Game 111. Yanks sweep weekend series from Boston with 7-4 win.

The Yanks got a first inning HR from Aaron Judge and got six runs in the third (Gio Urshela with a 2-run HR) on the way to beating Boston 7-4 Sunday night.

With the win, the Yanks (72-39) kept their 8 game lead over Tampa Bay and pushed Boston 14 1/2 out by sweeping Boston four straight this weekend.

Judge got the ball rolling by hitting his 12th HR of the year in the first inning. 1-0 Yankees.

In the third, with one out, Judge walked, and an out later, Urshela hit his 2-run HR (12) to make it 3-0. Doubles by Brett Gardner and Cameron Maybin made it 4-0. Mike Ford singled to make it 5-0, then Kyle Higashioka doubled to put runners on second and third. Mike Tauchman singled, and it was 7-0.

J.A. Happ, back from paternity leave, gave up back-to-back HR in the fifth and it was 7-2. Happ faltered again in the sixth inning, giving up two runs before Luis Cessa, who started out a bit shaky, got the last out of the inning. 7-4.

Cessa settled in after that, pitching a scoreless seventh and eighth, before Chad Green finished off the game. Cessa and Green combined for 3 1/3 scoreless, hitless innings.

Judge solo HR (12)
Urshela 2-run HR (12) (.314)
Maybin 2 hits, RBI (.312)
Higashioka 2 doubles
Tauchman 2 RBI

Happ (W, 9-6, 5.24) 5 2/3 IP, 4 R, 7 H, 1 W, 2 K. Gave up 2 HR.
Cessa (H, 3) 2 1/3 IP, 0 R, 0 H, 1 W, 3 K.  3.74
Green (S, 2) 1 IP, 0 R, 0 H, 1 W, 1 K.  4.84.

Before the game, the Yanks placed Aaron Hicks on the IL with a flexor tendon strain in his throwing elbow. So he is shut down for at least 10 days.

During the game, Urshela fouled balls off of each leg during the same at bat, causing considerable pain. He stayed in the game for two more innings, then was removed.

Gleyber Torres had a core issue problem and was also removed from the game. He went to the hospital for tests but his father tweeted that he is fine and headed to Baltimore. That is a good thing because Gleyber has killed the Orioles this year.

And one thing the Yanks don’t need is more injuries. It appears that they dodged a bullet regarding both Gio and Gleyber.

Gary Sanchez will play in a couple rehab games this week and is expected to come off the IL this upcoming weekend when the Yanks are in Toronto.

 

 

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Game 110. Yanks win nightcap 6-4 for the DH sweep, but injury bug hits again.

Gleyber Torres hit 2 HR, and Mike Tauchman got the game winning hit as the Yanks (71-39) won the nightcap of the day/night DH yesterday, 6-4.

But the injury bug hit again, and hard.

In the previous post on the first game of the DH, I mentioned that Edwin Encarnacion was HBP, and that it was “scary.” While Encarnacion stayed in the game at the time, tests done after the game revealed a fractured wrist. He’ll be out a while. Remember last year that Aaron Judge missed 48 games because of it. There is just 52 games left this season. Terrible timing.

That timing becomes even worse if Luke Voit requires surgery for his sports hernia.

D.J. LeMahieu now becomes the full-time 1B instead of switching around. Gio Urshela gets more regular time at 3B. Torres and Didi Gregorius are backed up for now by Breyvic Valera. Next man up.

Backing up LeMahieu for now is Mike Ford, called up when Encarnacion’s situation became known. Ford, a lefty hitter, has been up briefly before. He is 6 for 30, 1 HR, 2 RBI with the Yanks this year (OPS+ 101). At SWB, .303-23-60 in just 79 games.

It looks like Ford will be here a while, unless the Yanks want to turn in another direction. That direction could be in the form of ex-Yankee Tyler Austin, who was DFA’d by the Giants yesterday. Austin has power, but doesn’t hit for average, and has a poor walk/strikeout ratio. But he is someone, of course, the Yanks are familiar with.

Ford, a lefty bat, projects as a better fit than Austin, the righty bat. Austin will be 28 next month, and when he was with the Yankees from 2016-2018, hit .230-15-43 in 85 games. (OPS+ 98) with just 19 walks but 106 strikeouts. This season between the Twins and Giants, he has hit .187-8-20, OPS+ 81. 18 walks, 60 strikeouts in 72 games. He can play corner OF as well as 1B.

We’ll see if the Yanks take a flyer on him. One thing that may not help is some uncomplimentary (but maybe correct?) things Austin’s dad said when the Yanks dealt Austin way last summer for the now also-departed Lance Lynn.

As if Encarnacion’s injury didn’t hurt enough, Aaron Hicks hurt his elbow making a throw in from the outfield in last night’s game. Hopefully it is not major, but we remember that Didi Gregorius injured his elbow making a throw in last year’s postseason series against Boston, required TJ surgery and missed half of this season. If Hicks needs that, he’s done for the year. Let’s hope it doesn’t come to that. But if he has to go on the IL, the Yanks then have Brett Gardner, Mike Tauchman and Cameron Maybin who all could play CF. We will have to see if Clint Frazier or someone else (Tyler Wade?) gets called up. Frazier’s bat may be needed what with the Encarnacion injury, but his defensive problems may mean he replaces Encarnacion at DH (until Giancarlo Stanton is ready, and the word on that is not until September). The Yankees, I think, would be much more comfortable with Tauchman and/or Maybin in the OF alongside Gardner and Judge. Let Frazier DH then.

We will see what the prognosis is on Hicks. But the way this season has gone, I am not expecting good news.

As of now, Sanchez, Voit, Stanton, Encarnacion, Andujar, now Hicks. That’s not even mentioning guys we really can’t count on because we rarely if ever see them, like Bird or Ellsbury, or the pitchers like Severino, Betances, Montgomery, Hale, CC and Loaisiga.

Sheesh.

But the Yanks keep on trucking along. The DH sweep of Boston means that the Yanks (71-39) have an 8 game lead over Tampa Bay in the AL East, and a whopping 13 1/2 game lead over Boston. It sure appears as if Boston’s hopes of winning the division are over, and they have to worry about just making it as a wild card. As of now, the Indians would host the Rays in the wild card game, the A’s are just 1/2 game behind the Rays, and Boston is 5 1/2 behind the Rays just for a playoff spot.

The Yanks could help bury Boston with a win tonight that would sweep the weekend series. J.A. Happ is expected back from paternity leave to start the game for the Yanks.

Time now also, to put more distance between the Yanks and Rays, as well.

Now for the game. Sorry, but the injury report, I felt, took precedence.

The Yanks remained undefeated (9-0) when Chad Green serves as the opener. He pitched a scoreless first inning before passing the baton to Nestor Cortes, Jr., who gave up a massive HR to Rafael Devers in the top of the third inning that put Boston up 2-0.

The Yanks came right back with three runs in the bottom of the third. Gleyber Torres hit a solo HR (22) to cut it to 2-1. Hicks and Gio Urshela singled, then Maybin doubled both home to make it 3-2 Yanks. Maybin pulled a rock later however, in getting doubled off of second because he forgot how many outs there were when Mike Tauchman lined out to CF.

Chance Adams, up for the day as the DH’s 26th man, relieved Cortes and gave up two runs to put Boston up 4-3. Adams, so good in the minors in 2016 and 2017 (a combined record of 28-6, ERA about 2.40) hasn’t taken it further the last two seasons. 2018 and this year have been a struggle.

Torres tied the game at 4 with his second HR of the game. HR #23 of the season meant (per Replacement Level Yankees) that he has joined Joe DiMaggio as the only Yankees with five multi-HR games in one season before turning 23. Some company. I wouldn’t trade Torres for anyone. He could turn out to be our next Jeter. A middle infielder who would be here a long time, a multi-time All-Star, many hits, more power than Jeter, and even though he is not 23 yet, the kid already is a leader. Like Jeter, the kid has icewater in his veins. Cool under pressure. What’s not to love?

In the bottom of the seventh, Torres just missed hitting his THIRD HR of the game by doubling off of the right field wall. Hicks and Urshela each walked to load the bases. Maybin struck out, but Tauchman singled in two runs to put the Yanks up 6-4. Austin Romine walked to reload the bases but the Yanks didn’t score anymore. The 6-4 score turned out to be the final score.

Not without a scare, however. Zack Britton had Boston load the bases on him in the eighth, but he got out of it.

Judge 2 hits
Torres 3 hits, 2 HR (23), 2 RBI.
Hicks 2 hits. We’ll see about that elbow injury.
Maybin 2 RBI
Tauchman 2 hits, 2 RBI. He’s really grown on me the last month or so.

Green 1 IP, 0 R, 0 H, 1 W, 2 K.  4.95
Cortes, Jr.  2 IP, 2 R, 3 H, 1 W, 2 K.  4.60     Gave up 1 HR.
Adams (BS, 1) 2 IP, 2 R, 3 H, 1 W, 1 K.  7.07
Ottavino 1 IP, 0 R, 1 H, 1 W, 1 K.   1.50
Kahnle (W, 3-0, 2.56) 1 IP, 0 R, 0 H, 1 W, 1 K.
Britton (H, 22) 1 IP, 0 R, 1 H, 2 W, 1 K.  2.35
Chapman (S, 29) 1 IP, 0 R, 0 H, 1 W, 2 K.  2.68

 

 

Game 100. Hicks saves Yanks, pitching woes continue, Sanchez hurt in 14-12, 10-inning come-from-behind win.

Where to begin.

Down to their last out, Aaron Hicks homered in the 9th to put the Yanks ahead, then in the 10th, made an unbelievable catch to save and end the game as the Yanks (65-35), won a wild, come-from-behind game, 14-12, Tuesday night.

Gary Sanchez, 0 for 5, 0 for his last 18, and 10 for his last 85 (.229), experienced tightness in his left groin, is headed for an MRI and could be headed to the IL.

Brett Gardner missed another game due to a sore knee.

The Yanks struck first, scoring two in the top of the first. Hicks walked, and with one out, Edwin Encarnacion doubled. With two out, Didi Gregorius, who went 5 for 5 with 7 RBI on the night, doubled in two runs.

But Domingo German gave up a run in the second. 2-1 Yankees.

The struggling Sanchez popped up with the bases loaded in the top of the third.

In the bottom of the third, German gave up back-to-back HR to begin the inning. After three innings, it was 3-2 Twins.

German struggled again in the fourth, giving up five runs. A double, a WP, and a single made it 4-2, Twins. Then a flyout. A single. Then his second HBP of the game loaded the bases. A groundout brought in a run. 5-2. Then a 3-run HR. 8-2, and German was finished, probably a batter or a couple of batters too late. David Hale came in, gave up a couple of hits, but then got the third out before any more damage was done.

But German was probably left in a batter or a couple of batters too late. But Boone probably didn’t want to go to the bullpen, because Paxton got knocked out early Sunday and CC knocked out early Monday. This is now three games in a row where the starter had a bad outing. Paxton 3 1/3 Sunday, CC 4 Monday, German 3 2/3 last night. Not good, and it accentuates the need for the Yanks to get pitching help.

You need length from the starters or the bullpen will burn out.

Didi hit a 3-run HR in the fifth (6) to cut the lead to 8-5.

The Twins came right back with a run in the bottom of the fifth to make it 9-5.

After seven, it was still 9-5 Twins. Then things got crazy.

In the top of the eighth, the Yanks scored five times to take a 10-9 lead. Gleyber Torres led off the inning with a walk. Gio Urshela doubled him to third. Mike Tauchman doubled, but Urshela couldn’t score, as he tug up in case of the ball being caught. 9-6. After Hicks stuck out, Aaron Judge doubled in two runs to make it 9-8. He missed a HR by maybe a foot or two. After Encarnacion struck out, Luke Voit walked, on a pitch that he probably got a break on. Didi Gregorius then doubled in two runs to give the Yanks a 10-9 lead. Twins’ manager Rocco Baldelli was then ejected for arguing balls and strikes, especially on the walk to Voit. Sanchez then grounded out to end the inning and apparently injured his groin in running to first.

But in the bottom of the eighth, Zack Britton gave up a massive, 457 ft. HR to Miguel Sano, a 2-run shot that put the Twins up, 11-10. It was the second HR of the game for Sano.

In the top of the ninth, with two out, Mike Tauchman walked. Hicks hit the first pitch for his 11th HR of the season to put the Yanks up 12-11.

The Twins’ hitting coach got ejected then, also for arguing balls and strikes.

To the bottom of the ninth, where Aroldis Chapman, like Britton the inning before, could not hold the lead. He walked the first three batters of the inning to load the bases. A SF tied the game at 12. A lineout to Hicks couldn’t bring in the winning run. Chapman then got out of the inning with a liner to Didi.

With one out in the top of the tenth, Didi singled, his fifth hit of the night. Austin Romine, in for the injured Sanchez, singled. Gleyber Torres singled to drive in Didi and put the Yanks up 13-12. After Gio Urshela flied out for the second out that couldn’t score the run, Torres stole second. A WP scored Romine to make it 14-12, Yankees.

But that nearly wasn’t enough.

Adam Ottavino got a strikeout to begin the bottom of the tenth, then walked two batters. Then came a forceout for out #2. Another walk loaded the bases, and in came Chad Green.

Max Kepler ripped a shot into the LCF gap that looked like a bases-clearing 3-run double that would give the Twins a 15-14 win, except that Aaron Hicks made a diving catch to end the game.

Unbelievable finish.

With the win, the Yanks (65-35) have a 10 game lead over both the Tampa Bay Rays and the Boston Red Sox, as the Red Sox have caught the Rays and both are in a virtual tie for second. Boston at 56-46 has a .549 winning percentage, and Tampa Bay at 57-47 is at .548.

Hicks 2 hits, 2 RBI, Game saving catch. Game saving HR (11)
Judge 3 hits, 2 RBI
Encarnacion 2 hits
Voit 2 hits
Gregorius 5 for 5, 7 RBI, 3-run HR (6)
Torres 2 hits, GW RBI
Tauchman 2 hits, RBI

The Yanks banged out 20 hits.

German 3 2/3 IP, 8 R, 9 H, 2 W, 3 K. Gave up 3 HR.  4.03
Hale 2 1/3 IP, 1 R, 4 H, 0 W, 1 K.   2.34
Kahnle 1 IP. 0 R, 0 H, 0 W, 2 K.  2.75
Britton (BS, 4) 1 IP, 2 R, 2 H, 0 W, 1 K.  Gave up 1 HR.  2.63
Chapman (W, 3-2, 2.56; BS, 5) 1 IP, 1 R, 0 H, 3 W, 0 K.
Ottavino (H, 24) 2/3 IP, 0 R, 0 H, 3 W, 1 K.  1.60
Green (S, 1) 1/3 IP, 0 R, 0 H, 0 W, 0 K.   4.58

 

 

Game 99. Yanks hit into triple play, give up 5 HR in 8-6 loss to Twins.

You know it isn’t your night when, in the first inning, you hit into a triple play and your starting pitcher gives up back-to-back HR.

That’s what happened in the Yankees’ (64-35) 8-6 loss to the Twins Monday night. They stay 9 ahead of Tampa Bay and 10 up on Boston (who beat the Rays).

A few notes before the game recap.

Cameron Maybin begins a rehab assignment today (Tuesday). With Mike Tauchman hot right now, it’ll be interesting to see what happens when Maybin is ready. He is out of options. Tauchman, meanwhile, is hot.

Jonathan Holder was brought back up before the game, Stephen Tarpley sent down.

Aaron Boone has done a great job this year, but there are a few moves recently that I question. For one, Gary Sanchez is in a bad slump, having lost 40 points off of his batting average since June 21 (a little over a month ago). Yet Boone continues to hit Sanchez third, or as was the case last night, fourth. Gleyber Torres is hitting .294 but batted seventh last night. Why not ride the hot hand, Aaron, and switch those two in the lineup? Sanchez’ slump and position in the lineup hurt the Yanks last night a couple of times.

One thing I worry about is this. Despite the big divisional lead, what starter do you absolutely trust to win a must-win game in the postseason? That is why there are all the trade rumors involving the Yankees and a pitcher. I won’t report on rumors, just facts once something happens.

But when something happens, which of the current starters in the bullpen gets bumped out once a deal is made (one starter goes) or Severino returns.  If BOTH happen, then which TWO starters get bumped?

It is July 23. Things are going to get VERY interesting regarding Yankees’ starting pitching very soon. The trade deadline is just over a week away.

Now to the game recap.

In the first inning, D.J. LeMahieu and Aaron Judge walked, but Edwin Encarnacion hit a ground ball to third. Step on third, go around the horn, and the Twins get a 5-4-3 triple play to get out of it.

After an out, CC Sabathia then gave up back-to-back HR in the bottom of the first. Yanks down 2-0.

In the top of the third, the Yanks tied it up. With one out, Gio Urshela homered (10). Tauchman singled, LeMahieu doubled. Judge walked. Bases loaded. Encarnacion singled to tie the game, but with a chance to do more damage, Sanchez GIDP.

CC gave up three runs in the bottom of the third. He wasn’t helped when Sanchez was called for catcher interference, forcing in one of the runs.

The Yanks made it 5-3 in the top of the fourth when Luke Voit homered (19).

But CC came back out for the fourth, a move I question. He had already given up two HR, and five runs, in three innings. He gave up two more HR in the fourth inning, making it four for the game, and the Yanks were down 7-3.

The Yanks got two back in the top of the fifth on a 2-run HR by LeMahieu (15).

They made it 7-6 in the sixth when Torres doubled, and with one out, Tauchman singled him home. LeMahieu then singled, but Judge ended the inning by GIDP.

Luis Cessa gave up a HR in the bottom of the sixth to make it 8-6 Twins, the final score.

With two on, and one out in the ninth, the slumping Sanchez struck out. He is down to .233 after being at .274 after the June 21 games.

Aaron Hicks was 0 for 5 with 3 strikeouts.

LeMahieu 3 hits (.338) 2 RBI, 15th HR.
Encarnacion 2 hits, RBI. Hit into a triple play.
Voit 19th HR. 1 for 4, the HR but 3 strikeouts.
Urshela 2 hits, RBI, 10th HR.
Tauchman 3 hits, RBI. (Brett Gardner has a sore knee).

Four of the six hits CC gave up were HR.

Sabathia (L, 5-5, 4.50) 4 IP, 7 R, 6 ER, 6 H, 2 W, 2 K. Gave up 4 HR.
Cessa 3 IP, 1 R, 2 H, 1 W, 6 K.  4.13  Gave up 1 HR.
Holder 1 IP, 0 R, 0 H, 0 W, 1 K.  6.63

 

Game 98. Yanks fall to Rockies, 8-4.

Sorry for a late posting. I was up in Cooperstown yesterday for the HOF induction ceremony. Up at 3:45 AM, bus leaves at 5 AM. Sit for hours in brutal sun, home in pouring rain. But for Mo? Worth it. Home around 9:30 PM.

But I don’t take the heat well. Sorry, Derek, I don’t think I’ll be going up next year, but will watch on TV.

Anyway, the Yanks’ (64-34) five-game win streak was snapped by the Rockies on a hot Sunday afternoon, 8-4. James Paxton didn’t have a good day.

Charlie Blackmon hit Paxton’s second pitch of the game for a HR. Blackmon had 4 hits on the day.

In the bottom of the first, D.J. LeMahieu hit the first pitch for a HR (14). Tie game.

But Colorado scored three times in the third to go up 4-1 (3 unearned runs due to a Luke Voit error), then got two more in the fourth, 7-1.

Mike Tauchman homered (6) in the fifth to cut it to 7-2.

A passed ball by Gary Sanchez in the eighth enabled Colorado to go up 8-2, then Aaron Hicks hit a 2-run HR (10) in the bottom of the eighth to make it 8-4, the final score.

The Yanks still lead Tampa Bay by 9, and Boston by 11.

LeMahieu solo HR (14) .333
Hicks 2-HR (10).
Tauchman solo HR (6).

The Yanks only had 4 hits in the game. You may say they were tamed savages yesterday.

Paxton (L, 5-5, 4.20) 3 1/3 IP, 7 R, 4 ER,  5 H, 3 W, 6 K.
Green 2 1/3 IP, 0 R, 1 H, 0 W, 3 K.  4.62 (ERA was 16.43 when sent down in April).
Ottavino 1 IP, 0 R, 2 H, 0 W, 1 K.  1.62
Tarpley 1 1/3 IP, 1 R, 0 ER, 2 H, 2 W, 1 K.  6.59
Chapman 1 IP, 0 R, 0 H, 1 W, 2 K.  2.39

 

 

 

Game 97. Yanks Rout Rockies, 11-5.

The Yankees (64-33) routed Colorado Saturday afternoon, 11-5.

We will see about tonight’s games regarding the Rays and Red Sox.

I am writing this recap early because my bus for Cooperstown, and Mariano’s HOF ceremony (along with Mussina’s and others) leaves at 5 AM tomorrow morning.

Masahiro Tanaka’s day was better than it will appear. He pitched five scoreless innings before tiring because of the intense heat in the sixth inning.

The Yanks scored in the first inning when D.J. LeMahieu singled and Aaron Judge doubled.

The scored five in the second inning to make it 6-0. Didi Gregorius doubled to lead off the inning. Gleyber Torres singled in Didi and went all the way to third on an error. Didi had stopped at third and the error enabled Didi to score and Torres, who was heading for second, to advance to third. Austin Romine singled in Torres to make it 3-0, and after an out, Romine stole second. LeMahieu and Judge each walked to load the bases, and Aaron Hicks singled in one run to make it 4-0 then Edwin Encarnacion doubled in two to make it 6-0. At that point, you figured the Yanks had this game. Luke Voit walked to load the bases with one out, but the Yanks didn’t score any more runs that inning.

The Yanks made it 9-0 in the fourth. Hicks led off the inning with a walk, and one out later, Voit was HBP. It hit his shoulder and ricocheted into his face. Although he finished the inning and was OK, Voit was removed after the inning, what with the 9-0 lead and the heat to be sure he was OK. Didi Gregorius then singled in Hicks, Voit moving to third, to make it 7-0. A WP moved Didi up to second, Voit holding. Gleyber Torres then singled in two runs to make it 9-0.

Tanaka, who pitched five shutout innings, fell victim to the intense heat with one out in the sixth, giving up a single, run-scoring double, walk, 3-run HR, double, and RBI single before getting the last two outs. 9-5 Yankees.

On a day as hot as today was, the pitch count limit probably gets dropped from say, 100, to 80. Tanaka threw 85, so the heat may have gotten to him after say, 65? It was about 97 degrees in NYC today, heat index higher.

The Yanks got two runs in the seventh. Brett Gardner walked, and D.J. LeMahieu singled him to third. Mike Tauchman, who replaced Aaron Judge when the Yanks had a big 9-0 lead to give Judge a break, grounded into a force out that brought the run home, making it 10-5. After Aaron Hicks struck out, Edwin Encarnacion hit a ball that should have been caught but wasn’t. Another case of hustle by Tauchman. With two out, he was running on the pitch and scored on a single by Encarnacion, who only moved to second because of the attempt at the plate to nail Tauchman.

Tauchman is growing on me. I like his hustle the past few games.

LeMahieu 3 hits.  .334 leads AL
Encarnacion 2 hits, 3 RBI. Heating up.
Gregorius 2 hits, RBI
Torres 3 hits, 2 RBI
Romine 2 hits, RBI

Tanaka (W, 7-5, 4.00) 6 IP, 5 R, 7 H, 1 W, 3 K. Gave up 1 HR. Heat got to him in 6th. Gave up no runs on only 2 hits through first five innings.
Kahnle 1 IP,  0 R, 0 H, 0 W, 1 K.  2.82
Hale 2 IP, 0 R, 0 H, 0 W, 1 K.   2.23

 

 

 

Game 96. Yanks slam Rockies, 8-2, behind some ex-Rockies. Lead now 9.

Edwin Encarnacion hit a grand slam, ex-Rockies D.J. LeMahieu, Mike Tauchman, and Adam Ottavino tormented their former team, and Aaron Judge added a 2-run HR as the Yanks (63-33) beat Colorado 8-2 Friday night.

With the win, the Yanks’ AL East lead grew to 9 over Tampa Bay and 11 over Boston.

The Rockies struck first, scoring two in the second off of J.A. Happ. Ryan McMahon led off the inning with a HR, then an out later, Chris Ianetta singled and then scored on a double by Garrett Hampson. Hampson advanced to third on the play on an error by Gleyber Torres. Happ got out of further trouble, when, on a fly ball to LF Mike Tauchman,  Tauchman lined up perfectly to catch the ball and then threw a perfect one-hopper to Gary Sanchez to nail Hampson, who was trying to tag up and score on the flyout, at the plate.

The Yanks took over in the third inning. With one out, LeMahieu, the former Rockie (as is Tauchman and Ottavino) singled. Both Judge and Sanchez walked, and Encarnacion hit a grand slam, his 29th HR of the season, to put the Yanks’ up 4-2.

Tauchman was huge in this game. Besides throwing a guy out at the plate, his hustle came up big. He made a nice sliding catch at one point in the game, and in the fourth, with two out, blooped a hit into shallow left. He hustled it into a double, and that hustle paid off when LeMahieu singled him in to make it 5-2.

Tauchman singled with one out in the sixth, and then showed off his hustle again by stealing second. He advanced to third on a throwing error on the play and scored on a fielders’ choice grounder, beating the play at the plate. More hustle. LeMahieu reached on that play, and then Judge added a 2-run HR (11) to make it 8-2.

The Yanks got excellent relief pitching as Happ, Ottavino and Stephen Tarpley combined for 17 K. 

With Nestor Cortes, Jr. having gone a few innings on Thursday, he was sent down and Tarpley brought up in order for the Yanks to have a “fresh arm.”

LeMahieu 2 hits, 2 RBI .330
Judge 2-run HR (11), threw out a guy at second.
Encarnacion grand slam HR (29), 4 RBI
Hicks 2 hits
Torres 2 hits
Tauchman 3 hits, scored two runs due to hustle, made great defensive plays.

Happ (W, 8-5, 4.86) 5 IP, 2 R, 8 H, 2 W, 8 K. Gave up 1 HR. In and out of trouble all night, helped by Tauchman and Judge.
Ottavino (H, 23) 1 IP, 0 R, 0 H, 0 W, 3 K.  1.66
Tarpley (S, 2) 3 IP, 0 R, 1 H, 0 W, 6 K.  7.30.

Manager Aaron Boone was suspended for this game due to his ejection in Game 1 of Thursday’s DH.

I can’t help but think. With the excellent defense (and hitting) LeMahieu and Urshela provide, could good bat/weak glove youngsters Clint Frazier and (the injured) Miguel Andujar be on the trade block in order to land a starting pitcher? There are only so many spots to go around to fill up a team, and someone would have to go.

My reports this weekend may be spotty, if at all. I’ll be up in Cooperstown Sunday for the Hall of Fame induction ceremony.