Game 94. Yanks take first game of DH, 6-2.

I don’t know what it is about Domingo German and the first inning or first batter, but he had trouble again, giving up home runs to the first two batters as he hung curve balls on both pitches. Two batters into the game, down 2-0.

He walked the third batter, got a DP, gave up a single, then got a strikeout.

First inning, 2 HR, 2 runs, 3 hits, 1 walk. After that, German gave up no runs and only one hit and one walk over his next five innings.

The Yanks (61-33) came back to win the game, 6-2. With the win, German goes to 12-2 on the season.

On mlb.com, I see things about who the leaders are for certain awards. For the AL CYA, I see Verlander’s name, among others. I don’t see German’s. Why? 12-2, 3.38 isn’t exactly shabby.

Gio Urshela tied the game in the bottom of the second with a 2-run HR (9), and soon after that, manager Aaron Boone was ejected for disagreeing with the home plate umpire’s strike zone.

In the fourth, the Yanks loaded the bases, but D.J. LeMahieu struck out to end the inning.

The Yanks broke the game open in the fifth. Aaron Judge singled to lead off the inning and Aaron Hicks doubled Judge to third. After Edwin Encarnacion struck out, Gary Sanchez singled in a run to give the Yankees a 3-2 lead. Didi Gregorius popped up, but Luke Voit singled in Hicks to make it 4-2 and send Sanchez to second. Urshela then doubled in Sanchez, Voit going to third, to make it 5-2. Brett Gardner struck out to end the inning.

Hicks homered (9) in the sixth to make it 6-2, which turned out to be the final score.

Hicks 2 hits, solo HR (9)
Sanchez 2 hits, RBI
Urshela 3 hits, 3 RBI, HR (9)

German (W, 12-2, 3.38) 6 IP, 2 R, 4 H, 2 W, 5 K. Gave up 2 HR (to the first two hitters)
Kahnle 1 IP, 0 R, 0 H, 1 W, 1 K.  2.89
Britton 1 IP, 0 R, 0 H, 0 W, 3 K.  2.25
Hale 1 IP, 0 R, 1 H, 0 W, 1 K.  2.37

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Game 92. d’Arnaud singlehandedly beats Yanks, 5-4, with 3 HR, 5 RBI.

Travis d’Arnaud hit 3 HR and drove in all 5 Tampa Bay runs as the Rays, down to their last strike, stunned the Yankees 5-4 Monday night.

With the loss, the Yanks’ (59-33) lead over the Rays was trimmed to five games.

d’Arnaud led off the game with a HR (7) off of James Paxton, then homered off Paxton again (8) in the third to put the Rays up 2-0.

Edwin Encarnacion hit a HR (26) in the bottom of the fourth to cut the Rays’ lead to 2-1.

In the bottom of the seventh, Gio Urshela homered (8) to tie the game up.

Encarnacion hit another HR, a 2-run shot, #27 (including his Seattle output) in the bottom of the eighth, to put the Yanks up 4-2.

In the top of the ninth, Aroldis Chapman gave up singles to both of the first two batters in the inning. He then rebounded with two strikeouts, and had a 3-2 count on d’Arnaud, who had walked twice after his two homers in his first two times up. d’Arnaud sliced a hanging slider into the porch for a three-run HR and a 5-4 Rays lead.

All three of d’Arnaud’s HR were hit to the opposite field, right field.

Chapman, famous for hitting 105 MPH one time with his fastball, and who still can hit 100, seems to be relying more on his slider this year. While still able to bring it, it doesn’t seem as if he can command his fastball, and is all over the place with it. He’s relying more on his slider, and last night hung one and he got burned for it.

In the bottom of the ninth, Aaron Judge walked with two out, but for the second time in the last three games, Luke Voit was caught looking at a 3-2 pitch to end the game. Voit was 0 for 5 with 3 strikeouts.

Another slumping Yankee is Gary Sanchez, who is down to .240. He is 7 for his last 55.

LeMahieu 2 hits (.331).
Hicks 2 hits
Encarnacion 2 hits, both HR (27), 3 RBI
Urshela solo HR (8)

Paxton 6 IP, 2 R, 7 H, 2 W, 7 K. Gave up 2 HR.  3.94
Green 2 IP, 0 R, 1 H, 1 W, 0 K.  5.05
Chapman (L, 2-2; BS, 4; 2.45) 1 IP, 3 R, 3 H, 0 W, 2 K. Gave up GW 3-run HR.

 

 

Game 91. Yanks over Toronto, 4-2.

The Yanks (59-32) stayed 6 up on Tampa Bay by beating Toronto on Sunday, 4-2.

They got six strong innings from Masahiro Tanaka, who faltered in the fifth.

In the second inning, Luke Voit singled and Gleyber Torres doubled him to third. Brett Gardner grounded out and Voit made a bad decision by not coming home on the ground-out which also would have enabled Torres to move up a base as well. Gio Urshela made up for it with a 2-run single.

Tanaka gave up two solo HR in the top of the fifth that tied the game.

In the bottom of the fifth, Urshela singled to lead off the inning and Austin Romine walked, moving Urshela up to second base. After an out and force out, the Yanks had runners at first and third with two out. Urshela scored on a WP (and challenge to the original call that had Urshela out). 3-2 Yanks.

Mike Tauchman hit his fifth HR of the season in the bottom of the seventh to make it 4-2 Yanks, which turned out to be the final score.

Judge 2 hits, .302
Voit 2 hits
Urshela 2 hits, 2 RBI .302
Tauchman solo HR (5)

Tanaka (W, 6-5, 3.81) 6 IP, 2 R, 4 H, 0 W, 5 K. Gave up 2 HR.
Ottavino (H, 22) 1/3 IP, 0 R, 1 H, 0 W, 0 K.  1.76
Kahnle (H, 18) 2/3 IP, 0 R,  0 H, 1 W, 2 K.  2.97
Britton (H, 19) 1 IP, 0 R, 1 H, 0 W, 2 K.  2.35
Chapman (S, 25) 1 IP, 0 R, 0 H, 0 W, 1 K.  1.77

The Yanks start a big 4-game series against the Rays on Monday.

Game 86. Yanks lead is 8 1/2 after 8-4, 11 inning victory.

Aaron Judge became the first Yankee since Mickey Mantle in 1955 to homer in both the first inning and in extra innings as the Yankees beat Tampa Bay 8-4 in 11 innings Friday night.

With the win, the Yanks (57-29) have opened up an 8 1/2 game lead over the Rays for first place in the AL East. Boston remains 11 out.

Judge hit his 8th HR of the season to give the Yanks a 1-0 lead in the first.

Masahiro Tanaka gave up a HR in the fourth that tied the game for the Rays. It was the first MLB HR for Nate Lowe.

The Yanks went up 3-1 in the top of the fifth. Gleyber Torres singled, and with one out, Brett Gardner singled, Torres going to second. A single by Austin Romine loaded the bases, then Mike Tauchman singled in two runs.

Tanaka, prone to the gopher ball, gave up another HR in the fifth. 3-2.

In the seventh, with one out, Tanaka gave up a double and a walk. On the walk, a WP that enabled the runner on second to move to third. Nestor Cortes, Jr. relieved Tanaka and hit a batter to load the bases. He then got a strikeout but couldn’t get out of the inning, giving up a two-run single. The runner on first was nabbed trying to go to third, and that ended the inning. But the Rays led 4-3.

In the top of the eighth, Aaron Hicks PH for Mike Tauchman and tied the game with his 7th HR of the season.

David Hale got out of a first and third, two out jam in the bottom of the ninth.

In the top of the eleventh, Judge’s 2nd HR of the game, and 9th on the season, gave the Yankees a 5-4 lead.

But they weren’t done. With two out, Gleyber Torres singled, Gio Urshela doubled and Brett Gardner hit a 3-run HR, his 13th HR of the season, to give the Yanks a 8-4 cushion.

They needed it. David Hale got a strikeout, then gave up two singles. Chapman came in and got a strikeout, but then walked a batter to load the bases. Tampa Bay had the tying run at the plate.

Tommy Pham hit a screaming liner that off the bat appeared to drive in runs, but it was hit at D.J. LeMahieu. Game over, Yanks win 8-4.

Judge 2 solo HR (9)
Torres 2 hits
Urshela 2 hits (.309)
Gardner 3 hits, 3 RBI, a 3-run HR (13)
Romine 2 hits
Tauchman 2 RBI
Hicks solo PH HR (7)

Tanaka 6 1/3 IP, 4 R, 6 H, 2 W, 5 K. Gave up 2 HR.  3.86
Cortes (BS, 1) 1 2/3 IP, 0 R, 1 H, 0 W, 1 K.  4.78
Hale (W, 2-0, 2.73) 2 1/3 IP, 0 R, 3 H, 1 W, 2 K.  2.73
Chapman (S, 24) 2/3 IP, 0 R, 0 H, 1 W, 1 K.  1.82

 

Game 84. Yanks beat Mets 5-1 behind G-“FOUR”CES.

Well, you have heard of G-forced, how about G-“FOUR”CES?

The Yanks beat the Mets 5-1 Wednesday night behind key contributions from four “G’s”:

German
Gleyber
Gregorius and
Gleyber

G-FOURCE.

(if you want to add Green to that, go ahead, but G-FIFTH doesn’t read too well… ).

The win puts the Yankees (55-29) 6 1/2 up on the Rays and 11 up on Boston in the AL East.

The Yanks now have a four-game series in Tampa vs. the Rays. It could be huge. All the Yanks really have to do is split, stay 6 1/2 up and take four games off the schedule.

A sweep could help bury the Rays at 10 1/2 out. Just don’t get swept yourself and get them back to 2 1/2 out.

The Yanks struck at the Mets right away, scoring two in the first inning. D.J. LeMahieu led off with a double, and Aaron Judge followed with a double to score D.J. Later in the inning, Gleyber Torres’ single knocked in Judge.

The fact Torres (.298-19-50, basically a .298-37-97 pace more or less–and for a middle infielder, to boot) is not on the AL All-Star team is a travesty.

Domingo German, just off the IL, gave up a HR on his first pitch, and you wondered if he was brought back too soon. But he settled down after that to pitch six great innings for his tenth win of the season.

Gio Urshela looked like Graig Nettles at third base last night. Maybe even better. He put on a defensive show.

Down 2-1 in the fifth, with a man on, Mets’ manager Mickey Callaway made a curious decision. He didn’t PH for pitcher Jason Vargas. Vargas’ did get his bunt down, but the Mets didn’t score.

That decision came back to bite the Mets in the sixth. With one out, Didi Gregorius hit his fourth HR of the season to give the Yanks a 3-1 lead. Callaway then replaced Vargas with Wilmer Font.

If Vargas’ leash was that short, why not PH for him in the fifth? ESPN announcers were arguing about that last night. You are down, need to score runs, don’t PH for the pitcher, but then the next inning he only faces two batters? Makes no sense.

And that is one reason why Callaway’s seat with the underachieving (39-48) Mets is extremely hot.

Font gave up a HR to the first batter he faced, as Gregorius and Urshela went back-to-back. Urshela’s seventh HR of the season made it 4-1.

For a while, it appeared as if Gio was hurt, but he turned out OK. Whew.

LeMahieu led off the seventh with a double, and two outs later, Hicks walked. Torres’ single made it 5-1, which was the final score.

Aaron Hicks robbed Robbie Cano of a possible HR during the game. Definitely a possible double, questionable whether it would have cleared the fence or not.

LeMahieu 2 hits (.342 leads AL)
Torres 2 hits, 2 RBI
Gregorius 2 hits, solo HR (4)
Urshela 2 hits, solo HR (7). A couple of superb defensive plays.

German (W, 10-2, 3.67) 6 IP, 1 R, 5 H, 0 W, 6 K. Gave up 1 HR (on his first pitch).
Green 2 IP, 0 R, 2 H, 0 W, 4 K.  5.64
Cortes, Jr. 1 IP, 0 R, 0 H, 0 W, 0 K.  5.04

German looked like the German, ace-like, that he was before his last few starts when he struggled with the hip problem.

Yankees’ announcers are now on the IL. John Sterling will not be broadcasting this weekend because of health issues. Sterling, who turns 81 today, the 4th of July, had broadcast 5,060 consecutive games, ever since he had to take two days off for the death of a sister in 1989.

Meanwhile, Michael Kay will miss a month because he needs surgery on one of his vocal cords.

 

Game 82. Yanks beat Boston 12-8, sweep London Series, push Boston 11 back. Voit and Torres left off All-Star Team.

The Yanks (54-28) beat Boston 12-8 to sweep the two-game London Series, and with the win, remain 7 ahead of Tampa Bay in the AL East, and pushed Boston 11 back.

Stephen Tarpley, pressed into service as the “opener” after Saturday’s 17-13 slugfest, started his first MLB game and it didn’t go well. He gave up 3 HR in the first inning and Boston had a 4-0 lead.

The Yanks came back with two in the second. Edwin Encarnacion led off the inning with a walk, and Didi Gregorius singled. Gleyber Torres walked to load the bases. Gio Urshela hit into a force out that brought in a run. Brett Gardner singled in a run to cut Boston’s lead to 4-2.

The Yanks then shut Boston out until the eighth. This was huge in a park that played like arena baseball this weekend.

The Yanks erupted for nine runs in the seventh that won the game for them.

D.J. LeMahieu led off the inning with a double. Aaron Judge walked, and Aaron Hicks doubled in one run. Gary Sanchez singled to give the Yanks a 5-4 lead. Encarnacion walked, but Didi struck out for the first out. Torres hit a bloop single that 1B Michael Chavis could not get to. Bases loaded. Gio Urshela singled in two runs to make it 7-4. Brett Gardner walked to load the bases. LeMahieu doubled for the second time in the inning to drive in two runs and make it 9-4. Judge was intentionally walked to load the bases. Hicks hit a SF to make it 10-4, LeMahieu moving to third on the play. Sanchez then squibbed one and Chavis pulled a Buckner, letting the ball get through his legs, 11-4 Yanks.

Didi hit a HR (3) in the eighth to make it 12-4 and keep the Yanks’ streak of hitting a HR in 31 straight games alive.

Chance Adams came in for the eighth, and with two out and two on, couldn’t get that third out. A WP, single, single and double made it 12-7. Zack Britton came in and gave up a single that made it 12-8, then a walk to load the bases. He then got a groundout to finally end the inning.

Aroldis Chapman gave up a leadoff double in the ninth, but struck out the next three batters to end the game.

All Star reserves were announced, and the news was disappointing. Chapman was selected to join starters Sanchez and LeMahieu but Luke Voit and Gleyber Torres were both left off (as was Urshela, but I wasn’t expecting him or Ottavino to make it).

I hate that “every team has to be represented” rule. If you stink, you stink. Earn it. What is this, “participation trophy” time?

LeMahieu 3 hits, 2 RBI  .345
Judge 3 walks
Hicks 2 hits, 2 RBI
Sanchez 2 RBI
Gregorius 2 hits, solo HR (3)
Urshela 3 RBI
Gardner 2 hits, RBI

Tarpley 1 IP, 4 R, 4 H, 0 W, 0 K. Gave up 3 HR.  9.64
Cessa 4 IP, 0 R, 4 H, 0 W, 2 K.  4.61   A star of the game.
Ottavino (W, 3-2, 1.45) 1 IP, 0 R, 0 H, 0 W, 2 K.
Kahnle 1 IP, 0 R, 0 H, 0 W, 1 K.  3.38
Adams 2/3 IP, 4 R, 5 H, 0 W, 0 K.   6.75
Britton 1/3 IP, 0 R, 1 H, 1 W, 0 K.   2.55
Chapman 1 IP, 0 R, 1 H, 0 W, 3 K.  1.36

The Yanks are off Monday (travel day) and resume action vs. the Mets (or is that Mess) on Tuesday.

Here’s hoping for no jet lag.

 

 

 

Sanchez, LeMahieu to start ASG.

Gary Sanchez and D.J. LeMahieu have been elected starters for the All-Star Game this year.

For Sanchez, a nice turnaround from last year, when he only hit .186.

Gleyber Torres, Luke Voit and Gio Urshela were finalists, but missed out on being starters.

We’ll see if they are selected as reserves.

Also, we’ll see what pitchers may be selected (Chapman? Ottavino?)

Aaron Judge was also a finalist, and still may be selected as a reserve, but I think his chances aren’t good because of all the time he missed this year with the injury.