Game 39. Yanks beat O’s, 8-2.

A few notes before the game recap. Today will be my last reports for a while. I have to go in for surgery tomorrow.

After the game, it was announced that Aaron Hicks will go on the I.L. I thought they were going to bring up Greg Allen, but it’s not Allen coming up, but Ryan LaMarre.

LaMarre, 32, bats right, throws left, and has played in 119 MLB games for the Reds, Red Sox, A’s, Twins, and White Sox. He’s hit .236-4-21 in 225 at bats, OPS+ 70. He’s even pitched in mop up roles, giving up 1 R in 1 2/3 IP. He was 9 for 33 (.273) for SWB this season.

Now to the game.

This is what we thought the Yankees’ (22-17) offense would be this year, not the one that has struggled. Eight runs, 13 hits, Four guys with two hits or more, including three from an unexpected source (Tyler Wade). An Aaron Judge HR.

An 8-2 win over Baltimore.

In the first inning, the Yanks got three runs. D.J. LeMahieu walked, Luke Voit singled, and Aaron Judge walked to load the bases. After Gio Urshela struck out, a passed ball moved up all runners and allowed LeMahieu to score. Gary Sanchez then followed with a 2-run single.

Judge hit a 2-run HR (11) in the second inning to make it 5-0.

In the top of the sixth, Brett Gardner singled, and after an out, Miguel Andujar and Tyler Wade both singled to load the bases. A balk moved up the runners and enabled Gardner to score, then after LeMahieu struck out, Luke Voit singled to make the score 8-0.

Baltimore got a run in the sixth, another in the ninth, and the final was 8-2.

Voit, 2 hits, 2 RBI
Judge 2 hits, a 2-run HR (11)
Urshela 2 hits
Sanchez 2 RBI
Wade 3 hits.

German (W, 3-2) 6 IP, 1 R, 4 H, 2 W, 6 K. 3.62
Luetge 1 IP, 0 R, 0 H, 0 W, 0 K 3.10
Wilson 1 IP, 0 R, 0 H, 0 W, 0 K. 5.91
Cessa 1 IP, 1 R, 0 ER, 2 H, 0 W, 1 K. 2.25

Game 38. Pinch me for luck! Gio’s PH HR gives Yanks 5-4 win.

Gio Urshela hit a pinch-hit, 3-run HR in the top of the seventh to erase a 4-2 Orioles’ lead and to give the Yankees (21-17) a 5-4 win Friday night.

Aaron Judge hit two homers, and his first of the night came in the top of the first to give the Yanks a 1-0 lead.

The Yanks got a bit lucky in the bottom of the first. One of two plays that also helped the Yanks win the game. Cedrick Mullins led off the bottom of the first with a single, but was caught stealing second. Catcher Kyle Higashioka’s nab of Mullins was huge, because Austin Hays then homered for Baltimore, tying the game at one instead of putting the O’s up 2-1. Huge in a game the Yanks won by one run.

Judge’s second HR (10) of the game put the Yanks up 2-1 in the fourth inning.

The Orioles scored three runs off starter and winner Corey Kluber in the bottom of the fifth, but once again, the O’s took another run off the scoreboard for themselves, once again helping to cost them the game. A double by D.J. Stewart, an out, then another double by Pedro Severino to tie the game at two. A single by Pat Valaka to put the O’s up 3-2, an out. A SB by Valaka, then a walk to Hays. First and second, two out, then a double by Trey Mancini that scored Valaka to make it 4-2, but Hays was out by plenty at the plate Judge to LeMahieu to Higashioka, to prevent another run from scoring. Once again huge in a game the Yanks won 5-4.

In the top of the seventh, with one out, Miguel Andujar singled for his first hit of the season. Higashioka walked, then Urshela pinch-hit for Tyler Wade. Urshela fought off several pitches, fouling them off to stay alive before hitting a 3-run HR (5) to put the Yanks up 5-4, and that it how it stayed.

LeMahieu 2 hits
Judge 2 hits, both solo HR (10), 2 RBI
Urshela pinch-hit 3-run HR (5)


Kluber (W, 3-2) 6 IP, 4 R, 7 H, 2 W, 6 K. 3.48 Gave up 1 HR.
Green (H, 4) 1 IP, 0 R, 1 H, 0 W, 0 K. 2.21 1 WP
Peralta (H, 1) 1 IP, 0 R, 1 H, 0 W, 1 K. 3.55 (Combined SF/NYY; 0.00 as NYY)
Loaisiga (S, 2) 1 IP, 0 R, 0 H, 0 W, 0 K. 2.49

Aaron Hicks was put on the injured list with a torn tendon sheath in his wrist that may require surgery. Time will tell. On meds, hope no surgery needed, but….

Game 36. Yanks edge Rays 1-0 behind Cole and Chapman.

Gerrit Cole and Aroldis Chapman combined on a four-hit shutout as the Yanks (20-16) defeated Tampa Bay 1-0 on Wednesday night.

Cole was dominant in going to 5-1 on the season with an ERA of just 1.37. He struck out 12. Chapman still has not given up an earned run this season while having nine saves.

Cole has struck out 78 batters this season while walking only three.

Since starting out 6-11, the Yanks have now won 14 of their last 19 games. This win was their fourth in a row and they are 8-2 this month.

It has been the pitching doing it, as the bats are still cold.

The Yanks got the only run of the game in the seventh inning. Aaron Judge led off the inning with a single, then Gio Urshela doubled. After a non-productive out, Aaron Hicks hit a sac fly.

Of the Yanks’ six hits, five were by Judge and Urshela.

Judge 3 hits
Urshela 2 hits

Cole (W, 5-1) 8 IP, 0 R, 4 H, 0 W, 12 K. 1.37
Chapman (S, 9) 1 IP, 0 R, 0 H, 0 W, 1 K. 0.00

Clint Frazier was ejected for arguing a called third strike.

During the game, Cole became the second fastest pitcher to 1500 K.

With the win, the Yanks are in second place, one game behind Boston (22-16). They are even in the loss column. Boston has played (and won) two more games.

Game 31. Yanks’ bullpen falters in 7-4 loss.

Gerrit Cole left after 7 innings with a 3-2 lead, but the Yanks’ (16-15) bullpen, a strength so far this season, faltered in a 7-4 loss to Houston Thursday afternoon.

The Yanks struck first when the red-hot Giancarlo Stanton hit a solo HR (9). He has a 12 game hitting streak.

Cole gave up a HR in the top of the fourth to Yordan Alvarez, who would torment the Yanks all game.

A 2-run HR (3) by Clint Frazier in the bottom of the fourth put the Yanks’ up 3-1.

Cole gave up another HR to Alvarez in the seventh. 3-2.

In the top of the eighth, the wheels fell off. Chad Green gave up a 3-run HR to Jose Altuve and Houston went up 5-3.

On a strange play in the bottom of the eighth, Gleyber Torres scored all the way from first on an infield single by Aaron HIcks to cut Houston’s lead to 5-4.

But Justin Wilson gave up a 2-run HR in the top of the ninth, final Houston 7-4. The Yanks’ bullpen disappointed today.

Gio Urshela had to leave the game. MRI today.

Can’t wait to get Luke Voit back. Jay Bruce retired after hitting just .118. Mike Ford is 3 for 31 (.091).

Stanton solo HR (9)
Urshela 2 hits.
Hicks 3 for 3, walk, RBI.
Frazier 2 run HR (3)

Cole 7 IP, 2 R, 5 H, 0 W, 4 K. 1.61 Gave up 2 HR.
Green (L, 0-3; BS, 1) 1/3 IP, 3 R, 2 H, 1 W, 1 K. 2.50 Gave up HR.
Luetge 2/3 IP, 0 R, 2 H, 0 W, 0 K. 3.63
Wilson 1 IP, 2 R, 1 H, 1 W, 1 K. 7.04 Gave up 1 HR.

Missing Zack Britton too. Wilson hasn’t filled his shoes.

Two sidenotes about three of the greatest players in MLB history.

One, Happy 90th birthday to Willie Mays.
Two. Albert Pujols released by Angels. 3253 hits, 667 HR.
Three. Miguel Cabrera last I saw hitting about .105. Needs something like 128 hits for 3000, 11 HR for 500, but ugh. Something like 6 for 57 so far.

Minor league report tomorrow morning.

Game 26. Yanks tame Tigers 10-0 behind Cole and 5 HR.

The bats are starting to come around.

This is more like we expected. The Yanks (12-14) clobbered five home runs, and Gerrit Cole was at the top of his game as the Yankees clobbered Detroit, 10-0, on Friday night.

I don’t know what ailment (lower back) bothered Aaron Judge that it kept him out of the starting lineup for two straight games, but you’d never have know it last night. Judge hit two homers, one a grand slam, and drove in five of the Yankees’ ten runs.

The Yanks scored in each of the first five innings, and cruised the rest of the way. In the first inning, with one out, Giancarlo Stanton doubled. He went to third on a WP and scored when Gio Urshela delivered a two-out single.

Clint Frazier made it 2-0 in the second inning with a solo HR (2).

The Yanks got two runs in the third inning. Judge led off the inning with a monstrous HR to CF. Two outs later, Aaron HIcks homered (4) to make it 4-0.

The Yanks broke open the game with five runs in the fourth inning. Kyle HIgashioka led off the inning with a walk, and after a forceout, D.J. LeMahieu singled. Stanton singled to load the bases, then Judge unloaded his grand slam, his seventh HR of the season, to make it 8-0. After an out, Gleyber Torres walked, then Hicks doubled Torres home to make it 9-0.

Rougned Odor closed out the scoring by hitting a solo HR (4) in the fifth to make it 10-0.

The Yanks close April at 12-14, tied for 4th in the AL East, 4 1/2 back.

I remember when Ron Guidry struck out 18 Angels in 1978. The Yanks struck out 18 Tigers in this game, but used four pitchers to do so. With such a big lead, no need to extend Cole further.

Stanton 3 hits
Judge 2 hits, both HR (7), one a grand slam. 5 RBI
Urshela 2 hits, RBI
Hicks 2 hits, 2 RBI Solo HR (4)
Frazier solo HR (2)
Odor solo HR (4)

Cole (W, 4-1) 6 IP, 0 R, 4 H, 0 W, 12 K. 1.43
Cessa 1 IP, 0 R, 0 H, 1 W, 2 K. 1.42
Peralta 1 IP, 0 R, 0 H, 0 W, 1 K. 4.82 (combined ERA SF/Yankees; YANKEES DEBUT)
Luetge 1 IP, 0 R, 0 H, 0 W, 3 K. 4.02

Game 24. Yanks blank O’s, 7-0.

Now this is more like it. Domingo German was great over seven innings, the Yanks rapped out 12 hits, including 3 HR, and the Yanks (11-13) blanked Baltimore 7-0 Wednesday night.

Mike Ford homered (2) in the second inning to put the Yanks up 1-0.

With one out in the top of the third inning, D.J. LeMahieu singled, then Giancarlo Stanton singled, then Gleyber Torres singled in LeMahieu. For Torres, it was just his third RBI of the season. Gio Urshela then hit a 3-run HR (4) to make it 5-0.

Stanton singled to lead off the fifth, and an out later, Urshela singled. Ford walked to load the bases, and Aaron Hicks hit a SF to make it 6-0.

Clint Frazier hit his first HR of the season in the eighth to make it 7-0, the final score.

LeMahieu 2 hits
Stanton 3 hits.
Torres 2 hits, RBI
Urshela 2 hits, 3-run HR (4)
Ford solo HR (2)
Frazier 2 hits solo HR (1)

German (W, 2-2) 7 IP, 0 R, 3 H, 1 W, 6 K. 4.05
King 2 IP, 0 R, 1 H, 0 W, 2 K. 0.00

Game 23. Yanks make a trade, then pull off a 5-1 win.

This was more like it. The Yanks got hits from most of the lineup, a couple of players get a multi-hit game, a couple of homers, a crisp performance from a starter going deeper into the game, and in the end, the Yanks (10-13) beat Balltimore, 5-1, on Tuesday night.

First some moves. Deivi Garcia was sent back to the alternate site after his start Monday night, and Mike King was recalled.

Tyler Wade was brought back from the alternate site. Mike Tauchman was traded to SF for LHP Wandy Peralta. Peralta, 29, was 2-1, 5.40 with 2 saves for the Giants this year before the trade. The lefty reliever is 9-9, 4.72 in his career, with those two saves. ERA+ 94.

Tauchman was 3 for 14 (.214) OPS+ 62 for the Yanks this year, not playing much except for pinch-running (led Yanks with 2 SB) and defensive replacement work. From 2019 through yesterday, Tauchman played 141 games as a Yankee, hitting .266-13-61, OPS+ 114. He had a great 2019 as a backup OF, but his last two years were not as good.

The trade did come as a surprise.

Now to the game. Another move before the game. Aaron Boone told Gary Sanchez that Kyle Higashioka would get more playing time at catcher, and during the game Higashioka justified Boone’s decision.

The Yanks scored in the top of the first when D.J. LeMahieu doubled, went to third on an Aaron Judge single and scored on a SF by Gio Urshela. Believe it or not, it was the Yankees first SF of the season….in game #23!

Judge made it 2-0 Yankees in the third inning with his fifth HR of the season.

Baltimore got their only run in the fourth inning off Yankees’ starter Corey Kluber, who worked into the seventh, his deepest outing of the season so far.

Higashioka homered (4) with one out in the fourth to make it 3-1, then with two outs in the same inning, LeMahieu and Giancarlo Stanton singled, and Judge walked to load the bases. Urshela singled in LeMahieu but Stanton was thrown out by plenty at the plate. Bad send.

Stanton homered (6) in the seventh for the final score of 5-1.

Lemahieu 2 hits.
Stanton 2 hits, solo HR (6)
Judge 2 hits, solo HR (5)
Urshela 2 RBI
Torres 2 hits
Higashioka 2 hits, solo HR (4)

Kluber (W, 1-2) 6 2/3 IP, 1 R, 6 H, 2 W, 5 K. 4.15 1 HBP
Loaisiga (H, 2) 1 1/3 IP, 0 R, 1 H, 1 W, 3 K. 1.23
Luetge 1 IP, 0 R, 0 H, 0 W, 0 K. 4.30

Hopefully this is the start of long dormant bats waking up. Hopefully soon Luke Voit returns to give a jolt to the lineup.

I do wonder something. Miguel Andujar is at the alt. site, rehabbing not only at 3B but at 1B and LF as well, If he’s hitting, and can handle LF, could he soon be replacing the badly slumping (.132) Clint Frazier in LF?

Game 22. Bats remain silent in 4-2 loss.

You ask yourself how long this will continue. You wonder how long before there is a major shakeup.

The Yankees’ bats remained silent in losing 4-2 to Baltimore on Monday night. They only got four hits.

After 22 games, the team batting average is .203. Imagine if there was no DH. Not that the DH is helping.

Even the Yankees’ announcers are down, David Cone saying the team was boring right now. He’s right. They aren’t hitting, they don’t steal bases, it’s hard to watch.

The team ERA is second in the league. But the Yankees are 9-13 because of the poor batting averages. Five of the starters in last night’s lineup were below the Mendoza line (.200).

The offense is last or next to last in the league in so many categories.

Deivi Garcia made his season debut last night and gave up a HR on the second pitch of the game. There is so much pressure on the pitchers right now because of the poor offense. Garcia wasn’t bad, giving up 2 runs in 4 innings, but the offense is so bad that 2-0 feels like 20-0 right now.

Of the four hits, two were by Gio Urshela, who drove in one run and should have had two RBI. In a controversial play that saw manager Aaron Boone get ejected, Aaron Judge was ruled out at third before D.J. LeMahieu crossed the plate. Replays appear to show differently, and the Yanks lost a run as a result. Murphy’s law. When things go bad, they go bad.

Urshela 2 hits, RBI. His .264 was the highest batting average of all batters in the Yankees’ lineup.

Garcia (L, 0-1) 4 IP, 2 R, 3 H, 3 W, 4 K. 4.50 gave up a HR.
Luetge 1 IP, 0 R, 1 H, 0 W, 1 K. 4.61
O’Day 1 IP, 1 R, 1 H, 0 W, 2 K. 2.25 1 HBP, Balked home a run.
Wilson 1 IP, 1 R, 2 H, 0 W, 0 K. 3.00 gave up a HR.
Green 1 IP, 0 R, 1 H, 0 W, 0 K 0.68

You hate to harp on the numbers, but you can’t avoid them. When will this offense start hitting?

Game 21. Yanks lose to Cleveland, 7-3.

This time, it was the Yankees (9-12) who got a lead in Cleveland, only to see the Indians come back and win the game.

In the three previous games, the Yankees won after Cleveland scored first. The script was flipped on Sunday. Gio Urshela and Mike Ford hit back-to-back homers, with Gio’s being a 2-run blast. Top of the fourth, but that was all the Yanks’ offense.

Some observations. Jameson Taillon, coming off his second TJ surgery, appears to do fine for three innings, then seems to lose it in the fourth. Something about the second time around in the lineup. Fatigue? But it happened again yesterday. Three smooth innings, then in the bottom of the fourth, three straight singles for a run, then a 3-run HR.

Secondly, Nick Nelson needs more seasoning The youngster does have 15 K in just 8 1/3 IP this season, but is also 0-2 with an atrocious 9.72 ERA. He was sent down after the game. Deivi Garcia was called up to start Monday night.

Also, Miguel Andujar was activated off the I.L., but will continue at the alternate site.

Urshela 2-run HR (3)
Ford solo HR (1)


Taillon (L, 0-2) 4 IP, 4 R, 5 H, 0 W, 6 K. 6.23 Gave up 1 HR.
Nelson 2 IP, 3 R, 4 H, 1 W, 2 K. 9.72 1 WP
Cessa 2 IP, 0 R, 0 H, 0 W, 2 K. 0.77

Game 16. Yanks eke out a 3-1 win.

As the saying goes, beggars can’t be choosy.

With the Yanks’ recent hitting woes, any way you snap a five-game losing streak, you’ll take it, even if it isn’t pretty.

The Yanks (6-10) scored two runs in the bottom of the eighth—on a bases-loaded wild pitch and a bases-loaded walk—and beat Atlanta 3-1 Tuesday night.

The hitting woes continued, as they only got five hits in the game—two each by D.J. LeMahieu and Gio Urshela.

The team batting average actually dropped to .208. As mentioned, we’ll take the win. Beggars can’t be choosy.

On the other hand, the Yanks’ ERA of 3.44 is second in the league. The hitting has to catch up to the pitching.

Atlanta got a run in the third off Yankees’ starter Jameson Taillon on back-to-back doubles.

Urshela tied the game up in the fifth with a HR (2).

The Yanks escaped a bases-loaded, one-out jam in the top of the seventh.

In the bottom of the eighth, pinch-hitter Aaron Hicks walked and LeMahieu singled. Aaron Judge singled to load the bases, then the wild pitch that let Hicks score. After an out, an intentional walk (the first to a Yankee all season) to reload the bases and another out, Mike Ford walked to force in a run and make it 3-1.

Ford was brought up to replace the retired Jay Bruce.

LeMahieu 2 hits.
Urshela 2 hits, solo HR.

Taillon 5 IP, 1 R, 4 H, 1 W, 5 K. 5.40
Luetge 1 IP, 0 R, 0 H, 2 W, 0 K. 5.56
Green 2/3 IP, 0 R, 2 H, 0 W, 2 K. 0.87
Wilson 1/3 IP, 0 R, 0 H, 0 W, 0 K. 2.08
Loaisiga (W, 2-0) 1 IP, 0 R, 0 H, 0 W, 0 K. 1.64 1 HBP
Chapman (S, 2) 1 IP, 0 R, 0 H, 1 W, 2 K. 0.00