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 120. Sweep the Mets, Sweep the Mets, step right up and Sweep the Mets!

I hope I don’t have to pay copyright infringement on the Mets’ theme song. LOL.

The Yanks swept the Subway Series from the Mets, 7-5 tonight, to improve to 65-55. 4 back of Boston in the AL East, still in control of the top wild card spot.

They face Boston in Fenway this weekend.

Gary Sanchez drove in 5 runs.

In the first, he hit a 3-run HR. (22)

In the fourth, Tyler Austin (just called up b/c Garrett Cooper was put on the DL w/a hamstring problem) singled. Austin was 2 for 4 tonight. Torreyes singled and Severino was called upon to bunt. Even though he popped up the bunt, it was missed, and Severino got his first MLB hit to load the bases with no one out. Gardner doubled in two. Hicks grounded out softly, no advance. Judge was HBP to reload the bases and Sanchez singled in two to put the Yanks up 7-0.

The Mets got an unearned run in the seventh on a two-base error by Judge, WP by Severino (brilliant tonight) and RBI single.

So the Yanks took a 7-1 lead into the ninth. Garbage time for Bryan Mitchell, who was garbage, getting no one out. Double, Single, Walk loads the bases and Ex-Yankee Curtis Granderson hits a grand slam to make it 7-5 and send Mitchell out, Betances in, and Betances finishes off the sweep of the Metropolitans.

Severino 6 1/3 IP, 1 R, unearned, 4 H, 3 W, 9 K. (W, 10-5, 3.18)
Shreve 1 2/3 IP, 0 R, 0 H, 1 W, 3 K. 2.70
Mitchell 0 IP, 4 R, 3 H, 1 W, 0 K. 4.67 Gave up a grand slam.
Betances (S, 8) 1 IP, 0 R, 0 H, 0 W 0 K 2.15.

Imagine how scary Aaron Judge (3 K tonight) could be if he cut his strikeouts by 25-30%????

Gardner 2 RBI
Sanchez 2 hits, HR (22), 5 RBI
Gregorius 2 hits, .311
Austin 2 hits.

 

 

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 115. Boston blasts Severino, Tanaka to Dl. Montgomery escapes DL. Mets trade another Yanks’ target elsewhere.

What a bad day for the Yanks.

Masahiro Tanaka joins CC on the 10-day DL. For CC, knee. For Tanaka, shoulder inflammation.

…. Seand the Yanks almost had to put Sunday night’s starter, Jordan Montgomery, on the DL himself. He was hit in the head with a BP line drive while signing autographs before today’s game.

The Yanks fell to 61-54, 4 1/2 back of Boston due to a 10-5 loss Saturday afternoon. Luis Severino got rocked, giving up two 3-run HRs to Boston’s Andrew Benintendi.

The Yanks started well, getting a 2-run HR in the first by Gary Sanchez (19).

But Boston got five in the third, keyed by Benintendi’s first HR.

The Yanks loaded the bases with no one out in the fourth but only got one run. As you readers of mine know, I criticize Girardi for never MAKING THINGS HAPPEN. He doesn’t steal much, doesn’t hit and run, almost never bunts, and never squeezes runs home. He doesn’t play littleball. He doesn’t CREATE RUNS, and this team is having trouble scoring runs lately. It drives me crazy. Bases loaded, no one out and only one run.

Boston got five more in the fifth, keyed by another 3-run HR by Benintendi to go up 10-3.

The Yanks got back-to-back HR by Headley (7) and Ellsbury (5) in the ninth. 10-5 final.

Aaron Judges’ post All-Star game troubles are a problem. He has dropped 40 points of the batting average. .329 to .289,  W.161-5-12 since winning that HR derby. A curse. Some 43 strikeouts or so in 93 at bats. Strikeouts in his last 29 straight games. We have to get him back on track. As I mentioned, so many strikeouts are LOOKING. Pitch recognition? Aaargh. Swing that bat!

He is so strong. Stay WITH the ball and work on going the other way. He is so strong it will go out to RF.

Before the trade deadline, the Yanks were talking to the Mets about Neil Walker. They didn’t like his medicals, so a trade didn’t happen. He was dealt to the Brewers. So a third Yankees trade target from the Mets goes elsewhere. It really looks like the Mets have a thing about trading anyone to the Yankees, even if the Yanks give them a better deal (inferiority complex?). Whatever, I hope the Yanks kick the Mets’ ass this coming week as a result.

Severino (L, 9-5, 3.32) 4 1/3 IP, 10 R, 8 ER, 8 H, 2 W, 4 K. Gave up 2 HR.
Gallegos 2 2/3 IP, 0 R, 1 H, 0 W, 4 K. 5.79
Mitchell 2 IP, 0 R, 3 H, 0 W, 0 K. 3.33

I guess we can rule OUT Mitchell for Monday against the Mets (taking Tanaka’s turn).

 

 

Game 112. Yanks beat Toronto 11-5 behind Cooper, Todd Frazier.

Unfortunately, the Red Sox aren’t losing (they have won 8 in a row) so the Yanks could not make up ground, but the Yanks did win, so they continue to maintain or increase the advantage they have for the top wild card spot. There is a big series at home against Boston this weekend.

With tonight’s 11-5 win over Toronto, the Yanks record improves to 60-52. Fifty games left. Four back of Boston.

Before the game, Clint Frazier was a late scratch with an oblique problem. He has been slumping badly lately. Aaron Hicks was expected back Friday. That may be bumped up with this problem.

The Yanks struck first, scoring twice in the second on back to back HR by Gary Sanchez (18) and Todd Frazier (19).

Tanaka gave a run right back. 2-1 Yanks after two.

Didi Gregorius homered (18) in the third to make it 3-1 Yanks. Toronto scored in the bottom half of the frame off a stuggling Tanaka to make it 3-2.

In the fifth, with one out, Judge walked. Gregorius doubled Judge to third. After Sanchez struck out for the second out, Todd Frazier doubled in two runs. Ellsbury doubled in Frazier. 6-2 Yanks.

Jose Bautista homered off Tanaka in the bottom of the fifth, and chased him. 6-3.

Toronto got two in the fifth before the Yanks’ bullpen was able to slam the door. 6-5.

The Yanks put the game away in the last two innings. In the eighth, Garrett Cooper’s third hit of the night put runners on 2nd and 3rd with one out. Ronald Torreyes singled in two runs.

In the ninth, with the bases loaded and no one out, a ground out by Ellsbury drove in a run. Cooper singled (his fourth hit) in two more.  11-5.

Gregorius (.311) 3 hits, HR, RBI.
Sanchez 2 hits, HR, RBI.
Todd Frazier 3 hits, HR, 3 RBI.
Ellsbury 2 RBI.
Cooper 4 hits, 2 RBI.
Torreyes 2 hits, 2 RBI.

Tanaka 4 IP, 3 R, 2 ER, 2 H, 5 W, 2 K. Gave up 1 HR. 4.92. Uncharacteristically wild.
Green (W, 2-0, 2.06) 1 1/3 IP, 2 R, 2 H, 0 W, 3 K.
Kahnle (H, 10) 2/3 IP, 0 R, 1 H, 1 W, 1 K. 2.38
Robertson (H, 2) 1 IP, 0 R, 0 H, 0 W, 1 K. 2.44
Betances (H, 16) 1 IP, 0 R, 0 H, 0 W, 1 K. 2.36
Warren 1 IP, 0 R, 1 H, 1 W, 1 K. 1.89

With Tanaka not going the requisite five innings, it falls to the official scorer. Personally, I would not have given the W to Green (2 runs in 1 1/3?) but probably to Robertson instead. Too many official scorers are lazy, however, and go “by the book.”

 

Game 109. Yanks “Chase” losing streak away with 2-1 win.

Chase Headley’s sixth HR of the year broke a 1-1 tie in the top of the eighth, enabling the Yanks to snap their 4-game losing streak with a 2-1 win over Cleveland Saturday night.

The win puts the Yanks at 58-51. Unfortunately, they don’t pick up ground on Boston, who won as well.

In the first, the Yanks scored on a walk to Gardner, and after an out, a single by Judge and double by Didi. But with runners on 2nd and 3rd, no out, they could not tack on.

Jordan Montgomery gave up a HR in the second which tied the game for some time to come.

Chase Headley’s sixth HR of the year put the Yankees up 2-1 in the eighth and was the deciding blow.

Brett Gardner and Ronald Torreyes each made great defensive plays in the ninth to save the game. One other ball was hit just foul, or it would have tied the game. A scary ninth for Chapman.

After Joe Girardi ripped Gary Sanchez for his defense, Sanchez DH’d tonight. Romine caught. Not only that, Matt Holliday has back issues that may force him to the DL.

The Yanks won despite striking out 15x tonight.

They must be trying to limit Montgomery’s innings and pitch count. He only went 5 innings and 65 pitches, and retired his last nine batters, but he appears to be hitting his innings limit, thus the quick hook. But… overusing the bullpen? Will they be taxed later down the stretch run?  You wonder.

Montgomery 5 IP, 1 R, 3 H, 0 W, 7 K. Gave up 1 HR. Great job, 4.05
Robertson (W, 5-2, 2.55) 2 IP, 0 R, 0 H, 0 W, 2 K. 2.55
Betances (H, 15) 1 IP, 0 R, 0 H, 0 W, 2 K. 2.41
Chapman (S, 14) 1 IP, 0 R, 1 H, 0 W, 1 K. 2.87