Gio Urshela

New York Yankees Recap: Yankees take the loss in the finale against the Twins

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New York Yankees, Aroldis Chapman

Last night the New York Yankees went for the sweep of the Minnesota Twin after winning the first two games 8-4 and 9-6. The Yankees had Micheal King starting for the Twins had ex-Yankee J.A. Happ on the mound. Last night they won the game by power-hitting 4 home runs in the game. It was a hot night for baseball in Minnesota, with a game-time temperature of 95 degrees. Aroldis Chapman failed in the ninth inning and the Twins got the 7-5 win over the Yankees.

In the first inning, DJ LeMahieu faced J.A. Happ and flew out to right field. Aaron Judge got a base hit to center. Gleyber Torres singled, moving Judge to second base. Giancarlo Stanton got a three-run homer to center. Gio Urshela tripled to right off the wall. Gary Sanchez struck out. Miguel Andujar at the plate Urshela took off for home at a wild pitch and was out when Happ blocked the plate. The Yankees went ahead by 3 runs. At the bottom, Jorge Polanco led off by grounding out to catcher Sanchez. Josh Donaldson walked. Alex Kirilloff singled for runners on the corners and one out. Nelson Cruz had a sac fly to Andujar with a diving catch. Trevor Larnach walked. Miguel Sano struck out. New York Yankees 3 Twins 1.

Miguel Andujar led off the second and walked. Chris Gittens searching for his first big league hit, flew out to right. Clint Frazier hit into a double play to end the half. Ben Rortvedt went down swinging. Simmons flew out to Judge in center. Celestino also flew out to Judge to end the scoreless inning. Yankees 3 Twins 1.

LeMahieu led off the third by flying out to right field. Judge hit it hard but right to the left fielder. Then, Torres hit a bullet single to center. Stanton, with two outs and one on, chased and went down on strikes. At the bottom, Polanco flew out to left field. Donaldson struck out swinging. Nice Gordon got a base hit to center. Cruz walked. Larnach flew out to Andujar to end the inning. Yankees 3 Twins 1.

Gio Urshela led off the fourth inning by smashing a huge (408″) homer off the second deck of left field. Sanchez popped out. Andujar singled to left. Gittens hit a homer, but on review, it was a foul to right. He ended up tapping to Happ for the second out. Andujar advanced to second. Frazier flew out to second, but the Yankees added another run. Miguel Sano led off the bottom, and he singled up the center. Rortvedt bounced back to King, with Sano advancing to second. Simmons doubled driving in Sano. Celestino ground out, and that was the end of the night for King. King was replaced by Lucas Luetge, who faced Polanco. He advanced on a hit by pitch. Donaldson struck out on a back door cutter. Yankees 4 Twins 2.

The top of the sixth saw LeMahieu get his first hit of the night. Judge flew out. Torres singled, moving LeMahieu to second. Stanton flew out to right. Urshela, after a triple and homer against Happ, and lined to right to end the half. At the bottom, Gordon popped out to second. Cruz reached on catcher interference. Larnach singled to left on a ball just before Andujar’s reach. Sano faced the new pitcher Jonathan Loaisiga, and he flew out to Andujar. Rortvedt ground out to short. Yankees 4 Twins 2.

At the top of the sixth, Tyler Duffey took over for Happ and faced Gary Sanchez singled to left field. Andujar singled on a slow roller to third. Gittens ground into a force out. Frazier lined out to right. Lemahieu singled up the center, and Andujar scored. Judge ground out to end the half. Simmons took to the plate at the bottom and popped out to first. Celestino ground out to Urshela. Polanco flew out to Garnder in center for a 1-2-3 inning for Loaisiga. Yankees 5 Twin 2.

Torres faced the new Twins pitcher Jorge Alcala at the top of the seventh and singled to center. Stanton chased for the fist out. Urshela flew out to center field. Sanchez popped out for the third out. The bottom was led off by Donaldson facing Wandy Peralta, and he ground out. Gordon singled but advanced on a wild pitch. Cruz doubled driving in Gordon. Larnach ground out to Urshela. Chat Green came in to face Sano, who struck out. New York Yankees 5 Minnesota 2.

Miguel Andujar led off the eighth by grounding out to Donaldson. Gittens who almost homered in the fifth ground out to third. Brett Gardner, in his first at-bat, walked. LeMahieu was robbed of a hit to far right. At the bottom, Jeffers struck out Simmon’s ground out. Celestino did the same. At the bottom of the ninth inning, the usually dependable Aroldis Chapman gave up four earned runs for the Twins win. After the game was tied Josh Donaldson got a three-run homer.

The final score was the Minnesota Twins 7 and the New York Yankees 5. The winning pitcher was Hansel Robles and the loser Aroldis Chapman.

 

New York Yankees: Preview of the greatest rivalry in baseball, Yanks vs. Red Sox

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New York Yankees, Michael King

The New York Yankee rivalry with the Boston Red Sox is one of the oldest and most intense rivalries in baseball. But for the past two years, as the Sox played poorly, the rivalry drifted into the background and included the Tampa Bay Rays and Houston Astros. At the beginning of the season, it looked as if the Red Sox would have an even poorer season this year, but the opposite has happened. Mysteriously they have evolved into one of the best teams in baseball, leading the AL East for most of the season.

But this weekend at Yankee Stadium, that near century-old rivalry will take front and center as the Yankees face the Red Sox for the first time this year in a 3 game evening set. Not only do the Yankees not like the Red Sox, but they also hate their new manager Alex Cora who was involved in the Astros cheating scandal that may have cost the Yankees a World Series appearance in 2017 and possibly beyond.

Look for the series to be intense and exciting as Yankees fans at the Stadium in the Bronx will be fully engaged. The weather, although hot, should not be an issue for the Saturday and Sunday evening games; it could be an issue tonight when thunderstorms will be in the area. It appears at this writing the storms should pass by game-time, but if they slow, it could delay the game, but the game will likely be played. Tonight’s game will be televised on the YES Network and in New England on NESN. Saturday’s game will be on FOX and Sunday’s game on ESPN.

Tonight: 7:05 pm:

Tonight the New York Yankees will send Michael King to the mound to face the Red Sox at the Stadium. With the injured Corey Kluber, the Yankees called up King and Deivi Garcia to replace him. They lost both games so far. King had seven relief appearances before his first start against the Detroit Tigers. In that game, he gave up 2 earned runs and only pitched into the third inning. The Yankees hope tonight that he can go deeper and get a win over the Sox. Although King has not won a game, his ERA is low at 2.86

King will face Nathan Eovaldi, who is a former Yankee (2015-16). In his career, he has been dominant over the Yankees right-handed heavy lineup. Only Gio Urshela (.429) and Giancarlo Stanton (.300) have hit well off Eovaldi. Eovaldi is coming off a win against the Miami Marlins when he went 5.1 innings of scoreless ball. If Eovaldi has a weak spot in his eleven games, he has gone into the seventh inning only once. He has more gound ball-induced outs than strikeouts. He is 6-2 with an ERA of 4.01.

Saturday, June 4th, 7:15 pm:

Saturday evening’s game will have Jameson Taillon on the mound for the Yankees. Taillon is the New York Yankees’ least successful starting pitcher. He is 1-4 with an ERA of 5.10. He is 0-2 in his past five starts after showing signs of rebounding from his two Tommy John surgeries. He gives up too many walks. Taillon had only faced the Red Sox when with the Pirates; once in 2017, he went seven scoreless innings.

The Red Sox will have their own problems with pitching in this game. Their ace Eduardo Rodriguez will take the mound after going 1-4 with an ERA of 7.28 in May. He is presently 5-4 with an ERA of 5.64 on the season. He is coming off four straight losses, the last one to the Houston Astros when he gave up 6 earned runs in only 4.2 innings of work.

Sunday, June 5th, 7:08 pm: 

On Sunday, the Yankees will send out Domingo German to face the Red Sox Garrett Richards. German, in his last five starts, has been pretty lights out. During that period, the Yankees have won 4 of his starts, and he has pitched to an ERA of 2.40 over the span. In addition, he has pitched relatively deep into games. In his last outing, he got the 5-3 win over the Tampa Bay Rays.

The Red Sox will pit Garrett Richards against German. Richards is 4-4 with an ERA of 3.75. He is 4-2 in his last seven starts. He is coming off two losses in a  row, one against the Braves and one against the Astros. The biggest problem for this pitcher is that he has never won a game at Yankee Stadium in his eleven-year career. He has had five career starts at the Stadium and has gone 0-4 with an ERA of 7.43.

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: 3 Major takeaways from the Yankees 4-3 win over the Rays

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New York Yankees, Jordan Montgomery

Last night on Lou Gehrig Day, the New York Yankees not only celebrated the career of their greatest first baseman, but they celebrated a back-to-back win over their nemesis Tampa Bay Rays, leaving open the opportunity to take the four-game series. The final score was 4-3.

Montgomery pitches well in the win

Jordan Montgomery may not have had his best stuff working last night, but he pitched into the seventh inning, using 99 pitches, giving up three runs; only one was earned. He also struck out six Rays hitters. He also got 8 ground ball outs.  He allowed only one extra-base hit to limit the potential damage against him. However, the defense behind him allowed two of his three runs. His outing last night was his sixth, going at least six innings. He is ERA is now 3.92 with 59 strikeouts in 59.2 innings of work. His record is 3-1.

The bullpen of Jonathan Loaisiga and Chad Green back up Montgomery with two scoreless innings. Aroldis Chapman came in to close it out in the ninth. He made it interesting by walking the first two hitters he faced. But in the end, he got the job done and earned his 12th save.

The Yankees still making basepath mistakes

The Yankees have been making base running mistakes all season; they have the most in baseball. 29 Yankees have been called out on base running mistakes. Although they have been coached to be better on the base paths, they only seem to get worse. Gary Sanchez, the Yankee catcher, has the most out on the bases. But Yesterday it was Gio Urshela and Gleber Torres.

You have to know when to hold ’em and when to fold ’em. In a tight game against a better team, you can’t afford them extra outs. Gio Urshela was thrown out at third when he tried to outrun a pitch that bounced away from catcher Francisco Mejia in the seventh inning with the Yankees up by a run. To add insult to injury, Gleyber Torres was caught off first base to end the inning.

The team is trying to address the problem while at the same time trying not to stifle aggressiveness. Manager Boone has said they are working on base running drills, which are usually only done during spring training.

Yankees make a puzzling move

With Luke Voit on the IL, the New York Yankees don’t have a natural first baseman, and this has been true since the beginning of the season. And yet, the Yankees have chosen to do relatively little about it. After spring training the better defender and better hitting, Chis Gittens didn’t make the 40 man roster. Mike Ford did. The Yankees have been platooning Ford and DJ LeMahieu to cover one of the most important positions in the infield. Ford has missed some plays that would have been made by a good first baseman and, as of this week, was batting just .133.

The New York Yankees have finally addressed the problem; they sent Mike Ford down to Scranton and replaced him with a bullpen arm and a poor one at that. What kind of a bonehead move was this? Now they have less coverage than before, and it prevents DJ LeMahieu from returning to his natural position at second base. Presently Rougned Odor is covering for LeMahieu; Odor also lacks hitting; he bats just .196. Gittens, in 16 minor league games, has 4 home runs and is batting .261. I understand that the Yankees would have to adjust the 40 man to bring Gittens up, but that one move would solve two problems and get production from first base. It’s staring the Yankees in the face, but they don’t seem to get it.

New York Yankees: 3 Major takeaways from the doubleheader split

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New York Yankees, Aaron Judge

Spring thunderstorms caused the postponement of the New York Yankees Toronto Blue Jays game two on Wednesday, causing a day-night doubleheader yesterday. The Yankees lost the first game on Tuesday and split the doubleheader yesterday. The Yankees hoped to take both games and maintain their consecutive series winning streak, but it was not to be had.

Doubleheader pitching not so good

The New York Yankee pitching in both games yesterday was adequate but not as good as it should have been. In game one, Domingo German took the loss in a game that he could have won if he had some run support. Minus two pitches, he actually had a good outing. But two back-to-back bad location pitches resulted in two back-to-back home runs. He went into the sixth inning, only giving up three hits in his game.

Alek Manoah’s joy in winning his major league debut was a bit of an embarrassment for the Yankees. The Yankees lineup could only muster up two hits against the 23-year old that had only pitched 35 innings in his professional career. After his six innings, Jordan Romano came in the close it out for the Blue Jays, leaving the Yankees scoreless in the game.

Game two was much of the same but went in favor of the Yankees. Jordan Montgomery pitched okay but not as he did in his previous start. He went 4.2 innings giving up three earned runs; the only runs the Jays would get in the game. He was only able to strike out one Jays batter. Jonathan Loaisiga, Wandy Peralta, and Chad Green combined for a scoreless 2.1 innings. Unlike the first game, the Yankee hitting allowed the New York Yankees to salvage one game of the three-game set.

New York Yankee hitting remains pitiful

The Yankees’ lack of hitting remains a big problem for the team. Over the three Blue Jays games, they were only able to get 14 hits and 7 runs, that just over two runs a game. The only reason the Yankees are not at the bottom of the American League is the pitching has saved them as they continue to not get sufficient runs to win games consistently. In the last series sweep of the White Sox, the Yankees showed life and scored just over 4 runs per game, but in this series, they went back to their old ways of not hitting and broke their series winning streak.

Last night Aaron Judge and Gary Sanchez came to the rescue, both with home runs and driving in four of the five runs. A timely hit by Gio Urshela drove in the other run. Judge’s home run was his team-leading 13th.

Injuries call for reinforcements

Yesterday, Aaron Boone made it public that centerfielder Aaron Hicks would most likely miss the rest of this season after his wrist surgery. At the same time, they called up Estevan Florial from Scranton, where he had played in only two triple-A games. With Mike Tauchman traded away and Hicks likely gone for the season, fill-in Brett Gardner couldn’t be expected to man centerfield every day. Florial may not be the answer either, leading general manager Cashman to forge a trade to get a permanent centerfielder.

With the news that Corey Kluber and Luke Voit being out for some time, the Yankees are getting deeper into injury troubles. Yesterday Lucas Luetge and Chad Green had to close games for the Yankees because Aroldis Chapman was unavailable due to a non-Covid bug. The only good news on the injury front is that Giancarlo Stanton is expected to be back with the team tonight in Detroit, and reliever Zack Britton is getting closer to returning. According to Aaron Boone, Chapman may also be available if needed.

 

 

New York Yankees: 3 Major takeaways from the broken winning streak

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Last night the New York Yankees met the East division Toronto Blue Jays in the first game of a three-game set at Yankee Stadium. Game one was not kind to the Yankees as they lost the contest 6-2 while not figuring out Jay’s pitcher Steven Matz. Although the loss broke their winning streak, it might be the least of their concerns. Cy Young award winner and recent no-hitter Corey Kluber left the game with a shoulder injury.

New York Yankees winning steak broken

As we all know, the New York Yankees started the season slowly, going 5-10 in their first 15 games for a team that was expected to explode upon the scene and sure bet to go the postseason. With such a slow start to the season, that projection was shattered.

But more recently, the team has made those projections closer to reality. Over the last month, they have won several series and most recently swept the best team in the AL Central, the Chicago White Sox. But last night, their 6 game winning streak ended when the Toronto Blue Jays beat them. The two teams that have given the Yankees the most trouble this season are the Jays and the Tampa Bay Rays. The Yankees have losing records against both teams.

The Yankees have two more games against the Jays before they move on to play the Detroit Tigers. The Yankees are now 28-20, just one game out of first place in the East. The Tampa Bay Rays have overtaken the Boston Red Sox for first place in the division.

Yankees suffer the loss of Corey Kluber

After Corey Kluber’s no-hitter, fans waited with bated breath to see how Kluber would pitch after the Yankees’ 12th no-hitter in its history. Little did those fans know what Kluber knew; he started the first inning with shoulder tightness that he tough might be resolved with the “adrenaline” of the game. Such was not the case, as the pitcher had to leave the game after the third inning. Before he left, he gave up two earned runs while walking three.

If this is a significant injury, it will be a huge blow to the Yankees and Kluber. At the moment, it appears after an exam that the problem may not be a huge problem. Manager Aaron Boone said after the game that we will have to see after tomorrow’s MRI to determine how serious the injury is. It appears he will miss at least one start. One thing is for sure; the Yankees will be cautious bringing him back into the rotation. If the Yankees make the postseason, they will be counting on their number two starter to be at his best.

Yankee’s defense improves

The New York Yankee pitching has, for the most part, been stellar. The hitting and defense haven’t been up to par. The hitting has improved somewhat recently, but the Yankees defense has really stepped up.

The much-maligned Gleyber Torres has greatly improved at short; DJ LeMahieu has been what he always is, just fine. Clint Frazier, although not hitting great, has been making flying catches that dazzle. But the defensive show-off has been Gio Urshela. He has initiated 13 double plays and one triple play to lead baseball in those categories.

Notes:

The New York Yankees will again face the Toronto Blue Jays in game two of the set at 7:05 pm EDT at the Stadium in the Bronx. The Yankees’ Domingo German is scheduled to face the Jays’ Alek Manoah in his major league debut. The weather at the time of this writing is questionable for the entire game. There is a 50% chance of rain with scattered thunderstorms in the area.

 

New York Yankees Analysis: Where has all the hitting gone, long time missing

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New York Yankees, DJ LeMahieu

After a truncated, failed 2020 baseball season, the New York Yankees seem to be on a path to success as they approach first place in the AL East after a slow start to this season. The pitching has been great, and the fieldwork has improved greatly, but the missing piece of the puzzle is the Yankee hitting. It isn’t there for the most part, and when it is, it isn’t consistent.

This is something that not only affects the Yankees but seems to be baseball-wide. Whether it be a deadened ball or outstanding pitching, something is going on that’s different this season. The modern-era record (since 1900) for no-hitters is seven in a season. This year we have six already, and it not even June yet. One was by the New York Yankees starter Corey Kluber. If this pace continues, we could have as many as 18, well more than twice the normal amount.

Don’t get too excited

It’s easy to get really excited with how the New York Yankees have been playing the last few weeks. After all, they have now won nine series in a row: Cleveland Indians, Baltimore Orioles, Detroit Tigers, Houston Astros, Washington Nationals, Tampa Bay Rays, Baltimore Orioles, Texas Rangers, and now the White Sox. But look closely at why this is happening. It’s for three reasons: We have had excellent starting pitching, a stellar bullpen, and hitting is down throughout baseball.

It’s easy for Yankee fans, particularly newer ones to get overly down on the team when they aren’t playing well and over-excited when they play well. One just remember to keep your eye on the ball, the big picture, it’s a long season.

So you ask, with all this winning going on, why should there be any reason for concern. It’s simply the New York Yankees hitting overall stinks. If our pitching falters, our hitting will not win games, and that should be a concern. Take a look at how we have been hitting at Yankee Stadium and on the road:

The New York Yankees have only played on the road at Baltimore, Toronto south, Cleveland, Tampa Bay, and Arlington, Texas.

Baltimore: .273 BA, .808 OPS (7 games)

Toronto: .198 BA, .651 OPS (3 games)

Cleveland: .209 BA, .758 OPS (4 games)

Tampa Bay: .204 BA, .620 OPS (6 games)

Texas: .253 BA, .680 OPS  (4 games)

Yankee Stadium: .220 BA, .684 OPS (22 games)

We are only playing well against the Baltimore Orioles and okay against the Texas Rangers; other than those teams; we are subpar. Even at Yankee Stadium, we aren’t that good. We are 13-9 At the Stadium; that’s the same record we have experienced on the road, 4 games above .500. Usually, the Yankees play much better at home than on the road.

Our good luck may not hold up season-wise if our hitting doesn’t improve. Like I say, we have been lucky; we have scored 3 or fewer runs in 23 games this season. On average, you have to score more than 3 runs a game to win games consistently. As of today, we have 9 hitters of the 14 regular players that are hitting under .200, which is just plain horrible.

To continue to win games, we must continue the excellent pitching; the aforementioned 9 have got to bring their averages up, and our star players need to be great. The Yankees are looking forward to getting Giancarlo Stanton back and Luis Severino to strengthen the starting rotation, and Zack Britton to shore up the bullpen.

The bottom line is that this is a quality team that can make a run for a World Series berth, but better hitting will get them closer to that goal. Aaron Judge, Giancarlo Stanton, and Gio Urshela are hitting, Gleyber Torres is looking encouraging. Although DJ LeMahieu is hitting, he is not the dependable hitter he was last year. His batting average is 100 points lower than last year, and he only has 14 RBI’s. Luke Voit, just returning is too early to evaluate. The rest of the team needs to pick it up.

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: 3 Must-read takeaways from historic Yankee win

by
New York Yankees, Gleyber Torres

The New York Yankees are starting to win and win a lot! After winning eight straight series against various teams, last night they won their first game of the White Sox Series, opening up for another series win. That win would be a win over a powerhouse team much like the Yankees. With hitting down and all the Yankee’s injuries, how is this happening? Repeat after me, pitching, yes pitching always beats out good hitting. New York Yankees 2 White Sox 1.

Jordan Montgomery plays Yankee’s ace

Going into last night’s game, according to the stats, it didn’t look good for a Yankee win with the Yankees facing Carlos Rodon. I won’t bore with all the facts, other than to point out Montgomery was 2-1 with an ERA hovering around 5.00, Rodon’s record was 5-1 with a tiny ERA of 1.47.

What happened was nearly the opposite. Jordan Montgomery pitched like the Yankee ace, having one of the best games of his short career. He had a career-high 11 strikeouts. He also went 7 innings, his longest outing of the season, throwing the most pitches. His ace-like performance wasn’t because Rodon failed. Rodon went pitch for pitch with Montgomery as both pitchers remained scoreless through six innings. With nearly 100 pitches, Rodon was out of the game. In the end, both pitchers pitched themselves out of the decision. It was the first time in major league history that both pitchers had 10 strikeouts without issuing a walk.

With Rodon out of the game, the New York Yankees struck first when in the bottom of the seventh Gleyber Torres homered to give the Yankees the 1-0 lead. That lead was short-lived. At the top of the eighth inning, the Sox played some small ball and answered, scoring a run. At the top of the ninth, with the game tied at home, the Yankees brought in closer Aroldis Chapman that had been lights out all season long, not allowing a run. For the first time in the season, Chapman got in trouble; with two on and no one out, Andrew Vaughn stepped to the plate, hit the ball directly at Gio Urshela. Urshela preventing the Sox from scoring, made a fantastic play. Instead of firing to first, Urshela went around the horn for the first Yankee triple play since 2014, when the Yankees completed a triple play against the Rays.

At the bottom of the ninth and Aaron Judge on third base, Gleyber Torres again stepped up his game in this game and singled, allowing Judge and the Yankees a walk-off win over the Chicago White Sox. To sum it up, last night’s game was the most exciting of the season next to Corey Kluber’s no-hitter.

The New York Yankee hitting still isn’t there

The New York Yankees have been winning games, but it isn’t because of the hitting; it’s because of stellar pitching. Last night the Yankees could only score two runs. In their last ten games, the Yankees have scored two or fewer runs in seven of those games. Only with lights out pitching were the Yankees able to win seven of their last ten games. Last night only one Yankee hitter, Gleyber Torres, was responsible for both Yankee runs.  It should be mentioned that the Yankees are suffering the loss of some key players, but the lack of hitting has dogged them the entire season.

Aaron Hicks may miss the remainder of the season

In a game against the Baltimore Orioles, Aaron Hick had a wrist injury. A torn tendon sheath. Instead of traveling with the team to Texas, Hicks traveled back to New York to be evaluated by the Yankee team doctor Christopher Ahmad. The Yankees had originally thought anti-inflammatory medicine would handle the situation, but after consultation with Admad, they have given up on that idea, and instead, Hick will have surgery. Recovery for this type of surgery could be a month or just as likely could cause the end of the season for Hicks.

Although the loss to the club is significant, it’s not like they are losing one of their best players. Hicks never got his season going, so it’s not as great a loss as it could have been. However, It does present a problem for the Yankees that may only be solved with a trade. When the Yankees traded away Mike Tauchman, this reduced their backup outfielders. Aaron Judge, Brett Gardner, and Miguel Andujar are holding down the outfield, with only Tyler Wade in reserve.