gerrit cole

New York Yankees: 5 Major takeaways from Yankees 9-2 loss to the Rays (video)

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Gerrit Cole, New York Yankees

The New York Yankees went into last night’s game at Yankee Stadium hoping to take the series from the Tampa Bay Rays three games to one; instead, they got the split when the Rays pummeled the Yankee pitching staff. The Rays got the 9-2 win over the Yankees, and the Yankee ace Gerrit Cole giving the Rays the season edge of 7-5.

Cole fans 7 but allows 5 runs

It was apparent from the start the Yankee ace Gerrit Cole didn’t have his best stuff going. His demeanor on the mound was uncomfortable, and he didn’t make his best pitches and seemed in search more to get on track. It never happened. He gave up 5 runs earned runs in as many innings while walking an unusual two Rays.

Cole reduced his record to 6-3 and increased his ERA from 1.78 to 2.26. Unfortunately, he also has as many losses as all of last season and just 2 short of his 2019 winning season with the Houston Astros. But in all fairness to Cole, in all of his losses, he got almost no run support, something all the Yankee starters are suffering from as the Yankees have not found their hitting pace this late into the season. However, last night was all on Cole; his five runs allowed is only the second game of twelve that he has allowed more than two runs.

And unusual for this season, the normally nearly perfect bullpen failed miserably. Nick Nelson came in to replace Cole and gave up four more earned runs. Even Luis Cessa and Brooks Kriske that pitched two scoreless innings didn’t strike out a single hitter.

Yankee situational hitting just not there

New York Yankee hitting and situational hitting have been missing in most games played this season, and last night was no different. The Yankees only got six hits on the night. Both runs scored were via the home run, one to Brett Gardner and one to Miguel Andujar. The small ball game just wasn’t there as the Yankees left what few hitting they had on base. As in so many games, the Yankees went 0-7 with runners in scoring position.

Garret Cole and the Yankees basically lost the game in the bottom of the fourth inning when with no outs, the Yankees had men on second and third base; they failed to bring in a single run. Then at the top of the fifth inning Gerrit Cole gave up three runs, and the game was over.

The Yankees don’t seem to be playing to the intensity that wins a division. Just watching last night’s game, you could see hitting and running the bases that the Tampa Bay Rays play every game like it’s the last inning of the seventh game of the World Series. But, unfortunately, the Yankees don’t emit that energy.

Brett Gardner had a big night

Brett Gardner remaining an excellent defender in both center and left field; it’s no secret he hasn’t been hitting. He went into last night’s game, hitting just .186 with no home runs. However, last night he got one problem lifted off his shoulders; he got his first home run of the season. He also was the only Yankees with multiple hits in the game; his other hit was a double.

Were the umpires showing favoritism?

This is a subject that I seldom get into if umpires are being fair. But last night’s exhibition of duel standards needs to be mentioned. Before Cole’s exit from the game, it was apparent that he was not getting the benefit of similar calls that his adversary Ryan Yarbrough was enjoying. Yarbrough continually pitched low and outside, but those close calls were called strikes, while the same pitches by Cole were called balls. Usually, when an umpire makes bad calls, it evens out between the teams, but that was not the case last night he home plate umpire, Chad Whitson. This was not just an opinion; it was proven when the YES Network showed a computer graph, proving the inconsistency.

Manager Aaron Boone was thrown out of the game when he pointed to Whitson while removing Cole from the game. In another situation in the fifth inning, Kevin Kiermaier went outside the first baseline to avoid a tag but was not called out.

Gio Urshela gave up his body

We all know that Gio Urshela is an elite defender for the New York Yankees at the hot corner, making great play after great play. But last night, he pulled a Jeter, giving up his bottom to the left-field stands. The only difference was when Jeter did it; there was no netting. Watch below.

 

New York Yankees Recap: Yankees slaughtered in an attempt to take the Rays series

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New York Yankees, Kyle Higashioka, gerrit cole

The New York Yankees on Monday went into a 4 game series against their nemesis Tampa Bay Rays. Over the past two years, the Yankees have had a losing record against the Rays, and this year has been no different. They went into Monday’s game 2-6 against them this season. Unfortunately, the Rays won Monday’s game 3-1. But the Yankees have managed to take the last two games, opening up the possibility of taking the second series in a row from the Rays. Back on May 13th, the Yankees won their first series against the Rays in the last two years. If they can do that again, it will be the first time they have accomplished that in the last four years.

In the first inning, with Gerrit Cole on the mound, he faced Randy Arozarena to start the game; he flew out to Andujar in left. Yandy Diaz hit into a force out at second. Austin Meadows tapped back to Cole for the final out of the half, bringing up the Yankees. DJ LeMahieu faced Ryan Yarbrough and singled to right field. Gleyber Torres had a sac push bunt moving LeMahieu to second. Aaron Judge flew out to right. Gio Urshela, with two out and one on, went down looking, stranding LeMahieu. No score.

The second inning was led off by Manuel Margot, who flew out to Gardner in right-center. Joey Wendle flew out to Andujar in left. Mike Zunino went down on strikes to end the half. At the bottom, Rougie Odor ground out to first. Clint Frazier struck out. Miguel Andujar towered out to center for the final out. No Score.

Taylor Walls led off the top of the third inning by striking out. Kevin Kiermaier ground back to Cole but beat him to the bag for the out. Arozarena flew out to Gardner. Kyle Higashioka ground out to third. Gardner hit a homer to right. LeMahieu ground out to short. Torres flew out to center to end the inning, but the Yankees got on the board with Gardner’s first home run of the season. New York Yankees 1 Rays 0.

At the top of the fourth inning, Brandon Lowe walked. Diaz went down looking. Meadows got a two-run homer into the Yankee bullpen as the Rays pulled ahead of the Yankees. Margot popped out to second. Wendle struck out to end the half. At the bottom, Judge got a base hit to center. Urshela lined to left for a double, moving Judge to third base to set up the Yankees in the fourth with no outs. Odor flew out to foul territory in right, holding the runners. Frazier, with one out and two on, went down looking. Andujar struck out stranding two. Tampa Bay Rays 2 Yankees 1.

Mike Zunino led off the top of the fifth inning by walking. I seldom say this, but it seems that Cole is not getting the benefit of the calls afforded to Yarbrough. Walls went down looking. Kiermairer running to first went outside the baseline to avoid a tag but was still called safe. Arozarena went down swinging. Lowe doubled driving in Zunino.  Diaz singled, driving in two more runs. Meadows flew out to left, but the Rays tacked on 3 more runs. At the bottom, Higashioka popped out to second. Brett Gardner, who has scored the only Yankees run, doubled. LeMahieu was tagged out going to first with Gardner moving to third with two outs. Torres ground out to short stranding Gardner. Tampa 5 Yankees 1.

With Nick Nelson on the mound at the top of the sixth, Margot ground out. Wendle went down on strikes. Zunino was plunked by a pitch and advanced to first. Walls struck out swinging to end the top. At the bottom, with Yarbrough still pitching, Aaron Judge flew out to right. Urshela chopped out to third. Odor popped out to third. Tampa 5 Yankees 1.

With Nelson still on the mound in the seventh, he struck out Kiermaier. Arozarena hit a single off Nelson that bounced into the outfield. Arozarena stole second. Lowe walked. Diaz walked to load the bases with Rays. Meadows hit a bases-clearing double. Margot ground out to Urshela. Wendle singled driving in Meadows. That was Nelson’s day replaced by Luis Cessa got the final out. At the bottom, ground out to short. Andujar homered into the left-field stands. Higashioka flew out to far left. Gardner hit it on screws directly to Lowe for the final out. Tampa Bay Rays 9 Yankees 2. Aaron Boone was thrown out of the game when he pointed back at the home plate umpire when he returned to the dugout after replacing Nelson.

In the eighth inning, with Cessa on the mound, he got to Walls to fly out to center. Kiermaier ground out to second. Phillips got a two-out double. Lowe flew out to the left-field was with an excellently executed catch by Andujar. Yarbrough, with 92 pitches, was still on the mound, and he struck out LeMahieu on a questionable call causing LeMahieu to slam his helmet on the floor of the dugout.  Torres flew out. Judge popped out to first. Tampa Bay 9 New York Yankees 2.

Brooks Kriske took the mound for the Yankees in the ninth and got Brosseau to ground out to Urshela. Meadows ground out. Margot reached on a tip off the glove of Odor. Wendle ground out to end the half. With last licks on the line for the Yankees and with Yarbrough still on the mound with 103 pitches, Gio Urshela took to the plate and struck out. Odor flew out to the right field warning track. Frazier flew out to left to end the game.

The New York Yankees split the four-game series. The final score was the Tampa Bay Rays 9 and the New York Yankees 2. The losing pitcher was Gerrit Cole and the winning Ryan Yarbrough with a 113 pitch complete game.

 

New York Yankees: Gerrit Cole goes for the series win over the Rays

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yankees, gerrit cole

The New York Yankees on Monday went into a 4 game series against their nemesis Tampa Bay Rays. Over the past two years, the Yankees have had a losing record against the Rays, and this year has been no different. They went into Monday’s game 2-6 against them this season. Unfortunately, the Rays won Monday’s game 3-1. But the Yankees have managed to take the last two games, opening up the possibility of taking the second series in a row from the Rays. Back on May 13th, the Yankees won their first series against the Rays in the last two years. If they can do that again, it will be the first time they have accomplished that in the last four years.

Today at Yankee Stadium in the Bronx, the Yankees will run out their pitching ace Gerrit Cole to take on the Rays in the finale of the 4 game set. Cole has been Mr. Dependable for the Yankees. He is 6-2 with an ERA of 1.78 with an incredible 97 strikeouts on the season. This will be his third start of the season against the Rays. He is 1-1 against the Rays this season. The Yankees lost their first outing on April 18th, 4-2. His last outing against the Rays was on May 12th, when he shut out the Rays. The right-hander struck out 12 over eight scoreless innings to pick up the win in a 1-0 game.

Cole has fired quality starts in all but two of his 11 outings this year. He will have to be in top form today to beat a quality lineup that the Rays will put out against him. Unfortunately, the Yankees haven’t been hitting consistently, so it may be up to him and him alone to win the game for the Yankees. The Yankees have scored three or fewer runs in 11 of their last 14 games.

The New York Yankees will face the Ray’s lefty Ryan Yarborough He is 2-3 on the season with an ERA of 4.26 with 47 strikeouts. He has pitched better in May than he did in April. His May ERA of 3.42 in five May starts. Yarborough is mainly a reliever and is still looking for his first win as a starter. This will be his first start against the Yankees. On April 18th, he relieved for 5 innings pitching well be gave up a run and got the loss. On May 12th, he pitched well against the Yankees for 3.1 innings in a game that the Yankees shut out the Rays.

Today at 1:05 pm, the Yankees will go for the series win. It will be a nice temperature day at the Stadium, with the temperature around 70 throughout the game, but there is a slight chance of a passing shower, especially late in the game. The game will be televised on Bally Sports Sun in Florida and the New York area on the YES Network. The game will also be on MLBN nationwide out of market.

New York Yankees: 3 Major takeaways from the Yankees walk-off loss

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Gerrit Cole, New York Yankees

Last night the New York Yankees met up with the Detroit Tigers at Comerica Park for the first game of a 3 game set away. The Yankees’ ace Gerrit Cole was pitted against the Tigers’ Casey Mize. Going into tonight’s game, the Yankees were 2 games out of first place in the AL East, and the Tigers were at the bottom of the American League, winning only 19 of 50 games. The final score was the Detroit Tigers 3 and the New York Yankees 2.

Gerrit Cole didn’t have his best stuff

From the first inning last evening, it became clear that Gerrit Cole did not have his best stuff. He allowed a couple of runners with two outs in the first, but he got out of the early jam unscathed. In the third inning, the Tiger hitters strung three consecutive hits together, the latter, an RBI single from Jeimer Candelario. It would be the only run Cole would give up in six innings of work; he was able to get out of the third without any further damage.

When Gerrit Cole takes the mound for the Yankees, fans expect that first inning to be a 1-2-3 inning every time. Last night that type of performance just wasn’t there, but as any top-quality pitcher of the stature of Cole, he found a way to get the job done and keep the Yankees in the game. The Yankees bullpen of Wandy Peralta, Chad Green, and Aroldis Chapman pitched three scoreless innings in relief. But then, after the Yankees took the lead at the top of the tenth, manager Aaron Boone decided that would lose the game for the Yankees. Instead of Chapman, who had only 14 pitches, he choose to go to Justin Wilson, who gave up a two-run homer.

Yankee hitting underperformed yet again

The lack of Yankee hitting that has dogged them the whole season was again apparent in last night’s game. The Yankees, during regulation, were only able to score one run. Last night’s situation was a bit different than the norm, they did get 11 hits in the game, but none of them were timely. The Yankees went 0 for 10 with runners in scoring position. The only run scored was from a solo home run from Rougie Odor. Even the go-ahead run in the top of the tenth didn’t come from a hit. Aaron Judge, the ghost runner, scored on a Tiger’s passed ball.

The New York Yankees should be able to crush the Tigers, they are at the bottom of the AL. They can’t continue to score only two runs in a game and expect to win, even against the worst teams.

One injured player returned

The New York Yankees have had a lot of bad injury news of late. Number two starter Corey Kluber suffered a shoulder injury to keep him away from the rotation for about two months. Also, they have again lost their starting first baseman, Luke Voit, to an oblique strain and is on the 10 day; however, that type of injury can take much longer to heal. The Yankees will also go without their centerfielder Aaron Hicks for the rest of the season after wrist surgery.

But there is good news, after missing 13 games, slugger Giancarlo Stanton has returned to the team. Before having a quad injury, he led the team in home runs and runs driving in. Since his absence, Aaron Judge has overtaken him in both stats. Reliever Zack Britton is getting closer to a return; both he and starter Luis Severino are supposed to have rehab games this week.

New York Yankees: Preview of the Detroit Tigers series at Comerica Park

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After losing their first series in recent weeks, the New York Yankees travel to Detroit, Michigan, for a 3 game set with the Detroit Tigers. It’s their second series with the Tigers; the first was at Yankees Stadium when Gerrit Cole, Jameson Taillon, and Corey Kluber sweep the Tigers. This time the Yankees won’t have Corey Kluber, who is expected to miss the next eight weeks.

The weather for the series should not be an issue for the weekend, but scattered light showers could impact tonight’s game. It will also be quite cool for tonight’s game, with temperatures expected in the upper 40’s. Tonight’s game will be broadcast on the YES Network and Bally Sports. Both weekend games will be on Bally Sports and in the New York area on WPIX and its affiliates.

The Detroit Tigers are at the bottom of the AL Central, losing 31 of 50 games. They are coming off a series loss to the Cleveland Indians, losing 3 of the 4 games. The Yankees are two games out of first place in the AL East.

Tonight, May 28, 7:10 pm:

Tonight is game one of the 3 game set in Detroit. The game will be started by the New York Yankees ace Gerrit Cole. Cole is 6-2 with an ERA of 1.81 with an incredible 92 strikeouts. It’s the most strikeouts over the first 10 games of a season, surpassing Al Downings 86 in 1963. It is also second only to Shane Bieber of the Indians this season. Cole is coming off a shutout of the Chicago White Sox when he allowed just four hits.

Cole will face the Tiger’s Casey Mize, 3-3, with an ERA of 3.32 with 40 strikeouts. Mize has never faced the Yankees in his career. He has been pitching well in May and is coming off a one-run game last weekend against the Kansas City Royals.

Saturday, May 29, 4:10 pm:

Saturday’s early evening game will pit Deivi Garcia against the Tigers’ Spencer Turnbull. Corey Kluber’s trip to the IL has caused a Yankee pitching shortage, necessitating the call-up of Deivi Garcia from Scranton.  Garcia last appeared for the Yankees at the end of April. He gave up two runs in four innings of work and was sent down to the Rail Riders. He made his major league debut last season, pitching in six games.

Garcia will face one of the Tiger’s more dependable pitchers, Spencer Turnbull. Turnbull is 3-2 with an ERA of 3.12 and 34 strikeouts. Turnbull had one of this season’s no-hitters. On May 18, he no-hit the Seattle Mariners. His last start was a no-decision against the Cleveland Indians.

Sunday, May 30, 1:10 pm:

It’s odd, but the New York Yankees have not announced a pitcher for the Sunday matinee. However, it will most likely be Jameson Taillon or Michael King.

The Yankees will face the Tiger’s Tarik Skubal, who is 1-7 with an ERA of 4.53. On May 19th, he got his first win of the season against the Mariners. Skubal gives up home runs, lots of them. He averaged just under 2 per game. He faced the Yankees on April 30th when he gave up 3 home runs in a game the Yankees won 10-0 at the Stadium.

 

New York Yankees Rotation: You ain’t seen nothing yet baby

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New York Yankees, Luis Severino

In recent weeks the New York Yankees pitching rotation has turned heads in the baseball world, particularly among the 29 other MLB teams. Before the season started, the expectations were that the rotation could be great, but the early results didn’t show that. Now the rust has been shaken off, the results are outstanding and can only get better. For more information on each pitcher, go to my fellow writer Alexander Wilson’s article.

The entire pitching rotation is held together by New York Yankee ace Gerrit Cole. He has just been phenomenal, eclipsing his 2019 stats with the Houston Astros. Like the retired closer, Mariano Rivera, made fans think that when he takes the mound, the foregone conclusion is that the Yankees will get another win. So far this season, he is 6-2 with an ERA of 1.81. He has given up just 13 runs while striking out an amazing 92 opponents. That is second in strikeouts only to the Indians, Shane Bieber. But we expect that from Cole, don’t we?

New York Yankee legend Andy Pettitte has spent time with the rotation and says of Cole:

“It’s very rare that you find a player with his knowledge, his awareness. His mind works like a player that has had fifteen years in the big leagues. That’s the first thing that stands out, how sure of himself he was. His approach to the game, his knowlege of the history of the game. He’s going to be a huge contributor both on the field and in the clubhouse.”

If you notice, Cole has become a mentor to all the other New York Yankees pitchers. You usually see him chat with every pitcher when they come out of a game. Cole loves to talk about the fine nuances of pitching and freely shares it with his teammates.

What has Yankees fans so excited is the emergence of Corey Kluber as maybe a second ace for the Yankees. We might forget, but he is a two-time Cy Young Award winner and could return to the form that won him those prestigious awards. After his no-hitter, that thought has become closer to reality. Imagine going into the postseason with the one-two punch of Cole and Kluber; if both are at their best, they can defeat any team facing them.

But from there, it only gets better. Domingo German is pitching great and showing signs of his 18-4 2019 season. German this season seems to be getting better the more he pitches. In his last outing against the Rangers, he pitched seven scoreless innings in a game the Yankees won 2-0. The Yankees have won his last six starts. Jameson Taillon and Jordan Montgomery are both close to getting it figured out but still need some work. Pitching coach Matt Blake has been working with them so they can contribute to a higher level. Pettitte said of Montgomery, “we need to get him right; I see him as a big contributor for the Yankees.”

Many of the pitching mysteries at the beginning of the season have been resolved for so many pitchers that had not pitched in a year or more, but there is one huge one yet to come. That is, how will Luis Severino pitch when he returns to the team sometime around the All-Star break? Severino is coming back from Tommy John surgery, and so far, reports on his rehab have been good.

In the first half of the 2018 season, he recorded 14 wins before the All-Star Game, the first Pitcher since 1969, when Mel Stottlemyre did it. He was again selected to pitch in the All-Star game. Severino started the AL Wild Card game against the Oakland Athletics in a game the Yankees won 7-2. Severino finished the season 19-8 with an ERA of 3.39. He led all major league pitchers with an average fastball velocity of 97.6 miles per hour for the second consecutive year. At the end of the season, Severino signed a $40 million contract for four years with a Yankee option for a fifth year.

Imagine this for a moment… The New York Yankees win the AL East and go into the postseason with a Luis Severino, which returns to the 2018 form, Domingo German, which returns to the 2019 form led by Gerrit Cole and Corey Kluber. Could the New York Yankees end up with four ace-like pitchers? My friends, can you say 28th World Championship?

New York Yankees Report Card: The Bronx “Killers,” what lies ahead?

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New York Yankees, Aaron Judge, Gleyber Torres, Giancarlo Stanton

In the last few weeks, the New York Yankees have become the baseball team to beat, and the opposition, for the most part, can’t seem to turn back the Yankee’s mission. That mission is a 28th World Championship. They already have the most championships in all sports.

Before the 2021 season started, the New York Yankees looked like it had its best chance at accomplishing that goal that they have had in years. Two major competitors seemed to be far less strong. The Boston Red Sox with a new controversial manager and in complete disarray, and a Tampa Bay team that had traded away some of their best pitchers that were Yankee Killers.

Then everything was turned on its head. The Yankees got off to a plodding start (5-10) while the Tampa Bay Rays outplayed them (7-8), and to add insult to injury, the Yankees were 1-5 against them. The bigger surprise for the Yankees was that the hapless Red Sox were 10-5 during the same fifteen-game period.

Fifteen games into the season, Yankee fans were filled with doom and gloom and completely puzzled why their best baseball lineup wasn’t performing, and the completely revamped pitching staff was shaky at best. The one bright spot was the Yankee bullpen that was outstanding when called upon, often so often that some feared it would collapse.

Then the baseball world got turned on its head again. From April 22 to the present day, the New York Yankees are the winningest team in baseball (23-9). They have pulled themselves out of the AL East cellar to number three, winning 8 of their last 10 games. But before we get ahead of ourselves, the Boston Red Sox somehow plays great baseball leading the AL East. The Yankees have yet to play the Red Sox but will for six games in June.

What has changed for the New York Yankees is that the pitching has been off the wall excellent as all the rust seems to have been shaken off. The once sluggish lineup has come to life and appears to be in killer mode after so many series wins and culminating in a sweep of the best in the AL Central, Chicago White Sox. It seems that the Yankees will only get better with the return of Giancarlo Stanton, Zack Britton, Clarke Schmidt, and eventually Luis Severino. Let’s take a look at how our players are performing.

Gerrit Cole, A+

Record 6-2, ERA 1.81. Gerrit Cole has been absolutely amazing this season, considering he has gotten pretty poor run support. He is second in all of baseball with 92 strikeouts. He also has gone deeper into games than any other Yankee pitcher.

Corey Kluber, A

Record 4-2, ERA 2.86. After a slow start in the last several games, Corey Kluber has shown that he can be the Cy Young Award pitcher that he has been in the past. Over the weekend, he recorded the Yankees’ 12th no-hitter against the White Sox.

Domingo German, A

Record 4-2, ERA 3.05. After a rough start being sent down to Scranton, he had returned to his 2019 form when he was 18-4. The New York Yankees have won the last six of his starts. He has also saved the bullpen going deep into games.

Jordan Montgomery, B+

Record 2-1, ERA 4.07. Montgomery has been pretty good but also quite inconsistent. Other than Gerrit Cole, he is second in strikeouts but also suffered from a lack of command. Four of his starts have been for five or fewer innings.

Jameson Taillon D+

Record 1-3, ERA 5.06. Jamison Taillon has not fully shaken off all the rust from his lack of pitcher after two Tommy John surgeries. His last outing against the White Sox was one of his best.

Aroldis Chapman A+

Relief record 4-0, ERA 0.47. Chapman, with the addition of his new splitter and has been lights out, going 19 games without giving up a run and recording almost 2.1 strikeouts a game. Last night he proved he was human by giving up his first run of the season.

Jonathan Loaisiga A

Relief record 3-2, ERA 2.49. Loaisiga, ever since spring training, has been manager Boone’s most dependable reliever.

Lucas Luetge B+

Relief record 2-0, ERA 2.95. Luetge, after a long time out of the majors, was given a change by the Yankees, and he has not disappointed this season.

Chad Green  B

Relief Record 0-3, ERA 2.25. Chad Green is Chad Green the most dependable reliever the Yankees have had over the last several years. This season he has been put into some challenging situations but still has a love 2.25 ERA.

Luis Cessa C

Relief no record, ERA 3.00. Luis Cessa still isn’t into full relief mode, but history shows he gets better as the season progresses. Still, an ERA of 3.00 is nothing to sneezy at.

Aaron Judge A+

Batting average .308. After a slow start to the season, Aaron Judge has been gain busters lately, hitting 12 home runs and leads the team in hits. If he continues at this pace, he could reach over 40 home runs on the season. He also has been better at contact hitting this season.

Giancarlo Stanton A+

Batting average .282. Before going on the IL with a quad strain, Stanton led the team in home runs and was the spark that ignited the team. Luckily the Yankees should see him back with the team this week.

Gleyber Torres A

Battin average .282. Gleyber Torres got a lot of flack at the begging of the season for poor field play, and he wasn’t hitting. That has all changed; he has been on fire for the last two weeks in the field and at the plate. In the White Sox series, he was responsible for seven of the fourteen runs scored.

Gio Urshela B+

Batting average .277. Gio Urshela continues to shine at the hot corner making amazing play after amazing play. He has also been the most consistent Yankee hitter, performing at key moments.

DJ LeMahieu B

Batting average .260. LeMahieu is still one of the Yankee’s best hitters but is not performing anywhere near like he did last season. He batts a full 100 points below the average he ended up with last year, earning the baseball batting title.

Brett Gardner C

Batting average .208. Gardner is not hitting this year and has yet to hit his first home run of the season. But he is better than several of the bench players. In the field, he hasn’t lost a beat, making incredible plays.

Clint Frazier D

Batting average .171. Frazier has hit pretty poorly so far in the season, although he seems to be coming into form of late. This season’s main asset to the team is his stellar play in the field, making so wild diving catches and taking runs away from opponents.

Gary Sanchez D-

Batting average .181. Gary is Gary, still not hitting and only being average behind the plate. He also doesn’t hit at key moments and has only 14 RBI’s on the season. Yankee fans don’t expect much from him either. He has lost his starting catcher designation, with Kyle Higashioka catching most of Gerrit Cole and Corey Kluber’s starts.

Some players did not get report cards due to not playing in enough games or being in the IL for a prolonged period.

New York Yankees: 3 Major takeaways from White Sox series win

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New York Yankees, Kyle Higashioka, gerrit cole

It’s inspiring to see how the New York Yankees have been playing lately, and that continued in yesterday’s matinee against the Chicago White Sox. The Yankee ace Gerrit Cole struggled a bit, but the Yankee hitting more than made up for any uncomfortableness he experienced on the mound. The game had a little bit of everything, some great fielding play by the Yankees, and an unusual lineup caused by injuries that came alive with seven runs.

Cole struggled but hitters picked him up

For the second outing in a row, New York Yankee ace Gerrit Cole didn’t have his best stuff going and seemed uncomfortable on the mound. In his last game, the hitters failed him and he recorded his second loss of the season against the Texas Rangers, he gave up five earned runs in five innings of work, while the Yankees only scored 2 runs in the game.

Yesterday was different, he didn’t allow a run even though his command was off, like any top-notch pitcher he found a way to make the pitches he needed to keep the Sox from scoring. Meanwhile, the Yankees supported him with seven runs in the game. Cole has been nothing short of great this season, he presently sports an ERA of 1.81.

Gleyber Torres has stepped it up

Gleyber Torres got off to a lackluster start this season even though he reportedly came into the season stronger and more ready than last season. But little byt little he has improved behind the plate and at short, playing much better baseball.

In the last two series, he has really shined, making some great plays in the field, by fielding more aggressively, and his bat has been alive. In the last two games against the White Sox, he has tried to carry the team on his back. On Friday he drove in all of the runs in the game. Yesterday he went 3 for 4, and with 4 RBI’s, raising his batting average to .268.

Playing against a powerhouse like the Chicago White Sox, the Yankees really needed performance out of their lineup, and they got it on this hot afternoon in the Bronx. Torres lead with 4 RBI’s. Brett Gardner provided the spark with two hits as did Aaron Judge. Four other Yankees hit in the game as well. Mike Ford had a 447′ foot homer in the sixth inning.

Could we ask more of Gio Urshela?

Recently, arguably the best 3rd baseman that ever played at the hot corner, Brooks Robinson commented on Gio Urshela, singing his praises, saying he really likes him. That is some pretty high praise from a third baseman of his stature.

The New York Yankees got a hell of a bargain when the secured him from the Cleveland Indians, as a backup player in the minor leagues. Early in 2019 the Yankees third baseman Miguel Andujar required shoulder surgery, giving Urshela the chance to show what he could do at the hot corner, and he has done nothing less than impress. But he couldn’t hit..wait, that’s not true he has particularly shown that he can be one of the best and most consistant hitters behind the plate, he presently has the second highest batting average on the team.

Not only is Gio hitting but he is shining in the field, making plays that reminise Graig Nettles and yes Brooks Robinson. On Friday he started the first triple play since 2014. Yesterday he would have started three double plays if Rougie Odor hadn’t bobbled the ball on the third one. Quite frankly, there isn’t much more that could be asked for when speaking of Gio Urshela.

 

New York Yankees Recap: Gerrit Cole shutout the Sox, Torres most RBI’s again

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Gerrit Cole, New York Yankees

Last night in one of the most exciting games of the season, the New York Yankees won game one of the Yankee White Sox series, setting them up for another series win. The Yankees have won seven series wins in a row. Yankee ace Gerrit Cole pitched for the Yankees in today’s matinee, and Dylan Cease pitched for the Sox. The weather was like a summer day, hot and humid under mostly sunny skies. The Yankees shut out the White Sox 7-0.

Gerrit Cole took to the mound in the first inning and faced Tim Anderson, who ground out to Torres. Adam Eaton flew to Brett Gardner in center. Yoan Moncada ground out to first for a 1-2-3 inning for Cole. At the bottom, Luke Voit led for an unusual lineup. He went down on strikes. Brett Gardner flew to left, and a diving Vaughn held on to it. Aaron Judge walked. Gio Urshela flew out to right field to end the scoreless inning.

The second inning was started by Jose Abreu, who singled up the middle. Yermin Mercedes hit into a double play, two outs. Yasmani Grandal struck out to end the half. Gleyber Torres led off the bottom by striking out. Rougie Odor also struck out. Miguel Andujar struck out for Cease’s fourth of the game. No score.

Andy Vaughn led off the third by walking against Cole. Leury Garcia hit into a double play. Nick Madrigal got a base hit up the middle. Anderson walked. Adam Eaton struck out to end the half. Mike Ford led off for the New York Yankees and flew out to left. Kyle Higashioka flew out to center. Luke Voit ground out. Cease put down 7 Yankees in a row. No score.

At the top of the fourth, Yoan Moncada walked, equaling the most walks Cole has issued all season. Abreu struck out. Mercedes hit into a double play. It was the second double play that third baseman Gio Urshela had turned in the game. He created the triple play last night. At the bottom, Brett Gardner ground out. Aaron Judge singled to right for the first Yankee hit. Gio Urshela walked for two on and one out. Gleyber Torres lined to left for a ball that rolled to the wall and Judge and Urshela both scored. Rougie Odor doubled driving in Torres. Miguel Andujar ground out. Mike Ford walked and stole second. Higashioka struck out, but the Yankees broke through in the game with 3 runs to support Gerrit Cole. New York Yankees 3 White Sox 0.

Grandal led off the fifth inning by grounding out. Vaughn ground out softly Higashioka to Ford. Garcia struck out on a 99 mph Cole fastball. At the bottom, Luke Voit singled to no man’s land in left. Brett Gardner singled to center, moving Voit to second. A wild pitch allowed the runners to advance. Aaron Judge, with two on and no outs, struck out. Gio Urshela walked to load the bases. Gleyber Torres faced the new pitcher  Matt Foster and got a 2 run single to left. Rougie Odor went down on strikes. Miguel Andujar ground out, but the Yankees picked up another two runs. New York Yankees 5 White Sox 0.

Madrigal ground out. Anderson singled. Eaton hit into a double play for the Yankee’s fourth double play turned in the game. Mike Ford led off for the Yankees at the bottom by hitting a homer far up in the center field bleachers, a place you don’t see many homers reach (447′). Kyle Higasioka got a single stolen from him when Anderson made an amazing bouncing catch to get Higgy out at first. Luke Voit walked. Brett Gardner singled through the second base umpire’s legs moving Voit to second with one on and one out. Gardner knocked Foster out of the game. Aaron Judge faced the new pitcher Jose Ruiz and struck out on a terrible call. Gio Urshela flew out to right. Yankees 6 White Sox 0.

Moncada led off the seventh against Cole, who had 76 pitches on the day and struck out. Abreu singled. Mercedes reached on a failed double play by Urshela that Odor dropped at second. Grandal struck out on a 100 mph fastball. Vaughn struck out, looking. After the seventh-inning stretch at the Stadium, Gleyber Torres was at the plate, and he singled up the middle. Odor flew out to the catcher. Miguel Andujar sent one to the centerfield wall driving in Torres from first. Ford struck out. Higashioka went down swinging, but the Yankees tacked on another run. Yankees 7 White Sox 0.

At the top of the eighth, Leury Garcia led off and struck out against new pitcher Justin Wilson. Madrigal got a standup triple on a ball that should have been caught near the left-field wall. Andujar is inexperienced in left; Brett Gardner would likely have made that play. Anderson singled, but Madrigal was called out at the plate. Danny Medick pinch-hitting struck out. At the bottom, Gerret Crochet took over for the Sox. Voit flew out to the right-center. Clint Frazier pinch hit for Gardner and went down on strikes. Aaron Judge lined to the left-field wall; it was hit so hard Judge had to spot at first. Tyler Wad pinch ran for Judge. Gio Urshela struck out to end the eighth. Yankees 7 Sox 0.

With last licks on the line for the White Sox, they faced Luis Cessa. Moncada went down swinging. Abreu ground out to Torres. Mercedes flew out to Frazier in right to end the game and complete the shutout. The Yankee’s fifth win in a row, and they were assured of their eighth series win in a row. The winning pitcher was Gerrit Cole, and the loser was Dylan Cease. The final score was Yankees 7 and the White Sox 0.

New York Yankees: Preview of the White Sox Series at the Stadium

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New York Yankees, Jordan Montgomery

The New York Yankees are coming off their eighth series win and their 7th shutout of the season. This weekend starting today, the Yankees will face the Chicago White Sox in a 3 game set of two power-hitting teams at Yankees Stadium. This is a huge sports weekend for America. There is the PGA Championship in South Carolina, Stanley Cup Playoffs, the NBA Playoffs, and closer to home, the Yankee White Sox matchup.

The New York Yankees players will enjoy the largest crowds at Yankee Stadium this season. Upon their return, they will see separate stadium sections where fully vaccinated fans can sit not socially distanced but with masks. The rest of the stadium can be 33% occupancy, fully masked, and socially distanced.

The White Sox Yankee matchup should be very interesting; both teams played well with equal records over the last ten games (7-3). The Yankees are six games above .500 and the White Sox ten games over .500 and lead the AL Central. The Yankee pitchers will have their hands full holding down this power-hitting team. Unfortunately, neither Corey Kluber of Domingo German will pitch in this series. The Yankees are also missing some key players to injuries.

Friday, May 21, 7:05 pm:

Game one will be tonight, and the starter for the Yankees will be Jordan Montgomery, and for the White Sox, it will be lefty Carlos Rodon, who has had an excellent season so far. He is 5-1 with an ERA of 1.47 with 49 strikeouts on the season. Rodon is coming off his only loss of the season against the Kansas City Royals. His one downfall as a pitcher is that he walks a batter on average once within every 3 innings. With a sharp pitcher like Rodon, the Yankees will have to take advantage of those walks.

The Yankees will start Jordan Montgomery, who has been inconsistent this season and has had trouble with command. He is 2-1 with an ERA of 4.75 over his eight starts. He is coming off his worst start of the season when he went only three innings in the Yankee 10-6 loss against the Baltimore Orioles. However, that was after two quality starts in a row. The Yankees will need “Monty” to be sharp tonight as he faces one of the better pitchers in baseball. You can watch tonight’s game in Chicago on NBC Sports Chicago and in the New York area on WPIX and its affiliates.

Saturday, May 22, 1:05 pm.

Saturday’s matinee will see the New York Yankee ace Gerrit Cole face the White Soxs’ Dylan Cease another low ERA Sox pitcher.  Gerrit Cole is coming off his only loss of the season in the first game of the Texas Rangers series. He is now 5-2 with an ERA of 2.05 but with an amazing 85 strikeouts. In strikeouts, he is second only to Shane Bieber (92). The Yankees will be hoping that Cole will return to form in this second game of the set.

Dylan Cease is 2-0 with an ERA of 2.41 with 50 strikeouts. Cease has never pitched at Yankee Stadium and has never pitched to the Yankees in his career. So far in 2021, he has slightly over a strikeout per inning.  The Yankees will face the White Sox again in August in the long waited for Field of Dreams game in Dyersville, Iowa. Saturday’s game will be televised on the YES Network, NBCSChicago, and MLBN out of market.

Sunday, May 23, 1:05 pm:

Sunday’s matinee will be an interesting matchup between Jameson Taillon and Dallas Keuchel. Taillon has struggled a bit this season, shaking off the rust from not pitching after his second Tommy John surgery. He is 1-3 with an ERA of 5.73 and has been the Yankees’ least dependable starter. This will be Taillon’s ninth start of the season. He has faced the White Sox only once in his career and went 5 2/3 innings in a no-decision game.

Dallas Keuchel was at one time one of the best pitchers in baseball, not so much anymore, but he can put together some impressive starts. He is 3-1 with an ERA of 4.44. His record looks more impressive than it really is. His last two wins were accompanied by 29 White Sox runs. Keuchel has pitched very well at Yankee Stadium in his five starts there. Sunday’s game will be broadcast on the YES Network, NCBSChicago, and MBLN out of market.