AAA: SWB (13-25) gave up 2 runs in the bottom of the 9th and lost 3-2. They only got 5 hits.
Wesneski 4 IP, 1 R, 3 H, 2 W, 5 K. 1 HBP 2.31 (#8 prospect) McKay 2 IP, 0 R, 0 H, 0 W, 5 K. 1 Balk. 1.84 Miller 1 IP, 0 R, 0 H, 0 W, 2 K. 2.51 Weissert (L, 1-1) 1 IP, 2 R, 2 H, 1 W, 0 K. Gave up GW 2-run walkoff HR. 4.02
AA: Somerset (23-12) lost 12-4, giving up 7 runs in the top of the 8th. RF Elijah Dunham 2 RBI (#27 prospect .227) SS Jesus Bastidas 2 hits. 2B Oliver Dunn 2 hits. 1B Max Burt 2 hits, RBI
Boyle 6 IP, 4 R, 3 ER, 5 H, 2 W, 8 K. 1 HBP. Gave up 1 HR. 4.15 Jennings 1 IP, 0 R, 0 H, 0 W, 0 K. 4.24 Zurak (L, 2-1) 1/3 IP, 7 R, 6 ER, 3 H, 2 W, 2 K. 1 WP. 1 HBP. 3.68 Craft 1 2/3 IP, 1 R< 1 H, 0 W, 1 K. Gave up 1 HR. 6.08
High A: Hudson Valley (16-19) won 3-1. CF Aldenis Sanchez 2 hits.
Low A: Tampa (14-21) lost 7-5 SS Alexander Vargas 2 hits. 1B Anthony Garcia 2 RBI 2B Benjamin Cowles 2 hits.
Fitts (L, 0-3) 4 1/3 IP, 5 R, 4 ER, 7 H, 0 W, 8 K. Gave up 3 HR 6.75 Cortijo 1 2/3 IP, 1 R, 1 H, 0 W, 2 K. gave up 1 HR 1 HBP 4.24 Dees 2 IP, 0 R, 2 H, 0 W, 2 K. 4.32 Santana 2/3 IP, 1 R, 0 H, 2 W, 2 K. 1 WP 1.23 Holloway 1/3 IP, 0 R, 0 H, 0 W, 1 K. 1.93
STANDINGS SWB Last in International League East at 13-25; 11 1/2 GB Somerset 1st in Eastern League Northeast at 23-12. In front by 1 1/2 games. Hudson Valley 16-19 3rd in Southern Atlantic League North. 10 1/2 GB Tampa (14-21) 5th in Florida State League West 8 1/2 GB
AAA: SWB (4-1) suffered their first loss of the season, losing 4-3 in 10 innings. CF Estevan Florial (Yanks #30 prospect) 2 hits. SS Oswald Peraza (#2 prospect) 4 hits, RBI LF Miguel Andujar 2 hits
Gil 3 2/3 IP, 2 R, 2 H, 1 W, 5 K. Gave up 1 HR. 4.91 (#10 prospect) Lane 1 1/3 IP, 1 R, 0 ER, 1 H, 2 W, 1 K. 0.00 Bristo 2 IP, 0 R, 0 H, 2 W, 1 K. 3.00 Greene 2 IP, 0 R, 0 H, 1 W, 1 K. 4.50 Miller (L, 0-1) 2/3 IP, 1 R, 0 ER, 0 H, 0 W, 1 K. 0.00
AA: Somerset (2-0) won 11-2. LF Elijah Dunham 2 hits (#27 prospect) DH Josh Breaux 2 hits, 4 RBI. A 3-run HR (2) (#26 prospect) 3B Andres Chaparro 3 hits 1B Chad Bell 2 hits, 3 RBI C Rodolfo Duran 3 hits, RBI; Solo HR (1) 2B Oliver Dunn 3 for 3, 3 RBI
Waldichuk (W, 1-0) 5 IP, 0 R, 2 H, 2 W, 7 K. 0.00 (#6 prospect) 1 WP Ernst 1 2/3 IP, 1 R, 3 H, 2 W, 1 K. 2 WP 5.40 Espianal 1 IP ,1 R, 2 H, 2 W, 1 K. 9.00 Zurak 1 2/3 IP, 0 R, 0 H, 0W, 2 K. 0.00
Waldichuk put up a great year last year and off to a good start here. A lefty to watch.
High A: Hudson Valley (1-1) won 8-6 in 10 innings. DH T.J. Rumfield 3 RBI, 2-run HR (1) LF Aldenis Sanchez 2 hits, 2 RBI 3B Eduardo Torrealba 3 hits.
Way 4 1/3 IP, 3 R, 4 H, 2 W, 7 K. 2 WP. Gave up 1 HR, 6.23 (#22 prospect) Myatt 1 1/3 IP, 0 R, 0 H, 3 W, 2 K. 0.00 Munoz 2 1/3 IP, 1 R, 1 H, 0 W, 4 K. Gave up 1 HR. 3.86 Mauricio (W, 1-0) 1 2/3 IP, 2 R, 1 ER, 3 H, 1 W, 1 K. 5.40 Blanton (S, 1) 1/3 IP, 0 R, 0 H, 0 W, 1 K. 0.00
Tampa (1-1) lost 5-1. 3B Marcos Cabrera 2 hits, solo HR (2)
Panacual (L, 0-1) 3 1/3 IP, 3 R, 2 ER, 4 H, 1 W, 6 K. 5.40 C. Gomez 3 1/3 IP, 2 R, 4 H, 0 W, 4 K. Gave up 1 HR. 5.40 Neely 1 1/3 IP, 0 R, 1 H, 0 W, 2 K. 0.00
As I was about to write about the Yankees’ inactivity in the free agent and trade market, I woke up to a major trade the Yankees have made that has reconfigured their infield. I am now waiting for more dominoes to fall.
The Yankees have traded C Gary Sanchez and INF Gio Urshela to the Twins for 3B Josh Donaldson, INF Isiah Kiner-Falefa (who the Twins just picked up from Texas the day before) and C Ben Rortvedt.
Going: Sanchez hit .204-23-54 (OPS+ 99) for the Yanks last year. His defense behind the plate has been a problem. After a great start to his career (20 HR in 53 games in 2016, 33 HR in 2017 and a 2x All-Star), Sanchez hasn’t fulfilled his potential. Since 2017, he has only hit .201, including seasons of .186 (2018) and .147 (2020).
Urshela was with the Yanks 2019-2021, and established himself with the club. Only a .225 hitter before coming to the Yanks, Urshela broke out in 2019, hitting .314-21-74, OPS+ 133 that season. Last year he hit .267-14-49, OPS+ 96. As a Yankee, he hit .292 in 243 games, with 41 HR and an OPS+ of 119 while providing great defense at 3B.
Coming: Donaldson, 36, is a 3x All-Star and 2x Silver Slugger who won the MVP award for Toronto in 2015, when he hit .297-41-123 and led the AL in RBI (OPS+ 151), the majors in runs scored and the league in total bases and SF. He has received MVP consideration 6x, and finished in the top 10 three other times besides his winning the award in 2015. Last year he hit .247-26-72, OPS+ 127. He has played for Oakland (2010, 2012-2014), Toronto (2015-2018), Cleveland (2018), Atlanta (2019) and Minnesota (2020-2021). It’ll be interesting how Donaldson and Gerrit Cole get along after Donaldson’s comments about the Spidertack and Cole last season. His 162 g. average is .269-34-98, OPS+ 135. In 39 postseason games, he has hit .260-5-16.
Kiner-Falefa, 27 soon, can play 3B, SS and even catch. He won a Gold Glove at 3B in 2020. Last year he hit .271-8-53 with 20 SB for Texas, OPS+ 85. His 162 games average is .265-7-49, 16 SB, OPS+ 81. He’ll be a stopgap until prospects like Oswald Peraza and/or Anthony Volpe are ready. If the Yanks are only going to hae a stopgap SS for a year or two, he’s the one I wanted. Kiner-Falefa has played for Texas (2018-2021).
Rortvedt, 24, is a lefty hitting catcher who only has 39 games of MLB experience, all last season. He hit .169-3-7 (15 for 89), OPS+ 41. As of now, Kyle Higashioka takes over as the Yankees’ #1 catcher, so I am waiting for another shoe to fall. Is another trade coming?
The Yankees also signed two guys for minor league depth.
They brought back Tim Locastro, OF, 29, who played in 9 games for the Yankees last year. Locastro was selected off the Yankees in November via waivers by Boston but then Boston released him later. Locastro is known for his speed (31 SB in 34 attempts) and is a .231 career hitter with 5 HR and an OPS+ of 78 in 432 at bats. Loacastro has played with the Dodgers (2017-2018), Diamondbacks (2019-2021) and Yankees (2021).
They also signed 1B Ronald Guzman (Texas 2018-2021), a lefty hitter. Guzman hit 16 HR in 2018 for Texas and has a .227 career batting average with 31 MLB HR in 737 at bats, OPS+ 86.
Catchers Kyle Higashioka (who started the game) and Gary Sanchez (who finished it) led a Yankees’ comeback from a 3-0 deficit as the Yankees completed a three game sweep of Texas with a 7-3 win Wednesday night.
The win, combined with Toronto’s loss to Tampa Bay, put the Yanks back as the second wild card by 1/2 game. There are 9 games left for the Yankees, and it won’t be easy. 3 at Boston, 3 at Toronto and 3 at home against Tampa Bay (who will win the division).
Wild Card Standings. Boston 88-65 top wild card for now YANKEES 86-67 -2 from Boston; second wild card for now Toronto 85-67 – 2 1/2 from Boston; 1/2 game behind the Yankees Seattle 83-69 -4 1/2 from Boston, -2 1/2 from Yankees Oakland 82-70 -5 1/2 from Boston, – 3 1/2 from Yankees
Before the game, the Yanks activated Domingo German off the IL and send down Estevan Florial.
Texas pecked away at Yankees’ starter Corey Kluber, scoring single runs in the second, fourth, and fifth. Their run in the fourth scored on a bloop two-out popup that fell into no-man’s land.
One concern the Yanks have is the defense. By switching Gleyber Torres back to second, D.J. LeMahieu and Gio Urshela aren’t at their natural, best positions, while Torres is. D.J. is best at second but is at third, Urshela best at third, but now at SS (and he’s made a few nice plays there). Also, Luke Voit started last night’s game at first base because Texas started a lefty pitcher. Anthony Rizzo, who came in for defense late in the game, is the better defender.
The Yanks started their comeback in the bottom of the fifth. Torres led off with a walk, and Urshela singled him to second. Higashioka doubled in both runners. Earlier in the game, Higashioka was robbed of a two-run double. Texas CF D.J. Peters couldn’t get to this one, however. After an out, LeMahieu flied to right, but Higashioka was gunned down at the plate trying to score. After five innings, 3-2 Texas.
The Yanks got a gift run to tie the game in the sixth. With one out, Aaron Judge, Giancarlo Stanton and Joey Gallo all walked. After another out, a wild pitch allowed the Yanks to tie the game.
The Yanks broke through with four runs in the bottom of the eighth to put the game away. With two out, Gallo hit a pop-fly double that found no-man’s land. Torres doubled in Gallo with what proved to be the game-winning run. Urshela singled, and on the play, a throwing error enabled Torres to score. 5-3, Yanks. Sanchez capped everything off with a 2-run HR (23) and the Yanks were up 7-3, which ended up the final score.
The Yanks got 4 2/3 scoreless IP out of their bullpen, and hung on for a 4-3 win over Texas Monday night that combined with Tampa Bay’s 6-4 win over Toronto, moved the Yanks to 1/2 game behind Toronto in the wild card race.
Wild Card Standings Boston 86-65 — top wild card seed as of now Toronto 84-66 – 1 1/2 2nd wild card seed as of now YANKEES 84-67 -2 behind Boston, -1/2 from Toronto Oakland 82-68 -3 1/2 behind Boston, -2 from Toronto, – 1 1/2 behind Yankees Seattle 81-69 – 4 1/2 behind Boston, -3 from Toronto, -2 1/2 behind Yankees.
The Yanks got on the board in the bottom of the second on a solo HR by Gary Sanchez (22).
They got three in the third to make it 4-0. With one out, D.J. LeMahieu walked, and Anthony Rizzo singled D.J. to second. A single by Aaron Judge made it 2-0, and both runners moved up on the throw. Giancarlo Stanton hit a SF, and after a walk to Joey Gallo, Gleyber Torres singled for the Yankees’ final run.
Nestor Cortes was “Nasty Nestor” for four innings, and got out of a second and third, no out jam in the first inning with three straight strikeouts. But while the Yanks couldn’t tack on more runs, Cortes got knocked out in the fifth, when Texas scored three runs to cut it to 4-3.
After that it was nail-biting and scoreboard-watching time.
I wonder how much money you could have gotten in the spring if you would have bet someone that Nestor Cortes would make at least 12 starts for the Yankees this year, and after 12 starts, would have a lower ERA than Gerrit Cole?
The Yanks activated Luis Severino before the game, and released Sal Romano.
In an ideal world, you wouldn’t want your starting pitcher, in the middle of a pennant race and with 14 games to go, to be a rookie making just his sixth major league start. Nor would you want his reliever to be another rookie, nor the reliever after him to be someone who may be the one pitcher on your staff struggling the most (see the stat below).
But as we know, it isn’t an ideal world, and injuries to the Yankees’ pitching staff forced that scenario yesterday as the Yankees got clobbered by Cleveland, 11-3. The loss was painful because both Boston and Toronto won.
Wild Card Standings.
Boston 85-65 top seed as of now. Toronto 83-65 2nd seed as of now. -1 from Boston NYY 83-66 -1 1/2 from Boston, – 1/2 from Toronto Oakland 81-67 -3 from Boston, -2 from Toronto (- 1 1/2 from Yankees) Seattle 79-69 -5 from Boston, – 4 from Toronto.
So as you can see, the loss not only has (temporarily we hope) knocked the Yanks out of a wild card spot but don’t look back, Oakland is gaining on you.
Just win, baby.
Starter Luis Gil pitched ok for four innings, giving up a HR in the second. Entering the fifth, the Yanks were losing 1-0. Ok, still in the ballgame.
In the meantime, Yankees’ LF Joey Gallo had to leave the game with a neck problem.
An elephant in the room has to be addressed. In each of the Yankees’ last three losses, crucial defensive mistakes by catcher Gary Sanchez have helped the Yankees lose those games. With Gerrit Cole starting for the Yankees today, expect Kyle Higashioka to catch. But the Yankees should consider catching Higashioka full-time from here out, because of Sanchez’ defense over the past week.
With one out in the fifth, losing 1-0, Sanchez dropped a foul popup that should have been out #2, with no one on base. Instead, it opened the floodgates for Cleveland to put up a seven-run inning and the game was basically over. This after the phantom tag in the Mets game and the WP that Sanchez couldn’t catch in the Orioles’ loss. If the Yanks want to make the playoffs, those plays can’t happen.
Still in all, when Gil left the game, there was two on and one out. Hopefully Albert Abreu could get a DP ball and get out of the jam. Nope. Instead, the dam broke. Double, HBP, double, single. Four runs in. A second out (should have been the third if Sanchez catches the pop up). Then the killer, a 3-run HR that made it 8-0.
The struggling Andrew Heaney came in for the sixth. D.J. LeMahieu made an uncharacteristic error, and Heaney, prone to giving up homers (see below), gave up a 2-run shot that made it 10-0.
Giancarlo Stanton homered (30) in the bottom of the seventh to put the Yanks on the board, but Heaney gave up a HR in the top of the eighth to make it 11-1.
Luke Voit hit a 2-run HR (11) in the bottom of the eighth and the final was 11-3 Cleveland.
LeMahieu 2 hits. Voit 2-run HR (11) Stanton solo HR (30) Sanchez 2 hits but the crucial error.
Gil has great stuff, but needs control. 6 K in 4 1/3 good, but 4 walks and a HBP aren’t.
In just 35 2/3 IP as a Yankee, Heaney has given up 13 HR. Ouch.
Gil (L, 1-1) 4 1/3 IP, 3 R, 2 ER, 3 H, 4 W, 6 K. 1 HBP. gave up 1 HR. 3.07 First MLB loss. Abreu 2/3 IP, 5 R, 3 ER, 4 H, 0 W, 0 K. 1 HBP. Gave up 1 HR. 4.75 Heaney 3 IP, 3 R, 2 ER, 5 H, 0 W, 4 K. Gave up 2 HR. 5.76 (LAA/NYY) Rodriguez 1 IP, 0 R, 0 H, 0 W, 2 K. 4.64 (Tex/NYY)
Gil was sent down after the game. We will see what move comes next (German? Severino?)
The Yanks came back from a 5-0 deficit to edge the Minnesota Twins 6-5 in 10 innings in a Monday afternoon makeup game.
With the win, the Yanks moved back into a virtual tie for the 2nd wild card spot. Here is how things stand.
Toronto 81-63 — 1st wild card Yankees 80-64 -1 .556 virtual tie for 2nd wild card Boston 81-65 -1 .555 virtual tie for 2nd wild card Seattle 78-66 -3 from Toronto, -2 from NYY/BOS Oakland 77-66 -3 1/2 from Toronto, -2 1/2 from NYY/BOS
The Yanks made some changes before the game. With recent errors defensively from Gio Urshela and Gleyber Torres at 3B and SS respectively, Torres moved back to 2B, D.J. LeMahieu took over at 3B, and Tyler Wade was at SS. Also, Kyle Higashioka caught more because it was a day game after a night game, but even there, Higashioka is better defensively than Gary Sanchez. We will see who catches Gerrit Cole tonight, a job usually handled by Higashioka.
But just because he did not start yesterday’s game, doesn’t mean Sanchez couldn’t finish it. And finish it he did.
Yankees’ starter Luis Gil put the Yankees in an early hole, giving up two 2-run HRs in the first inning. The Yanks were down 4-0 before they even came to bat. Gil settled down after that, lasting six innings. After that first inning, he only gave up one more run—on a HR in the third inning.
Meanwhile, after five innings, the only hit the Yanks had was on a fifth inning bunt single by Joey Gallo.
The Yanks got a run in the sixth when Wade walked, stole second, went to third on a flyout, and scored on a SF by LeMahieu, who was robbed of a double on the play by a great catch.
Gallo made it 5-2 in the seventh with a HR (33).
In the bottom of the eighth, PH Anthony Rizzo led off with a walk. Sanchez PH for Higashioka and flied out. After LeMahieu flied out, Brett Gardner walked on a full-count pitch. It was a controversial call that got Twins’ manager Rocco Baldelli ejected. After a pitching change, Aaron Judge homered (33) to tie the game.
No one scored in the ninth, although Aroldis Chapman made things hairy once again.
The game went into extra innings, with that ghost runner I hate. Clay Holmes kept the Twins off the board in the top of the tenth.
Gleyber Torres was the ghost runner for the Yankees in the bottom of the tenth. Gio Urshela, who took over at SS, struck out trying to bunt Torres over, but Sanchez laced one to the wall for the game-winning hit.
Judge 3-run HR (33) Gallo 2 hits, solo HR (33) Sanchez game-winning single in bottom of the tenth.
Gil 6 IP, 5 R, 7 H, 1 W, 8 K. Gave up 3 HR. 2.88 Heaney 1 2/3 IP, 0 R, 1 H, 1 W, 2 K. 5.76 (LAA/NYY) Abreu 1/3 IP, 0 R, 0 H, 0 W, 0 K. 4.19 Chapman 1 IP, 0 R, 1 H, 1 W, 2 K. 3.70 Holmes (W, 8-3) 1 IP, 0 R, 0 H, 0 W, 1 K. 4.07 (Combined Pit/NYY) .
Clarke Schmidt was sent back to SWB. Sal Romano decided to become a free agent rather than go to SWB.
Francisco Lindor hit 3 HR against the Yankees as the Mets won Sunday night 7-6 in a game that featured a bench-clearing incident regarding whistling/tipping of pitches.
The loss was the Yanks 12th in their last 15 games. It dropped them to 4th in their division, and as of now, they are out of the wild card picture.
Wild Card Standings (Tampa Bay, The Chicago White Sox and Houston lead their divisions)
Boston (81-64)/Toronto (80-63) in a virtual tie for the two wild card spots. NYY 79-64, one game back Oakland and Seattle each 77-66, three games back of Bos/Tor, 2 back of the Yankees.
The Yanks have an afternoon makeup game against the Twins today (Monday afternoon). They have to pick things up. Just 19 games to go.
The Yanks got two runs in the top of the first inning. D.J. LeMahieu and Anthony Rizzo both walked. Aaron Judge, who had to leave the game later because of dizziness, struck out. Giancarlo Stanton doubled in one run, and Joey Gallo hit a SF to bring in another. Amazing stat in that it was only the second SF of Gallo’s career.
The Yanks were forced to start rookie Clarke Schmidt because of their pitching woes. It was just Schmidt’s second MLB start and his fourth MLB game. He gave up a run in the bottom of the first, and stranded two.
In the bottom of the second, an error by Gleyber Torres led to three unearned runs when Lindor hit a 3-run HR, his first of three homers for the game. 4-2, Mets.
A SF scored a run for the Mets in the fifth, and it was 5-2.
With one out in the top of the sixth, Gallo walked and Torres hit a 2-run HR (7) and it was 5-4.
Lindor hit his second HR in the bottom of the sixth and it was 6-4. Apparently he whistled going around the bases as if to signal and mock the Yankees for whistling and accusing them of tipping off pitches to hitters.
In the top of the seventh, LeMahieu singled, and two outs later, Stanton hit a 2-run HR (27) to tie the game. He jawed at Lindor while circling the bases and the benches emptied. Brett Gardner mocked the thumbs down gesture that the Mets used against their fans recently.
Lindor hit his third HR of the game in the bottom of the eighth to give the Mets a 7-6 lead and they hung on for the win.
Stanton had a chance to get in the last word, but with two on and two out in the top of the ninth, he popped up to Lindor to end the game.
LeMahieu 3 hits Stanton 2 hits, 3 RBI, 2-run HR (27) Torres 2-run HR (7) but a huge error that allowed 3 unearned runs to score which helped cost the game.
Torres and Urshela once again made errors. Sanchez had a PB. The Yanks’ defense has to tighten up.
Schmidt 4 1/3 IP, 5 R, 2 ER, 7 H, 3 W, 2 K. 1 HBP. Gave up 1 HR. 4.15 Heaney 2/3 IP, 0 R, 0 H, 0 W, 0 K. 5.83 (LAA/NYY) Peralta 2 IP, 1 R, 1 H, 2 W, 2 K. Gave up 1 HR. 3.89 (SF/NYY) Green (L, 7-7) 1 IP, 1 R, 1 H, 0 W, 1 K. Gave up 1 HR. 3.28
Andrew Velazquez was sent down to make room for Schmidt.
The Sommer Frieze 
