Game 66. SSSizzling….Yanks win 4-1 behind Severino, and HRs by Stanton and Sanchez.

Luis Severino improved his record to 10-2, and got HR support from Giancarlo Stanton and Gary Sanchez as the Yanks beat the Rays 4-1 Saturday afternoon.

In the crowd were a bunch of members from the Pinstripe Mania club and website.

The win puts the Yanks at 46-20 on the season.

A walk to Greg Bird, single by Aaron Hicks and an RBI double by Gleyber Torres gave the Yanks a 1-0 lead in the second.

They made it 2-0 in the third on a double by Aaron Judge and a single by Didi Gregorius.

In the fifth, Stanton (16) and Sanchez (13) hit back-to-back homers to make it 4-0.

Tampa Bay got a run in the ninth when Chasen Shreve gave up a HR.

Judge 2 hits.
Stanton Solo HR.
Sanchez solo HR.
Didi RBI
Torres RBI

Severino (W, 10-2, 2.09) 8 IP, 0 R, 3 H, 2 W, 9 K.
Shreve 0 IP, 1 R, 2 H, 0 W, 0 K. 4.76. Faced two batters, gave up HR and triple.
Chapman (S, 20) 1 IP, 0 R, 0 H, 0 W, 1 K.   1.17

Tomorrow is Old-Timer’s Day at the Stadium.

 

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Game 65. The “Lasagna” was good. Yanks win 5-0.

Before his MLB debut tonight, Jonathan Loaisiga already had a nickname that I saw on various sites. “Johnny Lasagna”.

The lasagna was very good tonight.

Loaisiga, who started tonight’s game with only 10 games of minor league experience above Low A ball under his belt, and NONE at the AAA level, pitched five scoreless innings in the Yanks’ 5-0 win tonight, and earned his first MLB victory.

Not only that, but Seattle, down 6-3 to Boston, came back to win 7-6.

Yankees 45-20 — but winning pct. .692
Boston 48-23 —- (tied this way, but.. ) winning pct. .676

Meaning the Yanks have played six less games than Boston, but if the Yanks go 4-2 in those six games, they have a 1 game lead. 3-3 means they are even.

In the third inning, Didi Gregorius hit HR #14 off of ex-Yankee Nathan Eovaldi to put the Yanks up 1-0.

In the sixth, Aaron Judge doubled, went to third on an infield hit by Didi, and scored on a SF by Giancarlo Stanton.

The Yanks put it away in the eighth. With one out, Judge singled. Didi singled and went to second on the throw trying to get Judge at third. Stanton was intentionally walked. After Bird struck out for the second out, Sanchez, dropped to sixth in the lineup because of his slump, doubled to clear the bases.

About time Sanchez went the other way.

Judge 2 hits.
Didi 3 hits, solo HR.
Sanchez 3 RBI.

Loaisiga (W, 1-0, 0.00) 5 IP, 0 R, 3 H, 4 W, 6 K.  MLB DEBUT.
Holder (H, 3)  1 IP, 0 R, 0 H, 1 W, 0 K. 2.28
Robertson (H, 10) 1 IP, 0 R, 1 H, 0 W, 1 K. 3.69
Betances (H, 9 ) 1 IP, 0 R, 0 H, 0 W, 2 K. 3.19
Warren 1 IP, 0 R, 0 H, 0 W, 1 K. 2.31

 

Game 63. Nats win battle of the youngsters, 5-4.

21 year old Gleyber Torres hit a HR for the Yanks tonight, but 19 year old Juan Soto hit 2 for Washington in the Nationals’ 5-4 win over the Yanks Wednesday night.

Soto was the youngest to HR against the Yanks since Andruw Jones in the 1996 WS. Jones hit 2 in that game, and Soto also was the youngest to have a multi-HR game against the Yanks in the regular season game Gsince Junior Griffey in 1989.

Because of a viewing and funeral (one of my uncles died) I will not be posting a minor league recap of the Wednesday games, just this one.

Sonny Gray was, well, mediocre again. If not for him picking off two runners from first base and getting an OF assist from Brett Gardner, things could have been worse.

Top of the first. Double, single, strikeout but SB, and SF gives Washington a run.

In the bottom of the first, Gardner singled, stole second, went to third on an error and scored on a SF by Judge.

In the second, Bird hit his third HR of the year, 2-1 Yanks.

A double by Judge and single by Stanton made it 3-1 Yanks in the third.

With two out in the fourth, Gray gave up a walk, single and a three-run HR to Soto that barely made the seats.

In the bottom of the fifth, Gleyber Torres’ 12th HR of the year tied the game.

But in the seventh, Soto hit his second HR of the game, this one off of Chasen Shreve, and that was the game. 5-4 Nats. With Boston’s win over pathetic Baltimore, the 43-20 Yanks drop one game behind Boston, even though the Yanks have a better winning percentage.

In the bottom of the ninth, down 5-4, I was surprised that Romine hit for himself and that Boone didn’t PH Sanchez for Romine, hoping for some lightning.

Stanton 3 hits, RBI.
Bird 2 hits, solo HR.
Torres solo HR.

Gray 5 IP, 4 R, 7 H, 2 W, 1 K. Gave up 1 HR. 4.98
Shreve (L, 2-1, 4.37) 2 IP, 1 R, 1 H, 0 W, 2 K. Gave up 1 HR.
Robertson 1 IP, 0 R, 1 H, 0 W, 1 K. 3.82
Holder 1 IP, 0 R, 1 H, 0 W, 0 K. 2.38

Game 61. Yanks blanked by Mets, 2-0.

The Yanks went into Sunday night’s game with a 4-game winning streak, and the Mets with an 8-game losing streak. All things must pass, and the Mets blanked the Yanks 2-0 on a 3-hitter. Miguel Andujar had 2 of the Yanks’ 3 hits. The Mets only had five hits themselves.5

The Yanks stay 1/2 game ahead of Boston, who also lost on Sunday.

The Mets got Luis Severino’s pitch count up, and he was gone after 93 pitches and 5 innings. Seve threw over 30 pitches in the first inning.

In the fifth inning, Seve struck out the first two hitters, but then gave up a single to .139 hitting Jose Reyes. He got two strikes on ex-Yankee Todd Frazier, but Frazier hit a 2-run HR for the only runs of the ballgame.

It was the first time the Yanks were shut out all year.

Since I was at the game, and it’s now past 2 AM, no minor league report today.

Severino (L, 9-2, 2.27) 5 IP, 2 R, 5 H, 2 W, 7 K.
Shreve 1 IP, 0 R, 0 H, 1 W, 2 K. 4.35
Warren 1 IP, 0 R, 0 H, 0 W, 0 K. 2.53
Holder 1 IP, 0 R, 0 H, 0 W, 2 K.  2.49

One thing I wonder. When will Aaron Boone start hitting Andujar (.310) fifth and drop the .190 hitting Sanchez down in the order?

Game 57. Andujar & Hicks blast Jays, Yanks beat ESPN but lose Monty.

Before we get to the game, good news and bad news.

Good news: the Yanks’ 7/8 game against Toronto has been moved back to 1:07 PM. ESPN had moved it to 8:07 for their Sunday night game and the Yanks complained, because it meant a Sunday night game in Toronto, a plane ride (which includes going through customs) and a doubleheader the next day in Baltimore. 3 games in 24 hours. So they won their appeal and Boston manager Alex Cora is whining. If it was Boston, don’t you think Cora would have appealed as Boone did? Boone, who of course worked for ESPN the last few years on their Sunday night team, threatened a boycott of ESPN availability to the team if the Sunday night game stuck. Good for him. Justice served. Instead, ESPN has the Dodgers/Angels subway series that night, and Cora can shut his yap.

Bad news: Jordan Montgomery needs TJ surgery. Out the rest of this year and probably all of 2019, making it all the more necessary for the Yanks to make a deal for a starter at the trade deadline.

To the game. Both the Yanks and Toronto hit two homers. The difference is that both of Toronto’s HR were solo blasts, and the Yanks’ HR were a grand slam and a three-run HR. 7-2 Yanks. 39-18, still 1/2 game back of Boston.

It was scoreless until the bottom of the sixth when CC gave up a HR on just Toronto’s second hit of the game.

In the seventh, Sanchez (who maybe should be moved down in the lineup with his batting average near .200?) singled, Didi was HBP and Hicks walked. Andujar then hit a grand slam to put the Yanks up 4-1.

CC gave up another solo HR in the bottom of the seventh, 4-2.

In the top of the eighth, Stanton singled, and after two out, Didi walked. Hicks hit a 3-run HR to make it 7-2.

Stanton 2 hits.
Hicks 3-run HR (6)
Andujar grand slam. HR #7

Sabathia (W, 3-1, 3.59) 7 IP, 2 R, 3 H, 1 W, 6 K. 2 of the 3 hits were solo HR.
Robertson 1 IP, 0 R, 0 H, 0 W, 1 K.  4.23
Shreve 1 IP, 0 R, 0 H, 0 W, 2 K. 4.58
 

 

Game 52. Yanks keep pace with ace. Yanks beat Astros 5-3.

The 35-17 Yankees stayed two games back of Boston by beating Houston Wednesday night, 5-3, behind their ace, Luis Severino.

Severino made just one mistake, and it was hit for a 2-run HR. He retired the first 11 he faced, seven by strikeout. In seven innings, he gave up just 2 runs on 4 hits and struck out 11.

The Yanks struck first in the first inning when Hicks walked, Judge singled him to third and Stanton hit a SF.

Houston went up 2-1 in the top of the fifth on the 2-run HR by Max Stassi.

The Yanks got it right back in the bottom of the fifth when Romine singled, and with two out, Judge singled. Stanton walked to load the bases for Sanchez, who singled in two runs.

In the sixth, Torres doubled, went to third on a WP, and scored on a Didi single. Didi was thrown out trying to steal for the second out of the inning (Andujar had struck out), but then Romine walked and Hicks doubled home Romine to make it 5-2.

Houston got a run off off Aroldis Chapman in the ninth before Chapman closed out the game.

5-3 Yankees.

Judge 2 hits.
Sanchez 2 RBI

Severino (W, 8-1, 2.31) 7 IP, 2 R, 4 H, 1 W, 11 K. Gave up 1 HR.
Robertson (H, 9) 1 IP, 0 R, 1 H, 0 W, 2 K. 4.21
Chapman (S, 12) 1 IP, 1 R, 2 H, 0 W, 1 K. 1.54

Game 51. Despite 5 errors, 17 strikeouts, Yanks win (?!) in 10, 6-5.

This is not the way you draw up a win, but we’ll take it.

Despite striking out 17 times and making five errors, the resilient Yankees fought back to tie the game in the bottom of the ninth and to win it in the tenth, 6-5.

The win keeps the 34-17 Yanks two back of Boston in the AL East. So far, the strength of schedule has favored Boston. They’ve had the easier schedule to date. You don’t want to win 100-105 and wind up the wild card and have to play in that sudden-death, wild-card game. Win the division.

In the top of the first, Aaron Judge doubled up Jose Altuve off of first after catching a liner. In the bottom of the first, Brett Gardner led off with his first of two HRs of the night to make it 1-0, Yanks.

CC gave it right back, giving up a HR to Evan Gattis in the top of the second, 1-1.

With two out in the bottom of the second, Miguel Andujar doubled, and Gleyber Torres singled him home to make it 2-1 Yanks. The Yanks proceeded to load the bases but stranded the three runners.

CC gave up two runs in the fourth. 3-2 Astros.

In the fifth, sloppiness. Two errors put runners on second and third with no one out. Both runners eventually scored as Houston went up 5-2.

In the bottom of the fifth, Aaron Judge homered (15) to make it 5-3.

So it stood until the bottom of the ninth. Andujar walked, and with one out, Gardner hit his second HR of the game (4) to tie the game.

The Yanks got a break in the top of the tenth. With two out and a man on second, Aroldis Chapman, who already had thrown one wild pitch, fired one back to the backstop. It ricocheted right back to catcher Gary Sanchez, who threw the runner out trying to advance.

In the bottom of the tenth, with two out, Andujar (who made one of the five errors) doubled, and Torres (who made two errors) singled to win the game.

Not the blueprint for a win, but we’ll take it. Stanton and Sanchez are both in slumps right now. Between the two of them, they are something like a combined 1 for 35.

Gardner 4 for 5, 3 RBI, 2 HR. Heating up.
Judge 2 hits, solo HR.
Didi 2 hits.
Andujar 2 doubles.
Torres 2 hits, 2 RBI, inc. GW.

Sabathia 5 IP, 5 R, 3 ER, 8 H, 2 W, 4 K. Gave up 1 HR. 3.73
Holder 2 IP,  0 R, 1 H, 0 W, 1 K. 2.95. Pitching great lately.
Robertson 1 IP, 0 R, 1 H, 0 W, 2 K. 4.38
Betances 1 IP, 0 R, 0 H, 2 W, 2 K. 4.30
Chapman (W, 2-0, 1.21) 1 IP, 0 R, 0 H, 1 W, 1 K.