Game 32. 10-4, Good buddy! Yankees win 17th of last 19 games behind 4 HR.

The Yankees (24-8) won for the 17th time in their last 19 games, beating the Chicago White Sox 10-4 Friday night.

The Yankees hit 4 HR in the game, and Aaron Judge and Giancarlo Stanton did it again, and became the third pair of Yankees teammates to each have 10 or more HR in the team’s first 32 games of a season, following Ruth and Gehrig in 1930 and Mantle and Berra in 1956.

Before the game, Luis Gil sent back down, Clarke Schmidt brought up.

Stanton got the ball rolling with a 2-run HR in the first inning (10).

Yankees’ starter Gerrit Cole got out of a bases-loaded, one-out jam in the bottom of the first. In the top of the second, the Yanks scored three runs, and with Cole on the mound, you knew that was the ballgame. With one out, Isiah Kiner-Falefa singled, and Jose Trevino then singled IKF to third. Aaron Hicks doubled in IKF and Trevino scored on a groundout by D.J. LeMahieu. After Judge walked, Josh Donaldson doubled in Hicks to make the score 5-0.

Judge hit a solo HR, his MLB leading 12th, in the top of the fourth to make the score 6-0.

Chicago got a run in the bottom of the fourth when Cole balked home a run.

Joey Gallo homered in the top of the fourth (4) to put the Yanks up 7-1.

Cole gave up a 2-run HR in the bottom of the sixth and the White Sox had cut the score to 7-3.

In the top of the ninth, with one out, Judge singled and Donaldson hit a 2-run HR (4), to make it 9-3. Stanton and Gleyber Torres followed with singles, then Joey Gallo loaded the bases with another single. IKF hit a SF to make it 10-3.

Chicago got a run off of Michael King in the bottom of the ninth. Final score, 10-4.

Judge 2 hits, solo HR (12) Leads MLB in HR
Donaldson 2 hits, 3 RBI. 2-run HR (4)
Stanton 2 hits, 2 RBI. 2-run HR (10)
Torres 2 hits
Gallo 2 hits, solo HR (4)
Kiner-Falefa (IKF) 2 hits, RBI

Cole (W, 3-0) 6 1/3 IP, 3 R, 6 H, 1 W, 9 K. 1 WP. 1 balk. Gave up 1 HR. 2.95
King 2 2/3 IP, 1 R, 3 H, 0 W, 2 K. 1.59

With the win, the Yankees have a 4 1/2 game lead over Tampa Bay in the AL East, and are 7 1/2 up on third place Toronto. They have the best record in baseball.

Game 24. Eleven is Heaven! Yanks win 11th in a row, 9-1 over Toronto.

Alek Manoah is always tough on the Yankees, but once he left the game, the Yankees (18-6) teed off on Toronto relievers, and beat Toronto 9-1 Tuesday night.

The win was the Yankees’ 11th in a row. They lead Toronto by 3 1/2 in the AL East.

Toronto scored first, getting their only run in the bottom of the fifth inning.

Aaron Judge hit a 427 ft. HR (9) to tie the game in the top of the sixth. A nice note: The Toronto fan who caught the ball gave it to a youngster wearing a Judge jersey. A nice moment. A few weeks ago, some of the Bleacher Creatures embarrassed Yankee fans with their behavior. It only takes a few to spoil it for thousands. I hope those few took note about how fans SHOULD act. Nice gesture by the fan up in Toronto.

The Yanks exploded for six runs in the top of the seventh, with maybe some help from the umpires. Giancarlo Stanton led off the inning by reaching on an error. Toronto challenged the call (Vlad Guerrero Jr. coming off the bag at first on a throwing error by Bo Bichette) but lost the call and their ability to appeal future calls. Josh Donaldson doubled Stanton home to make the score 2-1, Yankees. After Gleyber Torres struck out, Marwin Gonzalez doubled home Donaldson. 3-1. Isiah Kiner-Falefa singled to put runners on first and third. On a groundball by Jose Trevino, Gonzalez got caught in a rundown, but wound up scoring. Toronto argued two things: that he was tagged out by Guerrero, and that Gonzalez was out of the baseline. Since they lost their appeal rights on the previous play, it could not go to review and they lost this one too. 4-1. Men on second and third. Aaron Hicks then singled in Kiner Falefa, with Trevino stopping at third. 5-1. Judge then doubled in both baserunners. 7-1.

In the top of the ninth, Stanton hit a 442 ft. 2-run HR (5) to make it 9-1, which wound up as the final score.

Hicks 2 hits, RBI
Judge 2 hits, 3 RBI. Solo HR (9). Tied with Rizzo for MLB lead in HR.
Stanton 2-run HR (5)
Gonzalez 2 hits, RBI

Taillon (W, 2-1) 6 IP, 1 R, 5 H, 0 W, 4 K. 2.84
Peralta 1 IP, 0 R, 2 H, 0 W, 1 K. 2.16
Castro 1 IP, 0 R, 1 H, 0 W, 1 K. 1.80
Luetge 1 IP, 0 R, 0 H, 0 W, 1 K. 4.15

Game 21. 8 wins in a row for Yanks as they blank KC, 3-0.

The team with the best ERA in the league improved on that as the Yankees won their 8th straight game, 3-0, over Kansas City last night. With the win, the Yankees (15-7) have the best record in the majors.

Gerrit Cole pitched six of the scoreless innings, and after a rough start to the season, seems to have righted himself.

The shutout dropped the Yankees’ ERA to 2.70.

The Yankees got single tallies in the second, third, and fourth innings.

In the second, Gleyber Torres singled to lead off the inning, then Aaron Hicks walked. Joey Gallo, who later had to leave the game with a groin injury, singled to load the bases. Torres scored when Isiah Kiner-Falefa GIDP.

In the third, with one out, Josh Donaldson walked. Anthony Rizzo followed with a walk and Giancarlo Stanton singled to load the bases. Torres hit a SF.

In the fourth, Hicks led off with a walk and Gallo singled, Hicks advancing to third on an error. Kiner-Falefa then hit a SF to bring in Hicks.

Torres 2 hits, RBI
Hicks 2 for 2 with 2 walks
Gallo 2 for 2, left game with groin injury

Cole (W, 2-0) 6 IP, 0 R, 5 H, 2 W, 6 K. 3.00
Castro (H, 4) 1 IP, 0 R, 1 H, 1 W, 1 K. 2.16
Holmes (H, 6) 1 IP, 0 R, 1 H, 0 W, 0 K. 1 HBP. 0.84
Chapman (S, 5) 1 IP, 0 R, 0 H, 0 W, 0 K. 0.00

Game 20. Yanks blast 4 HR in 12-2 8-inning blowout of KC for seventh straight win.

The Yanks (14-6) jumped out to an early 3-0 first inning lead on back-to-back homers by Anthony Rizzo and Giancarlo Stanton and never trailed as they won their seventh straight game, 12-2 over Kansas City, in a game shortened to eight innings because of rain.

The Yanks hit four homers in the game.

D.J. LeMahieu led off the game with a double, and one out later, Rizzo hit his MLB leading ninth HR of the season. Stanton followed with his fourth HR of the season and the Yanks were up 3-0.

KC got a run in the bottom of the first off of “Nasty” Nestor Cortes, and an unearned run (Due to a PB by C Kyle Higashioka) in the second to cut the Yanks lead to 3-2.

It stayed that way until the top of the seventh, when the Yanks broke the game open. With one out, Isiah Kiner-Falefa singled, and with two out, Higashioka walked. A single by LeMahieu made it 4-2, and Aaron Judge then hit a 3-run HR (6) to put the Yanks up 7-2.

The Yanks scored five runs in the top of the eighth inning. Stanton singled and Joey Gallo PR for him. Gleyber Torres followed with a 2-run HR (2) to make it 9-2. Aaron Hicks was HBP and Kiner-Falefa singled Hicks to second. Tim Locastro reached on an error, loading the bases, then Higashioka cleared the bases with a 3-run double. That may be an important hit for Higashioka, who had a great spring training but who has struggled mightily in the early going, and who could be losing his starting job to Jose Trevino.

After the eighth inning, the rains came and there was a delay before the game was called. I understand wanting to give the Royals their chance to come back, and don’t know how long the delay was before the game was called, but with the score at 12-2, common sense needs to prevail and let all go out and get some KC BBQ.

LeMahieu 2 hits, RBI
Judge 3-run HR (6)
Rizzo 2-run HR (9) Leads MLB in HR
Stanton 2 hits, RBI. Solo HR (4)
Torres 2-run HR (2)
Kiner-Falefa 2 hits
Higashioka 3 RBI

Cortes (W, 1-0) 5 IP, 2 R, 1 ER, 8 H, 0 W, 3 K. 1.31
Loaisiga (H, 4) 1 IP, 0 R, 0 H, 0 W, 0 K. 6.00
Green 1 IP, 0 R, 0 H, 1 W, 1 K. 3.86
Luetge 1 IP, 0 R, 0 H, 1 W, 1 K. 4.91

Notes: Even though the team batting average is .249, that is still 4th in the league. Batting averages are down, and the average team MLB batting average is somewhere between .230 and .235. In fact, the Phillies were no-hit by five Mets’ pitchers last night. The Yanks do lead the AL in HR with 29, and are second in runs scored, slugging and OPS (OPS+ 123) and third in total bases and OBP.

The pitching so far has been fabulous, and who’d have thought that with all five starters having made four starts each, that the best starter, with the lowest ERA and the most strikeouts, would be Cortes? Meanwhile who would have thought that the starter with the highest ERA so far would be Cole? The Yanks lead the AL in ERA at 2.84, have given up the least amount of HR, and their pitchers have the most strikeouts. The ERA+ is 134 (100 is average).

Aaron Hicks returned from paternity leave, after becoming father to a baby boy.

Game 17. Yanks (11-6) win slugfest 12-8 behind 5 HR, 3 by Rizzo.

Back after a ten-day vacation visiting my sis across the country. Some comments at end of article.

Anthony Rizzo hit three of the Yanks (11-6) five homeruns in the Yanks’ 12-8 win over Baltimore Tuesday night. Luis Severino pitched 5 1/3 hitless, shutout innings before tiring, and the Yankees’ bullpen made things nervously close.

Rizzo hit a 3-run HR in the third to start the scoring. Joey Gallo hit his first HR of the season to make it 4-0 in the fourth. Rizzo’s second HR of the game, a 2-run HR, made it 6-0 in the fifth.

After losing his no-hit bid, Severino walked the next hitter then gave up a 3-run HR and Baltimore had cut the lead to 6-3. The Orioles scored another run in the top of the seventh to close the score to 6-4.

In the bottom of the seventh, D.J. LeMahieu led off with a single and Aaron Judge singled D.J. to third. Rizzo walked to load the bases. Giancarlo Stanton singled in one run, and after Josh Donaldson struck out, Gleyber Torres tripled to clear the bases and make the score 10-4.

Baltimore made things uncomfortable again, scoring four runs in the top of the eighth, three on a HR given up by Jonathan Loaisiga (who has been struggling lately) to cut the score to 10-8.

In the bottom of the eighth, the Yanks got back-to-back homers by Judge (4) and Rizzo (8) to make it 12-8, which wound up being the final score.

LeMahieu 2 hits
Judge 2 hits, RBI, solo HR (4)
Rizzo 3 hits, all HR (8), 6 RBI Now leads majors in HR
Stanton 2 hits, RBI
Torres 3 RBI
Gallo solo HR (1)

Severino (W, 2-0) 6 IP, 4 R, 3 H, 2 W, 5 K. Gave up 1 HR. 3.32
Holmes (H, 5) 1 IP, 0 R, 1 H, 0 W, 1 K. 1.04
Luetge 2/3 IP, 3 R, 2 H, 0 W, 0 K. 1 HBP. 6.00
Loaisiga 1/3 IP, 1 R, 1 H, 0 W, 0 K. Gave up 1 HR. 8.10
Chapman 1 IP, 0 R, 0 H, 2 W, 2 K. 0.00

A few notes on the games while I was away. A disappointing weekend in Baltimore, where the Yanks lost two of three. So far the pitching (except for last night) has carried the team. In the first 13 games of the season, the Yanks were shut out three times, and in another game, they only scored one run in an eleventh inning loss. Higashioka, Gallo, and Stanton have been struggling. Now in the last two games, they have scored ten and twelve runs, so maybe the bats are waking up. The team batting average is .242, meanwhile the team ERA of 2.85 leads the league. A good thing is Severino looking like the Severino of old. Meanwhile, Nestor Cortes, Jr. and Mike King have been great.

Tim Locastro was brought up, and J.P. Sears sent down. Miguel Andujar was brought up because Aaron Hicks is out on paternity leave. There will be some more moves coming because those extra players allowed because of the shortened spring training will have to be lopped off the roster after Sunday’s games.

One thing I didn’t know until a few days ago is that EACH MLB team is now using humidors for the baseballs. Before, because of the light air and the way balls fly out, only teams like Colorado were doing so. The humidor helps to deaden the baseballs.

Congrats in order to Detroit’s Miguel Cabrera, who became only the seventh player to have 3000 hits and 500 HR in his career. The other six are Aaron, Mays, A-Rod, Pujols, Palmeiro and Murray.

Game 6. Bad Vlad (3 HR) dooms Yanks, 6-4

These will be the last posts for me for a while, since I am traveling across the country to spend a vacation with my family.

Vladimir Guerrero, Jr. hit 3 HR and a double and drove in 4 runs to almost singlehandedly beat the Yankees (3-3) Wednesday night.

His first HR, in the top of the first inning, was controversial. CF Aaron Hicks got a glove on it, and it appeared to hit the top of the wall before coming back onto the field. Umpires ruled, however, that it went over then came back. 1-0, Blue Jays.

Guerrero hit a 2-run HR in the top of the third inning, again off Yankees’ starter Gerrit Cole. 3-0.

The Yanks tied it in the bottom of the fifth. With one out, Anthony Rizzo (3) and Aaron Judge (1) hit back-to-back homers. Josh Donaldson doubled, and after another out, D.J. LeMahieu doubled home Donaldson.

Toronto got a run in the top of the seventh to make it 4-3, then Guerrero hit his third HR of the game in the top of the eighth to make it 5-3. The Blue Jays tacked on another run after Guerrero’s HR to up their lead to 6-3.

Gleyber Torres homered (1) for the Yankees in the bottom of the eight to cut it to 6-4, but that wound up as the final score. With one on, Giancarlo Stanton pinch-hit and just missed tying the game up with a HR.

J.P. Sears made his MLB debut.

Rizzo 2 hits, RBI. Solo HR (3)
Judge 2 hits, RBI. Solo HR (1)
LeMahieu 2 hits, RBI
Torres solo HR (1)
Hicks 2 hits.

Cole 5 2/3 IP, 3 R, 4 H, 1 W, 6 K. Gave up 2 HR. 5.59
Green (l, 0-1) 1 IP, 1 R, 0 ER, 0 H, 1 W, 0 K 0.00
Loaisiga 1/3 IP, 1 R, 2 H, 0 W, 0 K. gave up 1 HR. 2.45
Peralta 1 IP, 1 R, 2 H, 0 W, 0 K 3.38
Sears 1 IP, 0 R, 0 H, 0 W, 1 K. 0.00 MLB DEBUT

Game 5. Reversal of Fortune. Yanks blank Blue Jays, 4-0.

After being shut out by Toronto on Monday night, the Yankees (3-2) returned the favor Tuesday night, blanking Toronto 4-0.

One turn through the rotation, and guess who pitched the best? The #5 starter, “Nasty” Nestor Cortes, Jr.

In the first inning, some tough breaks. Josh Donaldson led off with a walk, then Aaron Judge was robbed of a double. Anthony Rizzo then doubled, but Donaldson was thrown out at home. He had stopped and once you do that, you can’t start up again.

The Yanks got a two-run HR from Aaron Hicks (1) in the bottom of the second inning.

With one out in the bottom of the fourth inning, D.J. LeMahieu singled and went to second on a single by Gleyber Torres. A throwing error on a pickoff attempt let LeMahieu score to make it 3-0.

In the bottom of the eighth, Donaldson walked, and Judge doubled him to third. After Rizzo struck out, Giancarlo Stanton hit a SF to make it 4-0.

LeMahieu 2 hits
Torres 2 hits
Hicks 2-run HR (1)

Cortes 4 1/3 IP, 0 R, 3 H, 0 W, 5 K. 0.00
Holmes (W, 1-0) 1 2/3 IP, 0 R, 0 H, 0 W, 2 K. 2.70
Castro (H, 1) 1 IP, 0 R, 0 H, 0 W, 0 K, 0.00
Loaisiga (H, 1) 1 IP, 0 R, 2 H, 0 W, 1 K. 0.00
Chapman 1 IP, 0 R, 0 H, 0 W, 2 K. 0.00

S.T. Game 16. Higashioka stays red hot, hits 2 HR as Yanks crush defending champs, 10-0.

Kyle Higahioka probably wishes this WAS the regular season. The red-hot Yankees catcher hit two more HR today (Saturday) as the Yankees (7-8-1 in spring training) crushed the defending WS Champion Atlanta Braves, 10-0 in a rain-shortened, 5 1/2 inning affair.

Higashioka, who now has seven HR in spring training, drove in 3 runs. The Yankees scored in each of their five innings. Aaron Judge had 2 hits, including a solo HR. Anthony Rizzo also had two hits, including a solo HR. D.J. LeMahieu was 3 for 3 with an RBI. Aaron Hicks was 2 for 2 with 2 RBI.

After a scare earlier this week with a bit of a sore arm, Luis Severino was everything the Yankees could have hoped for today. If he can get back to being the Severino of 2017 and 2018 and be a solid #2 starter behind Gerrit Cole, that will be key to the Yankees’ success this season. Both he and Nestor Cortes, Jr. pitched well today.

Severino 4 IP, 0 R, 1 H, 0 W, 3 K.
Cortes 2 IP, 0 R, 1 H, 0 W, 3 K.

S.T. Game 4. Yanks beat Phils 5-2.

The Yankees (1-2-1 in Spring Training) beat the Phillies 5-2 Monday afternoon.

Giancarlo Stanton drove in two runs with a double and Aaron Hicks had an RBI double of his own. Another run scored on an RBI double by Phillip Evans. Evans is a corner infielder/outfielder who was with Pittsburgh last year and who has been in the majors (121 games total) for the Mets (2017-2018) and Pirates (2020-2021).

Pitching line:

Taillon 2 IP, 0 R, 1 H, 0 W, 1 K Nice. Had ankle surgery in the offseason.
Cortes (H) 2 IP, 0 R, 0 H, 0 W, 2 K. Nasty Nestor.
King 2 IP, 0 R, 1 H, 1 W, 1 K.
McClain 1 R, 2 R, 1 ER, 3 H, 1 W, 1 K
Weissert (S) 2 IP, 0 R, 0 H, 2 W, 1 K.

Game 90. Depleted Yanks get shut-out, 4-0.

Major problems. And these could sink the Yankees’ season.

The Yanks were already without Jonathan Loaisiga (Covid list). Clint Frazier and Miguel Andujar were on the IL, not to mention others like Corey Kluber, Aaron Hicks and Darren O’Day.

Now add to the Covid List Wandy Peralta, Nestor Cortes, Jr. Aaron Judge, Kyle Higashioka and Gio Urshela. Add Luke Voit (knee) to the IL.

As a result, a bunch of guys had to be brought up from SWB. Hoy Jun Park and Trey Amburgey each made their MLB debuts last night. Rob Brantly had to be brought up. Chris Gittens, just off the IL himself, had to come up. Zack Britton was activated off of the IL. Am I missing anyone?

The depleted Yanks lost to Boston 4-0, getting just three hits. They are 0-7 vs. Boston this year, and are now 9 back and in fourth place with a 46-44 record. They play Boston six more times between now and June 25. They have Tampa Bay June 27-29. (In between there are two games with the Phillies).

Those guys out will be out for a while, leaving it up to the scrubs. This could get ugly.

So what did we see last night? The Yanks had a #3 hitter hitting .219, a cleanup hitter hitting .215, A #5 hitter at .237, a #6 hitter at .190. The #7 hitter is 2 for 22 in his MLB career. The #8 hitter was making his MLB debut. The #9 hitter is at .180 and was pinch-hit for by another guy making his MLB debut. Hoo boy. Is it any wonder why the Yanks got shut out?

Poor Jordan Montgomery. No run support. Montgomery had just one bad inning, the second, when he gave up a walk, double, RBI groundout, and a 2-run HR for 3 runs. That was more than enough for Boston. The second straight game he lost 4-0. In his last five starts, Montgomery has lost four of them. In those five games, the Yankees have scored a total of seven runs.

Later, Justin Wilson, who has been absolutely brutal this season, gave up a solo HR for the last run of the game. 4-0, Boston.

Montgomery (L, 3-5) 6 IP, 3 R, 3 H, 2 W, 4 K. Gave up 1 HR. One bad inning. 4.18
German 1 IP, 0 R, 1 H, 0 W, 0 K. 4.72
Wilson 1 IP, 1 R, 1 H, 0 W, 1 K. 8.62 Gave up 1 HR.
Chapman 1 IP, 0 R, 0 H, 1 W, 1 K. 4.40