It’s already been almost a week since Aaron Judge hit number 61 to tie Roger Maris for the American League home run record.
After going eight games without a home run, Judge connected for his 61st of the season off Blue Jays reliever Tim Mayza in the top of the seventh inning for the record-tying go-ahead two-run homer at the old Sky Dome in Toronto.
At 30, Judge has had a season for the ages. In a contract year after wisely turning down the leaked $213 million offer from the Yankees, the consensus AL MVP has put together an all-time year that will be remembered.
Although he’s been unable to pass Maris for 62 with three games remaining, it’s hard to get past the number 61 in his baseball statistics on baseball-reference.com. There’s a wow factor involved. That he’s hitting .311 with 61 home runs and 130 RBI with a 1.116 OPS and mind-boggling 10.5 Wins Above Replacement (WAR), speaks to how special he’s been.
Without the brilliant performance by Judge, where would the Yankees be? Even though they recovered to put away the AL East by wrapping it up in Toronto, they nearly squandered a 15.5 game lead. However, Judge refused to let them blow it. He also finally got help from a resurgent Gleyber Torres, who came on strong in September after having a miserable July and August.
Since they started winning again, the Yankees have gotten key contributions from Anthony Rizzo, Harrison Bader, Kyle Higashioka, Isiah Kiner-Falefa and rookie Osvaldo Cabrera. Even Aaron Hicks came up with some big hits down the stretch. If it’s a choice between the veteran who’s no longer a lock at the plate or in the field and the very reliable Cabrera, Aaron Boone must go with the more versatile rookie who hasn’t looked out of place. He plays with confidence in the field and at the plate.
Would 100 wins be possible without Judge? We know the answer. Especially in another injury riddled year for Giancarlo Stanton. He really struggled after he returned. Most recently, Stanton has delivered a couple of big blows including a walk-off grand slam in a memorable home win after Judge tied Babe Ruth with his 60th home run. He hit number 30 in a 3-1 win over the Rangers in Texas on Monday night.
A game that saw Luis Severino no-hit the Rangers for seven innings. He only allowed one base runner with a walk while fanning seven. He left after seven having thrown 93 pitches including 66 for strikes. An outstanding performance for Sevy. Had it been a different circumstance, Boone leaves him in for the eighth. He’s only been back for three weeks. So, thinking big picture makes sense.
While the Yankees are getting more from a number of players, they still don’t have a closer. With Clay Holmes out for the remainder of the season with his status for the postseason up in the air, it’s anyone’s guess who Boone will use for the ninth inning to close out the big games starting next week in the ALDS.
Boone has leaned on a mixture of relievers he trusts. They include long man Clarke Schmidt, Ron Marinaccio, Lou Trivino, Scott Effross, Jonathan Loaisiga, Lucas Luetge and Wandy Peralta. If they get Peralta back for the playoffs, maybe the erratic Aroldis Chapman is left off the postseason roster. He no longer can be trusted due to command issues. He will not be back next year.
Boone has done a good job mixing and matching. Somehow, it’s worked. Will not having a defined closer hurt the Yankees’ chances? Or is it really about whether Gerrit Cole can deliver in October. The anointed “ace” in name has been prone to the bad inning where he falls apart. How much faith do Yankee fans have in the $324 million man?
Nestor Cortes has been better. He finished with 11 strikeouts in his final start to wind up 12-4 with a 2.44 earned run average (ERA). Many fans believe he should get the ball for Game One. That’s how consistent he’s been. Even Jameson Taillon finished strong. He will likely be the fourth starter in the playoff rotation.
We know they’ll never do it. So, it’s up to Cole to prove he can still be the ace. He gets paid a lot of money. We know the stuff is there. Will his mental state allow him to dominate when the team needs it most? The likely rotation is Cole, Cortes, Severino and Taillon with Domingo German going to the bullpen.
As far as Judge’s chase for number 62 goes, if it happens great. If not, he already made significant history by tying Ruth with 60 in less than 154 games. He tied Maris 61 years later with number 61 in game 155. It took Maris until game 163 in ’61. The memorable home run came against Boston at the original Yankee Stadium on Oct. 1, 1961. We’ve all heard Phil Rizzuto’s call.
“This could be it. Holy cow! He did it!”
There was no one like the Scooter. I still miss him calling games on the old WPIX Channel 11 with Bill White and Tom Seaver. Then eventually the very popular Bobby Murcer. Those were fun times growing up. It’s too bad they no longer have Yankee games on what’s now the current CW. At least the Mets are occasionally on there. Free TV. What a concept in today’s modernization of streaming with Apple TV and Amazon Prime.
When I think of how tough Judge has been pitched since he hit numbers 58 and 59 at Milwaukee, it’s amazing that he even reached 61. The attention on him has been insane. He says the right thing. He’s all about the team concept. Winning is all that matters to him. Even with his parents and Roger Maris, Jr watching, he has tried not to go out of the zone. That’s resulted in a lot of walks. The most in the AL.
At .311, he trails Luis Arraez by four points for the batting title. Of course, the Twins have rested Arraez the last two games with some phantom injury. It reminds me of Wade Boggs in ’86 when he sat out a doubleheader at Fenway Park against the Yankees. Don Mattingly had a big two games and actually got cheered by the appreciative Red Sox crowd. He came up short for the batting crown finishing at .352. Five points behind Boggs.
The Yankees play two later today. One at 2 PM and the second at 8 PM. Weather permitting. Judge will probably need at least four hits to put pressure on Arraez. That assumes he isn’t pitched around. He bats lead-off. Something I never thought I’d see. But he’s made it work. We’ll see if the Texas pitchers actually go after him.
Whatever happens today and tomorrow, Aaron Judge has been remarkable this season. All the more poetic it’s 61 years later that he’s tied Maris with 61 when he bested Ruth’s record in ’61. That’s the magic number. Will it include 62? We’ll see.
No matter what, the Yankees are going to the postseason. They have a bye into the ALDS. They’ll await the winner between the Rays and Indians. I refuse to call Cleveland by any other name. That’s who they are.
The other match-up looks like the Mariners and Blue Jays for the chance to play the AL best Astros. If that’s the setup, sign me up.
Let’s enjoy the final two days of a great regular season.
The crack of the bat is one of the best things about baseball. Especially when a batter gets a hold of one. Excited fans stand up in anticipation of the ball clearing the fence for a home run. Broadcasters get pumped up calling it.
Ah. On this hot summer day in June that commemorates D Day, it feels weird not to have baseball on to watch. Sure. They wouldn’t quite be back yet due to the Coronavirus. However, it’s about time the two sides put their pride aside. The owners and players need to reach agreement for at least half a season. Not 40 games as the owners are pushing. Not 114 like the players want. But a cool 81 would do the trick.
If only the owners weren’t such cheapskates. The players are right about wanting their salaries to be prorated. If they play X amount of games, it should be 162 divided by said number equaling what they should get paid. End of discussion.
I think the owners are being stubborn due to the uncertainty surrounding where the games would be played. No attendance or concessions with different destinations likely hurt the bottom line. However, the players make up the game. They’re the product fans cough up money to go see. Why shouldn’t they get their fair share? If Mike Trout is the game’s best player and would normally get a shade over $37 million from the Angels, then he should get half that salary if he plays 81 games in an abbreviated season.
That’s how it should be. The longer the two sides go without agreeing to a deal that would allow there to be a season, the less likely there will be baseball. That would be devastating to the sport. If they thought 1994 was bad, think again. The damage that was done when that potential great season was canceled following the players strike on August 12 was astronomical. It took scabs (replacement players) for the two sides to come together and end the dispute on April 2, 1995.
The appeal of the home run brought fans back. Even though MLB turned a blind eye to the cheating going on with Herculean superstars using performance enhancing drugs (PED’s) to increase their power and numbers. It hit its peak in the Summer of ’98 when Mark McGwire outdueled Sammy Sosa to break Roger Maris’ single season record of 61 homers hit in 1961 for the Yankees. One half of the M&M Boys featuring the great Mickey Mantle, Maris bested legendary Babe Ruth’s 60 dingers hit in 1927. He did it without any help. Plus Mantle missed the final week of the season to end with 54 homers. You can still hear Phil Rizzuto saying, “Holy cow. He did it!”
In 1998, McGwire crushed 70 home runs while Sosa finished with 66. Both were later revealed to have done it with PED’s. So much attention was given to their home run race that it influenced the game’s best player Barry Bonds to cheat. Even though he was never caught, it was painfully obvious to everyone that he used performance enhancers when he shattered the record with a jaw dropping 73 homers in ’01 for the Giants.
The thing about Bonds is he never needed steroids to be great. He already was a three time National League Most Valuable Player (MVP) winning the award twice as a Pirate and once as a Giant within a four year span between 1990-93. He was a Gold Glove left fielder who also joined Jose Canseco as a 40/40 member by hitting 42 homers and stealing 40 bases in ’96. Despite that accomplishment, he finished fifth for MVP. Admitted cheater Ken Caminiti won it by slugging 40 dingers and knocking in 130 for the Padres as a third baseman. Mike Piazza was runner-up with Ellis Burks third and Chipper Jones fourth. If you’re wondering, Bonds had a higher OPS with a 1.076. Only Gary Sheffield was better winding up at 1.090 on the Marlins. Bonds also led in Wins Above Replacement (WAR) with a gaudy 9.7. Caminiti received all 28 first place votes to easily outdistance Piazza, who was unbelievable for the Dodgers as a slugging catcher before winding up a Met.
It’s funny looking back on that Era now. You sure had your share of great players such as Bonds, Ken Griffey, Jr, Albert Belle, Frank Thomas, Juan Gonzalez, Chipper Jones, Piazza, Sheffield, a young Alex Rodriguez, Ivan Rodriguez, Mo Vaughn, Tony Gwynn, Edgar Martinez, Jim Thome, Roberto Alomar, Manny Ramirez, Barry Larkin, Cal Ripken, Derek Jeter and Nomar Garciaparra. Your dominant pitchers like Greg Maddux, Randy Johnson, Roger Clemens (PED’s), John Smoltz, Tom Glavine, Pedro Martinez, Mariano Rivera, Trevor Hoffman.
Baseball has always boasted plenty of star power. Even with more of an emphasis on launch angle and exit velocity, you still have Trout, who does everything right including play a great center field. A three time American League (AL) MVP, who’s dominated the sport since running away with Rookie of the Year at age 20 in 2012, Jersey Mike is by far the best player in the sport. He can hit for average, power, steal bases and drive in runs while playing outstanding defense. Unfortunately, he’s never won a Gold Glove due to stiff competition. Maybe Mookie Betts moving to Los Angeles will finally change that. The AL has always boasted plenty of great outfielders. Jackie Bradley, Jr isn’t a consistent hitter, but he’s a remarkable center fielder.
Aside from Trout, who certainly takes his share of walks, Aaron Judge is a terrific athlete who is a superb right fielder for the Yankees. He’s never won a Gold Glove either despite being able to make great plays with the glove and throw out runners with a huge arm. Injuries haven’t helped since his monster 2017 when he set a rookie record with 52 home runs. Pete Alonso broke it last year for the Mets by slugging 53 to easily win the NL’s top rookie. Both popular New York righty sluggers strike out a ton. But that’s how the game is these days. At least each draws walks. It’ll be interesting to follow each during their careers.
I’d much rather be talking about who’s on the schedule for the Yankees than racial injustice or a pandemic that’s been ignored due to the last week. It would certainly be more fun and positive. Sports are great. As good as the NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs is, baseball still is great during the summer heat wave. For 162 games, you go through an emotional rollercoaster. It would be nice to have America’s pastime back.
We are looking at playoff hockey starting in mid July with it probably not concluding until late September due to the 24 team tournament with preliminaries that include the Rangers battling the Hurricanes in a best of five series. There will be NBA basketball at the end of July with Game Seven of the Finals not until October 12. That’s absurd. But this is the reality due to COVID-19. No league wants to lose that all important revenue.
Imagine if you have all four major sports going on at the same time this Fall. It could happen. If football starts on time and baseball returns, you really could see it. It sure would make up for lost time. That doesn’t include tennis, which I badly miss. Hard to believe there’s no Wimbledon. What a bummer. Will the rest of the season get wiped out including a later US Open and French this autumn? Who knows.
You do have Nascar back without fans. Golf will return soon. It’s gonna be weird. However, without baseball during the hot days of July and August, it wouldn’t feel right. They need to swallow some of their pride and get it done. Do the right thing.
We miss those web gems and the great pitches from the likes of Jacob de Grom, Max Scherzer, Gerrit Cole, Justin Verlander, Stephen Strasburg, Clayton Kershaw, etc.
Who wants to miss a entire season? Not me. The fans need it back.
Stephen Strasburg is pumped up after delivering six gritty innings to back up Max Scherzer to put the Nationals up two games to none on the Astros. AP Photo via Major League Baseball courtesy Getty Images
For some inexplicable reason, the odds makers would have you believe the Washington Nationals were a 2-1 underdog against the Houston Astros in the World Series. I never got why.
Unless you’re a bitter Mets fan or been living in a bat cave, the Nats have been unbelievable. They didn’t just turn it on down the stretch. At one point, they were 19-31 through 50 games. That’s 12 games under .500. In fact, they were so underwhelming that manager Dave Martinez was in jeopardy. He was very close to losing his job. When you’re second to last with only three games separating you from the woeful Derek Jeter Marlins, that’s concerning.
Back at the start of the season, I had Washington pegged as a wildcard finishing right behind the Braves for the NL East. I believe I said 90 wins with the Mets third with 88. My predictions weren’t far off. Atlanta won the division with 97 victories while the Nationals went 74-38 the rest of the season en route to 93-69. The Mets finished with 86 wins while the Phillies disappointed with an 81-81 record to get Gape Kapler fired. I wonder what Bryce Harper is doing these days as his former team is two wins away from its first World Championship.
Following the excruciating six-game Yankee loss to the Astros in a hard fought ALCS, I didn’t come away that impressed with Houston. I didn’t learn anything new. I knew the gnat Jose Altuve was one of the game’s best big players. I also was aware of how tough George Springer and Carlos Correa were. To think they prevailed without my AL MVP choice Alex Bregman doing anything. They didn’t need it due to the lack of discipline from most Yankee bats against the trio of Gerrit Cole, Justin Verlander and Zack Greinke. That included the Houston bullpen until DJ LeMahieu tied Game Six against Roberto Osuna.
What I saw with the Nats was different. It wasn’t all about the pair of aces Max Scherzer and Stephen Strasburg either. Washington boasts four starters capable of going deep including Patrick Corbin and invaluable veteran Anibal Sanchez, who’ll go tonight in Game Three at home. The way Martinez has managed this postseason is exactly how I would. He’s leaned on his big arms knowing full well he only has a handful of bullpen options he trusts. Basically, that’s Tanner Rainey, Daniel Hudson and Sean Doolittle. Astonishingly, Fernando Rodney is the other arm he’ll use if they have a cushion. Go figure.
Given that I felt their pitching staff neutralized the Astros greatest weapon, I took the Nats to win the Series in six games. I almost went five, but felt that would be disrespectful to Houston. I understand how good they are.
Why did I like Washington? The lineup has more balance. While everyone points to the Astros dangerous bats that include Springer, Altuve, Michael Brantley, Bregman, Yuli Gurriel, Yordan Alvarez and Correa, the fact they struggled so mightily batting with runners in scoring position against the Yankees revealed something I didn’t know. Compared to the Nationals lineup featuring table setters Trea Turner and Adam Eaton along with stars Anthony Rendon and Juan Soto, I find that with polished vets such as career National Ryan Zimmerman, NLCS MVP Howie Kendrick and catcher Kurt Suzuki that this team is more complete. They have good depth in Asdrubal Cabrera and overlooked rookie starting center fielder Victor Robles, whose defense has him up for his first Gold Glove.
Most would conclude that on paper, the Astros are scarier and more explosive. That is until you see what happened in the first two games of the Series. The Nationals not only got off the deck to rally from an early 2-0 deficit to win Game One by beating Cole thanks to a key Zimmerman home run along with clutch hits from Soto that produced a tying homer and huge two-run double to the opposite field. But thanks to one clean inning from Corbin out of the pen after a very gritty five inning effort from Scherzer, they were able to get the final nine outs to hold off the Astros 5-4. Doolittle picked up a four out save in relief of Hudson.
The Nationals Dominican Academy reacts to Juan Soto’s double from Game 1 of the World Series! pic.twitter.com/DxVSaHR3gR
Having already dethroned Cole, who had been unbeatable since May, they then went to work on Verlander, who doesn’t have the best reputation in the Series. In allowing four earned runs including Suzuki’s go-ahead solo shot in a big six run Nats seventh, the future Hall of Fame pitcher fell to 0-5 for his World Series career with a 5.73 ERA in six starts. The other five outings came in appearances with the 2017 Astros and Tigers (’06, ’12).
Funny, but if you hear John Smoltz talk with Joe Buck during the Fox telecast, he would have you believe Verlander is the greatest modern day pitcher since Roger Clemens. Love or hate him, the Rocket was clutch in October. So too is possible former San Francisco Giant Madison Bumgarner. Don’t tell Smoltz, whose postseason resume is more impressive as well. Even if he couldn’t get the Yankees out in two Series.
The thing that was most impressive about the Nats pulling away for a 12-3 win at Minute Maid Park in Game Two was how tough Strasburg was. After permitting a tying Bregman two-run homer in the Houston home first that undid a two-run Rendon double, he was just as gritty as Scherzer in working six innings.
Despite Astro threats, he held them down the final five frames while digging deep into his arsenal. The 114th and final pitch got rookie Kyle Tucker looking on a nasty 3-2 slider to strand two runners. He also popped out the very tough Correa on another clutch 3-2 pitch. It says a lot about how well he’s pitched. Ditto for Scherzer, who could only go five due to leaving it all out in Game One by throwing 112 pitches. Each had seven strikeouts.
Washington broke open Game Two in the seventh after knocking out Verlander. They manufactured a key insurance run without a ball leaving the infield. Two walks from Verlander and reliever Ryan Pressly contributed. A sacrifice bunt (yes. Bunting is allowed!) from Eaton moved runners into scoring position. After Pressly got Rendon to pop out to short center where Robles wisely didn’t test Springer’s strong arm, Soto was intentionally walked to load the bases. That left it up to Kendrick.
All Pressly needed was one more out to escape. However, Kendrick hit a tough grounder to the left of Bregman. In a rush to make the play and get out of the inning, he booted the ball allowing Robles to score the Nats fourth run. Following a Cabrera RBI base hit that plated two more, it all came apart for Houston. Bregman mishandled a slow Zimmerman ground ball by rushing a wild throw by Gurriel to score two more runs.
The air was out of the Astros balloon. Eaton added a two-run dinger and Michael A. Taylor added another as the game turned into a 12-3 laugher for the Nationals. Houston became a booing stadium with spoiled angry fans leaving early. What did Robinson Chirinos say again about Yankee fans last series? Oh. Nevermind. That applies to all fans these days.
So, it’s the Nats up two games to none with a chance to put a stranglehold on this 115th World Series. Friday night’s match-up pits Sanchez against Zack Greinke. The other Astros ace who can deliver a big game. He’ll need to if his team wants a realistic chance of coming back.
The Nationals have three finalists for this season’s Gold Glove Awards:
Anthony Rendon, 3B Juan Soto, LF Victor Robles, CF
If the Nats continue to outplay the Astros which is what skipper AJ Hinch said the other night, they’ll make history. There hasn’t been a World Series Champion in DC since the ’24 Senators when they beat the New York Giants in six. This is the first Series a team from Washington has played since ’33. In that one, it was the Giants turn to defeat the Senators in five.
It would be a pretty dramatic turnaround for a team, who looked out of it in May. We’ll see if these Nationals have that killer instinct. They’ll should need it.
In possibly his final MLB appearance, CC Sabathia made an emotional exit after an apparent arm injury and received a standing ovation from Yankees fans 🙏 pic.twitter.com/Vr1CWXxefs
–BrianCashman revealed that the Yankees didn’t acquire Verlander during the post waivers old trade period in August due to not wanting to exceed the luxury tax in 2017. It just proves what we’ve always thought. Hal Steinbrenner isn’t his father. He’s a shadow to The Boss.
–When they say Joe Girardi didn’t choose the Mets, they’re wrong. The Mets didn’t choose Girardi. You know why. The Wilpons can’t hire a former Yankee who won a World Series. They also know they can’t control Girardi, who’s his own person. I guess they don’t know franchise history that well. Casey Stengel and Yogi Berra?!?!?!?!?!
–Instead, Girardi will take over the Phillies. No more lazy summer days in Philadelphia. That includes Harper, who can do much better than what he hit in his first year in the City of Brotherly Love. You also know Girardi will fix their bullpen.
–How would Mets fans feel if the Nationals win the Series on top of the rival Phillies hiring Girardi and knowing the Braves aren’t going anywhere? It’s not too reassuring. It’ll be interesting to see who they do hire. Is it Nats bench coach Tim Bogar, or polarizing former star Mets center fielder Carlos Beltran? Or perhaps it’s someone else who unpredictable GM Brodie Van Wagenen covets.
–Aaron Hicks will have Tommy John surgery as expected. Meaning for the second straight year, a key Yankee position player needs it and will be out eight to ten months. Last year, it was Didi Gregorius, who could be on the outs in a month. Hicks showed more heart in returning and putting together tough at bats than most of his healthier teammates.
-To be a fly on the wall at Giancarlo Stanton’s. What must he be thinking after how he was treated in Game Six?
–Aaron Boone is a good guy who says all the right things about his team after Year Two. Unless management goes out and gets a big starter (Cole, Strasburg, Bumgarner), nobody will believe they can bring the World Series back to the Bronx. It’s the first decade since 1910-19 that the Yankees haven’t played in a Series. I was too young to remember ’81 against the Dodgers. So, 1996 was very special. We were spoiled in that era of the Core Four.
–If only everyone had the class that CC Sabathia exuded at the end of a brilliant career after literally squeezing through the final two outs before his arm gave out at an emotional Yankee Stadium in Game Four. There wasn’t a dry eye in the house or at homes of fans who love what CC brought. How respected is he? You had Astros including Cole cheering as he was helped off the field fighting back tears. Next stop. Cooperstown.
–Shame on the Astros for not firing their former assistant general manager sooner after it came out that he harassed female reporters over their checkered closer Osuna’s past which included domestic violence. That’s why Toronto ditched him. No. I won’t name the bastard who acted like an unprofessional idiot. He doesn’t deserve that recognition.
–Gary Sanchez just chased another pitch out of the zone. Gregorius just swung at another first pitch. Edwin Encarnacion just whiffed again. Aaron Judge just made another out. Ditto for Brett Gardner even though I love him. Do they bring the proud veteran outfielder back? I would not trade Clint Frazier.
–What about third base? Is it Gio Urshela time for good to a superior glove and surprising season? What do they do with Miguel Andujar? I would consider moving him to first or DH. The problem is there are too many designated hitters on the roster. Especially if Stanton is back and Sanchez can’t be a full-time catcher. Lots of questions for the Pinstripes, who also have Mike Tauchman. A solid outfielder with good speed. What is he?
–Here’s hoping Dellin Betances is re-signed. At this point, if Aroldis Chapman opts out and feels he’s worth a lot more, hand the closer role over to Zack Britton. They can have Betances set up if he comes back healthy. Plus Chad Green, Adam Ottavino and Tommy Kahnle. That would be a way to save money for a number one starter. They can also save by not re-upping Didi and letting Gardner go. But he might be needed with Hicks out until at least late June.
–Both Judge and Sanchez are arbitration eligible, which means they’re getting bumped up. Depending on what the Yankees decide, that could cost between $12 to 16 million. Unless they go long-term with Judge. A risk due to the past two seasons. Plus the whole luxury tax factor.
–Mike Trout and Christian Yelich took home the Hank Aaron Award for the respective best players in each league. Neither should win MVP. Though you know they’ll find a way to shaft Bregman. I feel LeMahieu was more valuable to his team than Trout due to all the Yankee injuries. But you know he’s coming in a distant third. The Senior Circuit will be 1.Cody Bellinger. 2.Yelich. 3.Rendon. 4.Ronald Acuna Jr.
–For all the deserved criticism Braves superstar Acuna received for not hustling, where was it for Springer in Game One when he hop stepped out of the box instead of running hard? He should’ve been on third down a run. Inexcusable from a proven star player of his caliber. But let’s kill Acuna Jr, who’s only 21.
–Right now, I’ll take Soto due to his unique approach over Acuna and Gleyber Torres, who still must improve defensively if he’s taking over at short for Gregorius. Soto is more complete at this stage. Happy Birthday 🎂🎉 too to him. He turns the big 21 today. Will he do something special for the home crowd later?
–The NBA is back. So is losing Knicks basketball where inexplicably, Dave Fizdale decided to play promising rookie RJ Barrett at the point while hardly using Dennis Smith, Jr and Frank Ntilkina in a road loss to the Spurs. A game they could’ve won. Only Fizdale could lie like this to Knicks fans.
–Nice to see James Harden in playoff form after basically declaring he’s the real MVP over Giannis Antetokuonpo. The rating MVP only went for a triple double carrying his team back to a road win while Harden was busy watching running mate Russell Westbrook score all the points and take most of the shots. Harden took only 13 shots making two while turning over the ball seven times and running over a couple of Bucks. But he made all 14 free throws and had 14 assists. Where was he with Giannis fouled out on the bench? Watching Brook Lopez go old school in the post to beat his Rockets.
–The Clippers followed up their win over the LeFraud/Anthony Davis Lakers by running the Warriors off their new home floor. Beautiful stuff. Kawhi Leonard again proving why he’s now the game’s best player. Dray Green isn’t too pleased.
"I'm not a moral victory guy. I'm not leaving this game looking for something to build off on.
–Kyrie Irving became the seventh Net player to go for 50 in his Brooklyn Nets debut by shooting 17 for 33 with seven treys. But his teammates were passengers in the one point overtime loss to the Wolves, who ironically got the clinching bucket from overpaid Andrew Wiggins. He scored their last four to help them edge the Nets. Irving took all the shots or so it seemed in overtime. That included a off balance turnaround 14 footer that went off the rim. Even without Kevin Durant, he doesn’t need to do that.
There was no debut in NBA history like @KyrieIrving's.
–I’m not sure who’s better. Luka Doncic or Trae Young. Both are clear superstars who can take over games and make teammates better. Both the Mavericks and Hawks are teams to watch. Great trade for each.
–DeAndre Ayton already suspended 25 games for something illegal he shouldn’t have took. Do you think the Phoenix Suns want a do over? Holy moly. He also took money at that honorable institution known as the University of Arizona. And somehow, crook Sean Miller still has a job. Only the NCAA.
–There really isn’t much for New York sports fans to get excited about with the Yankees done. Both the Jets and Giants stink. Sam Darnold is seeing ghosts while Daniel Jones is seeing stars and turning more into Eli Manning. The Knicks will be in a usual Halloween horror starring resident clowns Fizdale, Steve Mills, James Dolan along with Michael Myers, Jason and Freddie Krueger. The Nets should be fun. Of the three hockey teams, only the Islanders look good so far with both the Rangers and Devils in rebuilds. At least the Rangers ended their losing streak at five on Thursday night. It is looking like a long autumn and longer winter ahead.
All Aroldis Chapman can do is walk back to the dugout as Astros hero and Yankee Killer Jose Altuve celebrates his game-winning two-run series clinching home run to win the ALCS. AP Photo via Getty Images courtesy Major League Baseball.
So much for being a team of destiny. The 2019 New York Yankees gave off that vibe for most of the season due to their #NextManUp team mantra. It didn’t matter how many players went down. They continued to defy logic by consistently winning games.
They do deserve some credit for winning 103 games and taking the AL East crown back from Boston, who had a very disappointing year. Unlike the Yankees, the Red Sox are making mass changes. Maybe that’s the telling difference between the two old rivals. Things have changed ever since the ’04 Sox rallied from 3-0 down to stun the Yankees en route to their first World Series title since 1918.
Here’s your tally since the dynasty Yankees won their fourth and final championship in 2000.
WORLD SERIES TITLES
Red Sox 4 (’04, ’07, ’13, ’18)
Yankees 1 (2009)
I hate Boston as much as the next person. But they run their franchise very differently since breaking the Curse of the Babe. The point is that used to be the Yankee way. Unfortunately, George Steinbrenner is long gone. That’s left son Hal in charge of the franchise that’s not all about winning. At least not at all costs like The Boss.
Do you think they would have a 27th World Championship in 2009 without GM Brian Cashman going all out by signing future Hall Of Famer CC Sabathia. Of course not. No CC. No World Series a decade ago. They also added AJ Burnett, Nick Swisher and former Red Sock ’04 hero Johnny Damon. Damon and Sabathia were the most crucial additions to a team that still featured Core Four members Derek Jeter, Jorge Posada and Mariano Rivera. Robinson Cano was the star second baseman. Hideki Matsui the clutch postseason hitter. Alex Rodriguez the superstar who finally delivered in October.
Having the cool personalities of Burnett, Damon and Swisher gave that team a lot of character. Manager Joe Girardi wore the number 27 in the first year at the new Yankee Stadium. They got it done under his leadership. Even if he wasn’t as easy going with the press, Girardi was the best man for the job he held for a decade until Aaron Boone replaced him last year.
Now, Girardi could wind up in Queens as the new Mets skipper. Can you imagine that? He’s gonna have a second interview there and with the Phillies. The Cubs are also interested in the former catcher, who started his MLB career in the Windy City. Yes. I might even have a Girardi rookie card stored away in that memorable Rising Stars set. That’s when collecting cards was fun.
Yes. I have those cool sets with the unique design stored away in my attic. Can you believe it? I’m such a sports nerd. I save everything. I still have the old ’90 Pro Set football cards with all the rookies including former Giants running back Rodney Hampton.
The last Yankee team that went this far was managed by Girardi in 2017. They overachieved by stunning the Indians in five to come back from 2-0 down and win the ALDS. They then showed tremendous heart in winning the middle three games at home before the new Yankee kryptonite Houston Astros blew the doors off them at that annoying ballpark with the loathsome train horn.
Home field meant everything in that series. Kind of like the memorable 2001 World Series they lost to the Diamondbacks in seven. I can still see the pained grin on Rivera, who couldn’t believe Luis Gonzalez beat him on a good cutter. That one did sting. However, I still look back on it favorably due to the unbelievable heart that team had. They fought back to beat the Athletics with Mike Mussina and the flip by Jeter saving the season.
They took down the major league’s best team in the Mariners, highlighted by a dominant Roger Clemens October performance. Then there were the unreal ninth innings against Byung-Hyun Kim. Tino Martinez and Mr. November in Game Four. Then Scott Brosius and Alfonso Soriano in Game Five.
Even though they lost, that entire run was unbelievable. What they did for NYC after the terrorist attacks on 9/11 was amazing. It gave New York sports fans something to rally around. Though I’m not sure Mets fans would agree. They had that signature moment with Mike Piazza’s go-ahead home run to beat the Braves right after baseball returned. Very special no matter who you root for.
Why did pest Jose Altuve’s game-winning two-run home run off Aroldis Chapman in the bottom of the ninth feel like a punch to the gut? Maybe it’s because I cannot stand that team. I despise everything about them. From that fraud Nolan Ryan, who conveniently left the Texas Rangers for dead to become Mr. Houston Astro again. Of course, it came once they started winning following some truly pathetic teams. The Ryan Express was a great pitcher. But he’s a phony.
While I respect Altuve for the winning ballplayer he is, something about him rubs me the wrong way. Perhaps it’s because he reminds me of a gnat you can’t get rid of. You can’t kill him. He’s like Michael Myers, Jason or Freddy Krueger. Halloween is a little over a week away. Trick or Treat.
The one thing I’ll say for the Astros is they are willing to go the extra mile to win with a core that features Altuve, George Springer, Alex Bregman, Carlos Correa, Yuli Gurriel and struggling rookie Yordan Alvarez, who looked like he never hit a curve ball despite all his success. Have fun trying to hit Max Scherzer, Stephen Strasburg, Patrick Corbin and Anibal Sanchez. Let’s Go Nats!
To Houston’s credit, they robbed the Pirates blind by stealing Gerrit Cole for a package that’s cringe worthy. Colin Moran is the best of the four players they gave up on Jan. 13, 2018 for my choice for American League Cy Young. Michael Feliz, Joe Musgrove and someone by the name of Jason Martin were the other parts of the lopsided blockbuster.
That’s why the Pirates are the Pirates. They haven’t won in 40 years. Willie Stargell is rolling around in his grave. So is Roberto Clemente. Dave Parker is still around. So are Barry Bonds and hated former Met Bobby Bonilla. They know the pain of Pirates fans from losing three straight pennants including the final two to the Braves. They lost Bonilla and Bonds in consecutive winters and haven’t been back since. Francisco Cabrera off Stan Belinda with Sid Bream beating Bonds’ throw. The lasting image of Bream celebrating while a kneeling Bonds was heartbroken. He went to Dad’s Giants.
Heartbroken is how I feel over the six-game crushing defeat to the hated Astros. It wasn’t so much that they were great in taking the rematch. It’s that they delivered enough in big spots to win the ALCS. Let’s count the ways they turned a bunch of Savages into Tinmen.
Following a great Game One highlighted by five RBI’s from Gleyber Torres, homers from Giancarlo Stanton and Gio Urshela, and Masahiro Tanaka shutting the Astros down in a 7-0 Yankee win, you had Boone panic by pulling Chad Green for an ineffective Adam Ottavino in Game Two. His first pitch was a hanging slider that Springer crushed to tie the game up. The Yankee bats went dead silent despite knocking out Justin Verlander in the seventh inning. They did nothing against the Houston pen and eventually Correa homered off JA Happ in the 11th to even the series.
Then came Game Three. A very frustrating 4-1 loss in the Bronx to Cole, who got by on guile and grit despite not having his best stuff. Despite an early blow from the gnat Altuve off Luis Severino, the Yankees put the first two on. For reasons only known to Boone and the Crack Committee (analytics crap!), Brett Gardner hit third over Torres. What a colossal mistake. Gardner, who I’ll always admire for what he did in his career including being part of that ’09 championship team, was brutal in the six games. So too was Edwin Encarnacion, who just never found his timing. He struck out 11 times and played in five of the six games. Meanwhile, Stanton suffered a quad injury and only got into one more game following a good Game One. Nobody knows why he didn’t get an at bat in Game Six. He left without speaking to reporters.
As for that first, after Torres walked to load the bases, Didi Gregorius grounded out to second on an 0-1 pitch. That was how his whole series went. He frequently swung first pitch in key situations and came up empty. He wasn’t alone. This was the Yankee approach versus the Astros Big Three of Cole, Verlander and Zack Greinke, who they stole from Arizona. The same way they had no problem trading for Verlander in August 2017 from the Toledo Tigers. A guy I wanted. You cannot make it up. Houston has their only championship due to him and could get a second in three years.
To be blunt, the Yankee hitting stunk. What did Aaron Judge do after Game Two? Nada. The two-run homer to the opposite field off Verlander were his only runs batted in. He made outstanding defensive plays in right to steal hits away. However, he’ll best be remembered for getting doubled up at first by Michael Brantley, who robbed Aaron Hicks of a hit by making a great diving catch on a sinking bloop to end the Yankee seventh in Game Six. Judge also followed up DJ LeMahieu’s stunning two-run homer to right by striking out swinging against Houston closer Roberto Osuna in the ninth. He wound up a disappointing 6-for-25 (.240) with a home run, two RBI’s, one extra base hit with three walks and 10 strikeouts. One of four Yankees who had double digit K’s. The others were Gary Sanchez (12), Encarnacion (11) and Gardner (10).
The best Yankee hitter was LeMahieu, who finished 9-for-26 (.346) with a team-leading six runs scored, two dingers and three RBI’s. Cashman’s best signing in quite a while also had a team best 1.029 OPS with more walks (3) than K’s (2). All out of the leadoff spot where he excelled while shifting to first where he played solid defense despite not having much experience. He’s really a second baseman. It speaks volumes to how versatile he is. He also played some third before Gio Urshela became a fixture at the hot corner. Urshela didn’t have a good series, but went 3-for-3 with a solo homer and base hit to start the Yankee ninth inning rally. He played outstanding defense and finished .238-2-2 with two walks and two K’s, meaning he put the ball in play.
Torres did too with most of the production in Game One when he was great driving in five at age 22 with a run scoring double, homer and a two-run bloop. He also went yard in Game Three for the Yanks’ only run. Still, he hit .280 with two long balls, six RBI’s, four extra base hits with two walks and four whiffs. His on-base percentage was .333 and OPS was .933. He also showed his youth with some brutal errors in a awful Game Four loss. His at bat with the bases loaded and one out was abysmal. Of course, Encarnacion followed with a inning ending strikeout.
That’s how the series went. Yankees failing in the clutch where they left 42 runners on base. They weren’t patient enough. The Astros weren’t much better, but they did damage when they had to with the three-run homer. Springer, Correa and Gurriel all had big ones when their team needed it.
The only Yankee who delivered that kinda blow was Aaron Hicks against Verlander in a four run first in a 4-1 win in Game Five. LeMahieu and Hicks responded immediately to a first inning run by the Astros due to a wild pitch from James Paxton. After he escaped further damage, he was superb going six frames with nine strikeouts on a Yankee season high 112 pitches. Imagine that.
Hicks didn’t get many hits following his return. However, he put together a lot of tough at bats by fouling off pitches and working the count. That disciplined approach was one most Yankees lacked. In five games, Hicks drew four walks while going 2-for-13 with his big three-run homer. He was a bit unlucky too on the fantastic Brantley web gem in the final game. Brantley was a player I wanted the Yankees to sign for left field. Oh well. He’s such a disciplined hitter. He hit .304 with seven singles and four walks. Plus good D. No uppercut swings from Brantley. Just a smart approach.
As disappointing as some of the big Yankees were, you had Sanchez going out of the strike zone to chase pitches he couldn’t touch. He did hit a home run in Game Five and drove in Gregorius with a hard single up the middle in Game Six. He also had a rare walk in a good at bat. If only the still 26-year old free swinger adjusted his philosophy. One that’s plaguing baseball. It’s why you’re seeing many double digit strikeout games. While homers have increased, so have K’s due to launch angle and exit velocity. Batting averages have decreased. This flawed philosophy is making games unwatchable for diehard fans like myself.
Pretty soon, the stolen base will be extinct along with a true favorite, the hit and run which John Sterling praised on the radio that Brantley perfectly executed by hitting a ball to right between a big hole that moved Altuve to third. That to me is smart baseball strategy that wins. So was Bregman just making contact for what turned out to be a huge run in Game Six with the Yankee infield back for a 4-2 Astros lead in that home sixth to plate Altuve, who got on via a leadoff walk against Tommy Kahnle. Those walks will kill you.
I’ve heard a lot about both Green and Kahnle being overworked. Baloney! That’s how the Yankees were built. Did they miss Dellin Betances and the foolish Domingo German? You betcha! However, take a closer look at the Gurriel three-run homer off Green in the first? It was a high inside pitch off the plate that he turned around. How did he do it? Sometimes, you have to give the hitter credit. He had done zilch up till that point.
Both Green and Kahnle were outstanding. They don’t get that far without them or Zack Britton. Plus Chapman, who Boone twice used in a tie game on the road. It didn’t work out. He walked Springer with two out and then Altuve did what he does. He became the first player to hit a series winning homer off a Yankee pitcher since Bill Mazeroski in the famed ’60 World Series.
It hurts more because the series was very close. Ultimately, Game Two did them in. They scored no runs following Judge’s blast off Verlander. Then let Cole off the hook. But Cole is dominant and tough as he proved that game. He went seven scoreless and still fanned seven despite some wildness (5 walks). He’s that good. Verlander gave up six earned in his two starts. He didn’t get a win and was tagged with the loss in Game Five. Greinke was better in the lopsided 8-3 win in Game Four that saw the Yankees fumble the ball around like Daniel Jones.
The Astros outscored the Yankees 22-21 in the six game series. Don’t forget the Yanks led 7-0 early. It was 9-2 until Correa led off the momentum shifting 11th with his walk off homer. After the Judge home run in the fourth of Game Two, the Yankee bats scored zero runs over the next 14 innings. That’s awful. Only a Torres solo shot in the home eighth in the third game snapped the drought.
Even worse, it took them a while to get to the Astros bullpen in the sixth game. They didn’t score off a shaky and sweating Josh James, who looked extremely nervous until AJ Hinch pulled him. Ryan Pressly got LeMahieu on one pitch to bounce out to him. DJ’s worst at bat that killed a bases loaded, two out rally in the third. Pressly reinjured his knee and is likely done. Unfortunate for the Astros, who don’t have nearly as much depth in the pen. They’ll lean on their three aces and relievers Will Harris, Joe Smith and closer Osuna.
I’ll readily admit I thought the Yankees were done after the seventh when Judge got doubled up by Brantley. I went upstairs to listen to the final two innings on the radio. So much better to hear Sterling call the action with Suzyn Waldman than listen to Fox bozo John Smoltz embarrass himself with his anti Yankee agenda. He must still be bitter over ’96 and ’99. The Hall of Famer was as clutch as it got in October. However, he had a career ERA over 8.00 vs the Yankees. Hahaha.
Following Urshela’s hit, Gardner struck out swinging in likely his final at bat in Pinstripes. He’s 36 and had a heck of a season with a career best 28 homers. He just looked overmatched against Houston. Gardy still plays a good outfield as he proved by going back to center with Hicks out. I thought they would move on last offseason. He proved me wrong. As someone fortunate enough to cover him at the beginning of his pro career when he helped the Staten Island Yankees win a NY-Penn League Championship in ’05, it’s been a joy to follow his career. He’s a winner.
With one on and one out, LeMahieu had a long battle with Osuna before working the count full. He fouled off some pitches to get to 3-2 when he stunned everyone including Sterling. From his play by play call, I could tell he didn’t think the ball was gone. He described Springer on the track leaping up over the wall in a desperate attempt to pull it back. The ball just landed in the second row for a shocking, game-tying two-run homer. It was suddenly 4-4.
At that point, I went from extremely calm due to expecting the game and series to end to very nervous due to anxiety. After Osuna rebounded to retire Judge and Torres, it was up to Chapman. He faced 8-9-1. He struck out Martin Maldonado and got Josh Redick to pop out. Then up came Springer, who was seeing the ball better. When Chapman fell behind 2-0, I got worried. Sure enough, he lost him setting the stage for Mr. Yankee Killer.
After going 2-0 on the ever dangerous Altuve, who’s small in stature, but extremely strong, I didn’t have a good feeling. He’s just so tough. For some odd reason, I flashed back to Seattle in Game Five back in ’95 at the old Kingdome. Edgar Martinez came up in a similar spot and ripped one down the line to score a flying Ken Griffey, Jr. all the way around from first. That was gut wrenching. Don Mattingly’s final game.
Maybe that’s who Altuve reminds me of. He has a similar approach and is extremely clutch. He didn’t hit a double down the line to score Springer. Instead, the All-Star second baseman drove a 2-1 slider to left center field easily clearing the wall for a game winning two-run home run that Sterling appropriately called by going into his “High, Far, Gone,” signature. He made a professional call and that’s what separates him from most homers. There was no disgust or disappointment. He told it right.
That’s why I love Sterling. He did the same thing when the Red Sox finally beat our Yankees, giving full credit to them for what they accomplished.
Just like that, there would be no extra innings. No Game Seven. No more drama, or hopeful thoughts of a comeback. It stinks. That’s the harsh reality. That’s sports. One minute, you’re up. The next, you’re down. It almost sounds like the Stock Market.
So, where do they go from here? I don’t know. If they think they can get by without chasing Cole, Strasburg assuming he opts out, or even Madison Bumgarner, they’re wrong. There won’t be any reason for Yankee fans to get excited about 2020 unless the mindset changes.
That is all I’ll say. No more half assing or horsing around. It’s time for Hal and Cashman to go all in. There’s a part near the conclusion of Rounders that sums it up well.
They’re either in it to win it or full of it. What’s it going to be? Enough about the luxury tax and payroll. Nobody has more resources available than the Yankees. It’s time to become hated again.
World Series Number 28 isn’t going to magically arrive. It’s time to stop lying to the fans. Throw all their chips in. Do whatever it takes!
It’s a Wednesday morning here in the forgotten borough of Shaolin in the NYC. Heavy rain is on the horizon for the metro area including in the South Bronx where it’s unlikely they’ll play Game Four of an ALCS that’s swung in the direction of Houston.
We’ll get to why the Yankees are in trouble. Plus commend the Nationals on their amazing turnaround to make the World Series by sweeping the Cardinals. And the latest fallout from the NBA in China debacle with league spokesman and face LeBron James doing more damage with insensitive remarks.
-Following a impressive 7-0 victory in Game One highlighted by Gleyber Torres driving in five while Masahiro Tanaka dominated and Giancarlo Stanton went deep, the Yankees have run into trouble since Saturday night.
In fact, they’ve only scored three runs over the last two games. Both losses with particularly Game Two a tough one due to getting Astros ace Justin Verlander out of the game in the seventh inning. If only Aaron Boone hadn’t gone to Adam Ottavino following a lights out performance from Chad Green, who retired all six batters after relieving an ineffective James Paxton.
We all know what happened. On one pitch from Ottavino, George Springer undid Aaron Judge’s two-run opposite field home run by tying the game up with a blast to dead center off a hanging slider. Ottavino even struggled against the Twins in righty on righty match-ups including walking Nelson Cruz before getting a quick hook. For some reason, Boone has stuck with the suddenly struggling reliever. It’s come back to bite him.
When you have a strong bullpen like the Yankees do, they can usually piece things together and hold a team down to get a win. However, like Boone said following Carlos Correa hitting a walk off solo homer to lead off the bottom of the 11th inning against loser JA Happ, these are the Astros. They’re tough to beat. Especially when AJ Hinch can send out both Verlander and an even more dominant Gerrit Cole.
While Cole wasn’t quite himself during yesterday’s Astros 4-1 victory to take Game Three at the Stadium, he was plenty good enough to pitch in and out of trouble to record big outs. Following Jose Altuve’s solo shot off Luis Severino into the Yankee pen, here was a golden opportunity for the Pinstripes to get it right back. On consecutive singles from DJ LeMahieu and Judge to put runners on first and second, the Yanks were set up.
However, Brett Gardner harmlessly popped out on Cole’s second pitch. Then Edwin Encarnacion made out on one pitch to mystify fans. They still loaded the bases when Torres worked a walk. But Didi Gregorius was impatient by also going after the first pitch to let Cole off the hook. Oy. It was that kind of day. The Yankee bats went silent and couldn’t deliver a clutch hit.
It got even more frustrating when part timer Josh Reddick hit a bomb off Severino to right making it 2-0 Astros in the second. The damage could’ve been much worse had Severino not escaped a bases loaded jam in the first. He only threw 60 pitches the first two frames before settling in to pitch into the fifth. Full credit to Sevy for hanging in there. If only he didn’t get off to a poor star.
As dreadful as the Yankee hitters were stranding runners on base, it was another Boone move to Ottavino that effectively ended the game. After Green and Tommy Kahnle got the job done to keep Houston at two runs, in came Ottavino. Unfortunately, he hasn’t been the same pitcher since September. It didn’t take long for a perfect Altuve hit and run through a big hole between first and second to put runners on the corners with nobody out in the seventh.
Boone showed too much loyalty in a reliever he trusts. Sometimes, you have to be more instinctive in these pressurized situations. By the time Zack Britton came in, it was too late. Gary Sanchez couldn’t handle his wild pitch with the bases loaded to plate one. Another run made it 4-0 Houston. By that point, Cole had regained control following some command issues. He walked an unfamiliar five batters. It didn’t matter.
If only Gregorius’s deep drive to right had gone a few feet higher. Instead, Reddick hauled in the long fly at the warning track in front of the wall. Had it gone out, that would’ve made it 3-2 Yankees. Didi again swung first pitch with two on and two out. But he got a pitch he could do damage with and just missed. That’s baseball. It’s a game of inches and momentum swings.
Cole was still able to go seven innings and fan seven while again puting up zeroes for another postseason win. In my book, he deserves to win the AL Cy Young over teammate Verlander. He’s been untouchable in the second half of the season, improving to a combined 14-0 including three October starts. Ask Tampa how dominant he can be. They’re probably still having nightmares.
This was a winnable game for the Yankees just like the lengthy 11 inning Game Two that lasted over five hours. In that one, Boone used nine pitchers. That included Aroldis Chapman, who threw a dominant ninth with two K’s to force extras.By using him, that meant he had no one left to close in a road game. A no no. It was just a matter of time before the Astros got to Happ after he squeezed out of trouble in the 10th due to Jonathan Loaisiga walking two.
They still got the split with the next three at home. But knew who they had to face. Even on an off day, Cole was so tough. He made the big pitches to record the key outs frustrating a suddenly ice cold Yankee lineup. Which brings this question. Why did Boone drop Torres out of the three hole while moving Gardner back up? It made no sense. I actually thought he should’ve bunted the runners over. They needed to get that game tied by any means necessary.
It’s the ultimate second guess. Obviously, that’s not how the offense plays. They go for the knockout blow. It’s just much harder to get it in this series. Both Verlander and Cole were there to be had. It doesn’t explain the Yankees doing zilch versus the Astros pen in over four innings of Game Two and then firing blanks the final two innings on Tuesday.
But when many key hitters are slumping, it’s not going to help. Encarnacion has only a hit and has looked bad. Stanton injured his quad and could be done for the series, which would mean the rest of the postseason. The game he got two hits in including a home run, he hurt himself again. They were going to need him. Instead, Aaron Hicks returned for defense in Game Two and returned to center field in Game Three with Gardner shifting back to left. Hicks worked two walks on Cole by doing what he does best.
If only more batters had that approach. LeMahieu, Judge and Torres have been the most effective hitters. That’s why they should be batting 1-3 the remainder of the series. Not split up like yesterday. It was puzzling. Just as such is the sudden disappearance of Sanchez. With an 0 for 4 day that included two strikeouts, he’s 1 for 13 in the series with six K’s. It wasn’t much better in the sweep of the Twins where El Gary had one hit in eight at bats with four strikeouts. At least he drew three walks. Sanchez isn’t coming out of the lineup. He needs to change his approach in October before it’s too late.
Of course, Torres did something by ending the shutout with a solo home run to the opposite field in the home eighth off Houston reliever Joe Smith. But that was it. The Yankees went down easily to closer Roberto Osuna in a dead ninth that sent fans home disappointed.
Obviously, if they’re gonna come back, it’s imperative that they win the next two games. The only question is what happens with Game Four if it’s rained out? Who gets the advantage? If it were today, it would be a bullpen game for Boone, who would go with an opener. If it gets pushed back to Thursday, he could go back to Tanaka on regular rest. That would help, but Houston would also have Greinke available. He wasn’t bad in Game One, but gave up three earned in six innings with homers allowed to Torres and Stanton.
Does Boone consider sitting Encarnacion or will he stick with him? Cameron Maybin can DH. But it would obviously be Stanton if he’s not done. If he is, there’s discussion on forgotten man Mike Tauchman, who is getting ready in Tampa. He was supposed to miss six to eight weeks due to a calf strain. But it’s been five weeks already and he could be activated if Stanton is out. Tauchman had a good approach at the plate when he filled in. He was a good glove too with decent speed.
We’ll see what Boone decides. It’s not over yet. This team has been resilient all year. They’ve also been a excellent home team. They’re being tested against the World Series favorites. You knew this wouldn’t be no picnic. That’s why I never understood some of the cocky talkshow hosts picking the Yankees in five. You have to be nuts to have thought that.
If they are to prevail, they’re gonna have to beat both Verlander and Cole. Especially with rain likely. But they first must win Game Four. When that is remains to be seen.
-The Nationals went from 19-31 only three games up over the awful Marlins to becoming the first team from Washington to make a World Series since the Senators in 1933. They eventually became the Minnesota Twins in 1961 due to losing teams and dwindling attendance. In fact, the last World Series the Washington Senators won was in 1924 over the New York Giants. The Giants got revenge in ’33.
It’s a great story for the Washington Nationals, who for so long were an October punchline due to all the playoff failures. They had Bryce Harper and never advanced in any series. It took him leaving for big bucks to the rival Phillies for the team to come together. I knew they’d be good due to an outfield of Juan Soto, Adam Eaton and rookie Victor Robles. Plus MVP candidate Anthony Rendon and Trea Turner.
When you factor in that great staff headlined by dynamic duo Max Scherzer and Stephen Strasburg, followed by key additions Patrick Corbin and the surprising Anibal Sanchez, that has given them a great advantage. Sanchez, who flirted with a no-hitter in Game One versus the Cardinals to set the tone, has always been a good postseason pitcher. That dates back to his Tigers days with Scherzer ironically. Go figure. They could go up against former teammate Verlander. I wonder how Tiger fans would feel about that.
The amazing aspect is not only how they turned it around under Dave Martinez, who almost lost his job. But how about the comeback in the home eighth inning off Brewers closer Josh Hader in a game they trailed 3-1. Mr. National, Ryan Zimmerman delivering that broken bat bloop to keep that inning alive. Then Rendon showing great discipline to work a walk on a full count that loaded the bases for Soto. He delivered the big two-run double that tied it. But a misplay allowed Rendon to come all the way around to score the winning run in a stunning 4-3 comeback win.
It was a great moment that proved these Nats were different. They wouldn’t roll over. Not to the Dodgers after Corbin couldn’t get the job done in relief of Sanchez in a disastrous sixth to put the Nationals back on the brink. But Scherzer wouldn’t allow them to lose at home to force a tough Game Five at Dodger Stadium. They again trailed late in the fateful eighth like the wildcard. Then both Rendon and Soto went back-to-back on Clayton Kershaw to stun everyone to tie the score 3-3.
Once that happened, it was obvious they were winning. It went to the 10th when Dave Roberts mysteriously allowed reliever Joe Kelly to pitch a second inning while closer Kenley Jansen stayed put. It backfired. He ran out of gas. Former Dodger Howie Kendrick delivered the big blow with a grand slam that sent the Nats to a stirring 7-3 win in Game Five to take the NLDS.
That same night where Strasburg allowed three early runs before hanging tough to give his team a chance, Corbin redeemed himself with a strong effort out of the pen. Daniel Hudson nervously watched rookie Will Smith push Eaton to the warning track in the Dodgers ninth before he hauled it in to force extras.
Maybe they’re a team of destiny. It would be fitting in a year Harper left. This World Series is long overdue. It’s 25 years in the making. The Montreal Expos were the best team in baseball during the ’94 season before greed got in the way of a great year. The strike ended a potential Yankees vs Expos Series. A dream match up considering how good both teams were. Plus Don Mattingly near the end. My favorite player.
It would be fitting if the Yankees came back to beat the Astros to create a unique World Series. Sure. They aren’t the Expos anymore. That ship sailed a long time ago. It’s pretty cool that Zimmerman, who is the Nationals first draft pick, is still around delivering big hits. Just like it’s awesome that Kendrick has become a October hero at 36 by delivering RBI double after RBI double to win NLCS MVP. He’s always been a professional hitter.
It proves that you still need proven vets to get the job done. Kendrick doesn’t swing for the fences like so many due to launch angle. That’s good. The Nats dominated the Cards in that sweep with Sanchez, Scherzer and Strasburg unhittable. Corbin fanned 12 in his Game Four start and that was the worst one due to St. Louis not giving up after falling behind 7-0 in the first.
They even managed to get the tying run to the plate, but a resilient Corbin got both Paul Goldschmidt and Marcel Ozuna to chase nasty pitches in the dirt. Sean Doolittle and Hudson finished off the Cardinals to win 7-4 and set off a huge celebration in the nation’s capital.
Good for them. They’re a great story. Now, they’ll have to wait to see who they play. Hopefully, the layoff doesn’t hurt them.
-Finally, here was the NBA in China disaster becoming even worse when ignorant fool LeBron James opened his mouth by criticizing Rockets GM Daryl Morey for having the audacity to tweet a Gif in support of Hong Kong protesters. How dare someone tell the truth about what’s going on in China where lives are lost and threatened due to people not having the same freedom we do in our country.
You know. The United States of America where superstars like LeBron and other NBA stars including loud mouth coaches Steve Kerr and Gregg Popovich speak out against President Trump daily. They’re free to express their opinions on Trump and other important issues in our country. However, it pales in comparison to what Chinese citizens go through daily.
James talked about how Morey was misinformed and how it was a tough week for the NBA. It was a bunch of selfish baloney from a superstar who only cares about the bottom line. He and many other stars rake in millions from China due to Nike and other sponsors. That’s all that is on his mind.
When they talk about the oppressed in the USA along with innocent victims of gun violence, that’s all well and good. But they can’t ever address what’s happening in a country run by a dictatorship where there is a lot more unnecessary violence and unfair attacks on its own people. They’d rather not say anything like James Harden and Russell Westbrook did following an exhibition that got blacked out and had sponsorships removed due to Morey being honest on a social media platform.
Silence is still better than a poorly educated LeBron making very irresponsible statements that make him look bad and the NBA foolish. It does more damage to their product from a PR standpoint and turns global fans against them.
Good for fans in Hong Kong burning LeBron jerseys and realizing the truth. He doesn’t care about them. That’s why he’s LeFraud.
Big kudos to Enes Kanter for tweeting his disbelief over James’s response. Kanter knows all about unfair treatment due to an evil regime in his home country Turkey. They arrested his father for being affiliated with a terrorist organization. That’s all due to Kanter speaking out against the dictatorship in a country of ruins. He can’t ever go back. They’d arrest him.
It was a great night for the Yankees, who dominated the Astros 7-0 to take Game One of the ALCS. AP Photo via Getty Images courtesy MLB
The Yankees defeated the Astros 7-0 to grab Game One of the American League Championship Series in Houston. They lead the best of seven series one game to none.
It was Gleyber Mania at Minute Maid Park tonight. The star Yankees second baseman had a big night, going three for five with five runs batted in. That included a tiebreaking double off losing Houston starter Zack Greinke in the fourth inning. Torres added a solo home run in the sixth to increase the lead to 2-0. Two batters later, Giancarlo Stanton followed by going deep to the opposite field.
Gleyber wasn’t done. He added a big two out, two-run base hit with the bases loaded that plated both Didi Gregorius and DJ LeMahieu in the Yankee seventh off Astros reliever Ryan Pressly. He would add a fifth RBI in a two-run ninth to add a touchdown and extra point.
Third baseman Gio Urshela previously hit his first homer of the postseason. He had two hits and played superb defense, starting a 5-4-3 double play. One of three the Yankees turned. The biggest coming when Aaron Judge caught a Yordan Alvarez line drive to right and doubled off Astros third baseman Alex Bregman for a huge 9-3 twin killing in the home fifth. Also credit LeMahieu with a great scoop of Judge’s throw to get Bregman.
While the Yankees were able to score three runs against Greinke in six innings, Masahiro Tanaka was brilliant going six scoreless by allowing only
a hit to rookie Kyle Tucker. He walked one and struck out four. Astonishingly, the veteran righty continued his October mastery by keeping Houston hitters off balance. He only threw 68 pitches including 45 for strikes to earn his second win of this postseason.
It all worked out well for manager Aaron Boone. With Torres adding two key insurance runs, Boone went to his bullpen for the last three innings. Adam Ottavino worked around two Houston hits with the second due to confusion between Torres and Gregorius. Torres should’ve taken the ground ball and stepped on second and thrown to first.
Instead, Astro fans finally had something to get excited about. But with runners on the corners, Ottavino induced a inning ending 6-4-3 double play on Bregman.
Following a scoreless frame from lefty Zack Britton, Urshela hit the Yankees’ third home run of the night to make it 6-0. An RBI fielder’s choice from Torres scored LeMahieu, who was his usual good self. He went two for four with a walk, reaching base three times while scoring three runs out of the leadoff spot. He also played a good first.
With his team comfortably up seven runs, Boone opted to rest Aroldis Chapman and let Jonathan Loaisiga record the final three outs.
In two starts this postseason, Tanaka has two victories and given up one earned run on four hits with two walks and 11 K’s over 11 innings. That’s how good he’s been. His career ERA is now down to 1.32 in the postseason. That’s the third best all-time with Tanaka in good company with dominant Yankee closer Mariano Rivera. Look who else he’s with as a starter. Wow.
The five RBI’s by Gleyber made him only the third player in MLB history to be 22 or younger and accomplish that rare playoff feat. Addison Russell did it last for the Cubs.
Only two Yankee regulars didn’t have a hit. They were Edwin Encarnacion and Brett Gardner, who was moved down to sixth in the order with Boone wisely moving Torres up to the three hole. He looks like a genius.
The only other Astros with hits were Bregman and Michael Brantley. Tucker had the only one versus Tanaka.
Game Two is Sunday night. First pitch is 8:08 EST. It’ll be James Paxton opposing Justin Verlander. While most have said they’re playing with house money, it’s a chance to go up 2-0 with the next three at the Stadium.
Given how good the Astros are, I say go for the jugular. It won’t be easy vs Verlander. If they can show good patience and plate discipline, it’s possible. Don’t forget Gerrit Cole goes in Game Three against Luis Severino.
If it’s anything like the Nationals second straight road win over the Cardinals was due to the dominance of starters Anibal Sanchez and Max Scherzer, it should be very interesting.
A day before the big ALCS rematch two years in the making between the Yankees and Astros, it’s the 55th Anniversary of one of those signature moments from Yankee legend Mickey Mantle.
It was 55 years ago today on October 11, 1964 that The Mick hit a game-winning home run to beat the Cardinals in Game Three of the World Series. Here’s how it looked and sounded:
If that doesn’t pump you up for Yankees vs Astros, I don’t know what will. This isn’t 2017 when the upstart Bronx Bombers under Joe Girardi shocked the Indians by coming back from a 2-0 deficit to beat them in five to advance to the American League Championship Series.
They weren’t supposed to be there. However, they showed a lot of heart winning the middle three games at the Stadium before the Astros took the final two in Houston on the strength of Justin Verlander and MVP second baseman Jose Altuve. Oh. And it was Charlie Morton who shutdown Aaron Judge and Company in Game 7. That Morton, who’ll finish third for the AL Cy Young behind former teammates Verlander and Gerrit Cole.
After a disappointing four game series loss to the Red Sox last year, the Yankees are back to face the Astros for the pennant. Whoever prevails will be an overwhelming favorite to win the World Series. Especially with the NLCS that starts tonight featuring the Nationals and Cardinals. Neither of who were supposed to be here. Though I did give both a puncher’s chance last round. But ultimately took the Dodgers and Braves in five.
Will the 2019 ALCS rematch be different for the Yankees? They’re significantly improved thanks to key additions DJ LeMahieu, James Paxton, Gleyber Torres, Edwin Encarnacion, Gio Urshela, Cameron Maybin, Adam Ottavino, Zack Britton and Giancarlo Stanton, who they’re banking on to deliver some big hits following a quiet first round even if he showed good plate discipline.
There are familiar faces too like Judge, Didi Gregorius, Gary Sanchez, Brett Gardner, Masahiro Tanaka, Luis Severino, Chad Green, Tommy Kahnle and Aroldis Chapman. Aaron Hicks has been cleared and will be on the roster. What role he’ll have is unclear. I would have him come off the bench as a pinch hitter, defensive replacement and potential base runner if he’s totally healthy.
The Astros are still loaded as ever featuring MVP candidate Alex Bregman, George Springer, Altuve, Yordan Alvarez, Carlos Correa, Michael Brantley, Yuli Gurriel, Josh Reddick, Robinson Chirinos, Verlander, Cole and Zack Greinke. There are question marks at the end of games due to closer Roberto Osuna. He can dominate or be shaky. Will Harris is the fallback option. Ryan Pressly and Joe Smith are key relievers who AJ Hinch will use sparingly.
The Yankees’ biggest edge is their very deep bullpen. Aaron Boone loves to mix and match with his big arms that can shorten up games for starters Paxton, Tanaka, Severino and possibly JA Happ depending on how comfortable the Yankee skipper is using him for Game Four. What about CC Sabathia? Is he good enough to return and have a middle relief role in his final October? We’ll see.
What about that final spot on the bench? Is Luke Voit in jeopardy with utility man Tyler Wade giving Boone a good defensive option, who also can pinch run? Mike Ford seems like an afterthought even though it was him who had a strong finish over Voit, who isn’t the same since the sports hernia that’ll require surgery this offseason.
Here’s the rub. Can the Yankees overcome the flat out dominance of Cole, who deserves his first Cy Young over teammate Verlander? They’ll likely see Cole in Game Three and a potential Game Seven. The same pitcher who struck out double digits in two epic starts over the Rays. That included a remarkable 15. He was just as great in last night’s Game Five clincher won by the Astros 6-1.
The duo of Cole-Verlander is scary. Even for a much more balanced Yankee lineup. Greinke is the wildcard. He is capable of dominating, but isn’t as big a lock. The Rays knocked him around in Game Three last round to get back in it.
I feel that both Stanton and Sanchez are important keys for the Yankees in this series. Neither swung the bat well in the ALDS. However, they’re going to have to be better against that Houston staff. Along with LeMahieu, Judge, Torres and the clutch Gardner, plus Gregorius and Encarnacion, there’s enough balance to make Verlander, Cole and Greinke work. If they don’t have easy innings, that’ll get their pitch count up.
It’s imperative for Paxton, Tanaka and Severino to go deeper this round. That Astros lineup is tough. A lot of dangerous righty bats that can do damage. From that standpoint, these teams are similar. Remember though that most of the Houston guys put the ball in play. Basically, the Yankees can’t have a repeat of 2017 with their hitters losing discipline by going out of the strike zone.
It has the potential to be a classic series. Game One is tomorrow night. It shapes up to be exciting.
Yankees Sweep! A pumped up Yankees celebrate in style following their 5-1 win to take Game Three and sweep the Twins in the Division Series to advance to the American League Championship Series. AP Photo by Bruce Kluckhohn via Getty Images
How Sweep It Is. The Yankees swept the Twins in impressive fashion to win the American League Division Series three games to none and advance to the ALCS.
They did it by dominating a good Minnesota ballclub. In every facet, they were superior to the Twins. They outpitched them. They outhit them. They fielded better. They executed Aaron Boone’s game plan to perfection. So much so that they outscored the Twinkies 23-7.
Game Three was close early on. Both starters Luis Severino and Jake Odorizzi pitched well. Odorizzi allowed two runs over five innings while walking two and striking out five. Severino went the first four scoreless with the key inning the Twins second when he escaped a bases loaded no out jam. He finished with four innings allowing four hits with two walks and four K’s on 83 pitches (52 strikes).
Gleyber Torres was phenomenal throughout finishing with a pair of home runs including a leadoff solo shot off Odorizzi in the second that put the Yankees ahead by a run. He had an outstanding game, going three for four with the dinger, a pair of doubles and a great defensive play that got the team out of an inning. His star continues to shine brightly. Only 22, he was five out of twelve in the series with two home runs and four RBI’s.
Brett Gardner added a clutch two out run scoring single to the opposite field for a 2-0 lead in the third. Gardy continues to get big hits for this team while playing a good center field at 36. I wasn’t in favor of brining him back. Boy, was I wrong. All he’s done is been big time and is now the team’s number three hitter between Aaron Judge and Edwin Encarnacion. Where would this team be without him?
With Severino showing grit by holding the Twins without a run despite some chances with none bigger than that second, he and the bullpen got help from a superb defense.
There were some great web gems including Torres ranging to his left on the shift by diving and making a great throw to DJ LeMahieu to end the Twins fifth against relief pitcher Chad Green. You had Judge using all 6-7 of his frame to make a leaping catch that left Miguel Sano shaking his head in disbelief in the sixth.
There was Didi Gregorius making a unbelievable diving grab to steal a double away from Jorge Polanco with two on in the ninth against closer Aroldis Chapman. You had Zack Britton get to the bag in time on a terrific play by a ranging LeMahieu.
That kind of defense is a big reason why it was an easy series. Their deeper and more reliable pen being another. Even with Adam Ottavino ineffective his last two outings with walks to get pulled, Tommy Kahnle, Green, Britton and Chapman were outstanding. Especially the middle relievers with even starter JA Happ contributing by throwing one scoreless in Game One.
Didi Gregorius this season vs Twins (6 games) AVG .579 (11/19) HR 2 RBI 15 OBP .636 (14/22) SLG 1.158 (22/19) *Tied most RBI by any player vs Twins this season (R. Rodriguez – DET)
Another clutch hit from Gregorius drove home the Yankees’ third run in the seventh when he singled inside the first base bag to plate Torres for a 3-0 lead. Even though Eddie Rosario got one back for Minnesota with a solo home run off Britton in the eighth, that was it. If I’m not mistaking, every Twins homer in the series came with the bases empty. That’s how you stop the record setting Twinkies from having a big inning.
In the ninth, defensive substitute left fielder Cameron Maybin delivered a huge solo shot to get the run back. That’s the kind of key contributor he’s been off the bench. Give Brian Cashman full credit. Every move he’s made has been the right one. Another Torres two bagger was followed by a clutch Gregorius RBI single to put the Yanks ahead 5-1.
Chapman made it interesting in the bottom of the ninth by putting the first two runners on with a two strike base hit and a walk. He had entered in the eighth for a five out save. Something he hadn’t done all year due to Boone only using him for one inning. But after that, he struck out Max Kepler swinging on a nasty slider.
Then up came Polanco. He had been locked in. So, it wasn’t a surprise he drove a Chapman pitch for what seemed like at least a one-run double that would’ve put runners in scoring position with the tying run at the plate. Instead, Gregorius had other ideas by making a full stretch to his left and grabbing the line drive to steal a hit away along with Twins hearts.
Chapman had veteran slugger Nelson Cruz guessing slider. He snuck a perfect heater on the inside corner for a called strike three to end matters. Ballgame Ovah! American League Division Series Ovah! Yankees Win! Daaaaaaaaa Yankees Win!!!!!
Now, they’ll wait to see what happens with the Astros and Rays. Tampa Bay stayed alive by knocking around Zack Greinke to win Game Three 10-3. Charlie Morton pitched well and the Rays hit four homers to force a big Game Four on Tuesday. Can they avoid having Justin Verlander end their season? We’ll find out later.
Right now, Diego Castillo is listed as the Rays starter. That might not last too long. Tyler Glasnow started Game One. Outside of one bad inning, he was good. You have to think at some point, he’ll get the ball along with the deep Tampa bullpen that mirrors the Yankees as the best.
The Yankees have a few days off until Saturday when Game One of the ALCS will begin. They’ll wait and see who it is.
In the National League, both the Cardinals and Nationals forced deciding Game Five’s. There will be pressure on the Braves and extreme pressure on the Dodgers. That should be great October theatre.
Yes, InDidi! Didi Gregorius reacts to his grand slam that broke open Game 2 for the Yankees. AP Photo by Brad Penner USA Today Sports via Getty Images
Game 2 of the American League Division Series was a laugher. That much is true as evidenced by the seven run third inning where they batted around and humiliated poor Twins 24-year old starter Randy Dobnak and reliever Tyler Duffey.
The Yankees rolled to an easy 8-2 win at the Stadium to take a 2-0 lead in the best of five series. The biggest highlight came from forgotten shortstop Didi Gregorius. Following Duffey hitting Gary Sanchez with a pitch to reload the bases, Didi reminded everyone of who he still is. He delivered the knockout blow with a grand slam that made it 7-0.
As the post noted on Twitter, the reaction from an emotional Gregorius is everything. It’s been a challenging year for the Yankee starting shortstop, who could be leaving the Bronx this winter. He finished only hitting .238 with 16 homers and 61 runs batted in over half a season (82 games) due to coming back from shoulder surgery. Even though his batting average and OPS of .718 was way down, the power numbers were still good.
Anyone who thought he’d be the same player is kidding themselves. However, even as the final script has already been written in some places due to Gleyber Torres being able to shift to short with DJ LeMahieu able to take over second, Didi reminded us that he’s still pretty clutch. Remember this?
I doubt the Twins forgot. It turned around a 3-0 first inning deficit in which Luis Severino didn’t have it. The Yankees won that wildcard game too and eventually shocked the Indians after being two games down to win the ALDS. They lost in seven to the Astros in the ALCS. We could be in for a rematch.
Good for Didi. He is an important clubhouse leader, who has been overlooked on a loaded 2019 postseason roster due to Torres, LeMahieu, Aaron Judge, Brett Gardner and Edwin Encarnacion, who continues to swing a hot bat by driving in a first inning run tonight.
We’re still waiting on Sanchez, who’s up to 29 K’s in his playoff career. They will need him along with Giancarlo Stanton to make a run to a World Series. Neither has a hit yet in two games. At least Stanton is showing good plate discipline laying off some pitches. He’s drawn four walks and had a sac fly on Saturday in the eventful second.
None of it impacted Masahiro Tanaka, who was his usual stingy self. Just call him October Tanaka. He allowed only a earned run in five innings with a walk and seven K’s to improve to 4-2 in the postseason. He turns it on under the spotlight.
The Yankee bullpen corps of Tommy Kahnle, Adam Ottavino, Tyler Lyons and Jonathan Loaisiga went the final uneventful four frames with just Loaisiga permitting a run scoring double to Twins second baseman Luis Arraez. He got Miguel Sano swinging for the golden sombrero to end it in three hours and 34 minutes. A marked improvement from Friday’s marathon.
It will be Severino looking to finish off the Twinkies at Minnesota against Jake Odorizzi. For one night in October, it was all about the lovable Didi. Enough to make you smile.
MVP DJ! DJ LeMahieu continued his special season by blasting a homer and driving in four to highlight a Yankees 10-4 win over the Twins in Game 1 of the ALDS. AP Photo by Seth Wenig via Getty Images
Alright. It wasn’t a Picasso or Renoir by any stretch in the Bronx. It didn’t have to be. The game lasted four hours and fifteen minutes. That didn’t matter to all the passionate fans who packed the Stadium.
The Yankees took Game 1 of the American League Division Series by rolling past the Twins 10-4. They were led by their MVP candidate DJ LeMahieu, who atoned for a rare error by erupting for three hits including a solo home run and huge bases clearing double that finished off the Twins.
What else would you expect from the incredibly versatile veteran infielder, who’s been vital to manager Aaron Boone this season. Whether it was playing the hot corner, second or first base, LeMahieu has been everything and more for these Yankees. He showed he was human though by dropping a routine pop up that the wind fooled him on.
Perhaps the biggest play early was James Paxton getting the next batter Luis Arraez to ground into a inning ending 5-4-3 double play, expertly turned by Gio Urshela and Gleyber Torres. Torres was also instrumental in the Yanks’ comeback win. Trailing 2-0 on a pair of solo shots from Twinkies Jorge Polanco and Nelson Cruz, the Pinstripes got it going in the home third. Consecutive hits from LeMahieu and Aaron Judge set up a run scoring line drive double by Edwin Encarnacion, who looked good.
Following a solid at bat by Giancarlo Stanton, who worked a walk against Twins starter Jose Berrios to load the bases, Torres swung first pitch and hit what should’ve been a inning ending 5-4-3 twin killing. Instead, first baseman CJ Cron dropped Arraez’s relay, allowing both Judge and Encarnacion to score for a 3-2 Yankee lead.
Sometimes, just putting the ball in play is enough in the postseason. Mistakes happen which get magnified. Cron isn’t much of a fielder at first. He’s in there for his big righty bat. It definitely hurt Minnesota, who badly wants to erase all the recent October ghosts.
With Paxton dealing to the tune of eight strikeouts, he got into a little trouble in the fifth. Stanton misplayed a sinking Arraez line drive into a double. He dove for a ball he had no chance on and was lucky it didn’t turn into a triple. Giancarlo isn’t in left for his defense. He may not have had a great game at the plate, but took some pitches for three walks in one official at bat. Passing the baton is a good thing in the playoffs.
As for that Twins fifth, let’s just say the misplay resulted in a great at bat from Polanco, who delivered a tying base hit to left on a Paxton curve ball to end is night. Of course, that annoyed me because Stanton tried to play the line drive and it went off him. I wanted Paxton to go five and qualify for the win. He pitched fine despite Boone pulling him early for his deep bullpen. Hopefully, Paxton can go longer next time out.
Nelson Cruz just hit a home run off James Paxton in a playoff game. Yes, they both played on the Mariners last year. Yes, they both don’t anymore.
Boone brought in Adam Ottavino for Cruz. After he walked the ever dangerous 39-year old vet, Boone pulled Ottavino for Tommy Kahnle. They were only in the fifth inning and already the Yankee skipper wasn’t messing around. Kahnle got the final out.
In the bottom half of the inning, Torres came through with the bases loaded by delivering a two run ground rule double for a 5-3 Yankees lead. It was how he’s been the whole year. The 22-year old second baseman has great poise under pressure. Perhaps in 2020, he’ll slide over to short replacing fan favorite Didi Gregorius.
"I've never seen anything like Gleyber, especially at his age, 22. To be doing what he's doing in the big leagues is something that's unheard of. When I was 22, I was playing in A ball in Charleston, South Carolina." – Aaron Judge
Unfortunately, it hasn’t gone well for Didi, who struggled mightily in the second half. It’s hard to believe that the 29-year old could be playing his final October for the Yankees. Hopefully, it results in a world championship.
Following yet another solo bomb, this time from Minnesota third base slugger Miguel Sano off Kahnle in the sixth, Chad Green got the final out of the sixth. The Yankees increased the lead back to three thanks to bombs from LeMahieu and the clutch Brett Gardner, who hit one into the second deck for a 7-4 lead. There also was this unbelievable web gem from Judge, who also made a nice diving grab earlier in the game. I included both.
Even with the pace incredibly slow due to all the pitching changes and walks (8) by the Minnesota staff, the Yankee pen combined to allow only a run in five-plus innings while the Twins staff imploded by giving up an ungodly seven runs. That included LeMahieu clearing the bases in the seventh to finish off Game 1.
JA Happ went a scoreless frame after Zack Britton due to it being a six run lead. Then, Aroldis Chapman sealed the Yankees victory by pitching around a walk by getting the final out on a pop up behind the plate to Gary Sanchez.
This was a good start for the Yankees. They’ll definitely want more length from Game 2 starter Masahiro Tanaka. He’s proven very capable in the postseason, sporting a career 1.50 ERA. He’ll take the ball tomorrow at 5 PM against Twins rookie Randy Dobnak. Only 24, he’ll make his sixth career big league start. We’ll see how it goes.
The Game 3 match up is Luis Severino versus Jake Odorizzi on Monday.
HITTING BACK 