Yanks lose out on Yamamoto. He signs with Dodgers. Thoughts on that.

The Yankees lost out on Yoshinobu Yamamoto. The Dodgers gave the 25-year-old pitcher a $325MM deal over 12 years ($27.08MM/yr). More on the details of the contract in a bit. The Mets offered the same amount, and the Yankees offered $300MM over 10 years ($30MM a year). There were other offers as well.

Included in the Dodgers offer was a $50MM signing bonus. I don’t know if the Mets or Yankees offered a signing bonus. But take out the signing bonus and it’s 12/$275, which is about $23MM/yr. On top of all that, the Dodgers are paying $50.6MM to the Orix Buffaloes, Yamamoto’s former team, as a posting fee.

Between Shohei Ohtani, Yamamoto, and the extension the Dodgers gave to Tyler Glasnow after trading for Glasnow, the Dodgers have forked out almost $1.2 BILLION. That’s billion. With a B.

The Yankees made a competitive offer. 10 years, $300MM for a pitcher who hasn’t thrown a MLB pitch yet. His resume is superb. 3 straight Japanese pitching Triple Crowns, Sawamura (the Japanese equivalent of the Cy Young) Awards, and 3 straight MVPs. People say Hal Steinbrenner is cheap, but really? That offer was very good and remember the posting fee would have been $45-50MM on top of that. The Yankees have Cole, Judge, Rodon and Stanton’s contracts, and who knows what Juan Soto, a free agent after this year, will command?

(A side note: I think one of the most important, if not THE most important key to the Yankees’ 2024 season is Rodon earning his 6/162 contract. He has to put up numbers like he did in 2021 and 2022. Last year was totally unacceptable.)

But 12 years for a pitcher. Heck, I am not even comfortable with the 10 the Yanks offered. I’m really not comfortable with anything over 6 (see Rodon). Imagine if, after 1963 and a 25-5, 1.88 MVP and CYA season, the Dodgers gave 27-year-old Sandy Koufax a 10-year deal. Well, we know what happened. Koufax injured himself in 1964 when he went 19-5, 1.74 and pitched the last two seasons of his career with an arthritic elbow. (With today’s technology not available back then, did he have a torn UCL?) Those two seasons, 1965 and 1966 were fabulous. 26-8, 2.04. 27-9, 1.73. Runner-up for MVP both years. CYA both years. Over 300 strikeouts both years. But then shortly before he turned 31, he was forced to retire because of the arm issues.

Let’s look at a more recent example. Tim Lincecum won back-to-back CYA in 2008 and 2009. In 2010, at the age of 26, he went 16-10, 3.43. In the next four years after that, he was 45-52 with an ERA of 4.18. He went 10-15, 5.18 at the age of 28 in 2012. In 2016, he went 2-6, 9.16 in 9 starts. He was finished at the age of 32.

You don’t know. You don’t know if Yamamoto will get through these 12 years without a problem and turn into a HOF. You don’t know if he will get TJ or lat surgery that will ruin his career. Giving 10 years or 12 years to a pitcher is insane.

Another example which hits Yankees’ fans right at home. Luis Severino. Enough said. We know his story. All-Star in 2017 and 2018. Only 24-years-old in 2018. Only 45 games since. 13-12, 4.47. 4-8, 6.65 last year.

As for Yamamoto’s choice, I read that he grew up a Dodgers fan but can’t confirm that. If so, his situation is like Gerrit Cole’s, who grew up a Yankee fan and that wish of playing for your childhood love would be difficult to overcome. Another thing I wonder about with Japanese (and Korean for that matter) players are demographics. I don’t have the numbers in front of me as to percentage of Asians in Southern California versus Asians in East Coast cities like NY, Boston, Philly or Baltimore. Plus, should you want to fly home to Japan, LA to Japan is a shorter flight than say, NY to Japan. Money talks, but there are other considerations to take into account.

I really don’t think Yamamoto had interest in the Mets other than to get them to drive up their price. And can Mets fans stop calling Steve Cohen “King” Cohen already? He’s been the owner for three years and his team has been under .500 twice. He gave big contracts to a couple of aged superstars nearing 40 (Scherzer and Verlander) only to dump them. He has a lot of money and can outbid practically everyone. But King Cohen? Please. Maybe one day. Not now.

Getting back to demographics. Buster Posey, the retired Giant catcher, mentioned that San Francisco has an image problem. Yeah. Who wants to play in a city with a reputation of homeless people with needles and feces on the street? Granted Yamamoto may never have experienced that part of the city, but image matters. You are not only offering a big contract and selling the team. You have to sell the city they are going to live in as well. The benefits of living there. Some states, like Texas and Florida, have no state income tax. NY and CA have higher taxes, so if they bid on a player, and are competing against say, Houston or Texas, that has to be taken into account. The number of Asian people in the area probably also comes into play as far as making the move as seamless as possible. For example, do you really think a Japanese player would sign with Detroit, no matter how much money Detroit may offer him? I don’t.

East coast teams, including the Yankees, have to find out how to deal with this. The Yankees have to figure out where they might have gone wrong with pursuing Yamamoto, and it could be that they did NOTHING wrong. You can say offer more money (after all, it is not ours) but that may not have worked. If a player wants to go somewhere and uses others just to drive up the price, and gets that price from his true love, there is nothing you can do about it.

As for the price, that is where as soon as the details of the Ohtani deal came out, with the deferred money, I knew the Yankees could be in trouble. In fact, I am a bit surprised that in the Yamamoto deal, there is no sign of deferred money. I figured that once Ohtani did that, that other teams would use that ploy in their own Yamamoto negotiations. But I wonder how that will play out in the next CBA. There is no rule against how much money or what percentage of a contract can be deferred, but no one in their right mind thought a player would get a $700MM deal over 10 years and defer $680MM of it so that his team could then reduce the AAV and luxury tax penalties. As I wrote in a previous post, legal? Yes. Ethical? No. It smells of (luxury) tax evasion. It’s something that I think must be rectified and I think it will be. Otherwise, what is a luxury tax or AAV for if you can just sidestep it like that?

The games at Yankee Stadium next June (and barring anything, I am going to the June 8 game) should be interesting between the Yankees and Dodgers, especially if Yamamoto is pitching. Heck, those games would have been sold out BEFORE the Dodgers got Ohtani and Yamamoto. I wonder if Yankee Stadium will turn into Tokyo East.

The Yamamoto sweepstakes put a hold on almost everything in MLB. This also, has to be rectified, and I’m not saying that just because of all the stupid trolling comments you saw on Twitter (It’s X but I still call it Twitter) or Facebook or other places. But other stars, especially pitching stars, have had their own decisions delayed because of the Yamamoto situation. Teams in on Yamamoto are now pivoting to Plan B. I expect a lot of dominoes to fall now, and quickly. But others, like 2x CYA winner Blake Snell, and playoff hero Jordan Montgomery, had to see if certain teams got Yamamoto and therefore are out on them. Also, they wanted to see what kind of contract Yamamoto received. Now that Yamamoto got what he got, without having pitched in the majors yet, and as great as he was in Japan, what will Snell, the current NL CYA winner, and winner of the award twice in HIS career, now demand?

I won’t get into what the Yankees’ plan B will be here. I’ll save that for another blog post, and I don’t get into rumors that much. Not unless the smoke has some significant fire attached to it. But we wait and see.

Another thing that flew under the radar is more proposed changes to the rules. Nope, they aren’t getting rid of that ghost runner rule that I hate. But 18 second clock with a man on base. Wider running lane to first base. And one I really don’t like—If a pitcher warms up before an inning starts, he has to be used in that inning. Personally, I think some of these rule changes will hurt pitcher’s arms. The MLB players’ union opposes these changes, but they are outnumbered by the committee. But these changes could be the cause for contention when the next CBA (Collective Bargaining Agreement) comes up. Who needs to see another lockout.

To close, initial estimates for Yamamoto were things like 8/200. 9/225. 7/210. One was as low as 5/125. Another 5/120.

No one expected 12/325. But then, no one thought 10/700 for Ohtani.

And everything I wrote above regarding Yamamoto? We could be seeing it again very soon with 22-year-old Roki Sasaki (rumor has it he wants to be a teammate of Yamamoto, and therefore Ohtani as well). What kind of bidding war would that be? Higher numbers because of inflation? How much money would the Dodgers have left to spend? You know Cohen and the Mets would be involved, the Yankees too (Gerrit Cole is 33 years old, and the Yanks will need to find a new ace). I wrote about Sasaki in a post just recently. Check that out. And not only those three (the usual suspects) but other teams are starting to increase and ramp up their scouting and pursuit of Japanese players. Toronto, Philadelphia, San Francisco (who just signed Korean star Lee), Boston (remember when they got Daisuke Matsuzaka?) Not only that but remember that Texas (Texas!) got Yu Darvish.

Did I want Yamamoto for the Yankees? Of course. Sasaki in the future? Yes. But at what price and risk?

Things look like they will get even crazier.

Winter meetings begin Monday, and other baseball news.

The baseball winter meetings begin this coming Monday, and that is when the you-know-what starts hitting the fan.

I usually hate blogs that post that this or that player is a Yankees’ “target” when you and I know that there is no way that said player is in the Yankees’ crosshairs and no way the fan base wants that player anyway. A lot of it is pure bullshit and click bait. I hate those blogs. I will be nice and not name them, but you probably know which ones I’m talking about.

There was one that did have an interesting story. Of how Jordan Montgomery could be looking at Boston as his new home, and why. According to this story, he is working out at Boston College and now living in the Boston area. Also, that is fiancee (I don’t know if it’s his wife now) was one day into a residency at a hospital in NY when Monty got traded and everything then was thrown out of whack. About how she is now working or doing some residency at Harvard or thereabouts and how there is extreme bitterness towards Brian Cashman for uprooting their whole lives, especially HERS, when Monty was traded. How that anger is on their license plate and their doormat. I don’t know how much truth there is to the story, but I found it interesting and damning. People forget how much a trade disrupts the lives of a family. New work arrangements if the wife works, new home, new school for the kids. Yes, they make a ton of money, but lots of times there is no stability…. unless there is a long-term contract with a no-trade clause. Rumor or fact, I don’t know. I found it interesting. But most rumor mills I can’t stand. Often these “targets” are anything but.

Luis Severino is now an ex-Yankee. I wish him the best after he signed a 1 year, $13MM deal with the Mets. Sevy was a 2x All-Star for the Yanks, in 2017 and 2018, and even got CYA consideration both years, finishing 3rd and 9th. He pitched for them 2015-2019 and 2021-2023. But after a 14-6, 2.98 2017 and a 19-8 3.39 in 2018, he has had nothing but injuries since. Since 2018, he has only pitched in 45 games, 40 of them starts, for only 209 1/3 innings over the past five years. Over that time, he’s been 13-12, 4.47, bottoming out last year at 4-8, 6.65. What could have been. He turns 30 next year, so he is still young. The Mets are taking a gamble. Low risk/High reward. Sevy is trying to rescue his career. Good luck. But after the last five years, the Yanks had to cut the cord.

The Yanks made a minor move today, claiming Oscar Gonzalez off of waivers from Cleveland. It looks like a depth move. Gonzalez is a righty-hitting (like the Yanks need more of those) outfielder, mostly in RF (where they have Judge). He’s big at 6’4″, 240. In 2022 he hit .296-11-43 in 91 games and did well in the postseason, even walking the Yanks off in one game with a big two-run single. He didn’t do as well in 2023, hitting .214-2-12 in 54 games. In 145 MLB games, he’s at .269-13-55. Only 20 walks, 121 strikeouts. Almost all his games in the field were in RF, so it’s not like he plays all three OF positions. Looks like a depth move to me, nothing more.

Passings: Lou Skizas, Yankees 1956, Kansas City A’s 1956-1957, Detroit 1958, White Sox 1959. Played in only six games with the Yankees. Only 8 games with the White Sox in 1959 and wasn’t on their WS roster. Hit .314-11-40 in 1956 in 89 games. In 1957 hit .297-18-44. Only played in 239 MLB games, hitting .270-30-86. Looking at his numbers, not bad. 162-game average .270-20-58. 50 walks in his career, only 37 strikeouts. Played LF, RF, and 3B and looking at those numbers, you wonder why he didn’t get more playing time. Skizas was 91.

Also Preston Hanna, 69. RHP for the Braves 1975-1982 and A’s 1982. 17-25, 4.61 in his career in 156 games, 47 of them starts. 28 starts for the 1978 Braves, going 7-13, 5.13.

Game 142. Bullpen implosion dooms Yanks, 9-2.

I was part of a 3-bus contingent up for Old-Timers’ Day yesterday at Yankee Stadium. They don’t play a game anymore (Jorge Posada even mentioned that his shoulder is so bad he can’t throw anymore), and yesterday was a Q&A session honoring the 25th anniversary of the 1998 team, the greatest team I ever saw (yes, I’m biased).

It was a nice ceremony, but there were a few things I didn’t like about it. In the Q&A, you’d like to hear what Derek Jeter was actually saying, not hear the fans chanting Jeter’s name while he was speaking. What would be the point of the Q&A when you can’t hear Jeter’s answer?

Unfortunately, Bernie Williams couldn’t make it because he just had shoulder surgery this past Thursday. Get well soon, Bernie. Bernie did do a video to be shown to the fans. But there were a couple of notable absences, and one person should have been mentioned that wasn’t.

Chuck Knoblauch, 2B of the 1998 team wasn’t there. There was a recognition of the HR he hit in Game 1 of the World Series that year, but no explanation of why Knobby wasn’t there and no video of him to say something to the fans.

Also, there was no mention of Hideki Irabu. Joe Torre did make mention, only in passing, to coaches Don Zimmer and Tony Cloninger (I don’t remember if he mentioned Jose Cardenal) … but there should have been just a mention of those 1998 people who passed on. No matter what you think of Irabu, he was the #5 starter on that team, won over 10 games and should have been mentioned. Irabu’s time with the Yankees was short, and his life came to a tragic end when he committed suicide but thanking him for his efforts and success that year would have been nice.

There also were members of the 1978 team there, 45 years after they won the WS. Now there was no Q&A with them, but of that team, Goose Gossage and Graig Nettles were not there. I don’t know what kind of feuds each of them have with the Yankees. For Gossage, it’s been quite recent, but with Nettles it has been long-going. It would be nice to have them resolved. As far as Nettles is concerned, it’s like the Yanks don’t recognize him at all. At least Gossage has a plaque in monument park. Nettles should have one too (his #9 is retired for Roger Maris, but Nettles should have a plaque—Bobby Murcer, too. Speaking of, Murcer’s widow wasn’t there either, and she usually is.)

Now to player moves and to the game. Luis Severino has a severe oblique strain and is on the IL, shut down for the rest of the season. It’s likely that Severino has pitched his last pitch for the Yankees. He is a free agent after the season, and it’s not likely the Yankees will bring him back. It may be best for Severino to sign a one-year “pillow contract” with someone to re-establish his value after a poor season this year and a few years of injuries.

The Yanks brought up Matt Krook and Ron Marinaccio what with Severino’s injury and also other injuries to the bullpen, like with Keynan Middleton, Ian Hamilton and Bobby Abreu. Krook and Marinaccio were each sent down after yesterday’s game, and when I get to the recap, you will understand why.

After the ceremony, the rains came. A game that was supposed to start at 2 PM was delayed until 4:40, and when the game was played, it was played mostly in a drizzle the whole game.

Starter Michael King pitched well for the Yankees (70-72) but in the top of the fourth gave up a single, and then a run-scoring triple. On the triple, D.J. LeMahieu made a bad throw in trying to get the batter at third, threw it away, and as a result, a second run scored on the play.

The Yanks tied it up in the bottom of the fourth. With one out, Gleyber Torres walked, and Giancarlo Stanton reached on an error. Anthony Volpe singled in one run. After another out, Everson Pereira walked to load the bases. Oswald Peraza hit into a fielder’s choice, everyone safe, and the game was tied at 2.

It remained tied at 2 until the eighth. But then the Yankees’ bullpen imploded, giving up 3 runs in the eighth and 4 more in the ninth and the Yankees lost, 9-2.

The Yankees got only four hits in the game, and two were in the bottom of the ninth. This after getting just three hits on Friday night.

It was the first tough day for rookie Jasson Dominguez, who went 0 for 4 with three strikeouts, all looking.

Matt Krook did great this year at AAA, but in his callups, in three of his four career MLB games, he’s been awful.

Ron Marinaccio had a good 2022, but this year has been forgetful. Even when sent down, he was bad at AAA. He hit a batter and walked in two runners he inherited from Krook.

King 5 IP, 2 R, 1 ER, 4 H, 1 W, 9 K. 1 Balk. 2.82
Weissert 1 IP, 0 R, 0 H, 0 W, 1 K. 5.73
Peralta 1 IP, 0 R, 0 H, 1 W, 1 K. 3.00
Loaisiga (L, 0-2) 1 IP, 3 R, 5 H, 0 W, 0 K. Gave up 1 HR. 3.06
Krook 0 IP, 4 R, 2 H, 2 W, 0 K. 24.75 Faced 4 batters, all scored.
Marinaccio 1 IP, 0 R, 0 H, 2 W, 1 K. 1 HBP 3.99

I mentioned Japanese pitcher Yoshinobu Yamamoto the other day, and how he may be coming to the USA next year. The young, 25-year-old star pitcher will be in high demand. Well, he pitched a no-hitter (his second) on Friday night, and a bunch of executives from MLB teams were there scouting him, one of which was Yankees’ GM Brian Cashman.

Game 141. “The Martian” homers again, but Sevy gets hurt, Yanks lose 8-2.

This will be short, and there will be no minor league report today because I am part of a 3-bus contingent heading up to the Stadium for Old-Timers Day today.

Jasson Dominguez (“the Martian”) continues to set records. He homered again, becoming the youngest player since at least 1901 (the start of the modern era) to homer 4 times in his first 7 MLB games. He also got a SB in the game, becoming the youngest Yankee to HR and steal a base in the same game since Mickey Mantle in 1951.

Unfortunately, that was the only highlight of the night for the Yankees, who slipped below .500 (70-71) with an 8-2 loss to Milwaukee. Dominguez’ HR was one of only three hits the Yanks had all night.

Another piece of bad news is that Luis Severino has probably thrown his last pitch as a Yankee. Severino, who will be a free agent after this season, hurt his left side (pulled or torn oblique?) in making a pitch in the fifth inning and had to be removed from the game. Tests will be done today, but it’s safe to say that his season is over. And since it was a poor season, the odds of the Yankees re-signing the oft-injured former 2x All-Star appear slim.

Severino had pitched well up until the injury, only giving up a game-tying two-run HR in the top of the fourth (Dominguez’ HR had come in the bottom of the third). But the Yankees’ bullpen disintegrated, giving up three runs in the seventh and another three runs in the eighth, and the Brewers pulled away.

Dominguez 2-run HR (4).

Severino 4+ IP, 2 R, 4 H, 1 W, 5 K. 1 HBP. Gave up 1 HR. 6.65
Brito (L, 6-7) 2 1/3 IP, 1 R, 3 H, 1 W, 3 K. 4.83
Loiasiga 2/3 IP, 2 R, 3 H, 0 W, 0 K. 1.62
Weissert 1 IP, 3 R, 5 H, 0 W, 2 K. 1 balk. 6.30
Kahnle 1 IP, 0 R, 1 H, 0 W, 1 K. 2.50

Game 136.Youngsters come through in Yanks’ 5-4 win.

The Yankees’ (67-69) lineup featured six players 25 or younger and then add in the reliever who got the win as the Yankees defeated Houston Saturday night by the score of 5-4.

Thanks to some wildness, the Yanks got two runs in the top of the second inning. Giancarlo Stanton led off with a single, and Anthony Volpe walked. One out later, Everson Pereira walked to load the bases. Oswald Peraza singled in one run, and Oswaldo Cabrera drew a bases-loaded walk to force in another. Yanks up 2-0.

That didn’t last long as Yankee starter Luis Severino gave up a 2-run HR to Michael Brantley in the bottom of the second that tied the game at two.

The Yanks came right back with a run in the top of the third when Aaron Judge hit his 31st HR of the season, a 428-foot shot, to put the Yanks up 3-2. It was Judge’s 251st career HR, and it passed Graig Nettles for 10th on the all-time Yankees’ list. Nettles hit 250 of his 390 career HR as a Yankee.

That lead didn’t last long either, since Severino gave up another two-run HR, this time to Yainer Diaz, in the bottom of the fourth thus giving Houston a 4-3 lead.

The Yanks came right back with the final two runs of the game in the top of the fifth. Judge led off the inning with a walk and advanced to third when Jasson Dominguez’ grounder went for an error. One out later, Volpe walked to load the bases. Austin Wells got his first MLB RBI with a sacrifice fly. Everson Pereira then singled in Dominguez for what proved to be the game-winning run.

Judge solo HR (31).
Peraza 3 hits, RBI.

Severino 4 IP, 4 R, 6 H, 1 W, 3 K. Gave up 2 HR. 6.75
Brito (W, 6-6) 3 2/3 IP, 0 R, 2 H, 0 W, 1 K. 4.86
Peralta (H, 16) 1/3 IP, 0 R, 0 H, 0 W, 0 K. 1 HBP 3.14
Holmes (S, 17) 1 IP, 0 R, 1 H, 0 W, 1 K. 3.29

An observation: With two out in the bottom of the ninth, and one strike away from a win, Holmes gave up an infield single on a ball where once again, he couldn’t field it. That allowed the tying run to be on base and brought the winning run to the plate. Luckily, Holmes struck him out to end the game, but how many times this year have we seen Holmes not able to field his position? I can’t remember a Yankees’ pitcher so unable to field his position. Not in recent memory, that is.

Game 131. Vintage Sevy, Judge/Gleyber back-to-back HR in Yanks’ 4-1 win.

The past two outings have been the Luis Severino we were expecting to see this season.

But is it too little, too late to keep Severino with the only team he has ever pitched for? Severino is a free agent after this season, and his performance this season doesn’t lead one to believe he will be back with the Yankees. Not only that, but his performance also indicates that Sevy may have to take a pay cut to remain with the Yankees or even sign with someone else.

Last night, Sevy turned back the clock and delivered a vintage Sevy performance that showed hope for the future for whoever does sign him this offseason, throwing seven shutout innings in the Yankees’ (63-68) 4-1 win over Detroit.

The Yanks broke the scoreless duel in the top of the fifth. They had loaded the bases in the first but couldn’t score. Reese Olson of the Tigers had struck out 10 Yankees in just 4 1/3 innings when he walked Aaron Judge and then Gleyber Torres doubled in Judge to put the Yanks up 1-0.

In the top of the seventh, Judge (29) and Torres (21) hit back-to-back homers to put the Yankees up. 3-0.

A fine fielding play by Anthony Volpe and Kyle Higashioka had kept the Tigers from scoring in the sixth. Earlier, in the second, Severino narrowly missed being injured on a liner back up the middle by Miguel Cabrera.

The Yanks made it 4-0 in the top of the eighth when Isiah Kiner-Falefa singled, advanced to second on a groundout, and later scored on a single by Oswaldo Cabrera.

Detroit avoided the shutout in the bottom of the ninth when Clay Holmes gave up a HR to PH Akil Baddoo. 4-1 final.

Judge solo HR (29).
Torres 2 hits, 2 RBI. Solo HR (21).
Cabrera 2 hits, RBI

Severino (W, 4-8) 7 IP, 0 R, 5 H, 0 W, 8 K. 1 Balk. 6.64
Loaisiga 1 IP, 0 R, 0 H, 0 W, 1 K. 0.75
Holmes 1 IP, 1 R, 2 H, 0 W, 1 K. Gave up 1 HR. 3.12

Just a thought. In 2024, make Loaisiga the closer and not Holmes?

Game 126. Yanks snap losing streak as Judge lays down the law–three times.

The Yankees (61-65) snapped their nine-game losing streak with a 9-1 win over Washington last night. Had they lost, it would have been their first ten-game losing streak since 1913—the year they first became known as the Yankees, the year they moved from Hilltop Park into the Polo Grounds, and ten years before they opened the original Yankee Stadium.

I don’t know who may have been more relieved, the Yankees team as a whole, or Luis Severino, who pitched his best game in a season where he has been horribly bad. Sevy went 6 2/3 shutout innings and only gave up one hit. He really needed a game like this.

The Captain, Aaron Judge, hit three home runs and drove in six runs to lead the Yankees to victory.

Judge hit his first HR, a 431-foot shot, in the bottom of the first to give the Yankees a 1-0 lead. It was the first time since the previous Monday, nine days and 61 innings ago, that the Yanks had a lead.

The Yanks exploded for five runs in the bottom of the second inning. Harrison Bader led off with a single and stole second. After a groundout by Anthony Volpe moved Bader to third, Bader scored on a fielder’s choice grounder by Everson Pereira. It was Pereira’s first MLB RBI. A two-base error on a ball hit by Kyle Higashioka put runners on second and third, and Oswald Peraza walked to load the bases. D.J. LeMahieu struck out but Judge then hit a 437-ft. grand slam, his second homer of the game, to make it 6-0.

The Yanks made it 9-0 in the bottom of the seventh. LeMahieu led off the inning with a HR (9) and RF Stone Garrett was severely hurt on the play, delaying the game. Garrett had to be fit with an air cast on his leg and carted off of the field. Hope he is ok, and that the injury isn’t too severe, but it doesn’t look good.

After the delay, Judge hit his third HR of the game (27) to make it 8-0. Two outs later, Bader doubled, and Volpe singled him in to make it 9-0.

In the top of the ninth, Dominic Smith homered off of Wandy Peralta with two out as Washington avoided the shutout.

9-1 final.

LeMahieu solo HR (9).
Judge 3 hits, all HR (27) 6 RBI. Two solo shots and a grand slam.
Bader 2 hits.

Severino (W, 3-8) 6 2/3 IP, 0 R, 1 H, 2 W, 2 K. 7.26
Hamilton 1 1/3 IP, 0 R, 1 H, 0 W, 3 K. 1.68
Peralta 1 IP, 1 R, 1 H, 0 W, 3 K. Gave up 1 HR. 3.30

Game 120. Yanks shut out, 5-0. Fall to .500.

The Yankees (60-60) fell to .500 after being shut out by Atlanta Tuesday night, 5-0. It’s the first time they have been at .500 or lower since September of 1995.

The Yankees made more errors (2) than they got hits (1). There were a couple of other plays that almost were errors, too. They became the first team in MLB history to have one hit or fewer but ground into 4 or more DPs (4).

Gleyber Torres also set Yankees’ history by grounding into six DPs in his last six games.

It’s not what you want. I’d like to be a fly on the wall in Hal Steinbrenner’s office right now.

Luis Severino’s struggles, especially that in the first inning, continued. He gave up a 3-run HR to Marcell Ozuna in the bottom of the first inning. He gave up a 2-run HR to Ronald Acuna, Jr. in the bottom of the fourth. The two runs were unearned because of an error by Isiah Kiner-Falefa. Because those two runs were unearned, Sevy’s ERA actually dropped from 8.06 to 7.98.

Severino (L, 2-8) 4 IP, 5 R, 3 ER, 5 H, 2 W, 5 K 1 HBP Gave up 2 HR. 7.98
Peralta 1 IP, 0 R, 0 H, 1 W, 1 K. 1 HBP 3.18
Loaisiga 1 IP, 0 R, 0 H, 0 W, 0 K 1.35
Kahnle 1 IP, 0 R, 1 H, 2 W, 3 K. 1.98
Holmes 1 IP, 0 R, 0 H, 0 W, 0 K. 2.74

The bullpen pitched four shutout innings, but to no avail.

Game 115. Sevy costs Yanks…. again. Yanks lose, 9-2.

The Yankees (59-56) tried something different in order to try and right Luis Severino. That was using an opener, then bringing in Sevy in to work several innings.

It didn’t work. The Yanks lost to Chicago, 9-2.

Before spring training began, the hope was that Severino, along with Carlos Rodon, both of them former All-Stars, would provide close to or more than 30 wins combined settling in right behind ace Gerrit Cole. Instead, the two have combined to go 3-11 with an ERA of (turn away, don’t look) 7.84.

$42MM this year for that. Ugh.

Ian Hamilton started for the Yanks, and threw a scoreless first inning, using just ten pitches. You could say that he could have or should have gone an extra inning. It wouldn’t have mattered, for whenever Severino would have come in, the game would then be lost.

Sevy came in for the second inning, and gave up a double, got a ground out, then a single and HR and the White Sox were up 3-0.

He gave up another run in the third. 4-0. Severino’s ERA (don’t look if you have a weak stomach) is 8.06.

It’s a sad situation for Sevy, a former 2x All-Star and Yankees’ ace. You hate to see this. But eventually, this can’t go on. You have to cut the cord.

You can make the argument that he should not pitch again at all this year. He is a free agent at the end of the year, and you can make the argument that he shouldn’t throw another pitch for the Yankees, period. As for the offseason, how can the Yankees ever consider bringing him back? How can any other team think about signing him, except to a minor league deal? His stock has (and I said this last week) fallen faster than anything since Black Friday of 1929.

At this point, bring up and pitch prospects. See what you have with them. Even if they are just as bad, you then know they aren’t your future. But see what you have in them. You aren’t going anywhere with Sevy right now.

The Yanks got a run in the top of the fourth on a walk to Aaron Judge, a single by Gleyber Torres that moved Judge to third, and an RBI groundout by Giancarlo Stanton.

An error by Torres helped the White Sox score a run in the bottom of the fifth to make it 5-1.

In the top of the seventh, Stanton led off with a HR (18) to cut the score to 5-2. The Yanks then loaded the bases with no one out, with a great chance to get back into the game. Instead, Oswaldo Cabrera (another huge disappointment this season) struck out, and Kyle Higashioka GIDP. Right there, you knew the game was over. To have that situation happen, where you could get back into, tie, or take the lead and get absolutely nothing out of it was frustrating and kind of symbolizes this whole season.

The White Sox scored four runs in the bottom of the eighth which completely sealed the deal. 9-2 was the final.

Stanton 2 RBI. Solo HR (18).

Hamilton 1 IP, 0 R, 0 H, 1 W, 1 K. 1.63
Severino (L, 2-7) 2+ IP, 4 R, 5 H, 1 W, 2 K. Gave up 1 HR. 8.06
Middleton 2 IP, 1 R, 2 H, 0 W, 1 K. 3.70
Peralta 1 2/3 IP, 0 R, 0 H, 1 W, 2 K. 3.14
Abreu 1/3 IP, 3 R, 2 H, 1 W, 0 K. 4.50
Ramirez 1 IP, 1 R, 2 H, 0 W, 1 K. 2.67

The loss knocked the Yanks back into 5th and last in the AL East. I won’t even post how many games back for the division lead they are anymore. I’ll just post how many games they are out of a playoff spot. That number happens to be 5 1/2 right now. There are only 47 games left in the season.

Also, (don’t look if you are queasy), the remaining schedule isn’t kind to the 59-56 Yankees. If you were a betting person, the odds look like the Yanks could wind up with their first losing season since 1992.

As Joe Girardi would say, “It’s not what you want.”

Game 110. Sevy’s struggles continue in Yanks’ 7-3 loss.

With just 52 games left in the season, and the Yankees fighting for a playoff spot and needing to gain ground (3 1/2 out a of playoff spot, have to jump over 3 teams) in order to get one, it’s time for the Yankees (57-53) to pull the plug on Luis Severino and take him out of the rotation.

Severino is now 2-6 with a ghastly ERA of 7.74. The Yanks need to insert Jhony Brito or Randy Vasquez in his place. They are getting Nestor Cortes back today, but the relapse of Domingo German (rehab for alcohol abuse) hurts this team doubly what with Severino’s struggles. As for German, between the domestic violence incident a few years ago and this, it’s best to cut the cord with him. Get his life right, but move on from him.

As for Severino, maybe all those lat injuries have caught up to him. It’s apparent his confidence right now is shot. Severino is a free agent at the end of the year, and the Yankees have to move on from him the way he is going right now. And who among the other teams would take a chance on him? Sevy’s stock is crashing like it’s Black Friday in late October, 1929.

But between Sevy and German, the Yanks’ rotation is now in trouble. Cortes and especially Rodon, who hasn’t pitched well himself, have to step up. And you hope the rookie, whoever it is, comes through.

Severino gave up a 3-run HR in the first inning to put the Yanks behind the 8-ball before they even came to bat. He gave up another run in the second inning on two walks, a single and a bases-loaded HBP to make it 4-0. The last time Sevy had pitched, it was 7-0 after one inning. He’s taking the Yanks out of games right from the get-go.

A great catch by Houston CF Jake Meyers robbed Billy McKinney of a 2-run double and possibly triple in the bottom of the first. The Yanks did get on the board in the bottom of the third on a HR by Jake Bauers (10) that made it 4-1.

In the top of the fifth, Severino gave up a HR to Jordan Alvarez which made it 5-1, Houston. He was then pulled after that. 4+ innings, 5 runs.

Isiah Kiner-Falefa homered (6) in the bottom of the fifth to make it 5-2, but Houston got two runs in the top of the sixth to make it 7-2. Giancarlo Stanton homered for the third straight game (17) in the bottom of the eighth for the final run of the game. Houston wins, 7-3.

Kiner-Falefa solo HR (6).
Bauers 2 hits, solo HR (10).
Stanton solo HR (17).
LeMahieu 2 hits.

Severino (L, 2-6) 4+ IP, 5 R, 5 H, 3 W, 4 K. 1 HBP. Gave up 2 HR. 7.74
Abreu 1 2/3 IP, 2 R, 1 H, 2 W, 1 K. 1 WP 4.05
Ramirez 2 1/3 IP, 0 R, 3 H, 1 W, 1 K. 2.48
Middleton 1 IP, 0 R, 0 H, 0 W, 2 K. 3.86 (ERA combined CWS/NYY). Yankees’ debut.