, 1-0) 1 IP, 0 R, 0 H, 1 W, 1 K. 1.64

John Cumberland, briefly a Yankee from 1968-1970, passed away April 5 at the age of 74. Cumberland was with the Yankees 1968-1970, Giants 1970-1972, Cardinals 1972, and Angels 1974. As a Yankee, in 18 games, 8 starts, he was 3-4, 4.11, ERA+ 87. For his career, he was 15-16, 3.82, ERA+ 92. He started and lost Game 2 of the 1971 NLCS for the Giants.