Game 67. Un”Happ”y night. Yanks blow 4-0 lead, lose 5-4.

Before the game, the Yanks placed Kendrys Morales on the IL and sent down Stephen Tarpley. They brought back up Nestor Cortes, Jr. and Mike Tauchman.

With Aaron Judge and Giancarlo Stanton due off the IL soon, you wonder if, when Morales recovers, they’ll just DFA him then.

As for the game, disappointing. The Yanks (41-26) blew a 4-0 lead in losing 5-4 to the Chicago White Sox.

J.A. Happ’s season has been disappointing so far, and last night was no exception. Staked to a 4-0 lead after three innings, Happ had to escape a bases-loaded jam in the fourth, then in the fifth gave up a walk, single, double that cut the lead to 4-1, then a 3-run HR that tied it.

The Yanks had scored two runs in the second when Didi Gregorius and Gleyber Torres singled and after a forceout by Brett Gardner, a WP moved both runners up, scoring Didi. Clint Frazier singled in Gardner to make it 2-0.

Gardner made it 4-0 in the fourth with a 2-run HR (11). The Yanks didn’t score again.

Adam Ottavino gave up a HR in the seventh to make it 5-4.

Tampa Bay lost, so the Yanks maintained their 1/2 a game lead in the AL East, but still….

A disappointing night.

Gregorius 2 hits
Torres 2 hits.
Gardner 2-run HR (11)
Frazier 3 hits, RBI

Happ 5 IP, 4 R, 5 H, 4 W, 2 K. Gave up 1 HR. 4.66
Kahnle 1 IP, 0 R, 0 H, 1 W, 2 K.  2.70
Ottavino (L, 2-2, 1.80) 2/3 IP, 1 R, 2 H, 1 W, 2 K.  Gave up 1 HR.
Holder 1 1/3 IP, 0 R, 0 H, 1 W, 1 K.  4.68

I’ll be interested to see what pitching moves will be made soon (trade?). So far this month the pitching has been disappointing. The starters aren’t giving length, either, and the bullpen gets overworked.

The Yanks need a couple of games soon where a starter gives them 7 or 8 strong innings, not just five.

For a time last night, we thought last night could or should have been it.

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Games 65 & 66. Yanks regain share of first with a DH Split vs. Mets.

Game 1: Masahiro Tanaka got through one bad inning, pitching into the seventh, as the Yanks pounded the Mets, 12-5.

The Yanks went up 1-0 in the second on a double by Didi Gregorius and an RBI single by Kendrys Morales.

Tanaka gave up 4 runs in the third, inc. a 3-run HR to put the Mets up 4-1.

In the bottom of the third, the Yanks got one back when Brett Gardner singled, he and D.J. LeMahieu were safe all around on an error, and with two out, Gary Sanchez singled to make it 4-2.

The Yanks got five in the fourth on a 2-run HR by Gio Urshela (5) and a 3-run bomb by Luke Voit (16).

With two out in the fifth, the Yanks tacked on two more runs on a double by Morales, RBI single by Urshela, and RBI triple by Gardner. 9-4.

After the Mets scored a run in the top of the sixth to cut it to 9-5, the Yanks got a run in the seventh when Clint Frazier and Urshela each doubled.

Sanchez hit a 2-run HR (20) in the bottom of the eighth for the final score of 12-5.

Voit 3-run HR (16)
Sanchez 2 hits, 3 RBI, 2-run HR (20)
Gregorius 2 hits
Morales 3 hits, RBI
Urshela 3 hits, 4 RBI, 2-run HR (5)
Gardner 2 hits, RBI

Tanaka (W, 4-5, 3.58) 6 2/3 IP, 5 R, 4 ER, 7 H, 0 W, 7 K. Gave up 1 HR.
Kahnle 1/3 IP, 0 R, 0 H, 0 W, 1 K.  2.81
Hale 2 IP, 0 R, 2 H, 0 W, 1 K.  2.57.

Game 2: You worry about the Yanks’ pitching and their health and if they need or will get another pitcher. German on the IL for now, Tanaka’s elbow, CC’s knee, Severino and Montgomery haven’t pitched at all this year, Loaisiga on IL, and with Game 2’s starter, James Paxton, you wonder if his knee is affecting him. In his last two starts, Paxton’s ERA has gone from 2.81 to 4.04.

He was knocked out in the third. After just 11 pitches, the Mets, who won this game 10-4, were up 3-0 after a double, single, and 3-run HR.

The Mets tacked on three more in the third, knocking Paxton out of the box.

The Yanks got three in the bottom of the third to cut it to 6-3. LeMahieu singled, Voit walked. Sanchez singled to load the bases. Gleyber Torres singled in one run, and forceouts by Frazier and Urshela brought in two more.

But a 2-run HR off of Chance Adams in the fourth made it 8-3 Mets.

Adams, the “26th man” for the DH (and therefore going back down after the game), gave up another HR in the fifth, 9-3.

Stephen Tarpley gave up a run in the top of the ninth, 10-3 Mets.

Brett Gardner homered (10) in the bottom of the ninth for the final score of 10-4 Mets.

LeMahieu 2 hits, .316
Sanchez 2 hits
Torres 2 hits, RBI
Gardner 2 hits, solo HR (10)

Paxton (L, 3-3, 4.04) 2 2/3 IP, 6 R, 7 H, 2 W, 1 K. Gave up 1 HR.
Adams 4 1/3 IP, 3 R, 2 ER, 3 H, 3 W, 3 K. Gave up 2 HR.  3.97
Cessa 1 IP, 0 R, 0 H, 0 W, 0 K.  5.10
Tarpley 1 IP, 1 R, 1 H, 0 W, 2 K.  8.53

Dellin Betances has been shut down for a few weeks. Lat issue.

The Yanks could be getting Giancarlo Stanton and Aaron Judge back in about a week to two weeks.

First round draft pick Anthony Volpe (SS) has signed with the Yankees.

With the split, the Yanks (41-25) are tied for first with Tampa Bay. They are off Wednesday.

Game 64. A sloppy win, 7-6 in 10. Also, news on Lucchesi, Big Papi.

The Yanks (40-24) tried their best to blow this game. Their best relievers failed, and it was up to a rookie, who arrived at 4 AM after a seven-hour or so drive via cab or Uber (don’t know which; UPDATE: Yanks arranged a SUV for the 6 1/2 hour, 375 mile drive), to save the day.

But in the end, they won 7-6 in 10 innings over Cleveland and maintained their first place tie with Tampa Bay.

Before the game, the Yanks had to place Domingo German on the IL (hip) and recall Stephen Tarpley. Tarpley is the one who had to make the trip in the wee small hours of the morning.

Now we know that German didn’t “hit a wall” per se, but that something was physically wrong the past few starts.

Forced to use an opener again (Tanaka’s start pushed back a day due to his wife giving birth), the Yanks got 5 runs in the second inning. With two out, Clint Frazier singled and Brett Gardner homered (9). Gio Urshela walked and Cameron Maybin singled. D.J. LeMahieu singled in a run, 3-0. Then a WP and a walk to Aaron Hicks loaded the bases. Luke Voit doubled in two runs, 5-0. Gary Sanchez walked to reload the bases but Gleyber Torres flied out.

Chad Green, the opener, and Nestor Cortes, Jr.Greg combined to shut out the Indians for five innings, but in the bottom of the sixth, Tommy Kahnle gave up 4 runs on 2 HR and it was 5-4.

In the seventh, Adam Ottavino gave up a HR that tied the game at 5.

In the top of the ninth, with one out, Luke Voit singled and Gary Sanchez doubled. Gleyber Torres was inentionally walked to possibly set up a DP but Clint Frazier hit a SF to put the Yanks up 6-5.

But in the bottom of the ninth, Aroldis Chapman gave up a single, made and error on a pickoff attempt, and then walked the next batter. He rebounded to get two outs and then had two strikes on the next batter. One strike away, and then a ground ball to SS. Didi Gregorius, who didn’t start the game but who was in for defensive purposes, booted it for a two-base error and the tying run scored. Chapman then got out of the inning.

With one out in the tenth, Maybin doubled, and one out later, Hicks doubled to put the Yanks up 7-6.

Tarpley, who made that long trip hours earlier, struck out the side in the bottom of the tenth to earn his first MLB save.

Tarpley, you’ll recall, had a great spring training before getting roughed up earlier in the season, causing him to be sent down to SWB.

LeMahieu 2 hits, RBI (.321)
Hicks GW RBI double
Voit 2 hits, 2 RBI
Frazier 2 hits, RBI
Gardner 2-run HR (9)
Maybin 2 hits

Green 2 IP, 0 R, 1 H, 1 W, 3 K.  8.27
Cortes, Jr.  3 IP, 0 R, 0 H, 0 W, 2 K.  3.86
Kahnle 1 IP, 4 R, 4 H, 0 W, 1 K.  2.84   Gave up 2 HR.
Ottavino (BS, 3) 1 IP, 1 R, 1 H, 0 W, 0 K.  1.53  Gave up 1 HR
Britton 1 IP, 0 R, 0 H, 1 W, 0 K.  2.86
Chapman (W, 1-1, 1.40; BS, 2) 1 IP, 1 R, 0 ER, 1 H, 1 W, 1 K.
Tarpley (S, 1) 1 IP, 0 R, 0 H, 0 W, 3 K.  First MLB save.

The Yanks now play the Mets for two games in Yankee Stadium.

In other baseball news…

Frank Lucchesi died at the age of 92. Lucchesi managed the Phillies (1970-1972), Rangers (1975-1977, taking over for Billy Martin) and Cubs (1987). He was the last manager for the Phillies while they played at old Connie Mack Stadium. He also was the manager that Lenny Randle assaulted in 1977 when Randle took umbrage at how Luchessi was managing him. Luchessi’s managerial record was 316-399, a .442 winning pct., which averages to a 72-90 season.

Ex-Red Sox star David Ortiz (Big Papi) is in stable condition after being shot in the Dominican Republic. From MLB.com:

Retired Red Sox slugger David Ortiz was shot and wounded at an amusement center in his hometown of Santo Domingo on Sunday but was in stable condition and expected to be OK, his agent Fernando Cuza told MLB.com’s Jesse Sanchez.

Ortiz’s father, Leo Ortiz, also addressed reporters and said doctors anticipate a full recovery.

…

confirmed that he sustained a gunshot wound to the lower back/abdominal region…..

(FROM ESPN) The team had to remove part of Ortiz’s intestines and colon, as well as his gallbladder. Ortiz suffered liver damage. He was shot at a club in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic. Authorities say Ortiz was ambushed by a man who got off a motorcycle and shot him in the back at nearly point-blank range.

 

 

Game 60. Bullpen implodes in 11-7 Yanks’ loss.

A couple of notes before the game recap.

How is Angel Hernandez still a MLB umpire? Some calls he missed on Tuesday night were atrocious, and he’s consistently rated or graded as one of, if not the worst ump in MLB. One pitch Tuesday night that he called a ball was so clearly a strike (Tanaka grimaced and Sanchez turned around) and then the next pitch was a gopher ball.

The Yanks took a flyer and used one of their late draft picks to take Jack Leiter, RHP, son of Al Leiter (and nephew of Mark Sr. and cousin of Mark Jr.). Leiter has 1st round stuff, but has committed to Vanderbilt which is why he dropped and the Yanks took a flyer on him late in the draft in case he changes his mind.

The Yanks also drafted Nick Paciorek, whose uncle, Tom Paciorek, was a MLB player in the 1980s, and who was an All-Star with Seattle in 1981.

MLB.com shows a lot of players who were drafted that have “bloodlines.” Roy Halladay’s son, who is going to Penn State, was one of them, drafted by Toronto.

While we wait for Dallas Keuchel, another top free agent signed. Former Boston closer Craig Kimbrel is going to the Cubs. Out of the AL, and not only for the rest of this year, but for 2020 and 2021 as well.  3 yr., $43MM.

As for the game:

James Paxton was off, and later in the game the bullpen imploded as the Yanks (38-22) lost their third straight game, 11-7, to Toronto Wednesday night.

With the loss, the Yanks’ streak of winning nine straight series is over, and their lead over the Rays was shaved to 1 1/2 games, and the lead over Boston to 6 1/2.

Paxton gave up a 2-run HR to Randall Grichuk (his first of two in the game) in the first inning and a run in the second and the Yanks were down 3-0 after two innings.

Gary Sanchez hit his league-leading 19th HR of the season in the top of the fourth to cut it to 3-1.

The Yanks went up 4-3 in the top of the fifth when Clint Frazier walked, and after a forceout, Gio Urshela singled. Cameron Maybin then singled to make it 3-2. D.J. LeMahieu singled to tie it at 3. Luke Voit walked to load the bases, and Sanchez singled to put the Yanks up 4-3.

Paxton gave up a run in the bottom of the fifth and was knocked out of the game. 4-4.

In the top of the sixth, LeMahieu hit a 3-run HR (7) and the Yanks were up 7-4.

Then the bullpen (and defense) imploded. Two errors helped Toronto get two runs in the bottom of the seventh to cut the lead to 7-6.

Still, the Yanks were up going into the bottom of the eighth. But in that inning, Zack Britton gave up a 3-run HR to Vladimir Guerrero Jr. and then Luis Cessa came in and gave up back-to-back HRs (one by Grichuk, the other by one-time briefly a Yankee Brandon Drury) to make it 11-7 Toronto.

Cessa had a good spring training and a good start to the season, but his last two outings have taken his ERA from around 3.16 to 5.33.

Toronto has the sons of both Hall-of-Famers Vladimir Guerrero and Craig Biggio on the team.

LeMahieu 3 hits, (.315) 4 RBI, 3-run HR (7)
Sanchez 2 hits, 2 RBI, solo HR (19) (DYK: 43 hits, 3 doubles, 1 triple, 19 HR)
Maybin 2 hits, RBI

Paxton 4 2/3 IP, 4 R, 3 ER, 4 H, 3 W, 4 K. Gave up 1 HR.  3.11
Ottavino 2/3 IP, 0 R, 1 H, 1 W, 1 K.   1.27
Kahnle (H, 12) 2/3 IP, 0 R, 0 H, 1 W, 1 K.   1.48
Holder (H, 4) 2/3 IP, 2 R, 0 ER, 1 H, 0 W, 1 K.  4.15
Britton (L, 2-1, 2.96; BS, 2)  1 IP, 3 R, 2 H, 1 W, 0 K. Gave up HR.
Cessa 1/3 IP, 2 R, 2 H, 0 W, 0 K. Gave up 2 HR.  5.33

 

 

 

 

 

Game 57. The Kraken gets Crackin’. Sanchez HR gives Yanks 5-3 win.

Gary Sanchez’ league-leading 18th HR broke a 3-3 tie and gave the Yankees (38-19) a 5-3 win over Boston. With the win, the Yanks are now 2 1/2 up on the Tampa Bay Rays in the AL East and 9 1/2 up on the Boston Red Sox.

Starter Domingo German got 8 of the 11 outs he recorded via strikeout, but the problem was Boston made him work and 11 outs (3 2/3 innings) is all he lasted.

Boston scored first with a run in the top of the second.

The Yanks came back with three in the bottom of the second. Gleyber Torres singled (and got a scolding for lack of hustle, getting only a single), and Kendrys Morales singled. After Clint Frazier struck out, Gio Urshela singled in a run, and Brett Gardner singled to load the bases. D.J. LeMahieu singled in two runs to put the Yanks up 3-1.

German gave up a HR to the first batter in the top of the fourth, and later in the inning, for the second time against German in the game, Sandy Leon delivered a two-out RBI single. This one tied the game at 3.

Chad Green, who finished the fourth, got out of a 2nd and 3rd, one-out jam in the top of the fifth.

In the bottom of the fifth, with one out, Luke Voit singled, an out later, Sanchez hit his 2-run HR to put the Yanks up 5-3. The Yanks loaded the bases after that but couldn’t tack on, and there was no more scoring after that.

Six Yankees’ relievers shut out Boston over the last 5 1/3 IP. Both Zack Britton in the 8th and Aroldis Chapman in the 9th induced big DP balls.

LeMahieu 2 RBI
Voit 3 hits
Sanchez 2-run HR (18)
Morales 3 hits

German 3 2/3 IP, 3 R, 6 H, 2 W, 8 K. Gave up 1 HR.  3.66
Green (W, 1-2, 9.72) 1 1/3 IP, 0 R, 2 H, 0 W, 2 K.
Kahnle (H, 11) 2/3  IP, 0 R, 2 H, 0 W, 1 K.  1.52
Ottavino (H, 14) 1/3 IP, 0 R, 0 H, 0 W, 1 K.  1.30. Struck out only batter he faced.
Holder (H, 3) 1 IP, 0 R, 0 H, 0 W, 1 K.   4.30
Britton (H, 13) 1 IP, 0 R, 0 H, 1 W, 1 K.  2.05
Chapman (S, 17) 1 IP, 0 R, 1 H, 1 W, 0 K.  1.52

Check out the ERAs on Kahnle, Ottavino, Britton and Chapman.

With the heavy bullpen usage, I wouldn’t be surprised if you see Cessa or Hale tonight, because CC, who is starting, is just coming off the IL.

 

 

Game 56. Great sounds from D.J.’s bat in Yanks 4-1 win over Boston.

What a pick up D.J. LeMahieu has been for the Yanks. If you had to vote for MVP today, he most likely would not win, but would gather a lot of consideration.

The Yanks beat Boston 4-1, pushing them 8 1/2 behind the (37-19) Yanks, and the Rays also lost so the Yanks lead over the Rays is 1 1/2 games.

The Yanks went 20-7 in May. This despite all the injuries. Fabulous.

Boston struck first in this game when Rafael Devers homered off of J.A. Happ in the second.

The Yanks got three in the third. Gio Urshela led off the inning with a single. After Cameron Maybin struck out, Brett Gardner singled. LeMaheiu doubled to tie the game. Luke Voit struck out for the second out of the inning, but then Aaron Hicks singled in two runs to make it 3-1.

LeMahieu homered (6) in the fifth to make it 4-1 Yanks and no one scored after that.

In the fifth, with the score 3-1 and with Boston having 2 runners on and with 2 out, Gary Sanchez picked the runner off of second. Huge play and big turning point at that time of the game.

LeMahieu 2 hits, 2 RBI, solo HR. (.317)
Hicks 2 RBI
Urshela 2 hits, (.338)

Happ (W, 5-3, 4.83) 5 IP, 1 R, 3 H, 2 W, 5 K. Gave up 1 HR.
Ottavino (H, 13) 1 IP, 0 R, 1 H, 0 W, 1 K.  1.32
Kahnle (H, 10) 1 IP, 0 R, 1 H, 0 W, 1 K.  1.57
Britton (H, 12) 1 IP, 0 R, 0 H, 1 W, 0 K. 2.13
Chapman (S, 16) 1 IP, 0 R, 0 H, 0 W, 2 K.   1.59

Take a look at the ERAs of the relievers.

Now, as Jack Curry said on the YES postgame show, consider this.

The Yanks split the relievers into two groups of three.

One group of three could be, say, Ottavino, Betances (when he comes back) and Chapman.

The other group is Kahnle, Green (as long as he is back to snuff) and Britton.

You can mix and match the trios any which way you want.

The point is, you have two different killer trios of relievers. One could go one day, the other the next. Everyone stays fresh.

Two killer bullpen trios. The starter doesn’t have to give much more than five or six innings.

Deadly.  That kind of bullpen can give you a ton of wins.

Right into late October and (if needed) November.

Game 53. Yanks piece it together, win 5-2.

The Yanks (35-18) had to employ the “opener” again, but pieced it together for a 5-2 win over the Padres Memorial Day afternoon.

Chad Green opened and struck out the side in the first.

David Hale replaced him and went the next four innings, giving up 2 runs in the second inning, to pick up his first major league win since 2015.

Then it was Ottavino, Kahnle, Britton and Chapman to close it out.

After Hale gave up the two runs in the top of the second, the Yanks came right back with three runs of their own.

With one out, Clint Frazier hit his 10th HR of the season, Gio Urshela walked, and one out later, Brett Gardner’s 8th HR of the year, a 2-run HR, made it 3-2 Yankees.

It stayed that way until the eighth, when with one out, Gary Sanchez hit his 16th HR of the year to make it 4-2. Gleyber Torres then doubled, and Cameron Maybin singled. An error by the RF on Maybin’s single allowed both runners to take an extra base. 5-2 Yankees, the final score.

Although Green did great (3 up, 3 down, all K) , I do wonder how much more of the “opener” I can take. Paxton will come back Wednesday, CC possibly next Sunday.

The opener and bullpen usage today explains the moves of the day before.

Sanchez solo HR (16)
Frazier 2 hits, solo HR (10)
Gardner 2-run HR  (8)

Green 1 IP, 0 R, 0 H, 0 W, 3 K.   11.30
Hale (W, 1-0, 3.38) 4 IP, 2 R, 3 H, 1 W, 4 K.
Ottavino (H, 12) 1 IP, 0 R, 2 H, 0 W, 1 K.  1.42
Kahnle (H, 9) 1 IP, 0 R, 0 H, 0 W, 2 K.  1.64
Britton (H, 11) 1 IP, 0 R, 0 H, 0 W, 1 K.  2.22
Chapman (S, 15) 1 IP, 0 R, 1 H, 0 W, 0 K.  1.66

Bill Buckner, unfortunately mostly known for that one play that ended Game 6 of the 1986 WS, passed away at the age of 69. He played for the Dodgers 1969-1976, Cubs 1977-1984, Red Sox 1984-1987, Angels 1987-1988, Royals 1988-1989 and back with the Red Sox 1990.

He played for the Dodgers in the 1974 WS as well as for the Red Sox in the 1986 WS.

A 1x All-Star (1981), he got MVP consideration 5x, and finished 10th in the MVP voting in 1981 and 1982. He led the league in doubles 2x and won the NL batting title in 1980. He drove in 100 or more runs in a season 3x.

He played LF, RF and 1B, and had 2715 hits in his career, and a .289 batting average. His 162 g. average was .289-11-78, OPS+ 100. He played in 4 decades (1969-1990).