Game 121. Bullpen blows it. Yanks lose to Boston 9-6.

The Yankees rallied from a 3-0 deficit to take a 6-3 lead, but the bullpen blew it as the Yanks lost to the Red Sox 9-6 Friday night.

With the loss, the division title is probably slipping away and the Yanks may have to concentrate on that top wild card spot. They are now 65-56 and five games back of Boston. Granted there are 41 games left, but…

Today doesn’t look good. You don’t know how someone will be just coming off the 10-day DL after missing a turn and that is exactly what CC Sabathia will be doing tonight. Worse yet, the Yanks are facing Chris Sale, who just owns them.

Even worse…. the struggles of Aroldis Chapman continued last night, and he appears lost and his confidence appears shattered. Not good.

Jordan Montgomery started and was ok. He did give up a 2-run HR in the second and a solo shot in the fifth. Not good, but not terrible.

The Yanks got back into the game on a 2-run HR by Todd Frazier (20) in the sixth, then got four runs in the seventh.

Gary Sanchez tied the game with his 23rd HR of the season. Ronald Torreyes singled in two, and Aaron Hicks was HBP (he was hit twice in the game) with the bases loaded to force in another run. 6-3 Yanks.

Then the bullpen imploded. The Yanks gave up four in the bottom of the seventh to blow the lead and another two in the eighth to give Boston some insurance.

On MLB, they correctly criticized the Yanks for a couple of things.

1. Tommy Kahnle, who has a 98 MPH fastball, threw three changeups to one hitter and got beat on a change with two strikes on the batter. If you are going to get beat, get beat on your best pitch.
2. Yankees’ pitchers frequently got two strikes on Red Sox hitters but couldn’t put them away.
3. Chapman, after giving up a hit and runs, stood disconsolate and lost on the mound and didn’t run to back up home plate as he should. His body language, both on the mound and walking off of it after the inning was over, was terrible. His ERA is now over 4.00…. terrible for a closer.
4. Offensively, they could have done more. They were 1 for 11 with RISP. They blew some chances to put the game away.

Aaron Judge tied a MLB record for most consecutive games striking out.

Brett Gardner and Chase Headley each had three hits. Todd Frazier 2 hits, 2 RBI. 2 RBI for Torreyes.

One good news for an ex-Yankee. Derek and Hannah Jeter became parents of a baby girl, Bella Raine Jeter, on Thursday.

Montgomery 5 IP, 3 R, 4 H, 2 W, 3 K. Gave up 2 HR. 4.00
Green 1 1/3 IP, 2 R, 1 H, 2 W,  1 K. 2.25
Kahnle (BS, 6; L, 2-4, 2.61) 2/3 IP, 2 R, 3 H, 1 W, 0 K.
Chapman 1 IP, 2 R, 2 H, 1 W, 1 K. 4.29 

Time to refocus. Winning the division would be nice. But five back, 41 to go, concentrate on not blowing the playoff spot.

Game 118. Gray seals it, but Chapman almost unseals it in a 5-4 Yanks’ win.

Pardons to Elton John for the headline.

The Yanks have a problem on their hands. That problem is Aroldis Chapman and a second problem may be Joe Girardi’s stubbornness right now.

Sonny Gray pitched well, six shutout innings before yielding a 2-run HR in the seventh. Still, the Yanks took a 5-2 lead into the ninth, when Chapman gave up a 2-run HR to make things shaky before the Yanks finished off the Mets 5-4.

Chapman is a problem right now. As I wrote a few days ago, the Yanks have three closers. They can go with the hot hand, something Girardi mentioned sarcastically a few days ago in saying “Chapman is my closer. What am I supposed to do, go with the hot hand?”

Yes, Joe, that is exactly what we want you to do. We also want you to leave relievers performing well in for more than one inning. For you almost blew another game tonight. 

The Yanks scored first, getting a run in the third on a Torreyes double, Gardner sac bunt and Hicks single. Good. Nice to see some littleball with the bunt there.

Jacoby Ellsbury hit a 2-run HR (6) in the fourth to make it 3-0.

Gary Sanchez homered in the sixth (21) to make it 4-0. Gray gave up a 2-run HR in the seventh,  but the Yanks made it 5-2 in the eighth on a SF by Sanchez.

Then in came Chapman who almost blew the game. Why not leave Betances throw a second inning. Why not use Warren (Robertson could use the day off). But no, the “he’s my closer” stubbornness mentality almost cost the Yanks a ballgame.

You just knew when Chapman came in tonight that this wasn’t going to go smoothly.

Aaron Judge struck out for the 32nd straight game, tying a MLB record, but he did have a key double and then scored that fifth run.

Gray (W, 7-7, 3.37) 6+ IP, 2 R, 5 H, 2 W, 5 K. Gave up 1 HR.
Kahnle (H, 11) 1 IP, 0 R, 0 H, 0 W, 1 K. 2.30. Threw just 10 pitches. What, he can’t go two?
Betances (H, 17) 1 IP, 0 R, 0 H, 1 W, 2 K. 2.20. Threw 19 pitches. He couldn’t go two?
Chapman (S, 16) 1 IP, 2 R, 2 H, 0 W, 1 K. 3.89. That save rule is a joke.

Happy the Yanks won. Unhappy Girardi is so inflexible with his thinking.

UPDATE: Chapman was pretty down after the game. Not as confident as previously. It could be getting to him. On the final play, he appeared to tweak his hammy a bit.

Cessa went on the DL. Smith back up.

Game 117. The Aaron’s (Hicks & Judge) and the Kraken power Yanks, 4-2.

Home runs by the Aaron’s (no, not Henry or Tommy) Hicks and Judge and another by Gary (the Kraken) Sanchez powered the Yanks to a 4-2 subway series win over the Mets Monday night.

I was worried about Luis Cessa starting. He pitched half decently tonight but didn’t provide length (see below…injury). There are times I and others wondered “why Cessa again? Why not bring up Chance Adams?” Cessa does appear better suited for middle relief than a starting role. His numbers seem to back that up.

Now to bring up Adams, the Yanks would have to put him on the 40-man and take someone off. Girardi thinks Adams, despite his fine record in the minors (13-3, 1.96 AA/AAA this year), isn’t ready yet. He may or may not have to be ready now, because Cessa got hurt tonight. I know I, and a lot of the fan base, would like to see the kid. And see him over Cessa, no offense to Cessa. With Cessa’s injury, do we now see Adams?

Cessa left the game in the fifth inning with an apparent back injury. Meanwhile, CC Sabathia apparently tried pitching today and may or may not be ready on Saturday. So he’d fit right back in line if he was ready.

Cessa gave up HRs in the third to both ex-Yankee Curtis Granderson and to Yoenis Cespedes to put the Mets up 2-0.

In the fourth, Sanchez hit a SF to cut the lead to 2-1.

Aaron Judge tied the game with HR #36 in the sixth. The strikeouts did continue, but maybe this HR gets him going again.

With the score tied in the bottom of the eighth, the Yanks got HRs from Aaron Hicks (12) and Gary Sanchez (20) to put the game away, 4-2.

For all three, it was their 40th career HR. All three got it in the same game.

Cessa 4 1/3 IP, 2 R, 5 H, 2 W, 5 K. Gave up 2 HR. 4.75
Green 2 2/3 IP, 0 R, 0 H, 1 W, 4 K. 1.95. Been great all year.
Robertson (W, 6-2, 2.30) 1 IP, 0 R, 0 H, 1 W, 3 K.
Betances (S, 7) 1 IP, 0 R, 1 H, 0 W, 1 K. 2.25

Some further notes. The Yanks may want to bring up someone like Donovan Solano and send Tyler Wade down? Castro will be starting rehab soon and should be back soon, and they need him. Wade, 22, has done well at SWB but is down to .120 and really looks overmatched so far in the majors.

The slump of Judge and the slump of Holliday, combined with the DL stints for Holliday and Castro have really hurt the lineup. 3 homers today helped win the game, but the Yanks will have to be good at playing littleball until some players come back, be it Bird, Holliday and/or Castro.

The win, puts the Yanks at 62-55. With Boston losing, they are now 4 1/2 out in the AL East. They retain the top wild card spot.

 

Game 116. “By the book” Girardi blows game, 3-2 in 10.

I know what I write here won’t be absorbed easily by many people, and may be controversial, but I truly believe Joe Girardi blew another Yankees game by his overmanaging and by the book style.

I also think it’s time for Joe to go.

The Yanks needed Jordan Montgomery to match Chris Sale. Sale is expected to win this year’s CYA so it was a tough task, made even more difficult after Montgomery got nailed in the head yesterday by a BP liner to the head.

He was up to the task. But Joe Girardi went by the book again (Please, Joe, Think outside the box once in a while?) and after Robertson went 1 2/3 (yes, time to pull him) and Betances went one inning (leave him in!) Girardi went to Chapman, who on Friday night didn’t justify anyone’s faith in him, and who got bailed out by Hicks. Sunday night Chapman gave up a HR in the top of the ninth that tied the game at 2.

Girardi and Cashman’s contracts are up at the end of the year. Personally, keep Cash, dump Girardi.

Joe. You have 3 closers. Stop solely using Chapman in the ninth, and GO WITH THE HOT HAND. Guy doing well, LEAVE HIM IN. This isn’t brain surgery. It’s quite simple. Start taking my advice. Chapman sucked the other night so you bring him in again in the ninth because “he’s the closer”? Really?

There was NO REASON to pull Betances after 12 pitches and a 1-2-3 inning. NONE. And especially for someone who was so awful two nights ago. None except by going by the book and going formula.

Joe, THINK FOR YOURSELF. Stop going formula and use your damned brain and shove that binder up your you know what.

Boston got a run in the fifth and the Yanks got it right back on an RBI triple by Austin Romine of all people. Good backup defensive catcher, can’t hit a lick. .220. The Yanks caught a break. Mookie Betts should have caught that ball.

Aaron Hicks made two great defensive plays in the game. Great plays.

Todd Frazier’s SF in the eighth made it 2-1 Yanks before Chapman gave up a HR in the ninth to blow the save.

In the tenth, Chapman blows the game. How? Wild like Friday night. HBP and a walk. Kahnle comes in, walk, base hit for a run.

This is all on Girardi. The Yanks’ real record is eight games below what it SHOULD be based on runs scored/runs allowed. The reason for that? Girardi’s overmanaging. 13-21 in one-run games. Pulling guys when they did well the previous inning. Going “by the book” instead of using his damned brain.

Simple concept. Guy pitches well, low pitch count? Leave him in.

Go with the hot hand.

I am not alone. Many other Yankees’ fans I know are tired of this bullshit.

Montgomery 5 1/3 IP, 1 R, 2 H, 3 W, 4 K. 3.94. Great job.
Robertson 1 2/3 IP, 0 R, 0 H, 1 W, 3 K. 2.35
Betances 1 IP, 0 R, 0 H, 0 W, 1 K. 2.30. Only 12 pitches. Why pull him?
Chapman (BS, 4; L, 4-2, 3.48) 1 1/3 IP, 2 R, 1 H, 1 W, 1 HBP, 3 K. Gave up 1 HR 3.48.
Guess who has the highest ERA of the three? Robertson, Betances and Chapman?

I rest my case.

Kahnle 2/3 IP, 0 R, 1 H, 1 W, 1 K. 2.35.

 

Game 114. Hicks ignites rally, saves game. Yanks 5-4.

Aaron Hicks hit a 2-run HR to ignite a 5-run 8th inning rally for the Yanks, and made a key defensive play that helped save the game as the Yanks rallied late to beat Boston 5-4 Friday night. The win puts the 61-53 Yanks 3 1/2 back of Boston in the AL East. A loss would have meant 5 1/2 back.

Jaime Garcia gave up a 2-run HR to Hanley Ramirez in the first inning and a solo HR to Andrew Benitendi in the fifth. Meanwhile, the Yanks continued to be futile offensively.

But in the eighth, PH Gardner led off with a HBP, and Hicks snuck a HR (11) just fair down the RF line, about 3 rows deep, to cut the Boston lead to 3-0. Sanchez singled, advanced on a WP and Judge walked. Didi singled to tie the game. Todd Frazier singled to put the Yanks ahead 4-3. After Headley struck out, Ellsbury singled to load the bases. Torreyes got a SF (oh, how I kill for a simple SF) to put the Yanks up 5-3. They would need that insurance run, and how.

Aroldis Chapman came in for the save and couldn’t find the plate if you gave him a map and a GPS system. He walked the bases loaded with no one out. On a SF that made the score 5-4, Aaron Hicks threw out ex-Yankee Eduardo Nunez at third while the run was scoring. So now two out, man on second and Chapman got a flyout to end the game.

Whew.

Garcia 5 2/3 IP 3 ER, 7 H, 3 W, 6 K. Gave up 2 HR. 4.50
Warren (W, 3-2, 1.80) 2 1/3 IP, 0 R, 1 H, 0 W, 2 K.
Chapman (S, 15) 1 IP, 1 R, 0 H, 3 W, 0 K. 3.06

Derek Jeter’s bid won in order to buy the Marlins. He and others will have to pony up $1.2 Billion.

Game 113. Yanks blanked, 4-0.

If the Yanks want to win the division, they better start thinking about sweeping the Red Sox at Yankee Stadium this weekend, because otherwise, the division is slipping away. To do that, the bats have to wake up.

Toronto blanked the Yanks 4-0 Thursday night to drop the Yanks to 60-53, 4 1/2 games behind Boston. The Yanks still have the top wild card spot right now.

Sonny Gray is now 0-2, 3.00 as a Yankee, and in both he games received little to no run support as well as suffered defensive miscues. In this game, the defensive miscue was done by Gray himself.

In the second, a wild throw on a pickoff attempt by Gray, and a fielder’s choice by Gray in which the runner scored and the batter still reached, enabled Toronto to score the only run they’d need. Toronto also nicked Gray for runs in the third and fourth.

Jose Bautista homered in the seventh off of Chasen Shreve to make it 4-0.

Aaron Judge has struck out in 27 consecutive games. I wouldn’t mind so much the swinging strikeouts, but the called ones…. swing the bat, Aaron!

The Yanks were 0 for 9 w/RISP.

Clint Frazier was put on the DL. Aaron Hicks was brought back off the DL.

The Yanks have tried to get help. They inquired about Lucas Duda and Jay Bruce from the Mets but the Mets sent Duda to the Rays, Bruce to the Indians, and both for what it seems are inferior packages to what the Yanks offered. Perhaps the Mets are gun-shy about having one of their players do well for the cross-town team.

It looks like Derek Jeter’s bid to buy the Marlins is picking up some steam.

Gray (L, 6-7, 3.39) 6 IP, 3 R, 2 ER, 4 H, 4 W, 6 K.
Shreve 2 IP, 1 R, 1 H, 0 W, 3 K. Gave up 1 HR. 2.84

Minor League Report. Hicks HRs on rehab, Tampa K’s 25.

AAA: SWB (75-41) won 2-1. CF Mason Williams, RF Jake Cave (.358) & SS Cito Culver had 2 hits each. Rehabbing 1B Tyler Austin 1 for 3 with a walk and run scored. I don’t know if Cessa got hurt, or what.

Cessa 2 1/3 IP, 0 R, 0 H, 3 W, 5 K. 3.45
Cortes 4 IP, 1 R, 4 H, 0 W, 3 K. 1.17
Gallegos (W, 4-1, 1.69) 1 2/3 IP, 0 R, 3 H, 0 W, 1 K.
Heller (S, 5) 1 IP, 0 R, 0 H, 0 W, 3 K. 2.87

AA: Trenton (76-38) lost 5-4. Rehabbing DH Aaron Hicks 2-run HR. LF Zack Zehner 2 hits, HR, 2 RBI. RF Jeff Hendrix 3 hits. 1B Ryan McBroom 2 doubles. 3B Dante Bichette, Jr. 2 hits.

Carter 5 2/3 IP, 4 R, 3 ER, 7 H, 0 W, 3 K. Gave up 3 HR. 2.67
Schwaab 1 1/3 IP, 0 R, 2 H, 1 W, 2 K. 4.66
Coshow (L, 2-4, 3.91) 1 IP, 1 R, 1 H, 2 W, 1 K. Gave up 1 HR.

High A: Tampa (69-46) won 2-1 in 14 innings, Tampa pitchers K’d 25. 2B Kyle Holder GW hit. 1B Gosuke Katoh 2 hits.

Keller 6 IP, 1 R, unearned, 6 H, 1 W, 11 K. 2.86
Pena 3 IP, 0 R, 1 H, 0 W, 6 K. 2.72.
Lane 2 IP, 0 R, 1 H, 0 W, 4 K. 3.09
Tarpley (W, 5-0, 0.00) 3 IP, 0 R, 2 H, 0 W, 4 K.

Low A: Charleston (62-53) lost 3-0. C Ryan Lidge 2 of Charleston’s 3 hits.

Nelson (L, 2-9, 4.74) 5 IP, 2 R, 5 H, 2 W, 8 K.
DeCarr 3 IP, 1 R, 3 H, 0 W, 2 K. 6.07