gerrit cole

New York Yankees: 3 Takeaways from wet and wild Yankees’ win over the Sox (video)

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yankees, gerrit cole

The New York Yankees finally won a game against their hated rival, the Boston Red Sox. Previous to last night, they had not won a game against the Boston team in seven tries. So last night with Yankee ace Gerrit Cole on the mound, the Yankee fans were hoping for a big win. Although the win wasn’t big, a win is a win. In a rain-shortened game, the Yankees outscored the Sox 3-1.

Gerrit Cole doesn’t disappoint

For the second game in a row, New York Yankee ace Gerrit Cole threw a complete game, albeit a shortened game.  In a full six innings of play, Cole struck out eleven Red Sox. Cole was pretty much on fire allowing only one run-walking just two. Cole had complete control of his pitches as he did in his last game against the Houston Astros. He pitched a complete 9 inning game in that game using a career-high 129 pitches in a complete-game shutout of his old team. Cole is now 10-4 with an ERA of 2.63 in 19 games.

Back to back homers power Yankees to a win

The Yankees that so often this season have lacked hitting the long ball did it last night in the sixth and final inning of a rain-shortened game in the Bronx. In the sixth inning, Gary Sanchez and Gleyber Torres hit back-to-back homers to win the game for the Yankees. Torres had gone 29 games without hitting a home run.

Although it was a wet and wild game, there was not a lot of action; not much happened until Christain Arroyo brought in a run for the Red Sox in the second inning. The Yankees answered in the fifth, Greg Allen doubled. Then, LeMahieu singled, driving in Allen for the tie of the game. Stanton flew out to first to end the inning, but the Yankees tied the game.

The real action took place in the pouring rain in the sixth inning. Rougie Odor struck out, Sanchez homered to center as the Yankee took the lead in the game. Torres went back to back with a homer to right-center. As the inning continued, the grounds crew again came out to add a drying agent to the mound and home plate. Brett Gardner walked. Chris Gittens singled, putting two on for the Yankees. Tyler Wade singled with Gittens going to second on a bad throw. But on review, he was called out. With two outs and two on, Allen struck out to end one of the longest innings I have seen, but the Yankees took the two-run lead. At the end of the sixth, with the field becoming dangerous, the umpires finally called for the tarp. Unfortunately, the tarp never came off as the Yankees won the game 3-1.

One fan got far too excited

Even though fans expect some wild stuff when the Yankees meet up with the Red Sox, last night’s game was wild even for those standards. First, the game was delayed about 50 minutes because of storms nearby. Then, it never rained, and the game was finally started. After the sixth inning, with rains pouring out of the heavens, the game was again delayed another 50 minutes until it was finally called. From the third inning on, it rained hard at times at the Stadium in the Bronx.

Also, in the sixth inning, the Red Sox Alex Verdugo threw a ball to a Red Sox fan, but a Yankee fan caught it in right-center. Verdugo turned and crouched to get ready for the next play when he was plunked in the back with a fan-thrown ball. To say the least, Verdugo was outraged. What followed was an obscenity ladened back, and forth the caused a long game delay. Umpires and both managers took to the field while the Red Sox manager Alex Cora called his team off the field.  Both managers condemned the action of the fan and said that no player should have to worry about their own safety.

 

New York Yankees: Gary Sanchez and Gleyber Torres go back to back to win over the Red Sox

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New York Yankees, Gary Sanchez

Tonight the New York Yankees again took on the Boston Red Sox after being shut out last night. The Yankees were now 0-7 against their East-leading rivals. With a patched-together lineup and Gerrit Cole on the mound, the Yankees were finally hoping for a win against their long-term rival and a turnaround to their underperforming season. The game ended up being a wet circus of a game, with the Yankees finally taking a game from the Red Sox. The final score was the New York Yankees 3 and the Boston Red Sox 1.

Enrique Hernandez led off against Cole with a double to left. Alex Verdugo hit to left, but Locastro caught it at the wall became up limping. It appeared he was okay. JD Martinez struck out. Rafael Devers struck out to end the half. At the bottom, DJ LeMahieu led off by striking out. In the first several innings, not much happened until Christain Arroyo brought in a run for the Red Sox in the second inning.  Gerrit Cole was on fire all night.

At the bottom of the fifth, Greg Allen doubled. LeMahieu singled, driving in Allen for the tie of the game. Stanton flew out to first to end the inning, but the Yankees tied the game. New York Yankees 1 Boston Red Sox 1.

Verdugo led off the sixth for Cole’s ninth strikeout of the game. Martinez struck out. Devers walked. Renfro had a slow roller to third for a single. Duran still looking for his major league first hit walked. Vazquez, with the bases loaded, stuck out to get Cole out of a jam. Rougie Odor led off the bottom of the inning against Sawamuro, but an altercation in center delayed the game by Verdugo and a fan. Meanwhile, the grounds crew tried to dry the infield with heavy rain falling.

Odor, after a long wait, struck out. Sanchez homered to center as the Yankee took the lead in the game. Torres went back to back with a homer to right-center. As the inning continued, the grounds crew again came out to add a drying agent to the mound and home plate. Brett Gardner walked. Chris Gittens singled, putting two on for the Yankees. Tyler Wade singled with Gittens going to second on a bad throw. But on review, he was called out. With two outs and two on, Allen struck out to end one of the longest innings I have seen, but the Yankees took the two-run lead. New York Yankees 3 the Boston Red Sox 1.

At the top of the seventh, the tarp finally covered the field, with the field becoming dangerously wet. At 11:50 pm, the game was finally called, with the Yankees winning over the Red Sox 3-1. The winning pitcher was Gerrit Cole, and the loser was Hirokazu Sawamura.

Notes: Time Locastro left the game in the second inning with a torn ACL.  Gerrit Cole got 11 strikeouts in the game. It was his 6th game with ten or more strikeouts giving up one run or less to make New York Yankee history.

New York Yankees: Weekend preview and all you need to know about your Yankees

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yankees, gerrit cole

With a pivotal weekend matchup with the Boston Red Sox, here are some New York Yankees previews and notes to keep Yankee fans informed.

Yankees announce weekend pitchers

Yankee ace Gerrit Cole will face Nathan Eovaldi in Saturday evening’s game broadcast on the Fox Network. Cole is 9-4 with an ERA of 2.68 and an amazing 147 strikeouts. He is coming off a complete-game win against the Astros. Eovaldi is 9-5  with an ERA of 3.66. He has won both of his starts against the Yankees this season.

Sunday evening’s game broadcast on ESPN will feature Jamison Taillon against the Red Sox Michael Perez. Taillon is 4-4 with a 4.90 ERA and is the Yankees’ most undependable starter. Perez 7-5 with a .4.04 ERA.  Perez is coming off an 11-2 loss against the Phillies, giving up 3 runs in 3.2 innings of work.

Yankees lose six players to the Covid virus

The New York Yankees and the entire sports world got a harsh reminder that the coronavirus is not behind up. This week, the Yankees had to put six players on the covid list showing that they are not fully protected even though they may have been vaccinated. Aaron Judge, Gio Urshela, Nestor Cortes Jr., Jonathan Loaisiga, Wandy Peralta, and catcher Kyle Higashioka all went on the 10 day Covid list. The loss of these players makes a challenging turnaround for the Yankees even more challenging.

Montgomery gets no run support

Jordan Montgomery is a poor boy when it comes to getting run support in this starts. Montgomery lost another game last night, getting zero run support. Montgomery is now tied with 6 other Yankees throughout history for going the most games without any run support.

Domingo German scoreless in relief

After a few rocky starts, Domingo German was scheduled to start Thursday night’s game that ended up being postponed when several Yankees test positive for the coronavirus. Manager Boone decided on Jordan Montgomery to start last night’s game, but German got a chance to pitch. He came in in the 7th inning in relief of Montgomery. He pitched a scoreless inning giving up on hit and no walk, an encouraging sign for manager Boone.

Minor Leaguers make Major League debuts

The New York Yankees’ lack of players caused by the coronavirus allowed Yankee minor leaguers to make their Major League debuts. Outfield Trey Amburgey was called up to replace Aaron Judge in right field, where he played flawlessly but struck out in his first two at-bats. Hoy Jun Park also made his debut pinch-hitting. The Yankees also called up Chris Gittens to replace Luke Voit at first.

Michael King hopeful for return

Starter reliever Micheal King injured his middle finger while working with weights on July 5th and has been away from the team. He said he is feeling better now, throwing and catching. He is hoping to be reactive as early as this weekend, for the Yankees, that will be not too soon as they have lost three relievers to the coronavirus.

Luke Voit is back on the IL

Luke Voit, who has proven he can play through almost anything, must be crushed as he has gone o the IL for the third time this season, this time with a badly bruised knee impeding his running. Voit last season was the baseball’s home run leader, but this year hasn’t played long enough stretches to get his stroke and power back.

The next 11 days will be crucial

The New York Yankees are 9 games back in the AL East behind the Red Sox, Tampa Bay, and the Toronto Blue Jays. They are 5 games out of a second wild card slot. The Yankees must play well in the next 11 days if they have any chance of turning their season around. Unfortunately, they play mostly against teams that they have not been victorious over. They have six games against the Red Sox, three games against the Tampa Bay Rays, with two against the Phillies sandwiched in. So far, they have lost all seven games they have played against the Sox. With so many regular players on the Covid list, a challenging turnaround becomes even more difficult.

Aroldis Chapman still hasn’t got it figured out

The New York Yankees closer Aroldis Chapman and his new splitter went 18 games at the beginning of the season without allowing a run. Since then, his 0.00 ERA has risen to 4.55. Regardless of his splitter, his missile fastball is his put-away pitch, and he has lost control over it. In his last four games, he has given up 9 runs, allowing walks and home runs. In his last two games, his ERA is 13.50. He has pitched so badly that manager Aaron Boone has been afraid to use him, sitting him for ten games.

Last night in a no-pressure situation, Boone decided to send him out in the ninth with the Yankees behind by four runs. Chapman got out of the inning without giving up a run but obviously struggled. He walked one while taking 23 pitches to get out of the inning. Unfortunately, he did not gain any more trust from Aaron Boone. Boone also has fewer options with Nestor Cortes Jr., Wandy Peralta, and his best reliever Jonathan Loaisiga on the Covid list.

Stay with EmpireSportsMedia.com for all the latest Yankees news and updates. ESM’s Columnist William Parlee is a member of the Society for American Baseball Research. Follow him on Twitter @parleewilliam.

New York Yankees Analysis: My 2021 predictions and where they stand at the halfway point

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Every year before the season starts, I make my predictions on what the New York Yankees season might look like, who will star, and who will bomb. Last year I bombed out several times but still had a 50% winning percentage. This year’s predictions were made on March 30, 2021, when things looked risky but pretty rosy for the upcoming season. But, of course, things have changed a lot since then, so let’s take a look at where we/I stand.

1. Gerrit Cole will not perform as expected!

This year after his average spring training performance, I predict he will go 15-6 with at least 24 home runs given up. He will also leave several games early. I hit this one -pretty much on the nose; Cole hasn’t come close to his 2019 performance with the Astros. He presently stands at 9-4. Although he will exceed my home run predictions, he has 15 already. On July 4th against the Mets, he lasted only 3.1 innings giving up 4 earned runs and walking three Met batters. Projection grade A.

2. DJ LeMahieu will be good, but not as good!

Last year I made this prediction and surely bombed out. I said he would not be as good; it turned out that he was even better in the short season than in 2019. He was the New York Yankees MVP and was all of baseball’s batting champ, hitting .364. I again make the same prediction this year. He will start the season slowly and will shine after the All-Star break. My prediction is too early to call. He has definitely not performed like he did last year, with a batting average of about .100 less. I also said he would shine after the All-Star break, which has yet to be seen. Projection grade B+.

3. Clint Frazier will shine in his first full season!

I made that prediction last season and was only partially correct. Where I was wrong was that he didn’t play a whole season in the majors. I was correct because his defense would significantly improve, and boy did it ever; he was even nominated for a Gold Glove Award. His quick bat prevailed, hitting .267. This season I predict the same, except that he will have a better batting average. Oh boy, I made an absolute mess of this one. Frazier has not been as good in the outfield and has absolutely bombed at the plate. His batting average is .186, with only five home runs. I wouldn’t be surprised if he is not with the Yankees after the trade deadline. Projection grade F.

4. Aaron Judge will have an injury-free season

Last year I predicted that Judge would have an injury-shortened season, and I was correct; he played in only 28 games while nursing injuries. This year in what will probably prove to be my most foolish prediction, I am saying he will play in at least 135 games and stay healthy for most of the season, hitting over 35 home runs. I did considerably better on this one. He has stayed mostly healthy and is on track to play at least 135 games. As far as home runs, he is on track to hit as many as 40, which is 5 above my prediction. Projection grade B.

5. Gleyber Torres will lead the Yankees in home runs

I made this same prediction last season and bombed out on that as much as Gleber Torres bombed out on his whole season. In 2019 Torres had 38 home runs, which I based my prediction on, as it turned out he only hit 3 homers. This year he is in much better shape and has been an outstanding player in spring training. He had 5 home runs in the spring. He will lead the Yankees with 45 home runs. However, he will not lead the Yankees in home runs; he has an abysmal 3 at the halfway point. His regular-season performance has dropped off dramatically from spring training. Projection grade D.

6. Domingo German will be the winningest pitcher

This prediction does not involve results from last year as German didn’t pitch at all in 2020 while serving his suspension for breaking the MLB’s domestic violence policy. But this year, after what I have seen in spring training, I predict he will be the Yankees’ winningest pitcher. He will have a 20 game winning season as he returns to his 2019 form. I completely flopped in this one. German hasn’t come close to good. He goes out and has a can’t touch performance, followed by miserable outings. He will be lucky to reach half of my prediction. Projection grade F.

7. Jonathan Loaisiga will be the Yankees’ best reliever

Loaisiga has been growing in Yankee importance for the last few years. This spring training, he has been just short of perfect. He didn’t allow a run in his first 6 games. He has a tiny 1.26. He will outshine all the other relievers and give up less than 30 earned runs in the 2021 season. I will add a caveat that that could be affected by the number of innings he throws. Hit this one on the nose. Loaisiga has been the Yankees’ most dependable reliever. He is 7-3 with an ERA of 2.11 in 36 games. He has 2 saves. Projection grade A.

8. Gary Sanchez will prove the Yankees wrong

Last year I predicted that Gary Sanchez would have the second-most home runs of any Yankee player. I was correct; he shared that stat with DJ LeMahieu. This year I am saying that the New York Yankees made a mistake in tendering him an offer to stay with the team. As much as I would like to see him prevail if his spring training performance is any indication, he will not. Gary gets into long slides that make him ineffective as a hitter. Although he got 10 homers last year, he batted a miserable .147. I predict he will have another poor season that may seal his fate with the Yankees. I don’t yet know what to make of this one; I was on track for the first 40 games. But in the last several weeks, Sanchez has turned it around. He is hitting .217 with 15 home runs. But, with Sanchez, you never can be sure of anything; he could still go into an after All-Star slide that could still end him up like last season. Projection grade C.

9. Yankees will win 108 games

Last season, a 60 games season, I said that the Yankees would win 48 games; they only won 33. I fell substantially short of my prediction. In 2018 and 2019, they won 100 and 103 games. This year with improved pitching, they will exceed that and win 108 games. I blew this one big time. If they continue to play as they have in the first half, they will end up with about 20 less than my prediction. Projection grade F.

10. The Yankees will win their 28th World Championship

Last year I made this same prediction and was very wrong; they didn’t even win the East Division. However, this year I will stick with the same prediction for several reasons. One is that at least at the beginning of the season, most all the Yankees are healthy. With their new pitching staff and the return of both Domingo German and Luis Severino, the New York Yankees will prevail over the greatly reduced Tampa Bay team, with the Toronto Blue Jays coming in second in the East. The Yankees will go on to beat the San Diego Padres in the World Series in seven games. I guess I am the perennial optimist; if they have a chance of winning it all, they have to have a highly dramatic turnaround. The next 7 games will be telling, 4 with the Red Sox and 3 with the Tampa Bay Rays that the Yankees have not been able to tumble. Projection grade D.

Notes: In my years of making annual predictions, so far, this has been my worst. However, in my defense, most industry analysts would have agreed with me. This has been a very disappointing season for the New York Yankees and its fans. No one has been able to come up with a reason that one of the most powerful lineups in baseball hasn’t been able to hit the ball consistently. They have made far too many basic ball-playing mistakes and pitching failures. Jameson Taillon and Domingo German have underperformed. The loss of Corey Kluber could not have been foreseen. The only part of the team that has shined is the bullpen.

One must remember this is still the New York Yankees; they have the ability to shock everyone and turn it around. First, however, they must win the majority of their series, play better against the AL East, and dominate everyone else. But with each series lost, that likelihood seems more remote. We will look at these predictions again at the end of the season. My halfway point grade. C+

EmpireSportsMedia.com’s columnist William Parlee is a member of the Society for American Baseball Research. Follow him on Twitter @parleewilliam.

 

Yankees’ ace Gerrit Cole praises former teammate and Bombers’ trade target

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The New York Yankees could use some help in their infield, for depth purposes and to push struggling shortstop Gleyber Torres, and in the outfield, where they are playing the likes of Brett Gardner, Miguel Andujar, Clint Frazier and Tim Locastro virtually every day. Ace Gerrit Cole spoke with the media on Monday from Denver and said his former teammate Adam Frazier, a Yankees’ target, is a very good player.

Frazier can play second base and the outfield, and is among the league leaders in several offensive categories. He would make perfect sense for the offensively-challenged Yankees.

Frazier just made the All-Star Game for the first time in his career, and will be starting at second base for the National League.

The Yankees could really use a player like Frazier

According to the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette (link to the NJ Advance Media article here), the Yankees ace said that Frazier “is a good player. I don’t know how much control he has over the trade, but there’s always a little bit of gamesmanship going on in the clubhouses in this situation. With a player under control, that’s almost impossible to control, in my opinion. ‘Fraz’ just has to keep doing what he’s doing, keep his head down, keep hitting, and things are going to work out for him. Hopefully at some point he gets the opportunity to choose where he wants to play.”

Both players were teammates in Pittsburgh in 2016 and 2017, before Cole was traded to the Houston Astros. He ended up with the Yankees after two seasons in Houston.

Frazier, currently hitting .330 in the 2021 campaign, is trying not to be distracted by the trade speculation.

“I’ve said this a bunch, but I just try to take it in stride, control what I can control and see what happens,” Frazier said. “I know I can’t control it, so why worry about it?”

Yankees News, 7/11: Gerrit Cole shuts up the haters, curses out Aaron Boone in process

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yankees, gerrit cole

In one of the most dominant pitching performances for the Yankees this season, ace Gerrit Cole completely shut out the Houston Astros over 9.0 innings. Cole tossed 129 pitches, allowing three hits and striking out 12 batters to take down a strong Astros team that has now lost three consecutive games, including two against the Yankees.

The Yankees clearly view the series as momentum-changing and having won five of their last six games with the final game against the Astros on Sunday afternoon. The bombers have an opportunity to claw their way back into the AL East standings with another victory.

Currently, they have a lot of work ahead of them, sitting 8.0 games behind the Boston Red Sox, who are 55-35. In the Wild Card standings, they are 3.5 games back from the Oakland Athletics to secure the second spot; the Tampa Bay Rays are +3 in the category, putting a cushion between themselves and the rest of the competing teams.

However, the Red Sox lost to the Philadelphia Phillies on Saturday and have fallen in three of their last four games, potentially opening the door for the Yankees to make a comeback.

The Yankees needed Cole’s energy to reinvigorate the team:

The passion that Cole showed in the win was something the team desperately needed, especially after dealing with an illness this past week, requiring IV drips to keep him active. In fact, with one out left in the ninth-inning, skipper Aaron Boone went out to check on Cole as the ace fired back curses and F-bombs, indicating his desire to stay in the contest.

“I said the F word a lot, and I kind of just blacked out,” Cole said. “I don’t really remember what I told him to be honest.”

After the game, Boone suggested he wasn’t going out to pull Garrett but rather calm his nerves and gauge how much gas he had left in the tank.

“I wasn’t going out there for sure to take him out,” Boone said. “I just wanted to take his temperature a little bit, see where he’s at.”

Ultimately, the decision was a good one, after Cole allowed a ninth-inning hit to Jose Altuve to open an opportunity for Houston to steal the game in the final moments.

Nonetheless, the Bombers walked away victorious and will feature Jameson Taillon on the mound against Framber Valdez on Sunday. Valdez has a 2.86 ERA this season, so the Yankees will have to be on top of their game if they want to emerge victorious and sweep Houston in a massive change of momentum.

New York Yankees: Cole goes ballistic, all you need to know about 2nd shutout of the Astros

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yankees, gerrit cole

Last night the New York Yankees were hoping to take the series from the Astros; they did it in style with their second shutout of their most hated team. So today, they will go for the sweep of the series.

Gerrit Cole makes a statement

Those critics who said that Gerrit Cole was just an average pitcher without the use of sticky stuff were proven wrong. Cole intentionally or not made a statement last night pitching a complete game shutout of his old team. Cole threw a career-high 129 pitches, refusing to leave the mound.

During the top of the ninth inning, cameras zoned on on Aroldis Chapman warming up in the bullpen. With the Yankees only having a one-run lead, the drama was set up as to who would pitch the ninth. Whoever was to take the mound, they would have to face Jose Altuve. Chapman’s history with Altuve is a nightmare. Cole apparently told Boone he was good to go, and he took the mound in the ninth.

After eight innings, Cole had racked up 11 strikeouts allowing only two Astro hits. In the ninth, Cole allowed a single to Jose Altuve, causing Aaron Boone with two outs, to walk to the mound to remove Cole from the game. Unfortunately, Boone wasn’t aware of what he was walking into. Cole was white-hot, not having any part of leaving the game. After the game, Cole said this of the mound visit: “I said the F-word a lot, and then I just kind of blacked out. I don’t remember what I told him.”

With Alvarez at the plate, he had no shot as Cole fanned him for his twelfth strikeout of the game. Cole’s night was over game over a complete-game shutout of the Houston Astros. It was a game that will go down in Yankee lore.

It was the first time the Yankees had a complete game shutout with twelve strikeouts since Mike Mussina did it in 2002.

Cole won the game the Yankees didn’t hit

Last night’s big story was obviously Gerrit Cole, his 12 strikeouts, his 129 pitches, and his shutout of the Astros. But lurking in the background was a season-long lack of hitting by the New York Yankees. Yes, the Yankees won it, but could only come up with one run on the night, Aaron Judge’s homer in the third, off starter Zack Greinke who lasted four innings in the game.

Other than Judge’s home run, the Yankees could only come up with another 5 hits. All singles except for Gleyber Torres’ double. They went 0-5 with runners in scoring position, leaving seven Yankees stranded as they continued a lack of timely hitting.

Astros’ Dusty Baker praises Cole

We all know that there is no love lost between the Yankees and the Astros after the cheating scandal was revealed from the 2017 season. Many fans believe they cheated again in 2019, although that has not been proved. No Astro player was held responsible, although the manager and general manager were fired. The Astros replaced manager Hinch with one of the most respected names in baseball, Dusty Baker. Baker, the class act he is, had this to say after last night’s game.

“He was good. He was very good..Similar to Tom Seaver.”

Today at 2:10 pm, the New York Yankees will go for the sweep of the Houston Astros. The Yankees are 3 for 8 in sweep attempts. Sunday’s Matinee will feature the Astros Framber Valdez, a lefty that is 5-1 with an ERA of 2.86, against the Yankees’ Jameson Taillon with is 4-4 with an ERA of 5.05. Taillon is coming off his best start of the season against the Seattle Mariners; Taillon went eight innings giving up just one run in the Yankee’s 12-1 victory. Valdez is coming off two wins, one against Cleveland and one against the Athletics. He gave up five earned runs in the Oakland victory. The only Yankees with extensive experience with Valdez is Rougie Odor, who in 5 at-bats hit .400 off of him. Sunday’s game will be televised on WPIX and its affiliates, ATTSportsNet, and nationally on TBS.

New York Yankees Recap: Yankees shut out the Astros again in historic game

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Gerrit Cole, New York Yankees

The New York Yankees faced the hated Houston Astros again tonight in the second game of the three-game set. Last night the Yankees shut out the Astros 4-0 at Minute Maid Park. With Gerrit Cole on the mound tonight, the Yankees were hoping to take the series. Cole has not pitched well in his last three outings, was to face the Astros’ Zack Greinke. Luke Voit was back in the lineup, and Kyle Higashioka was catching Cole. Cole ended up pitching a complete game with 129 historic pitches. The Yankee shut out the Astros for the second time 1-0.

In the first inning, Greinke faced the Yankees’ DJ LeMahieu, who ground out to short. Aaron Judge ground out to short center. Luke Voit swung and missed to give Greinke a 1-2-3 inning. At the bottom with Gerrit Cole on the mound, Jose Altuve led off against the Yankee ace and flew out to first. Michael Brantley hit the first pitch and flew out to Locastro in left. Yuli Gurriel struck out for a 1-2-3 matching inning for Cole. No score.

At the top of the second inning, Giancarlo Stanton led off by walking. Gleyber Torres flew back to the warning track on left for the first out. Gio Urshela got a base hit to left, moving Stanton to second base. Brett Gardner flew out to left for the second out. Kyle Higashioka catching for Gerrit Cole, flew out to far left to end the inning stranding two. The bottom was led off by Yordan Alverez, who struck out swinging. Kyle Tucker struck out on a 99 mph fastball. Abe Toro flew out to short for the second quick inning for Cole. No score.

Speedster Tim Locastro led off for the Yankees in the third and lined out to Altuve. LeMahieu struck out. Aaron Judge got home run number 21 on the season to far left. Luke Voit struck out to end the half, but the Yankees took the one-run lead in the game. At the bottom, Myles Straw flew out to center. Martin Maldonado struck out for Cole’s 4th. Robel Garcia flew out to Locastro in left field. New York Yankees 1 Astros 0. Cole has had 3 1-2-3 innings in a row.

The fourth inning was led off by Giancarlo Stanton, who ground out to left. Torres hit to left through the hole for a double. Urshela flew out to the right-field corner with Torres moving to third base. Gardner, who hit a two-run double last night, lined out directly to Brantley to end the inning, stranding Torres. At the bottom, it was the top of the lineup for the Astros. Altuve walked for the Astros’ first base runners. Brantley walked on four pitches. Gurriel struck out swinging. Alverez hit into a double play getting Cole out of trouble. Yankees 1 Astros 0.

Kyle Higashoika led off the fifth by walking off of new Astros pitcher Cristian Javier. Locastro hit into a force out. LeMahieu struck out for the second out of the inning. Judge was called out on strikes. At the bottom, Kyle Tucker flew out to Gardner in center. Toro got the first hit of the game for Houston to shallow center. Straw struck out, but Toro stole second. Maldonado ground out to LeMahieu to end the inning. Yankees 1 Astros 0.

The top of the sixth inning was led off by Luke Voit, who singled against the shift. Stanton struck out swinging. Torres flew out to far right for out number two. Urshela flew out to right to end the half. At the bottom of the sixth, Garcia struck out on a changeup from Cole. Altuve ground out to second. Brantley lined out to first. New York Yankees 1 Astros 0.

Brett Gardner led off the seventh inning by striking out. Higashioka lined out to third. Locastro struck out swinging to end the half. At the bottom, down by a run, Gurriel singled to left for the first hit by the Astros in 49 at-bats. Alverez was called out on a 100mph fastball from Cole. Tucker flew out to center. Toro flew out to Locastro in left. Yankees 1 Astros 0.

The eighth inning was led off by DJ LeMahieu, who singled. Judge ground out softly to first. Voit, after almost getting hit in the head by new pitcher Ryne Stanek walked. Stanton hit into an inning-ending double play. At the bottom, Straw struck out for Cole’s ninth strikeout of the game. Maldonado ground out to short. Garcia struck out on Cole’s 108th pitch and 10th strikeout of the game. Yankees 1 Astros 0.

In the ninth inning, Gleyber Torres faced Astro pitcher Ryan Pressly and ground out to third. Urshela hit back to the pitcher for the second out. Gardner singled to left. Higashioka went down swinging. With last licks on the line for the Astros, it was Gerrit Cole out in the bottom of the ninth facing Altuve who got a base hit to center. Brantley flew out on Cole’s tenth pitch of that at-bat. Gurriel went around for strike three. Alverez struck out on Gerrit Cole’s 129th pitch of the game.

The final score was the New York Yankees 1 and the Houston Astros 0. The winning pitcher was Gerrit Cole, with a complete game 129 pitch game. The loser was Zack Greinke.

Yankees News, 7/10: Cole explains reason for slump, Luke Voit, Miguel Andujar injury update

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yankees, gerrit cole

Over the last seven games this season for New York Yankees starting pitcher Gerrit Cole, he’s earned a 4.69 ERA and 1.21 WHIP. During that frame, he has allowed 37 hits and 21 earned runs over 40.1 innings.

On the season, Cole features a 2.91 ERA, but the last few games have elevated his numbers significantly, making him look human after an alien-like start to the season. After the MLB banned sticky substances, which helped increase spin-rate and velocity, a number of pitchers began to see their stuff degrade, including Cole and Aroldis Chapman.

“At this point it has nothing to do with the rule enforcement four or five weeks ago. There’s ebbs and flows to your delivery as the game goes on throughout the season and we’ve got to tighten up some stuff and I’m trying to do that here and I’m trying to do that against good teams. So that’s where my focus has been and that’s what we’ve identified as a group as what needs to pick up a little bit.”

While Cole is quite confident he’s simply going through a lull, the timing is ever so conspicuous. We will have to monitor the rest of the season for the ace, but there’s no question his inability to use spider tack has made an impact, as his velocity is down and spin-rate is clearly struggling to a degree.

Injury updates on Miguel Andujar and Luke Voit:

Andujar is dealing with a strained hand and wrist and could be headed toward the injured list in the coming days. Andujar is hitting .253 this season, his best since 2018, over 45 games. Having spent the majority of his time in left field this year, he has smashed six homers and 12 RBIs, featuring a 17.3% strike-out rate. Losing his offensive prowess will undoubtedly have its impact, but the Yankees emerged victorious nonetheless against the Houston Astros on Friday by a score of 4-0.

Miggy could be added to the IL, but skipper Aaron Boone has not yet decided:

“We’ll see,’’ Boone said on Friday before the win over Houston. “We’ll have to make a call after [Friday]. We’ll see if he’s available.”

As for slugger Luke Voit, he recently returned from any injury before being plunked in the hand by a wild pitch. Voit is safe from any serious damage on the HBP but is taking a day off to make sure he doesn’t aggravate his injury.

“He’s gotten a little bit beat up this week, so I just felt like it felt like it was a good day to get Rougned in there,” Boone said. “(Voit) should be good to go for the next two games.”

The Yankees will take on the Astros over the weekend to finish a three-game series. Cole will feature on the mound against Zack Greinke on Saturday night at 7:15 PM.

New York Yankees: Bad blood continues tonight in Houston, series preview

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New York Yankees, Aaron Judge, Jose Altuve

Last night the New York Yankees traveled to Houston to meet up with the Houston Astros in a three-game set. If there are two teams in baseball that don’t like each other, it’s the Yankees and Astros. It was proven that the Houston Astros cheated in the 2017 season and postseason. That cheating may have cost the Yankees a trip to the World Series and Aaron Judge an MVP award that instead went to the Astros Jose Altuve.

The cheating was finally confirmed in 2019. Although the manager and general manager were suspended for a year by MLB, no player was ever held responsible and the Astros were not required to turn in their rings or have their championship overturned. This infuriated the Yankees fans even more. With the short 2020 season, the two teams did not meet up. But this year the Astros traveled to Yankee Stadium where they were loudly booed there were loads of signs in the stands saying “you cheated.”

The New York Yankees, Yankee players, and fans will not soon forget. Presently the Houston Astro sit atop the AL West at 54-34 winning six of their last ten. The Yankees are 9 games out of first place in the AL East and have lost six of their last ten, including being shut out last night in Seattle.

Today, July 9th, 8:10 pm EDT:

Tonight in game one of the series the New York Yankees will face Jake Odorizzi. Odorizzi is a righty that is 3-3 with an ERA of 3.70 on the season. He will be making his eleventh start of the season. He missed a few starts in May due to injury. He is coming off a win against the Indians in which he only allowed one earned run. The Yankees are very familiar with Odorizzi from his time with the Rays and the Twins.  Miguel Andujar and Aaron Judge have been very successful off of Odorizzi. Rougie Odor in 9 at-bats against him has a .333 batting average.

The Astros will face Nestor Cortes Jr. When Corey Kluber went on the IL, Michael King was called up to replace him. King is on the IL. Nestor Cortes Jr. has filled in very adequately. He is a lefty that is 0-0 with an ERA of 1.29 over 24 innings of work. He last pitched against the Mets on July 4th when he gave up one run in 3.2 innings. The Astros have little experience against Cortes. Jose Altuve has faced him 3 times without a hit. The game will be televised on the YES Network, ATTSportsNet, and MLBN out of market.

Saturday, July 10th, 7:15 pm EDT:

Saturday night’s game looks like the game not to miss. It will feature two aces, Gerrit Cole for the Yankees and Zack Greinke for the Astros. Greinke has inherited the ace standing as the Astros still wait for Justin Verlander to return to the team from Tommy John surgery. Greinke who is 8-2 with an ERA of 3.64 has faced the Yankees several times including in the postseason. DJ Lemahieu has pretty well had Greinke’s number, in 35 at-bats he has hit .371. Giancarlo Stanton is the only Yankee to hit a home run off of Greinke.

Greinke will face the New York Yankee ace Gerrit Cole that has had some rough luck of late losing his last three starts. He is 8-4 with an ERA of 2.91 and an incredible 135 strikeouts. For Cole, it will be a reunion of sorts and he will be pitching to his old team before coming to the Yankees. Martin Maldanado has seen him the most and in 7 at-bats he has a .429 batting average. Yordan Alverez has two homers off Cole in 3 at-bats. Saturday night’s matchup will be nationally televised o the Fox Network.

Sunday, July 11th, 2:10 pm EDT:
Sunday’s Matinee will feature the Astros Framber Valdez a lefty that is 5-1 with an ERA of 2.86, against the Yankees’ Jameson Taillon with is 4-4 with an ERA of 5.05. Taillon is coming off his best start of the season against the Seattle Mariners, Taillon went eight innings giving up just one run in the Yankee’s 12-1 victory. Valdez is coming off two wins one against Cleveland and one against the Athletics. He gave up five earned runs in the Oakland victory. The only Yankees with extensive experience with Valdez is Rougie Odor who in 5 at-bats hit .400 off of him. Sunday’s game will be televised on WPIX and its affiliates, ATTSportsNet, and nationally on TBS.