Game #56. Judge hits 2 HR, takes one away in Yanks’ 10-4 win. Bader hurt.

Aaron Judge hit 2 homers and almost a third (a double off the wall) and robbed a Mariner of a HR in the Yanks’ (33-23) 10-4 win late last night in Seattle.

During the game, Harrison Bader had to be removed due to right hamstring tightness. He will have an MRI today and the IL is a possibility.

The Yanks struck first in the top of the second when Bader singled, stole second, went to third on an error and scored on a double by Jake Bauers.

Yanks’ starter Domingo German gave up a run in the bottom of the second and the game was tied at one.

Judge’s first HR of the game, a 2-run shot, made it 3-1 in the top of the third. Soon after that, Bader tweaked his hammy in beating out an infield hit.

Bauers hit a solo HR (3) in the top of the fourth to put the Yanks up 4-1. German gave up a run via a HR by Julio Rodriguez in the bottom of the inning and it was 4-2.

The Yanks made it 8-2 with four runs in the top of the fifth. Gleyber Torres led off the inning with a single and Judge doubled off the wall, sending Torres to third. Willie Calhoun doubled in two runs to make it 6-2. After an out, Greg Allen (in for Bader) was HBP. After another out, Isiah Kiner-Falefa doubled in both runners to make it 8-2.

German struggled with J-Rod again in the bottom of the fifth, as he singled in two runs for Seattle to make it 8-4.

In the top of the sixth, Judge hit his second HR of the game (AL Leading 17th) to make it 9-4.

Ron Marinaccio came in for German in the seventh and got two straight strikeouts with runners on second and third to get out of a jam.

In the bottom of the eighth, Judge went high above the fence and robbed Teoscar Hernandez of a HR.

Kyle Higashioka got an RBI single in the top of the ninth to make the score 10-4, and it ended that way.

Giancarlo Stanton will begin rehab today (Tuesday) with Somerset, joining Josh Donaldson and Tommy Kahnle there.

Torres 2 hits.
Judge 3 hits, double and 2 HR (2-run and solo) (17), 3 RBI and he robbed a Mariner of a HR.
Calhoun 2 hits, 2 RBI
Bader 2 for 2, removed from game with right hamstring tightness.
Bauers 3 hits, 2 RBI. Solo HR (3).
Kiner-Falefa 2 hits, 2 RBI.
Higashioka 2 hits, RBI.

German (W, 3-3) 6 1/3 IP, 4 R, 7 H, 3 W, 4 K. 1 HBP. Gave up 1 HR. 3.98
Marinaccio 2/3 IP, 0 R, 0 H, 0 W, 2 K. 1 WP. 4.00
Abreu 2 IP, 0 R, 0 H, 1 W, 3 K. 3.58

Game #55. 7 runs in 3rd inning spark Yanks to 10-7 triumph

Gerrit Cole didn’t have his “A” game, but the Yankees’ (32-23) offense picked him up to have Cole improve his record to 6-0 on the season. A seven-run third inning proved to be decisive in a 10-7 win over the Padres.

Cole gave up a HR to the second batter he faced, and San Diego had a quick 1-0 lead.

Aaron Judge tied the game in the bottom of the first inning with his 15th HR of the season. With that HR, he took over the AL lead in HR, even though he missed ten games by being on the IL. Pete Alonso of the Mets leads the majors with 20 HR.

In the top of the third, the Yanks got sloppy. With two out and a man on second, Jose Azocar singled to make it 2-1, Padres. However, errors by Harrison Bader and Kyle Higashioka let Azocar come all the way around on the play and it was 3-1 Padres.

Then, in the bottom of the third, the Yanks exploded for seven runs to take an 8-3 lead. Higashioka led off the inning with a double and scored on an Anthony Volpe single. Volpe took second on the throw home. Gleyber Torres singled Volpe to third, and then Judge singled to tie the game at three, with Torres stopping at second. A single by Anthony Rizzo gave the Yanks a 4-3 lead. Now the Yanks had Judge on second and Rizzo on first. D.J. LeMahieu was robbed of a 3-run HR, but the long flyout enabled Judge to tag up and go to third. Bader grounded into a force out that scored Judge to make it 5-3. Bader’s hustle down the line avoided the inning-ending DP and enabled the inning to continue. The “Gas House Gorillas” procession continued with a double by Willie Calhoun to make it 6-3. A single by Isiah Kiner-Falefa made it 7-3, and Higashioka’s second double of the inning made it 8-3.

Ex-Yankee Rougned Odor hit a 2-run HR in the top of the seventh to cut the Yanks’ lead to 8-5, and after a single, Cole was relieved by Jimmy Cordero, who promptly gave up a double. Second and third, no out, tying run at the plate. Cordero gave up an RBI fielder’s choice, but then got two strikeouts to get out of the inning. 8-6, Yankees.

The Yanks got two runs in the bottom of the eighth to make it 10-6. With one out, Bader homered (6). Calhoun singled, and after a force out, IKF stole second and went to third on an error. Higashioka singled to make it 10-6.

The Padres pushed across a run in the top of the ninth, but the Yanks held on for the 10-7 win.

The next four games will have late starts, since the Yanks are now on the west coast. 9:40 PM Eastern Mon-Wed in Seattle, then after an off day on Thursday, Friday night’s game against the Dodgers has a 10:10 PM Eastern Time start. Saturday is 7:15 PM eastern for Fox, and Sunday night is 7:08 pm Eastern for ESPN. June 5th is an off-day, and the Yanks next play at home on Tuesday, June 6.

Tonight’s game (Monday, Memorial Day) will have Domingo German on the mound, as he returns from his 10-day suspension for too much sticky stuff on his pitching hand. He needs to be careful. The next time, it will be a 50-game suspension.

Judge 2 hits, 2 RBI. Solo HR (15). Took over AL HR lead.
Bader 2 RBI. Solo HR (6)
Calhoun 2 hits, RBI.
Higashioka 3 hits, 2 RBI.

Cole (W, 6-0) 6+ IP, 6 R, 5 ER, 4 H, 3 W, 9 K. Gave up 2 HR. 2.93
J. Cordero (H, 4) 1 IP, 0 R, 1 H, 0 W, 2 K. 3.47
Marinaccio (H, 5) 1 IP, 0 R, 0 H, 0 W, 1 K. 1 HBP 4.10
Holmes 1 IP, 1 R, 0 H, 2 W, 0 K. 3.27

After Friday night’s game, Randy Vasquez was sent back to SWB and Matt Krook, a lefty reliever, was called up.

Game #47. Judge, Rizzo HR, Higgy redeems self in Yanks’ 6-2 win.

Kyle Higashioka was 0 for 3 with three strikeouts in the game at that point in the top of the ninth inning. In the top of the seventh, with men on second and third and just one out, he had struck out instead of helping the Yanks add on to a 3-2 lead. He had pounded the bat into the bat rack in frustration at that point.

It was time to redeem himself, and he did, hitting a two-run double to ensure the Yankees’ win. The Yanks (3rd in AL East, 27-20, 6 1/2 out) beat Cincinnati 6-2 Friday night.

Aaron Judge, hot as all heck, gave the Yanks an early lead with a solo HR (13) in the first inning, and Anthony Rizzo upped that lead to 3-0 with a 2-run HR (10) in the top of the sixth.

In the middle of the game, the Yanks got a scare. Already playing one man short because of the suspension of Domingo German, Clarke Schmidt caused a controversy by being checked out by the umpires. It turned out he was ok with the amount of rosin on his hand, but that the fuzz from inside of his glove was sticking to and making a black mark on this non-pitching hand. He was told to wash it off, and he complied. All good. But Cincy manager David Bell thought that Schmidt deserved the German treatment (which REALLY would have screwed up the Yankees), argued too long about it, and got ejected.

Anyway, Schmidt then ran into trouble in the sixth, giving up a single and double. Jimmy Cordero came in for Schmidt and gave up a two-run double to make the score 3-2. He walked the next batter while there was an SB. So first and third, 3-2 game but Cordero escaped without any more runs scoring.

Then came the ninth and Higgy’s redemption. Gleyber Torres walked, and two outs later, Oswaldo Cabrera walked. Higgy then doubled both runners home to give the Yanks a 5-2 cushion. After a walk to D.J. LeMahieu, Harrison Bader gave the Yanks more insurance with an RBI single. 6-2.

After the game, it was announced that the Yanks traded a minor league pitcher to Boston for OF Greg Allen and cash considerations. Allen, 30, was previously with the Yanks for 15 games in 2021. He has played for Cleveland (2017-2020), San Diego (2020), the Yankees (2021) and the Pirates (2022). He hasn’t played in the majors this season yet, but is expected to join the team in Cincy. We will see what the corresponding moves will be. The switch-hitter can play all three OF positions. He is just a .232 career hitter with an OPS+ of just 71 and I don’t like his BB/K ratio, but he is best for his speed (45 of 53 in his career in SB) and defense.

In return for Allen, the Yanks gave up minor league P Diego Hernandez, who is just 18 and who was 4-2, 2.10 in the Dominican Summer League last year in 12 games, five of them starts.


Judge solo HR (13)
Rizzo 2 hits, 2 RBI. 2-run HR (10)
Higashioka 2 RBI

Schmidt (W, 2-4) 5+ IP, 2 R, 5 H, 2 W, 6 K 6.00
J. Cordero (H, 2) 1 IP, 0 R, 1 H, 1 W, 2 K. 2.25
Abreu (H, 3) 1 IP, 0 R, 0 H, 1 W, 1 K. 4.50
Peralta (H, 4) 1 IP, 0 R, 0 H, 0 W, 2 K. 2.04
Ramirez 1 IP, 0 R, 0 H, 1 W, 0 K 2.45

Game 43. Judge HRs twice in Yanks 7-4 win.

You never know, sometimes.

The Yanks went with Jimmy Cordero to start the game, and then brought in Jhony Brito afterwards. It worked like a charm for seven innings.

Against ace Alek Manoah of Toronto, Yankees’ manager Aaron Boone gave both Harrison Bader (for 8 innings, he came in as a defensive replacement in the ninth) and D.J. LeMahieu the night off. Jose Trevino had the night off too.

But Aaron Judge (twice) and Willie Calhoun homered, and the Yankees (24-19) beat Toronto 7-4.

The Yanks gave Cordero a three-run lead before he took the mound. Judge hit a solo HR (9) and a couple of batters later, Calhoun hit a 2-run shot (3) to make it 3-0.

The Yanks added two runs in the fourth. Anthony Volpe led off with a double, then Oswaldo Cabrera walked. Kyle Higashioka singled in Volpe with Cabrera going to third. Aaron Hicks walked to load the bases. After Jake Bauers popped up, Judge walked to force in a run. 5-0.

In the top of the sixth, with one out, Bauers walked and stole second. Maybe not a smart play by Bauers, because then Judge was intentionally walked. Toronto was hoping for an inning-ending DP but Anthony Rizzo spoiled that by hitting an RBI double. 6-0.

In the top of the eighth, Boone was ejected for arguing a called strike on Judge that was clearly low. No one gets as many bad calls called on him than Judge. Umpires need to and don’t adjust the strike zone for Judge. He is 6’7″. A ball at the knees for a normal player is LOW on Judge. Anyway, Judge hit a 462 ft. bomb, his second HR of the game and tenth of the season, to make the score 7-0. He just had a 2-HR game the other day, so hopefully he is back and on a hot streak.

Toronto got four runs in the bottom of the eighth. A questionable call on a double (it looked foul) started the rally, Gleyber Torres made an error, and a couple of bloopers. Michael King stranded two to end the inning and then closed it out in the ninth.

Judge 2 for 2. Both hits HR (solo and 2-run) (10). He also drew 3 walks.
Calhoun 2-run HR (3)
Cabrera was 0 for 2 but drew 3 walks.

Besides their 8 hits, the Yanks drew 10 walks.

J. Cordero 2 IP, 0 R, 0 H, 0 W, 0 K. 2.50
Brito (W, 3-3) 5 1/3 IP, 4 R, 2 ER, 6 H, 0 W, 2 K. 5.45
Hamilton 1/3 IP, 0 R, 2 H, 0 W, 0 K. 1.27
King (S, 3) 1 1/3 IP, 0 R, 0 H, 0 W, 0 K. 2.38

Game #41. Captain, O Captain! Judge’s 2 HR spark Yanks’ comeback victory.

Aaron Judge was due. Even taking into account the recent stint on the injured list, he hadn’t homered since April 19.

Judge homered twice in a thrilling Yankees’ (23-18) comeback win over the Tampa Bay Rays yesterday. The Yanks, trailing 6-0 after 4 1/2 innings, won 9-8.

A big concern is Nestor Cortes. With Rodon, Severino and Montas on the IL, Cortes has to resemble the All-Star and CYA candidate of last year. Nestor’s ERA is 5.53. You didn’t expect a repeat of last year’s 2.44 but were hoping for 3.44. The big problem is his third time through the batting order. In his first four innings of work this year, he has been Nasty Nestor, with an ERA of 1.97. However, from the fifth inning on, it is an atrocious 16.55.

Nestor gave up a run in the second inning, and was OK through four, giving up just that one run.

But in the fifth, he gave up a grand slam to Yandy Diaz, and after a double followed, was pulled from the game. The runner later scored, and the Yanks were in a 6-0 hole.

But in the bottom of the fifth, Kyle Higashioka hit a 2-run HR (3) and Judge later followed with a 2-run HR (7) to cut the Rays’ lead to 6-4.

The Yanks then scored five runs in the bottom of the sixth to take the lead. It all started with a bunt. Anthony Volpe got a “Volpe run” with the bunt single, two stolen bases, and then he scored on a WP. Volpe became the first Yankee to be successful in all of his first 13 stolen base attempts. After a walk, Judge hit his second HR of the game (8), a 2-run shot, to give the Yanks a 7-6 lead. Anthony Rizzo then laid down a bunt single (!) and then a couple of walks loaded the bases. Oswaldo Cabrera’s 2-run single made it 9-6.

But the Rays stormed back, getting two runs in the top of the seventh to cut it to 9-8. The Yanks’ bullpen held it from there for the thrilling victory.

Judge 2 hits, both of them 2-run HR (8), 4 RBI
Rizzo 3 hits.
Cabrera 2 RBI.
Volpe 2 SB (13). 13 for 13 in SB this season. First Yankee to be successful in all of his first 13 SB attempts.
Higashioka 2-run HR (3).

Cortes 4 1/3 IP, 6 R, 7 H, 2 W, 3 K. Gave up a grand slam. 5.53
J. Cordero (W, 3-1) 1 2/3 IP, 0 R, 1 H, 0 W, 2 K. 2.81
Marinaccio (H, 4) 1/3 IP, 2 R, 1 H, 0 W, 0 K. 1 HBP 3.71
Holmes (H, 2) 1 2/3 IP, 0 R, 3 H, 0 W, 3 K. 1 WP 4.11
Peralta (S, 2) 1 IP, 0 R, 0 H, 1 W, 1 K. 1.76

Game 34. Bader comes off bench to spark Yanks to 3-2 win.

Harrison Bader didn’t start yesterday’s game, but he decided it.

His 2-run eighth inning single was the game winner in a 3-2 Yankees (18-16) win.

Yankees’ starter Domingo German gave up two first inning runs (more on that in a moment), then settled in. But the way the Yankees’ offense has been, you wondered if those two runs were going to be two runs too many.

Getting back to the bottom of the first. With two on and two out, German threw a nasty 2-1 pitch that was strike two. Catcher Kyle Higashioka started to go toward the dugout as if it were strike three. On the next pitch, German gave up a two-run double that ate up Yankees’ 3B D.J. LeMahieu. After the inning, Anthony Rizzo had a good talking-to with the embarrassed Higashioka. The wipeout pitch that was used to hopefully get out of the inning was already used and now the batter was ready for it if it was thrown again. Higgy’s mistake may have been the cause for the next pitch being the one that gave up two runs. You don’t know, but Higgy heard about it in the dugout after the inning.

Higgy made up for it later in the game with a key caught stealing at a crucial moment in the game. It turned out to save a run.

Jake Bauers later made a fine defensive play, throwing out a runner at third. These plays enabled the Yanks to stay in the game and proved crucial in their comeback win. Tampa Bay threatened a few times after the first inning but couldn’t add on.

Meanwhile, the Yanks offense wasn’t doing anything. But in the top of the eighth, Rizzo singled with one out. Gleyber Torres followed with a single, moving Rizzo to second. A double by LeMahieu cut the Rays’ lead to 2-1. After another out, Bader, who didn’t start the game, flared a 2-run single to give the Yanks the lead, 3-2, and they hung on for the win.

After Bader’s single, Isiah Kiner-Falefa doubled, but for the second time in the game, Aaron Hicks left men on second and third. Even though the game was in Tampa, Hicks heard a lot of boos from the Yankees fans who were at the game. The Yanks are going to have to something about Hicks. It’s like the Gallo situation they had last year.

Getting the save wasn’t the struggling Clay Holmes, but instead Ian Hamilton.

The win was huge. It meant being 9 back instead of 11 back, and with ace Gerrit Cole going today for the Yanks, hopefully they can shave another game off of Tampa Bay’s lead. The rest of the division looks tough, even the Orioles, who are playing good ball. Boston, who most people had finishing last in the division this year, has won eight in a row. The Yanks need to keep pace.

It looks like Aaron Judge will return to the lineup on Tuesday. Luis Severino is headed to SWB to begin rehab.

LeMahieu RBI double.
Bader 2 for 2, 2 RBI, and didn’t even start the game.
Kiner-Falefa 2 hits.

German 5 IP, 2 R, 4 H, 2 W, 5 K. 1 HBP. 4.35
Peralta 2/3 IP, 0 R, 2 H, 0 W, 0 K. 2.25
Marinaccio (W, 1-1) 1 1/3 IP, 0 R, 1 H, 0 W, 1 K. 1.76
Holmes (H, 1) 1 IP, 0 R, 1 H, 0 W, 0 K. 4.09
Hamilton (S, 1) 1 IP, 0 R, 1 H, 0 W, 1 K. 1.42

Side note: Yesterday was Willie Mays’ 92nd birthday. The legend is the oldest living Hall-of-Famer.

Game #17. Yanks fall to Angels 5-2.

It would have been nice to celebrate the 100th anniversary of the opening of the original Yankee Stadium with a win. It wasn’t to be however, since the Angels beat the Yankees (10-7) 5-2 last evening.

The Yanks have a problem. With Rodon, Severino and Montas on the IL, that is three starters. Others have to step up, and there is a reason those other starters are 6-7-8 and not in the top 5. Brito (who starts tonight) gave two solid outings. German was solid last time out.

But Clarke Schmidt has been awful. He has not gone more than four innings in any of his four starts this season. The Yanks are 1-3 in his starts. His ERA is close to 9.00.

The game started with Schmidt giving up a double, then Shohei Ohtani, the 2021 MVP and the runner-up to Judge for MVP last season, hit a 2-run HR. After that HR, lefty hitters had a .452 batting average vs. Schmidt this season.

Schmidt as a reliever is 5-3, 3.32 in his MLB career. In his nine MLB starts, he is 0-4, 6.55. After a while, you just have to face the facts that he may not be cut out to be a starter. The problem is, who (outside of a trade) would replace Schmidt in the rotation? There really isn’t anyone at AAA, and most top pitching prospects are at AA. Luis Gil is out for most if not all of the season after TJ surgery last year. A lot of pitchers (Sears, Wesneski, Waldichuk, Medina) were traded at last year’s trade deadline in various deals. Randy Vasquez, a top prospect at AAA, has an ERA over 8.00 himself right now. Schmidt’s number of strikeouts show potential, but he hasn’t put anything together and at some point, you wonder if he ever will. You hope, but …

The Yanks are still a few weeks away from getting Severino back. Rodon could be even longer due to back problems he is now facing. Sigh. But Schmidt can’t keep giving performances like this. Hopefully he can right himself until Sevy or Rodon come back.

The Yanks had the bases loaded in the bottom of the first but didn’t score. They left two on in the second. They drew seven walks in the game, but only got four hits.

The Angels got two more runs off of Schmidt in the fourth, knocking him out of the game.

In the bottom of the fourth, the Yanks got their two runs on a bases-loaded walk to Anthony Volpe and a SF by Aaron Judge. Judge just missed hitting a grand slam, and had to settle for the SF.

Two errors (both by Kyle Higashioka), a SB by Ohtani and a SF gave the Angels a run in the top of the fifth, making it 5-2 Angels, and there was no further scoring in the game after that.

Josh Donaldson went 1 for 3 for AA Somerset in a rehab assignment, but still felt tightness in his hamstring. Harrison Bader should be starting a rehab assignment soon. Don’t expect Giancarlo Stanton back from his hamstring injury until late May.

Volpe RBI
Judge RBI
Peraza 1 for 3, walk. First game played for Yanks this season.

Schmidt (L, 0-1) 3 2/3 IP, 4 R, 6 H, 0 W, 5 K. 1 HBP. Gave up 1 HR. 8.79
Weissert 1/3 IP, 0 R, 0 H, 1 W, 0 K. 0.00
Marinaccio 2 IP, 1 R, 0 ER, 0 H, 0 W, 2 K. 1.13
J. Cordero 2 IP, 0 R, 1 H, 0 W, 3 K. 1 Balk. 2.70
Abreu 1 IP, 0 R, 1 H, 0 W, 1 K. 0.00

Game #15. German stellar in Yanks’ 6-1 win.

Domingo German retired the first 16 batters he faced and set a personal best with 11 strikeouts in the Yankees’ (9-6) 6-1 win over the Twins Saturday afternoon.

The win came with some controversy over the rosin (a legal substance) German was using. The controversy caused Twins’ manager Rocco Baldelli to be ejected.

Kyle Higashioka gave German all the runs he would need with a 2-run HR (2) in the second inning.

Anthony Rizzo made it 3-0 with a solo HR (4) in the bottom of the third.

In the bottom of the fifth, Anthony Volpe walked, stole second, and scored on a single by D.J. LeMahieu.

Volpe had three stolen bases in the game (6), becoming the youngest Yankee to steal three in a game. It was the first time in over ten years that a Yankee had stolen three bases in a game. The last time it was done was by the oldest Yankee to do it—Ichiro Suzuki in September of 2012.

After a double by Aaron Judge, the Yanks had men on second and third with no one out but didn’t add on.

Michael King relieved German in the top of the seventh, and allowed an inherited runner to score but got a DP to work out of a jam.

A 2-run double by Giancarlo Stanton in the bottom of the seventh made the score 6-1 and that is how it stayed.

LeMahieu RBI single
Judge 1 for 2 (double), two walks.
Rizzo solo HR (4).
Stanton 2 RBI
Higashioka 2-run HR (2)
Volpe 1 for 2, 2 walks, 3 SB (6).

German (W, 1-1) 6 1/3 IP, 1 R, 3 H, 0 W, 11 K. 3.86
King 2 2/3 IP, 0 R, 2 H, 0 W, 2 K. 1.86

With Rodon, Severino and Montas out, the Yanks need German (and also Brito and Schmidt) to step up.

Ace Gerrit Cole is on the mound today for the Yanks.

Game #12. Yanks squeak and sweat out 4-3 win.

The Yanks (8-4) squeaked and sweated out a 4-3 win. It wasn’t easy.

In the bottom of the first, Cleveland got a couple of bloop hits. Another blooper appeared to be caught by Aaron Hicks, and it looked like an inning-ending double play. It was overturned, letting Cleveland score a run. The review took forever, and Aaron Boone was ejected for arguing. It did appear as if Hicks did trap it, but the appeal by Cleveland should have come in a certain amount of time and didn’t. The way the review was conducted ticked off Boone, and “froze” Clarke Schmidt, who had to wait out the delay. Once play resumed, Schmidt gave up a hit for another run and the Guardians (I will always want to say Indians) went ahead 2-0.

Schmidt gave up a solo HR in the third to put Cleveland up 3-0. Schmidt only went four innings, and it may be safe to say that once Severino and Rodon return (and it looks like Sevy will be back before Rodon), Schmidt will leave the rotation. He hasn’t made it into the fifth in any of his three starts this year, and his ERA is 8.44.

Kyle Higashioka almost tied it in the top of the fifth. His drive with two runners on base hit the top of the wall, just missing a 3-run homer. It was ruled a single, but an error let Higgy get to second and let the second baserunner score.

In the top of the seventh, red-hot Franchy Cordero tied the game with a 439-ft. HR, his fourth of the season.

In the top of the ninth, Giancarlo Stanton reached on an infield single and took second on a throwing error. Gleyber Torres PR for Big G, and Oswald Cabrera hit a 2-out single to give the Yanks a 4-3 lead.

But in the bottom of the ninth, Clay Holmes loaded the bases with a HBP and two walks before getting a strikeout to end the game.

Whew.

The Yankees’ bullpen tossed five shutout and hitless innings to let the Yanks get back into and win the game.

Cordero solo HR (4) . He’s been incredible.
Cabrera 2 hits, GW RBI

Schmidt 4 IP, 3 R, 6 H, 1 W, 3 K. Gave up 1 HR. 8.44
Marinaccio 1 IP, 0 R, 0 H, 2 W, 2 K. 1 WP. 1.50
King 2 IP, 0 R, 0 H, 0 W, 1 K. 2.57
Peralta (W, 1-0) 1 IP, 0 R, 0 H, 0 W, 0 K. 0.00
Holmes (S, 4) 1 IP, 0 R, 0 H, 2 W, 1 K. 1 HBP. 3.18

Game #5. Yanks fall to Phillies, 4-1.

I had a bad feeling about this game before the game was even played. Call it the law of averages. The defending NL champion Phillies were 0-4, and you knew they would get their first win sometime. And so it happened last night, as they beat the Yankees (3-2) 4-1. The Yanks seemed to just miss hitting a few balls squarely, and only got four hits in the game.

The only Yankees run came on a ninth-inning HR (1) by D.J. LeMahieu. They did have the tying run at the plate with Josh Donaldson, but Donaldson popped up to end the game.

Domingo German pitched better than his line suggests. He made two mistakes that were hit for solo HR. The big part of the game was when German left with two on and two out in the fifth. Michael King came in and instead of closing out the inning and keeping the score at 2-0, King gave up two hits before getting that final out of the inning, thus allowing both inherited runners to score and putting the Phils up 4-0. That was the game right there.

Two players who aren’t exactly fan favorites, Donaldson and Aaron Hicks, are a combined 2 for 22 so far this season. Donaldson does have one HR at least. But those numbers (2 for 15 Donaldson and 0 for 7 Hicks) won’t shake off the boo-birds. There is only one way to silence the boo birds. Produce.

IKF also is looking for his first hit of the season. Kyle Higashioka, who did homer the other day, was 0 for 3 last night with 3 strikeouts.

An off night. Today’s afternoon game will be a battle of aces. Cole vs. Nola.

LeMahieu solo HR (1)

German (L, 0-1) 4 2/3 IP, 4 R, 4 H, 0 W, 8 K. Gave up 2 HR. 7.71
King 1 1/3 IP, 0 R, 4 H, 0 W, 1 K. 6.00. Inability to close out fifth inning, letting two inherited runners score, hurt.
Abreu 2 IP, 0 R, 2 H, 1 W, 1 K. 0.00
J. Cordero 1 IP, 0 R, 0 H, 0 W, 2 K. 0.00