Major problems. And these could sink the Yankees’ season.
The Yanks were already without Jonathan Loaisiga (Covid list). Clint Frazier and Miguel Andujar were on the IL, not to mention others like Corey Kluber, Aaron Hicks and Darren O’Day.
Now add to the Covid List Wandy Peralta, Nestor Cortes, Jr. Aaron Judge, Kyle Higashioka and Gio Urshela. Add Luke Voit (knee) to the IL.
As a result, a bunch of guys had to be brought up from SWB. Hoy Jun Park and Trey Amburgey each made their MLB debuts last night. Rob Brantly had to be brought up. Chris Gittens, just off the IL himself, had to come up. Zack Britton was activated off of the IL. Am I missing anyone?
The depleted Yanks lost to Boston 4-0, getting just three hits. They are 0-7 vs. Boston this year, and are now 9 back and in fourth place with a 46-44 record. They play Boston six more times between now and June 25. They have Tampa Bay June 27-29. (In between there are two games with the Phillies).
Those guys out will be out for a while, leaving it up to the scrubs. This could get ugly.
So what did we see last night? The Yanks had a #3 hitter hitting .219, a cleanup hitter hitting .215, A #5 hitter at .237, a #6 hitter at .190. The #7 hitter is 2 for 22 in his MLB career. The #8 hitter was making his MLB debut. The #9 hitter is at .180 and was pinch-hit for by another guy making his MLB debut. Hoo boy. Is it any wonder why the Yanks got shut out?
Poor Jordan Montgomery. No run support. Montgomery had just one bad inning, the second, when he gave up a walk, double, RBI groundout, and a 2-run HR for 3 runs. That was more than enough for Boston. The second straight game he lost 4-0. In his last five starts, Montgomery has lost four of them. In those five games, the Yankees have scored a total of seven runs.
Later, Justin Wilson, who has been absolutely brutal this season, gave up a solo HR for the last run of the game. 4-0, Boston.
Montgomery (L, 3-5) 6 IP, 3 R, 3 H, 2 W, 4 K. Gave up 1 HR. One bad inning. 4.18 German 1 IP, 0 R, 1 H, 0 W, 0 K. 4.72 Wilson 1 IP, 1 R, 1 H, 0 W, 1 K. 8.62 Gave up 1 HR. Chapman 1 IP, 0 R, 0 H, 1 W, 1 K. 4.40
The Yankees/Red Sox game on Thursday night was postponed due to Covid concerns, and the whole four-game weekend series could be in jeopardy. Things could get even worse for MLB. This could affect each team.
Besides Jonathan Loaisiga, who tested positive before the All-Star Game, Nestor Cortes, Jr. and Wandy Peralta have also tested positive. The Yanks made roster substitutions, reinstating Zack Britton off of the IL, bringing up Trey Amburgey, and putting Hoy Jun Park on the taxi squad.
Then it was reported that Aaron Judge, Gio Urshela and Kyle Higashioka are in protocol. First reports are that they are positive too, but further testing is needed to confirm.
Since Judge was just a starter and played at the All-Star Game, if he was/is positive, then every team has a problem, especially with its All-Stars, and MLB is then in a tizzy.
Hoo Boy.
Minor League Report.
AAA: SWB (40-21) won 11-3. RF Ryan LaMarre, 2 RBI, solo HR. LF Greg Allen 2 hits, RBI. 3B Aramando Alvarez 2 hits, 3 RBI, SS Andrew Velazquez 2 hits, 2 RBI.
This was brutal. Up 7-2 going into the bottom of the ninth, the Yankees (46-43, Tied for 3rd, 8 back) gave up 6 runs to Houston in the bottom of the 9th, the last three on a walkoff HR by Jose Altuve, and lost 8-7.
With the all-star break now, the Yanks will have that depressing memory to chew on for a while.
The Yanks didn’t have Jonathan Loaisiga (Covid) available. Zack Britton and Darren O’Day are both on the IL. But it speaks volumes that they didn’t even let Aroldis Chapman start the ninth inning with a five-run lead. No trust in him.
And this is the FOURTH really bad loss in a month and a day. THIRD in two weeks. Some bad memories as we revisit.
June 10. Up 5-3 in Minnesota. The game that started Chapman’s skid. He gave up two 2-run HRs, didn’t get an out, in the bottom of the ninth. Yanks give up 4 runs. Yanks lose 7-5.
June 30. Up 8-4, Yanks give up 7 in top of the ninth to Angels and lose 11-8.
July 4. 1st game of DH, 7-inning game. Up 5-4 going into the top of the seventh, give up 6, lose to Mets 10-5.
Now July 11. Up 7-2 in Houston, give up six in the bottom of the ninth. Lose 8-7.
I heard a little bit of WFAN after the game. In those few minutes, they were ripping into Hal Steinbrenner to show some emotion. To show he cares. To get ticked off about these losses. To show that he, like us, is a LITTLE bit like a fan, and that isn’t only a business that he only cares about on the business end but is impassive on the wins and losses end. Or if he doesn’t care, then sell the team to someone who does. They were really on him.
The Yanks scored in the top of the third when Gary Sanchez walked with one out. On a strikeout, Sanchez moved up on a WP. Luke Voit walked, and Sanchez scored on a error on a ball hit by Gleyber Torres.
Yankees’ starter Jameson Taillon gave up a HR in the bottom of the third that allowed Houston to tie the game.
Tim Locastro hit his first Yankees’ HR (second of the year for him) to put the Yanks up 2-1.
The Yankees went up 3-1 in the fifth. Giancarlo Stanton singled, Voit walked, and Torres singled in Stanton.
Jameson, who pitched well, gave up another HR in the sixth, and it was 3-2.
In the seventh, the Yanks made it 4-2 when with two out, Torres walked, stole second, and scored on a single by Gio Urshela.
Sanchez hit a 3-run HR (15) in the eighth to make it 7-2.
Then the roof fell in in the bottom of the ninth. As mentioned, Chapman not trusted with a five-run lead (Yikes!). Domingo German comes out for his third inning of relief. Single. Double.
In comes Chad Green. Double to make it 7-4. Another double makes it 7-5. Bloop single. Runners on first and third. Line out. Then the 3-run HR by Altuve to win it for Houston. Yikes.
The Yankees could have crushed the Astros in this game. They walked 14 times to go with their 8 hits. But they were 3 for 16 w/RISP.
Taillon 6 IP, 2 R, 3 H, 2 W, 4 K. 1 HBP. 2 of 3 hits given up HR. 4.90 (nice job, has lowered ERA by a run, was almost 6) German (H, 2) 2 IP, 2 R, 3 H, 0 W, 2 K Green (L, 3-5) 1/3 IP, 4 R, 4 H, 0 W, 0 K. Gave up walkoff HR. 2.89
For the second time in a week, Nestor Cortes, Jr. got a spot start. The way he is pitching, maybe these won’t be spot starts anymore.
Michael King suffered a freak injury to a finger, and besides, King is better in relief than as a starter. Up stepped Cortes, and the Yankees shut out the Astros last night, 4-0.
The win moved the Yanks (45-42) into a virtual tie for third place in the AL East (Toronto .518 to the Yankees .517), 9 games back.
The Yanks got two runs in the top of the fourth inning. With one out, Gleyber Torres singled. After Rougned Odor forced Torres, Gio Urshela singled. Brett Gardner doubled both runners in.
They got their other two runs in the seventh. With one out, Gardner walked. Tyler Wade doubled Gardner to third, and D.J. LeMahieu doubled both runners in. Wade had started in left partly because Miguel Andujar has a hand injury.
That was all the Yanks needed, as Cortes and three relievers shut Houston down on just three hits.
Domingo German was supposed to start, but an emergency root canal changed that. Nick Nelson started instead, but German, once he felt ok again, was available in the bullpen. He would be needed in a 5-4 Yankees’ (44-41, 4th in AL East, 8 1/2 back) win.
The Yankees jumped on the board early, getting three runs in the first inning. With one out, Aaron Judge walked. Gary Sanchez also walked, and with two out, Luke Voit singled in a run, both runners moving up on the throw to the plate. Gleyber Torres singled in Sanchez and Voit and it was 3-0. Gio Urshela’s drive bounced over the fence for a ground-rule double, costing the Yanks a run (had it not, Torres would have scored) and the Yanks had to settle for three runs that inning.
To be kind, Yankees’ emergency starter Nick Nelson spit the bit in an awful outing. He struck out the first batter, but then was all over the place. A HBP, a walk, a lineout that moved a runner up. Another walk which included a WP that allowed a run to score. Yet another walk that loaded the bases. Nelson was then pulled for Luis Cessa, who got a forceout to end the inning. Cessa went on to right the ship.
The Yanks got two in the second inning. Tim Locastro hustled what should have been just a single into a double. D.J. LeMahieu just missed a HR, flying out deep to move Locastro to third. Judge then hit a 429-ft. HR (20) to make it 5-1. Later in the inning, Gleyber Torres just missed a three-run HR, as he, like LeMahieu, flied out to just before the fence. Gio Urshela also just missed in the third inning.
It stayed 5-1 until the sixth, when German gave up a 3-run HR. That made it 5-4 but the Yanks hung on to win.
The Yankees (42-41, 4th in AL East, 10 back) split a DH with the Mets yesterday, winning the nightcap 4-2 after having a disastrous loss in the first game, 10-5. Both games were 7-inning affairs.
Wandy Peralta was the 27th man for the DH.
UPDATE: After the DH, Tyler Wade was sent down, with no corresponding move. Peralta may have been activated to the normal squad.
Game 1: Both pitchers Gerrit Cole and Aroldis Chapman were named to the All-Star team, joining starter Aaron Judge. Neither pitcher pitched like an All-Star yesterday, and both raised red flags about their recent performances.
Cole gave up a solo HR in the first inning to Dominic Smith and the Yanks were down 1-0. The Yanks came back with three in the bottom of the second. Giancarlo Stanton singled leading off the inning and everyone was safe when Gio Urshela reached on an error. After a forceout, Brett Gardner was hit by pitch to load the bases. Kyle Higashioka doubled in two runs and newcomer Tim Locastro hit a SF.
The Yanks made it 4-1 in the third. Judge singled, Luke Voit singled Judge to third, and Judge scored when Stanton GIDP.
With your ace on the mound, a shortened game, and a three-run lead, you felt good. Except that Cole gave up three runs in the fourth, enabling the Mets to tie the game. Heading into June, Cole’s ERA was 1.78. It has risen to 2.91. Since June 1, Cole’s ERA is 5.24. Very concerning. And when we get to Chapman (and Lucas Luetge), things get far worse.
In the bottom of the fifth, the Yanks went ahead 5-4. With one out, D.J. LeMahieu singled, and Judge singled D.J. to third, and then a wild pitch enabled D.J. to score.
The Yanks took this 5-4 lead into the top of the seventh, then Chapman and Luetge both imploded, just like they did the other night against the Angels. They gave up six runs to blow the game. Chapman, after blowing a couple of fastballs past Pete Alonso, hung a slider and Alonso’s HR tied the game. There was a lot of second-guessing on the YES postgame show over that pitch selection. A HBP and walk followed and Chapman was replaced by Luetge.
A single loaded the bases, then Luetge got a strikeout. A double (with fan interference from a Mets fan) put the Mets up 7-5. A single brought in two more and an error by Judge on the play enabled the hitter (Brandon Nimmo) to go to second. Another single brought in Nimmo. Disaster. 10-5.
The implosion sent Chapman’s ERA to 4.71. On June 9, it was 0.39. Since June 9, Chapman has an ERA of 22.24.
Luetge’s ERA went to 3.46. In his last 3 2/3 IP, Luetge has given up six earned runs, raising his ERA from 2.37.
Judge 2 hits Higashioka 2 RBI
Cole 3 1/3 IP, 4 R, 6 H, 3 W, 6 K. Gave up 1 HR. 2.91. See above, 5.24 since June 1. Loaisiga 2 1/3 IP, 0 R, 2 H, 1 W, 4 K. 1 HBP 2.20Should have been named to All-Star Team. Green (H, 11) 1/3 IP, 0 R, 0 H, 0 W, 0 K. 2.45 Would return for Game 2. See below. Chapman (L, 5-3; BS, 4) 0 IP, 3 R, 1 H, 1 W, 0 K. 1 HBP. Gave up HR. See above. ERA 22.24 Since June 9. Luetge 1 IP, 3 R, 2 ER, 4 H, 0 W, 2 K. 3.46 See above. 7 R, 6 ER in last 3 2/3 IP.
Game 2: Yanks win 4-2.
Nestor Cortes, Jr. started and did well, and Green was dominant in closing it out.
In the second inning, Luke Voit led off with a double and Rougned Odor beat out a bunt for a hit. Urshela then hit a 3-run HR. (11).
With one out in the top of the fourth, Cortes gave up a double and was replaced by Darren O’Day, who gave up a two-run HR to Alonso. 3-2.
The Yankees got an insurance run in the bottom of the fifth. With one out, Brett Gardner walked, as did LeMahieu. A groundout by Judge moved the runners up, and Gardner scored on a WP.
Green pitched three perfect innings for the win, and closed the game with an immaculate inning (9 pitches, 9 strikes, strike out the side, 1-2-3).
Urshela 3-run HR (11)
Cortes 3 1/3 IP, 1 R, 2 H, 0 W, 4 K. 1.29 O’Day 2/3 IP, 1 R, 1 H, 2 W, 1 K. Gave up 1 HR. 3.38 Green (W, 3-4) 3 IP, 0 R, 0 H, 0 W, 6 K. 2.28. Like Loaisiga, could have been considered for All-Star Team.
The Yanks are off today. Travel day. Out in Seattle.
Things aren’t good. The Yankees lost to the Mets Saturday, 8-3, and in the process they only got three hits.
It was game 81. The season is now half over, and the Yankees are barely above .500 at 41-40, in 4th place in their 5-team division, and 9 1/2 games out of first place. Heck, they are 5 games out of any wild card spot.
Jordan Montgomery started and got out of jams in the first and third innings. Not so the fifth. He gave up a run and left with one out and the bases loaded. Lucas Luetge came in, gave up a hit for a run, and a WP brought in another and the Mets were up 3-0.
When Zack Britton comes off the injured list (again), then in order for the Yanks to make room for him, they should consider DFAing Justin Wilson (someone has to go). Wilson came in to pitch the sixth, and he let the game get out of hand, giving up five runs without recording an out. Granted some balls weren’t barreled up, but Wilson now has an ERA of 8.79, making him a very serious DFA candidate. So after five and half innings, the Mets had an 8-0 lead.
More embarrassing for the Yankees? At that time, they still didn’t have a hit. Aaron Judge finally got the Yankees first hit with one out in the bottom of the sixth with his 19th HR. With two out, Giancarlo Stanton singled, Luke Voit was hit by a pitch, and Gleyber Torres walked to load the bases. Gio Urshela singled in two runs, but that was the Yankees’ third and last hit of the game and ended all scoring. 8-3, Mets.
Michael King came in and did well, striking out 9 in four scoreless innings of relief. As I have mentioned, King is a better long reliever than a starter.
Nestor Cortes, Jr. will start one of the DH games today. Gerrit Cole the other. Cortes starting accentuates the need for the Yanks to find a starter while both Corey Kluber and Luis Severino are out, and that applies no matter what Cortes does today.
This past week has been a complete bummer for the Yankees and their fans.
Judge solo HR (19) Urshela 2 RBI
Montgomery (L, 3-3) 4 1/3 IP, 3 R, 6 H, 3 W, 6 K. 4.17 Luetge 2/3 IP, 0 R, 1 H, 0 W, 0 K. 1 WP 3.10 Wilson 0 IP, 5 R, 4 H, 1 W, 0 K. 8.79. Let’s face it. He’s been horrible this season. King 4 IP, 0 R, 3 H, 1 W, 9 K. 3.72 Better as a reliever than as a starter.
The YES network had a lot of statistics yesterday. For example, the Yankees have scored 3 or less runs in 41 of their 78 games this year. That is more than half. Last night, they scored 3.
About 2/3 of the homers they hit are solo HR. The homers aren’t coming with men on base. Last night the Yanks hit two homers. Yup. Both solo shots.
Yankees’ starter Michael King entered last night with a 14.40 ERA in the first inning. In his previous five starts, he had given up 8 first-inning runs. Make that now a 15.00 ERA and 10 runs in six starts. He put the Yanks into a 2-0 hole right away. The second batter, the incredible Shohei Ohtani, hit a HR off of him, #26 of the season for Ohtani. Ohtani is the scheduled starting PITCHER on Thursday against the Yankees, as he continues to do things not seen since Babe Ruth over 100 years ago. King doesn’t see anything wrong with his pre-game routine. The YES analysts see it differently. The YES analysts (which include some ex-major league players) say the jury is out whether King could be a starter in his MLB career. So far, my answer would be no. The first inning blues for one thing. For another, he doesn’t give you any length as a starter. He doesn’t go more than five innings (last night 4 1/3). Until King can fix those two issues, he can’t be an effective starter. Of course, King is only starting now because Corey Kluber is on the IL.
The Yanks lost their fourth straight game last night, 5-3 to Ohtani and the Angels. The loss drops the Yanks perilously close to .500, at 40-38. They are in 4th place in their 5-team division, the AL East, and are now 7 1/2 games out of first place. The season is slipping away. They better wake up. Call Sr. Mary Elephant to scream at them. Or, as Peggy Lee would sing, “Is That All There Is”? Very disappointing.
A couple of more stats YES gave out before more of a game recap. Going into last night’s game, the Yanks were 29th out of 30 teams with a .216 batting average with runners in scoring position. The Yanks went 0 for 4 w/RISP last night.
And lastly, two more things the YES analysts discussed. Both are instances of bad decision-making. Adam Ottavino had a good 2019 year with the Yankees (1.90 ERA) but a bad postseason that year. That bad postseason carried over to a bad 2020 (5.89 ERA). The Yankees traded him and a minor leaguer to, of all places, Boston for unknown compensation. It looks like just cash. Basically a salary dump. Didn’t even get a player for him. He’s rebounded to a 2.81 ERA for Boston this year. More damning is that Ottavino’s slider, when on, is devastating to righty batters. What do the Yankees have? A lineup full of righty batters. So the Yankees gave away to their arch-rival, a guy who, when on, has just what it takes to shut the Yankees down—which is exactly what Ottavino did to his former team this past weekend.
Another guy that shut the Yankees down this past weekend was Garrett Whitlock. If a player is in the minors for three years and not placed on the 40-man roster, he is subjected to the Rule 5 draft. Another team can claim him for $50,000. That player must stay with that team or be first offered back to the original team for $25,000. Well, the Yankees did not protect Whitlock. Whitlock was snapped up by—-you guessed it—-Boston, and helped beat the Yankees this past weekend. Whitlock, a rookie, is 3-1, 1.42 for Boston so far this season. Who did the Yankees protect instead of Whitlock? Well, Nick Nelson for one (0-2, 9.75 for the Yanks in 8 games this year) and Brooks Kriske (0-0, 12.60 in five games for the Yanks so far this year). Oops.
I know. As Yankees’ fans, those points that YES brought up are depressing. But give YES credit for going deep into things and in explaining some reasons for the Yankees underachieving so far this season.
Ok, to last night’s game. I already mentioned that King gave up 2 runs in the first inning, the first on a HR by Ohtani. So the Yanks are down 2-0 before they even came to bat.
The Yanks did get one run back in the bottom of the first. D.J. LeMahieu singled, Aaron Judge doubled D.J. to third, and Gary Sanchez scored D.J. with a SF. 2-1. But the Yanks couldn’t bring Judge in as well.
The Yanks did tie the game up in the second when Gio Urshela homered (10).
LeMahieu made an error in the fifth, which led to the Angels getting an unearned run to take the lead, 3-2.
Lucas Luetge gave up a HR to ex-Met Juan Lagares in the sixth and the Angels went up 4-2.
Giancarlo Stanton hit his 14th HR of the season in the bottom of the sixth to cut the Angels’ lead to 4-3, but the Yanks would score no more. Meanwhile the Halos got an insurance run in the eighth off of Chad Green. 5-3, the final score.
Stanton solo HR (14) Urshela 2 hits, solo HR (10)
The Yanks only got six hits in the game. Now, many Yanks are struggling, but one in particular? What’s happened to Gleyber Torres? 2018, .271, 24 HR, All-Star, 3rd in ROY voting. 2019, .278, 38 HR, All-Star, 17th in MVP voting. Since then, 2020 and 2021 combined, 110 games: .240-6-39. Which all coincides with his move to SS. You wonder.
King (L, 0-4) 4 1/3 IP, 3 R, 2 ER, 6 H, 2 W, 4 K. Gave up 1 HR. 4.06 Luetge 1 1/3 IP, 1 R, 3 H, 0 W, 1 K. Gave up 1 HR. 2.52 Green 2 1/3 IP, 1 R, 2 H, 0 W, 3 K. 2.48 Cortes 1 IP, 0 R, 0 H, 0 W, 1 K. 1.13
Darren O’Day and Justin Wilson can both come off the IL today. Brooks Kriske is sure to be sent back. It’ll be interesting to see if Abreu or Cortes goes back. Both have done well.
P.S. Back to work next week as I complete my recovery from two major (and one life-saving) surgeries. So future reports won’t be as in depth.
For those of you who may have watched the game on the MLB network (I watched on YES), some words from David Cone last night. He was talking mostly about Domingo German, last night’s starter, but it also applies to Michael King and tonight’s starter, Jordan Montgomery, as well.
They have to change up their pre-game routine. They are too often putting the Yankees into an early first-inning hole.
Last night, German gave up three first-inning runs. The Yanks did come back to tie it up in the second, but that was all the offense did in a 5-3 loss up in Boston last night.
In the first inning alone, German has an ERA of 7.71 this year. Montgomery’s is 6.43. King’s is 14.40. You can’t have your team keep coming from behind so often.
With the loss, the Yankees are 40-35, 3rd in AL East, 5 games back (and if the season ended today, 4 1/2 out of the last wild card spot). They are 5-8 against Tampa Bay, and 0-4 against Boston. So 5-12 against the teams above them in their division. Doing simple math, if they were 9-8 or 8-9 against those teams, the Yanks would be much more in the thick of things. Only a game or two out.
So German gave up the three runs in the first inning. The Yanks tied it in the second when Giancarlo Stanton walked, Luke Voit singled. After an out, Gio Urshela reached on an error (more on Gio later) to load the bases. After Miguel Andujar struck out, Clint Frazier walked to force in a run, and D.J. LeMahieu singled in two more. Aaron Judge grounded out to end the inning.
The Yanks got two on with one out in the top of third, but Gleyber Torres, 2 for his last 39, GIDP.
German helped lose his own game in the fourth. A walk to lead off the inning, then a WP. After an out, German couldn’t field a comebacker and everyone was safe. A SF, which should have been the third out, instead put Boston up 4-3.
In the top of the fourth, a huge mistake by Yankees’ 3B coach Phil Nevin. I am all in favor of replacing Nevin, NOW, as third base coach. How many Yankees have we seen, and are going to see, get thrown out at the plate this season? Gio Urshela led off the inning with a double. Miguel Andujar singled, but Urshela was thrown out at the plate. Let’s remember something here. Gio has been dealing with leg injuries. He was HBP on the shin a few days ago and had missed the two games prior to this one! No excuse (and all commentators on the YES postgame show said as much) for sending Gio there. Instead of first and third, no out, the Yanks had man on first, one out. Frazier then flied out, a ball that would have been a game-tying SF. But no.
In the bottom of the eighth, Zack Britton had to leave the game as it appeared he tweaked his hamstring. We’ll see if he goes back on the IL (most likely) and who replaces him on the roster. Boston went on to score an insurance run in the inning to go up 5-3.
The Yanks got singles in the top of the ninth by Urshela and Andujar, so down two runs, they had first and second, no out. But Frazier struck out, then LeMahieu GIDP to end the game.
The Yankees had many chances to blow the game open. But they didn’t. They went 0 for 10 with RISP and left 13 men on base, and this came back to bite them in a 6-5 loss to KC last night.
With the loss, the Yankees are now 38-34, 3rd in AL East, 5 1/2 back.
The main culprits were Giancarlo Stanton, 0 for 3 (did walk twice) left six on, Gleyber Torres 0 for 4, all strikeouts (did walk once, left 3 on), and Clint Frazier (0 for 5, 3 strikeouts, left 6 on ). Torres is something like 2 for his last 33, and his batting average has dropped over 30 points. Where Torres’ power has gone is baffling too. I don’t expect 38 HR as in 2019, but we are close to the halfway point of the season, and Torres has just 3 HR. Something close to Torres’ 2018 rookie year when he hit 24 would be enough and expected.
The Yanks scored first, when Luke Voit, just off of rehab, hit the first pitch he saw 423 feet for a two-out HR, Voit’s 2nd HR of the season. The Yankees went on to load the bases, but Frazier grounded out.
In the second, Kyle Higashioka homered for his sixth HR of the season. It put the Yanks up 2-0. But with two on and one out, Voit popped up and Stanton struck out.
Right then I had a bad feeling. Yes, the Yankees were up 2-0 with their ace, Gerrit Cole, on the mound, but when you leave five men on base in the first two innings and don’t break the game wide open, it often comes back to bite you, and it did for the Yankees last night.
A bad break (literally) for Cole in the third when a couple broken bat hits led to a KC run as the Royals cut the Yanks’ lead to 2-1. Cole gave up a game-tying HR in the fourth. 2-2. Those were the only hits Cole gave up.
The Yanks left the bases loaded in the fourth, when Stanton grounded into a force out. Another blown chance to salt the game away.
In the seventh, the Yanks went up 3-2. Luke Voit tripled. A fan tried to catch the ball (kick him out of the park. I hate when fans reach over the wall. They know better and still do it). There was no interference, and it was unclear if the ball would have cleared the fence anyway. Pinch-runner Tyler Wade then scored on a wild pitch.
Jonathan Loaisiga came in for the eighth inning. Cole had once again done a fine job, but the Yanks didn’t support him enough. Cole is 8-3 this season, but the Yankees are 0-4 when Cole gets a no-decision. Loaisiga has been great this season, but didn’t have it last night, giving up four runs.
D.J. LeMahieu got the Yanks back in the game with a two-run HR (6) in the bottom of the eighth to cut the Royals’ lead to 6-5. Aaron Judge then just missed tying the game up, as he doubled. So the Yanks had the tying run on second with one out. Once again, nothing. Rougned Odor popped up, and Stanton grounded out.
The Yanks got two on in the ninth, but Brett Gardner popped up to end the game.
The lack of getting just one clutch hit to break the game open really killed the Yanks last night. What a frustrating loss.
LeMahieu 2 hits, 2 RBI. 2-run HR (6) Judge 2 hits Voit 2 hits, triple and a solo HR (2) Urshela 2 hits Higashioka solo HR (6)
If only Stanton, Torres or Frazier had come through just once. Sigh.
Cole 7 IP, 2 R, 3 H, 3 W, 6 K. Gave up 1 HR. Two broken bat his and the HR. That was all. 2.33 Loaisiga (L, 7-3; BS, 2) 2/3 IP, 4 R, 5 H, 0 W, 2 K. 2.52 Luetge 1 1/3 IP, 0 R, 0 H, 0 W, 1 K. 2.48
Minor League Notes, and a lot to think about and discuss here:
The 40-man roster creates some problems. Say someone is doing well (see below) but isn’t on the roster? Well, you want to add him, but who does he replace?
AAA: SWB (29-11) crushed Lehigh Valley, 14-5, in a game in which both Darren O’Day and Justin Wilson both started rehab stints. Both pitched a scoreless inning of relief. Hoy Jun Park, a 2B/SS, played CF. Read into that as you wish. He had 3 hits and an RBI, and is hitting .366 for SWB. He hits lefty. Interesting he played CF last night. Meanwhile, the Yanks aren’t getting anything from their lefty hitters. Odor (.193-7-15, OPS+ 78; 100 is average). Gardner .206-2-8, OPS+ 77. Gardner turns 38 in August. But Park isn’t on the 40-man roster. I’ve advocated bringing Park up. But at whose expense, and why did Park play the OF for the first time last night? I do have to wonder. RF Ryan LaMarre 3 hits, RBI. DH Trey Amburgey 3 RBI. Erik Kratz, former big-league catcher, and ex-Yankee, really likes Amburgey, a righty hitter. Amburgey is hitting .360 at SWB. Right now, he may be a better option than Frazier (.187-5-12, OPS+ 77) or Miguel Andujar (.242-5-9, OPS+77). Amburgey, like Park, is not on the 40 man roster, so if you give him a chance, at whose expense? The point is, if someone is raking at AAA, when do they get rewarded with a promotion? And at whose expense? How long do you continue playing someone whose adjusted OPS is 22-23% BELOW league average, as is the case with Odor, Gardner, Frazier and Andujar? These are legitimate questions GM Brian Cashman and manager Aaron Boone must decide, especially if the Yankees are to improve.
Besides the rehab stints of O’Day and Wilson, and the continued success and questions about Park and Amburgey, some other notes on SWB’s win: 2B Derek Dietrich 3 hits, RBI. 3B Armando Alvarez 2 hits, 2 RBI, solo HR. 1B Rob Brantly 2 RBI. C Max McDowell 2 hits. SS Andrew Velazquez, 2 hits, 4 RBI, a 2-run HR.
AA: Somerset ppd.
High A: Hudson Valley (26-16) won 12-3. SS Josh Smith 2 hits. C Josh Breaux 2 hits. CF Brandon Lockridge 2 hits, 4 RBI, a 3-run HR. 3B James Nelson 2 hits, 2 RBI. 1B Chad Bell 3 hits, 2 RBI. RF Frederick Cuevas 2 hits, RBI, solo HR.
Low A: Tampa was up 2-0 when the game was suspended in the top of the second inning.
