Game #54. IKF wins game for Yanks in the bottom of the 10th, 3-2.

Isiah Kiner-Falefa hit a walk-off RBI single in the bottom of the tenth to give a sellout crowd (including me) a happy ride home. The Yanks (31-23) beat San Diego, 3-2.

Luis Severino was fabulous in just his second outing since coming off the IL. In just his second outing of the season, Sevy gave up just one hit in 6 2/3 IP.

The Yanks got on the board right away in the bottom of the first inning. With one out, Aaron Judge singled. He got a bad break when the ball didn’t bounce into the stands for a ground rule double. It was hit so hard down the LF line that he was held to a single. Anthony Rizzo followed with a single that moved Judge to third. D.J. Lemahieu then doubled down the line, scoring Judge. From my seat in Section 205 in RF I was hollering “Hold!” but I didn’t scream loud enough, I guess. Third base coach Luis Rojas sent Rizzo as well, and it was a bad send. Rizzo was a dead duck.

In the top of the fourth, Severino gave up his only hit of the game, a game-tying HR to Fernando Tatis, Jr. Tatis had homered the night before, and Tatis was peppered with boos throughout the game because of his suspension last year and part of this year for steroids.

In the top of the seventh, Sevy got the first two outs, then gave up a walk. He lobbied for one more batter to finish the inning, and got a grounder, but Gleyber Torres booted it for an error. Sevy was then taken out, having thrown 82 pitches and because he had just recently come off the IL. Reliever Michael King gave up an RBI single to put the Padres up 2-1 before getting a strikeout to finish the inning.

LeMahieu homered (6) in the bottom of the seventh to tie the game.

The game went into extra innings, with that ghost runner I hate.

Clay Holmes got a short flyout to RF for the first out, and the runner could not advance. A strikeout for out #2. Then a slow roller to Lemahieu and the batter was originally called safe, moving the runner to third, but replay overturned the call for the third out.

Greg Allen PR for Rizzo in the bottom of the tenth. LeMahieu was intentionally walked. Harrison Bader put down a bunt that didn’t exactly work as planned. San Diego got a force on LeMahieu at second, but the main job, getting Allen to third, was accomplished. Bader advanced to second on defensive indifference, then IKF grounded one sharply down the LF line and past the dive of ex-Yankee Roughned Odor for the game-winning hit.

The season is now 1/3 over, with the Yanks 31-23. They are in third place in the AL East, 7 games behind Tampa Bay and 3 behind Baltimore. If the season ended today, they would have the sixth and final playoff spot (they lead Boston by two for that spot) and play the Twins in a best-of-3 (all games in Minnesota) in round one. But that’s a long way away. Keep doing what you are doing, and get people back, healthy and productive. First off, Donaldson, Stanton, Trevino and Kahnle, then Rodon, then maybe at the end of the year Montas and Loaisiga.

Not to mention maybe a trade at the deadline for more help.

LeMahieu 2 hits, 2 RBI. Solo HR (6).
Kiner-Falefa GW hit.

Severino 6 2/3 IP, 2 R, 1 ER, 1 H, 3 W, 5 K. 1.59 Was just great.
King 1 IP, 0 R, 1 H, 1 W, 2 K. 1.88
Peralta 1 1/3 IP, 0 R, 1 H, 1 W, 0 K. 2.45
Holmes (W, 3-2) 1 IP, 0 R, 0 H, 0 W, 1 K. 3.00

Game #50. Yanks come back behind the Captain & the Kid, win in 10, 6-5.

Aaron Judge homered to tie the game in the bottom of the ninth, and rookie SS and #1 prospect Anthony Volpe hit a sacrifice fly in the bottom of the tenth to give the Yankees (30-20) a 6-5 come from behind victory over Baltimore Tuesday night. It was the Yankees’ fifth straight win.

Gerrit Cole got his 2,000th career strikeout, but otherwise wasn’t sharp last night. With two out in the top of the first inning, Cole walked two straight batters, then gave up a two-run double and the Yanks were down 2-0.

He gave up solo homers in the third and fourth to put the Yanks into a 4-0 hole.

Harrison Bader homered (5) in the bottom of the fourth for the Yanks to cut the lead to 4-1, then the Yanks scored three runs in the bottom of the fifth to tie the game.

Oswaldo Cabrera led off with a single and went to second on a single by Gleyber Torres. After Judge lined out, Anthony Rizzo doubled in one run. A single by D.J. LeMahieu brought home Torres, and Rizzo scored on a Bader SF.

Cole probably should have been pulled at that point, but he started the top of the sixth and gave up two singles to start the inning. Ron Marinaccio relieved him, and things got hairy. One run did score to give the Orioles a 5-4 lead, and the final out was Cedric Mullins (who homered earlier) just missing a grand slam, as he flied out deep to Judge in right.

In the bottom of the seventh, with one out and runners at the corners, D.J. LeMahieu twice tried to bunt the runner home. Instead, Torres was out at home. Manager Aaron Boone said D.J. was doing that on this own. There is a time for that, but that didn’t seem to be the time. Try it first, ok (he fouled that one off) but not a second time. That was a real head-scratcher.

With one out in the bottom of the ninth, Judge tied the game up with his fourteenth HR of the season.

Michael King stopped Baltimore and its ghost runner in the top of the tenth, leaving the runner at second. In the bottom of the tenth, Isiah Kiner-Falefa was the ghost runner for the Yankees, as he PR for LeMahieu. Bader grounded out, and that moved IKF to third. Willie Calhoun was intentionally walked as the Orioles hoped for a DP to get out of the inning, but Volpe flied to CF for a game-winning sac fly.

Torres 2 hits.
Judge solo HR (14). HR tied game in bottom of 9th.
Rizzo 3 hits, RBI.
Bader 2 hits, 2 RBI. Solo HR (5)
Volpe GW SF

Cole 5+ IP, 5 R, 6 H, 3 W, 2 K. Gave up 2 HR. 2.53 2000th Career K.
Marinaccio 2 IP, 0 R, 1 H, 1 W, 2 K. 3.75
Peralta 1 IP, 0 R, 0 H, 0 W, 1 K. 1.83
King (W, 1-1) 2 IP, 0 R, 0 H, 1 W, 3 K. 1.95

Off night for Cole, but five scoreless IP by the bullpen.

Game #42. Almost. But just short. Yanks fall, 8-7.

With two outs and no one on in the bottom of the ninth, Aaron Judge hit a ball about 395 feet. Off the bat it looked like it could be a game-tying HR, but it fell about five feet short of the fence, and the Yankees (23-19) lost to Tampa Bay, 8-7.

Until the returns of Luis Severino and Carlos Rodon, and also the improvement of Nestor Cortes, the Yankees’ starting rotation, which was supposed to be a strength, is a problem.

No worries with Gerrit Cole, whose ERA is 2.22. Domingo German is average at 4.00. But….

Nestor Cortes, who was brilliant last year with an ERA of 2.44, has an ERA of 5.53. Jhony Brito, a rookie, has an ERA of 5.81. After today’s loss, Clarke Schmidt’s ERA is 6.30.

That’s not going to get it done. It is awful, and it takes a toll on your bullpen.

Schmidt gave up a run in the first inning, and two more in the third.

The Yanks came back from that 3-0 deficit by scoring four runs in the bottom of the third. Oswaldo Cabrera hit a 2-run HR (3) and a few batters later, Anthony Rizzo hit a 2-run HR (9) and the Yanks were up 4-3.

But in the fifth, Schmidt gave up a run to tie the game and was pulled with the bases loaded and two out. Albert Abreu immediately gave up a grand slam to make the score 8-4 Tampa Bay.

The Yanks tried to come back. Judge got an RBI single in the bottom of the seventh that cut the score to 8-5.

Anthony Volpe hit a 2-run HR (6) in the bottom of the eighth that cut the score to 8-7, leading us to the ninth when Judge came oh so close to tying it up.

Sevy and Rodon (and even Montas) can’t get back in the rotation soon enough. If there is a deal to be made for a starter, the Yanks may have to make one as well.

Rizzo 2 RBI. 2-run HR (9)
LeMahieu 2 hits.
Volpe 2 hits, 2 RBI. 2-run HR (6).
Cabrera 3 hits, 2 RBI. 2-run HR (3).

Schmidt (L, 1-4) 4 2/3 IP, 7 R, 6 H, 3 W, 5 K. 1 WP 6.30
Abreu 2 1/3 IP, 1 R, 2 H, 1 W, 3 K. 1 HBP. Gave up a grand slam. 4.95
Weber 1 IP, 0 R, 1 H, 0 W, 0 K. 1 HBP 9.00
Marinaccio 1 IP, 0 R, 0 H, 0 W, 2 K. 3.50

Game #38. Three HR, including Volpe slam, slams A’s. Yanks win 11-3.

The A’s have been a tonic to a lot of bats this year, what with their 8-30 record and ERA of almost 7.50.

The Yanks (21-17) were no exception, as they completed a three-game sweep of Oakland with an 11-3 win on Wednesday afternoon.

The Yanks jumped out to a quick 4-0 lead in the bottom of the first inning. With the bases loaded, Gleyber Torres hit a SF, then Harrison Bader immediately followed with a 3-run HR (3).

Yankees’ starter Jhony Brito gave up back-to-back HR in the top of the second and the Yanks’ lead was cut to 4-2. Brito was in and out of trouble all day but managed to escape with just those two runs given up.

The Yanks exploded for seven runs in the bottom of the fifth. Aaron Judge led off with a double and scored on an Anthony Rizzo single. D.J. LeMahieu then hit a 2-run HR (5) to make the score 7-2. Torres doubled, and two outs later, both Kyle Higashioka and Oswaldo Cabrera walked. Anthony Volpe then hit a grand slam for his fourth HR of the season and an 11-2 Yankees’ lead.

Deivi Garcia, brought up earlier in the day when Greg Weissert was sent back to SWB, gave up a HR in the seventh and that was it for the day. Final score Yankees 11, A’s 3.

Volpe 4 RBI. Grand slam. (4)
Judge 3 hits.
Rizzo 2 hits, RBI.
LeMahieu 2 RBI. 2-run HR (5).
Bader 3 RBI. 3-run HR (3).

Brito 4 1/3 IP, 2 R, 5 H, 2 W, 3 K. Gave up 2 HR. 1 HBP 5.81
J. Cordero (W, 2-1) 1 2/3 IP, 0 R, 1 H, 0 W, 1 K. 1 HBP 3.14
Garcia (S, 1) 3 IP, 1 R, 2 H, 1 W, 2 K. Gave up 1 HR. 3.00 Season debut.

Game #36. 4 Yanks’ HR blast A’s 7-2.

The Yankees (19-17) blasted 4 HR in beating ex-Yankee J.P. Sears and the Oakland A’s 7-2 Monday night.

Oswaldo Cabrera started the scoring with a 2-run HR (2) in the bottom of the fifth. This followed a Harrison Bader triple. Up to that point, Isiah Kiner-Falefa made two great defensive plays at 3B.

The A’s came right back in the top of the sixth and tied the game up.

The Yanks went ahead to stay in the bottom of the sixth. A HR by Gleyber Torres (5), single by Anthony Rizzo and HR by D.J. LeMahieu (4) put the Yanks up 5-2.

Aaron Hicks’ first HR of the season, a 2-run shot in the bottom of the seventh, closed out the scoring. 7-2 Yankees.

Aaron Judge returns to the lineup tomorrow.

Torres 2 hits, solo HR (5).
Rizzo 2 hits.
LeMahieu 2-run HR (4).
Cabrera 2-run HR (2).
Hicks 2-run HR (1).

Cortes 5+ IP, 2 R, 6 H, 2 W, 4 K. 4.74
Marinaccio (BS, 2; W, 2-1) 1+ IP, 0 R, 2 H, 2 W, 1 K. 1.65
Hamilton (H, 1) 1 IP, 0 R, 0 H, 0 W, 2 K. 1.35
Nick Ramirez 2 IP, 0 R, 2 H, 1 W, 1 K. 2.84

Game #35. Ouch. Yanks lose 8-7 in 10 after having 6-0 lead with Cole on mound.

This hurts. It is the difference between being 8 back as opposed to 10 back.

The Yankees (18-17) had a 6-0 lead with Gerrit Cole on the mound. They wound up losing 8-7 in ten innings.

Cole hadn’t given up a HR this season after giving up a MLB leading 33 last year, but he gave up two yesterday.

The Yanks got three runs in the third inning on an Anthony Rizzo solo HR (6) followed by a two-run HR by Harrison Bader (2).

In the top of the fourth, Aaron Hicks got an RBI double to make it 4-0. It was Hicks’ first extra base hit of the season. Gleyber Torres later doubled in Hicks to make it 5-0.

In the top of the fifth, Bader tripled and scored on a SF by Oswaldo Cabrera. 6-0. With your ace, Cole, on the mound, you thought you were good. It didn’t turn out that way.

With one out in the bottom of the fifth, Cole gave up his first HR of the season. The Rays added another run with help from an error by Torres. 6-2.

Then in the sixth, Cole lost it completely. Back-to-back doubles made it 6-3. A walk. Then a 3-run HR that tied the game. Jimmy Cordero came in. A walk, then a WP. Then a bouncer back to Cordero while the runner was moving. Cordero didn’t do a good job checking the runner and the runner scored all the way from second on a 1-3 groundout. Inexcusable.

The Yanks tied the game in the top of the seventh. Bader sparked things again with a leadoff single. One out later, Cabrera hit a ground-rule double, then a groundout by Jose Trevino tied the game.

With one out and Hicks on third in the top of the tenth, Hicks, going on contact, got trapped in a rundown on a grounder by Torres. The Yanks failed to score.

While the Yanks failed with their ghost runner (I hate that rule) in the top of the tenth, Tampa Bay didn’t, getting a walk off single to win the game 8-7.

The Yanks were 1 for 15 with RISP.

Anthony Volpe 0 for 5, 3 strikeouts. He had a tough weekend in Tampa.
Torres 2 hits, RBI.
Rizzo solo HR (6).
LeMahieu 2 hits.
Bader 3 hits, 2 RBI. 2-run HR (2).
Cabrera 2 hits, RBI.

Cole 5 IP, 6 R, 5 ER, 8 H, 2 W, 6 K. Gave up 2 HR. 2.09
J. Cordero 1 IP, 1 R, 0 H, 1 W, 1 K. 1 WP 3.55
Holmes 1 IP, 0 R, 0 H, 0 W, 2 K. 3.75
Peralta 1 IP, 0 R, 0 H, 0 W, 2 K 2.08
King 1 IP, 0 R, 1 H, 0 W, 3 K 1.35
Abreu (L, 1-1) 1/3 IP, 1 R, 0 ER, 1 H, 0 W, 0 K. 4.50

Side Note: Vida Blue, who almost became a Yankee in June 1976 (the sale was voided by Bowie Kuhn) died yesterday at the age of 73. Blue won 209 games, mostly for the A’s and Giants. He was a 6x All-Star and 3X WS Champ.

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 #33. Misplay in LF costs Yanks. 5-4 loss drops them 10 back.

After keeping Aaron Judge, owner Hal Steinbrenner promised him that there was enough money to make more moves.

But the Yanks only made one move after that—signing Carlos Rodon, who hasn’t pitched at all yet for the Yanks this year. More on that later.

One move the Yanks didn’t make, and it is costing them now, is that they didn’t address left field. They wanted to retain Andrew Benintendi but lost him in free agency to the White Sox (the White Sox have a terrible record right now at 10-22 before last night, and although Benintendi is hitting .275, it is without any power. His OPS+ is just 83, 100 being average).

I wouldn’t be surprised to see the Yanks do something to address LF. There has been misplaced trust that Aaron Hicks should have a bounce back season. Hicks before last night’s game was hitting .146 with no extra base hits and is below a converted infielder (IKF) on the totem pole. IKF is a converted infielder hitting .196 with no extra base hits before last night’s game. Oswaldo Cabrera has not built on the success he had in his MLB beginnings last year. He is struggling at .196. Franchy Cordero had a hot week but has been sent back to the minors after hitting just .151. Willie Calhoun has been DH-ing because his defense is subpar. The Yanks’ LF production may be the worst in the majors at that position this year.

With the struggles of those players, and injuries, the Yanks have brought up Jake Bauers. The journeyman OF hit a HR the other day, but in just his third game with the Yanks, he misplayed a fly ball last night into a run-scoring double, and that proved to be the deciding run in a 5-4 Yanks loss last night. The loss to Tampa Bay dropped the 17-16 Yanks ten games behind those first-place Rays in the AL East.

So yes, injuries have hurt, but LF is a place where no one has gotten injured. The Yanks just haven’t received any production there and I would expect and hope that something is done to fix that soon.

Speaking of Rodon, the lefty pitcher will have a cortisone shot in his back next week. His condition is chronic. Sigh. He was just signed to a 6-year deal for $162MM. When right, he is lights out, but now you wonder if he can manage that back issue or if he turns out to be another Pavano.

I wanted and applauded the Rodon signing. Of course, I, and probably the Yanks, not to mention Rodon, didn’t know there was going to be a chronic back issue to come with it.

Last night’s game started poorly. Starter Jhony Brito gave up a HR to Randy Arozarena in the bottom of the first. Arozarena was HBP twice later in the game, causing Arozarena and the Rays to become infuriated and causing Tampa Bay manager Kevin Cash to be ejected.

Tampa Bay, who are 18-2 at home this season, scored in the bottom of the second to make it 2-0. Yandy Diaz touched Brito for a HR in the bottom of the third, and the Rays tacked on another run after that. 4-0 Rays after three.

The Yanks tied it up in the top of the sixth. With one out, Anthony Rizzo singled. Gleyber Torres doubled home Rizzo. D.J. LeMahieu walked and after Willie Calhoun struck out, Harrison Bader hit his first regular-season HR as a Yankee (he had five in last year’s postseason) to tie the game.

In the bottom of the seventh, with one out and a man on first, Wander Franco hit a fly ball to left. Stats said there was a 95% chance of it being caught for an out. Instead, Bauers misplayed the ball into a double. The Yanks almost got the runner at home. He was originally called out, but the play was overturned upon review. The run turned out to be the deciding run.

In the postgame show, Jack Curry on YES mentioned what I believe. That instead of Jimmy Cordero pitching in that seventh inning, that it should have been Michael King. Manager Aaron Boone needs to realize that too, that King is his best reliever right now and to use him as such. Forget roles. You go by what you see and adjust to that.

Yes, injuries have hurt. But the Yanks have to make adjustments. In the bullpen, with King taking on the go-to role, and also in LF, where the Yanks’ LF production so far this season has been weak.

GM Brian Cashman said they tried to make more moves in the off-season but no move made sense. We will see if one makes sense soon. Someone in LF needs to step up or a move has to happen.

And with Rodon’s back being chronic, and with no pitching depth in the minors, a move for a starting pitcher may have to happen as well.

Volpe 2 hits, SB (11).
LeMahieu 2 for 2 with 2 walks.
Bader 3 RBI. 3-run HR (1).

Brito 4 IP, 4 R, 6 H, 1 W, 2 K. 1 HBP. 2 HR given up. 6.08
Abreu 1 1/3 IP, 0 R, 0 H, 0 W, 1 K. 1 HBP 4.60
Hamilton 2/3 IP, 0 R, 0 H, 0 W, 1 K. 1.50
J. Cordero (L, 1-1) 1/3 IP, 1 R, 1 H, 1 W, 0 K. 3.09
King 1 2/3 IP, 0 R, 0 H, 0 W, 1 K 1.42

Game #31. Volpe sparks Yanks, Calhoun HRs in 4-2 win.

Anthony Volpe homered, and later stole two bases to set up an insurance run, and Willie Calhoun hit his first Yankee HR as the Yankees (16-15) beat Cleveland 4-2 last night.

The Yanks have won each of Gerrit Cole’s starts this season, even though, like last night, Cole didn’t get the decision in all of them.

Cole wasn’t on his “A” game, but still gave up only two runs (both in the third) in six innings of work.

Volpe hit his third home run of the season with one out in the bottom of the sixth, then Gleyber Torres doubled. Torres came around to tie the game on a single by Anthony Rizzo.

Calhoun homered (1) in the bottom of the seventh to give the Yanks the lead.

In the bottom of the eighth, Volpe led off with a single, stole second and third, and scored on a D.J. LeMahieu single. Volpe is 10 for 10 in stolen base attempts this season.

Harrison Bader came off the IL. Franchy Cordero was sent down.

Jonathan Loaisiga had surgery for bone spurs in his elbow. His expected return isn’t until August or September. Lou Trivino had TJ surgery and will miss all of this season and most of next year.

Carlos Rodon’s back is still acting up. At this point, I don’t expect him before the All-Star break. I wanted Rodon (who didn’t) but the 6-year, $162MM pitcher hasn’t pitched a game for the Yanks yet and pitched in only one game in spring training. Sigh.

Volpe 2 hits, 2 SB (10) solo HR (3).
Rizzo 2 hits, RBI.
LeMahieu RBI
Calhoun solo HR (1).

Cole 6 IP, 2 R, 5 H, 3 W, 8 K. 1 HBP 1.35
Marinaccio 2/3 IP, 0 R, 0 H, 1 W, 0 K. 2.19
Peralta (W, 2-0) 2/3 IP, 0 R, 1 H, 0 W, 0 K. 2.38
King (S, 2) 1 2/3 IP, 0 R, 0 H, 1 W, 3 K. 1.56.

I wouldn’t mind King as the closer. Clay Holmes ERA since the All-Star break last year is 5.29.

Game #30. Questionable pitching move costs Yanks in 3-2 loss.

It will be interesting to see what the media says about tonight’s game. I think they will mirror my opinion.

As far as I am concerned, there are some major mistakes Aaron Boone made tonight in the Yanks’ 3-2 loss to Cleveland that drops to Yanks to .500 (15-15).

Memo to Boone. When someone does as well as Domingo German did tonight, you let him win or lose his own ballgame. Can you imagine a manager coming out to the mound to take out a Gibson or Seaver when Gibson or Seaver had a 2-hit shutout going with only two outs to go? You would have had to drag them off the mound. Maybe German should have told Boone to **** off. Heck, Cole probably would have. German was dealing. His pitch count was low. It’s his game to win or lose.

Instead, Aaron Boone interjected himself into the game and blew it.

Memo #2 to Boone. If you are going to bring in a reliever, why not the reliever you had warming up for two innings who dominated a few days ago (Michael King)?

Memo #3 to Boone. Clay Holmes isn’t Goose Gossage or Mariano Rivera. Stop treating him as if he is. He’s shaky.

The Yanks had a 2-0 lead entering the ninth. Jose Trevino hit a solo HR (3) in the third inning and later that inning, D.J. LeMahieu had an RBI single.

German took a one-hit shutout with a low pitch count into the ninth. After an out, he gave up a hit.

Then Boone pulled him for Holmes. I checked Twitter and the reaction was just like mine from many people. It was “NOOOOOOOO!”

And it backfired. Three runs for Cleveland. Maybe German gets a DP ball and the Yanks win. He was dealing. But it was HIS game to win or lose there.

Boone overmanaged as far as I and many others are concerned.

LeMahieu 2 hits, RBI.
Trevino solo HR (3).

German 8 1/3 IP, 1 R, 2 H, 1 W, 6 K. 4.46
Holmes (BS, 2; L, 0-2) 0 IP, 2 R, 0 ER, 2 H, 0 W, 0 K. Made one HUGE error. 3.72
Peralta 2/3 IP, 0 R, 0 H, 2 W, 1 K. 2.53

Judge to 10 day IL, backed up to April 28. Jonathan Loaisiga surgery to remove bone spur from elbow. Back August or September. Lou Trivino going for more tests. 13 Yanks on IL. Hoo boy.