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 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

Games 34/35. Yanks split DH.

Game 1: The Yanks won the opener of a DH, 11-6, with a six-run seventh inning.

The Yanks went up 1-0 in the first on a double by Gardner and ground outs by Ellsbury and Holliday.

Severino got out of trouble in the first and second, but was knocked out in the third. He didn’t have it today. The unsung hero of the day is Chad Green, recalled when Chapman got put on the DL. With three runs already in, one out and the bases loaded, Green got a DP ball and pitched 3 2/3 scoreless innings.

With another game tonight, you don’t want to burn out your bullpen in game one.

The Yanks got back-to-back HRs from Castro (7) and Judge (14) in the fourth to go up 4-3. Castro’s slice to the RF porch was a 2-run HR and Judge’s went 441 ft., just right of dead center.

Adam Warren gave up 3 runs, 2 earned, in the top of the seventh to make it 6-4 Houston, but in the bottom of the seventh, the Yanks exploded, with the key blow being a bases-loaded triple by Chase Headley.

With one out, Gardner singled and Ellsbury doubled. Holliday singled in a run, Castro doubled to tie the game. Judge was intentionally walked to load the bases. After Didi struck out, Headley hit his triple to make it 9-6, and Carter doubled to make it 10-6.

Gardner homered (7) in the eighth for the final score of 11-6.

Gardner 3 hits, inc. the HR.
Holliday 2 RBI.
Castro 2 hits, inc. the HR, 3 RBI
Judge the HR.
Headley those 3 RBI.

Severino 2 1/3 IP, 3 R, 6 H, 3 W, 1 HBP, 2 K. 3.86
Green 3 2/3 IP, 0 R, 1 H, 1 W, 3 K. 0.00. Unsung hero.
Warren (Bs, 1; W, 1-0, 1.29) 2 IP, 3 R, 2 ER, 2 H, 1 W, 1 K.
Holder 1 IP, 0 R, 0 H, 0 W, 1 K. 1.72

Game 2: After the Jeter #2 retirement ceremony which was great, the beginning of the game was a disaster, and you have to be wondering if something if physically wrong with Masahiro Tanaka, and the last thing the Yanks need after losing Chapman for a month is for something to be wrong for Tanaka.

Tanaka gave up HRs to both of the first two batters he faced, and later on in the first inning, he gave up a grand slam. The Yanks were down 6-0 before they even came to bat.

Tanaka gave up 2 more runs, and another HR, in the second inning. He didn’t make it out of the second inning, and in 1 2/3 IP, gave up 8 runs and 4 HR.

That is not Tanaka. The blowout on Opening Day. Now this. You really have to wonder if something is wrong with him—if that partially torn UCL in his elbow has blown out.

(Update: The postgame report said nothing is physically wrong with Tanaka. But…) 

I hope not. But tonight’s performance sets off alarms. His ERA is close to 6.00. That’s not him.

The reason Refsnyder was brought up and no corresponding move—if a surprise unexpected DH is necessary, teams can go to 26 players for the extra game. Still I wonder why Refsnyder, who unfortunately hasn’t distinguished himself too much, and not Ji-Man Choi, hitting .350 at SWB and who hopefully would be better than the so-far disappointing Chris Carter.

Giovanny Gallegos came in and was decent in his 2nd MLB game, keeping the game right there, giving up 1 run in the fourth.

The bullpen was great filling in for Tanaka, who was just brutal.

The Yanks got four runs in the fifth on an RBI single by Gardner and a 3-run HR by Holliday (7).

Houston got a run in the ninth, and the Yanks got 3 in the bottom of the ninth to make it respectable at 10-7. They had the tying run at the plate for the last out.

Tanaka (L, 5-2, 5.80) 1 2/3 IP, 8 R, 7 H, 1 W, 3 K. Gave up 4 HR.
Gallegos 3 IP, 1 R, unearned, 1 H, 1 W, 3 K. 0.00
Shreve 2 1/3 IP, 0 R, 0 H, 0 W, 1 K. 0.00
Layne 1 2/3 IP, 0 r, 0 H, 0 W, 2 K. 6.75
Betances 1/3 IP, 1 R, unearned, 2 H, 0 W, 0 K. 0.75

Gardner 3 hits, Sanchez 2 hits.
Holliday 3 RBI, HR.

Ex-umpire Steve Palermo died of cancer at the age of 67. He was not only a good umpire, but he lost his umpiring job due to being a hero. He was shot trying to break up a robbery, was paralyzed, busted his butt just to walk again and became director of umpires because he couldn’t umpire again. Courageous, a hero, and taken from us way too soon.

Saturday’s game rained out. Single admission DH Sunday.

Saturday’s Yankee game has been rained out. There will be a SINGLE admission DH on Sunday. Afternoon game at 2 pm.

The Derek Jeter retirement ceremony is scheduled to begin no earlier than 6:35 PM, with the second game scheduled for no earlier than 7:35 PM.

What this means is that the Yanks are biting the financial bullet on one game and only the fans who already had tickets for the Jeter night game will be allowed in for the afternoon game. People who had tickets for the Saturday game will be allowed to exchange them for a future game.

Game 31. Reds snap Yanks’ win streak at 6, win 5-3.

CC Sabathia had one bad inning, but that one bad inning cost him 5 runs and the ballgame as the Yanks’ six-game winning streak came to an end, 5-3, at the hands of the Reds.

Gary Sanchez put the Yanks up 1-0 in the first with his second HR of the season. Remember he missed a month.

Didi Gregorius, who also missed a month or so, hit his first HR of the year in the second to put the Yanks up 2-0.

Then CC gave up 5 in the bottom of the second. Reds’ star Joey Votto had 2 of the RBI.

Didi singled in a run in the fourth to make it 5-3 but there was no scoring after that.

I have to ask this question. Ronald Torreyes has done a decent job filling in, esp. when Didi was out. But there is a big flaw in his game. After tonight, in 84 plate appearances, Torreyes, who is small, 5’6″ or so, has only one walk. One. He needs to develop better plate discipline.

He came up with the bases loaded in the sixth. Foul, groundout. Only two pitches. You’d think with his small size, he’d crouch a little and try to draw a walk.

Just kidding as far as crouching, but you know what I mean. 1 walk in 84 plate appearances isn’t good, even if Torreyes is hitting .305. A mild criticism, but a legit one.

Sanchez came up in the ninth with two on and one out and hit a bullet, but the liner was caught and Hicks was doubled off of second. That’s baseball. He hit it hard, but….

Chad Green made his season debut.

CC struggled, and his ERA has gone from 2.70 to 5.77 in his past few starts. You can say he is the weak link in the rotation. He has to be fine and perfect. He can’t get away with stuff like he could have five years ago. He had only one bad inning but it cost him. He doesn’t have much of a margin for error with what he has right now.

Sabathia (L, 2-2, 5.77) 6 IP, 5 R, 7 H, 2 W, 2 K.
Betances 1 IP, 0 r, 0 H, 2 W, 3 K. 0.77. Walked the first two, struck out the next three.
Chad Green 1 Ip, 0 R, 1 H, 0 W, 2 K. 0.00

Didi was 3 for 4, HR, 2 RBI.

Hopefully Chris Carter wakes up soon and doesn’t keep hitting like Jimmy Carter. I still don’t know why Ji-Man Choi wasn’t brought up for a couple of weeks to platoon w/Carter at 1B while Bird is out. Choi is hitting like .350, playing 1B for SWB.

The Yanks are off Wednesday, then a four-game set against AL West leader Houston (inc. Beltran and McCann). Houston is playing well, so this will be a test. Sunday night’s game (Mother’s Day) is an ESPN night game, and the Yanks will be retiring Derek Jeter’s #2 that night.

Yanks ppd. Day/Night DH in Boston 7-16. And guess who might be the Marlins’ new owners?

The Yankees’ game vs. Boston was ppd. due to rain today in Boston and will be made up as part of a day/night DH in Boston on Sunday July 16. The first game will be at 1 PM and the second, probably an ESPN game, at 8 PM.

A conglomerate led by Jeb Bush and Derek Jeter won the auction to buy the Florida Marlins. Now to baseball and the owners to approve the sale. Price? $1.3 billion.