Jonathan Loaisiga

New York Yankees Recap: Nestor Cortes Jr. brilliant in Yankees series win over the White Sox

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This afternoon was the rubber game with the New York Yankees playing game three against the Chicago White Sox. The Sox won the Field of Dreams game on Thursday night, and the Yankees won last night’s game in the tenth inning. Today, Nestor Cortes Jr. faced the Sox ace Lucas Giolito. The Yankees won the game 5-3 and the series for their 10th in 11 tries.

The top of the first inning saw DJ LeMahieu face Giolito; he flew out to center. Brett Gardner walked on the 13th pitch of the at-bat. Aaron Judge also walked. Joey Gallo went down looking. Giancarlo Stanton struck out swinging on a ball well out of the zone, leaving two on base. At the bottom, Tim Anderson had a comebacker right back to Cortes. Hernandez ground out to Odor, who made a spectacular throw to first. Jose Abreu blooped to center of a single. Eloy Jimenez singled with Abreu going to third, and with the throw going to third, Jimenez took second. Andrew Vaughn hit back to Cortes with the Sox, also leaving two on base. No score.

The top of the second was led off by Luke Voit, who singled to left. Rougie Odor hit a two-run homer to right-center. Kyle Higashioka went down on strikes. Tyler Wade struck out swinging. LeMahieu singled to left. Gardner doubled with LeMahieu going to third. LeMahieu made it home on an errant throw to second. Judge popped out to second. At the bottom, Yoan Moncada tipped back into the glove of Higgy. Luis Robert flew out to Gardner in center. Danny Mendick singled up the middle. Seby Zavala struck out swinging. New York Yankees 3 White Sox 0.

Joey Gallo led off by hitting a push bunt on the first pitch he saw in the third inning. Stanton flew out to the warning track in center. Voit singled to left with Gallo going to second. Odor struck out swinging. Higashioka went down looking. Anderson led off the bottom by grounding out to Wade at short. Hernandez hit a comebacker to Cortes. Abreu walked. Jimenez singled down the right-field line with Abreu going to third, but Vaughn ground out to end the inning. New York Yankees  3 White Sox 0.

Tyler Wade led off the fourth by going down on strikes. LeMahieu flew out at the left-field wall. Gardner walked. Judge reached on an E4. Gallo struck out swinging with a chance to blow the game wide open, leaving Gardner and Judge on base. At the bottom, Moncada singled to Wade on a ball he couldn’t handle. Robert went down looking. Mendick struck out to end the inning. Yankees 3 Sox 0.

Giancarlo Stanton led off the fifth inning by walking against new Sox pitcher Ryan Tepera. Voit flew out to center. Stanton advanced on a passed ball. Odor went down swinging on the 10th pitch. Higashioka struck out but reached on a wild pitch, with Stanton going to third. Wade flew out to the left to end the half. At the bottom, Anderson singled past Odor at third. Hernandez hit into a 5-4-3 double play. Abreu went down, looking to end the inning. Yankees 3 Sox 0.

It was the top of the lineup for the Yankees in the sixth inning. LeMahieu tapped out to third. Gardner flew out to the left-center. Judge walked. Judge stole second. Gallo struck out to end the half.  Jimenez leading off the bottom, struck out. Vaughn homered into the left-field stands to get the Sox on the board. Moncada ground out. Robert went down, looking to end the inning, but the Sox got on the board. New York Yankees 3 White Sox 1. Nestor Cortes Jr. pitched a season-high 98 pitches.

Stanton started the seventh inning with his second walk of the game. Voit went down on strikes. Rougie Odor faced new pitcher Aaron Bummer and went down looking on an awful call. Stanton advanced to third on a wild pitch. Higashioka went down looking stranding Stanton. At the bottom, Jake Lamb pitch hitting for Mendick against Stephen Ridings, walked on four pitches. Collins pinch-hitting for Zavala struck out. Anderson hit into a double play to end the inning.  Yankees 3 Sox 1.

The eight-inning was led off by Wade, who ground out. LeMahieu walked. Gardner ground out. Judge was intentionally walked. Gallo went down on strikes stranding two. At the bottom, Hernandez walked. Abreu faced new pitcher Jonathan Loaisiga and hit into fielder’s choice. Jimenez stuck out. Vaughn popped out to get Loaisiga out of a jam. Yankees 3 White Sox 1.

The ninth inning was led off by Giancarlo Stanton who got a double to right. Jonathan Davis was sent in as a pinch-runner. Voit hit a two-run homer into the left-field stands. Odor singled to right. Higashioka hit into what should be a double play but reached second on an errant throw that Higgy knocked out of Abreu’s glove. Wade struck out, and Lemahieu flew out to end the half.

At the bottom of the ninth, with the last licks on the line for the White Sox Moncada against Lucas Luetge, he walked. Robert singled to left. Lamb popped out at second. Collins doubled to the right-field wall just out of the reach of Aaron Judge as Moncada scored. With Anderson coming up, the Yankees turned to Wandy Peralta to close it out for the Yankees. Anderson singled driving in Collins. Hernandez hit into a double play to end the game.

The final score was the New York Yankees 5 and the Chicago White Sox 3. The winning pitcher was Nestor Cortes Jr., and the loser was Lucas Giolito. The save went to Wandy Peralta.

 

 

 

 

New York Yankees Recap: Yankees win their fifth game advancing in the East

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The New York Yankees entered today’s game with a split of the series with the Seattle Mariners and hoping to take the series with a win. Andrew Heaney who had a rough start for the Yankees in his first game faced Chris Flexen. The Yankees got that win their fifth in a row and now hope to sweep the Mariners tomorrow. The final score was New York 5, Seattle 4.

Heaney started by allowing a double to Abe Toro. Mitch Haniger struck out. Ty France hit sharply to Tyler Wade, who was playing short today for the second out. Kyle Seager got a two-run homer to the right-field porch just beyond Stanton’s reach. Tom Murphy struck out to end the half. DJ LeMahieu led off the bottom by getting a leadoff single to right. Anthony Rizzo hit into 2-5-3 double play. Aaron Judge hit a monster (421′) home run into the left-field stands. Joey Gallo walked. Giancarlo Stanton hit a bullet up the middle for a single, moving Gallo to second. Odor stuck out. Seattle Mariners 2 New York Yankees 1.

At the second, Jake Fraley led off by going down looking. Luis Torrens walked. Jarred Kelenic doubled, moving Torrens to third. Dylan Moore walked. Toro, with the bases loaded and only one out, walked, bringing in a Mariner run. Haniger hit a long one to right, but Stanton snagged it as the wall. Ty France ground out to short, but the Mariners picked up another two runs. At the bottom, Brett Gardner ground out to first. Tyler Wade got a great bunt single. Rob Brantly got hit by a pitch. LeMahieu, with two on and one out, went down looking. Rizzo ground out to first, leaving two on. Seattle 4 Yankees 1.

At the top of the third, Seager ground out to first. Murphy went down on strikes. Fraley struck out for Heaney’s first 1-2-3 inning as a Yankee. At the bottom, Judge ground out to second. Gallo struck out. Stanton flew out to center for a short third inning. Seattle 4 Yankees 1.

The top of the fouth was led off by Torrens, who flew out to Gallo. Kelenice got a hustle double. Moore popped out to Stanton in right. Toro also flew out to Stanton. At the bottom, Odor struck out. Gardner went down swinging. Wade singled to second. Brantly ground out to second for another quick inning. Seattle 4 Yankees 1.

Haniger led off the fifth by flying out to Gardner in center. Ty France advanced on a hit by pitch. Seager hit into a force out. Seager stole second. Murphy went down on strikes. It was the top of the lineup for the Yankees at the bottom. LeMahieu ground out directly to second. Rizzo went down on strikes. Judge doubled to center, splitting the outfielders. Gallo struck out stranding Judge. Seattle 4 Yankees 1.

The sixth inning was led off by Fraley, who struck out. Torrens struck out, and Kelenic struck out for a strikeout of the side for Heaney in his final inning with 109 pitches in the game.

At the bottom, Stanton singled to left for his fifth multihit game in a row. Rougie Odor hit a two-run homer into the short porch knocking Flexen out of the game. Gardner faced the new Mariner pitcher Anthony Misiewicz and flew out in center. Gleyber Torres tripled to right on an E9. Higashioka pinch hit for Brantly and hammered a ground-rule double into the left-field stands to tie up the game at 4. LeMahieu faced new pitcher Casey Sadler with one out and Higgy at second, and he singled to right center, moving Higgy to third. Rizzo hit the ball, but LeMahieu got in a run down as Higgy scored for the Yankee lead in a smart play. New York 5 Seattle 4.

The seventh inning was led off by Moore facing new pitcher Clay Holmes and struck out. Toro went dowl looking. Haniger also struck out as Holmes struck out the side all looking. At the bottom, Aaron Judge went down on strikes against new pitcher Castillo. Gallo went down on strikes. Stanton, with two hits in the game, flew out to right to end the inning. Yankees 5 Mariners 4.

France led off the eighth inning by grounding out. Seager faced new pitcher Joely Rodriguez and struck out. Murphy singled to left. Fraley ground out to first. Odor led off the bottom against Smith and flew out to center. Gardner got a single to left field. Torres flew out to right. Higashioka singled, Torres was called out at second, but upon review, he was safe. LeMahieu ground out. Yankees 5 Mariners 4.

With last licks on the line, Jake Bauers pinch-hit and ground out. Kelenic ground out to second. Cal Raleigh flew out to Gallo in left for the Yankee win.

The winning pitcher was Andrew Heaney. The loser was Anthony Misiewicz , and Jonathan Loaisiga picked up his fourth save of the season. The final score was the New York Yankees 5 and the Seattle Mariners 4.

 

 

 

New York Yankees: 3 Major takeaways from Yankees series win

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New York Yankees, Jonathan Loaisiga

The New York Yankees entered last night’s early evening game after a 3-1 win over the Marlins last night when the Yankees saw their newest hitter Anthony Rizzo hit a 449′ foot home run at LoanDepot Park in Miami. He became an instant Yankee favorite. The Yankees had the same lineup featuring 4 lefty hitters, including another new Yankee, Joey Gallo. Domingo German faced the Marlins Trevor Rogers. Rizzo hit another home run, and the Yankees won it 4-2. Just before the game, Marlins manager Don Mattingly although vaccinated, tested positive for the Covid virus, the bench coach James Rowson managed the game.

Rizzo homers again!

No matter how humble, Anthony Rizzo is doing everything he can to gain the hearts of Yankees fans immediately. He wasted no time last night getting his second home run in as many days as a new Yankees. He hit a 449′ monster home run on Friday night, then last night, he scored the go-ahead run in the fifth inning in Miami. Then, he hit a really sky-high home run into a maintenance area just left of the foul pole for an insurance run for the Yankees in the seventh. Showing how he is a complete player; he was excellent at defense and got on base in all five of his at-bats. In a momentary scare, he was hit by a pitch in the hand in the second inning of the game but was okay. After the game, Aaron Boone had this to say:

“I think the heat of [the playoff] chase definitely invigorated him,’’ manager Aaron Boone said. “I think he is one of those guys who truly does live for that.”

Without really trying, other than his home runs and defense at first, Rizzo is endearing himself to Yankees fans by his demeanor. In interviews, he is humble, and he carries himself, not demanding respect but earning it. It sure looks like he embraces what it means to be a New York Yankee.

Loaisiga slams the door shut

Yankees manager Aaron Boone did not want to use Zack Britton, who had been used heavily this week. He also wanted to keep closer Aroldis Chapman out of the game; he had been feeling some general soreness. He also had been worked four of the last six games. So in the fifth inning, he went to his bullpen. Luetge, Holmes, and Green who combined to allow just one hit. Then he asked Jonathan Loaisiga to hold the game and close out a win in the ninth.

Attempting to hold the two-run lead, Loaisiga allowed a one-out single from Brian Anderson, then induced a ground ball from Lewin Diaz. That could have finished the game, but Gleyber Torres, lacking focus, tagged Brian Anderson at second; the only problem was that he tagged him with his glove, not the ball, and both runners reached.  Loaisiga put the gaff behind him and struck out Alfaro, and induced a ground ball from De La Cruz for his third save of the season. YES analyst Jack Curry said that he sees Loaisiga as a closer before his career ends after the game.

Stanton is comfortable in left

The New York Yankees have been preparing Giancarlo Stanton to play in the outfield at some point. Being in Miami in a National League Park, manager Boone took the opportunity to play Stanton in left field as there was no DH. Last night for the second night in a row, Stanton was out there looking comfortable. Although he really hasn’t had any immensely difficult plays during both nights, he has looked like he hasn’t missed a beat making common plays. Adding to his comfort level has to be playing in LoanDepot Park, where he spent eight years out in left field.

Boone aims to play Stanton in left field one or two games a week, assuming his body holds up. Now that the Yankees have kept Luke Voit, Stanton’s ability to play in the outfield will give Boone the option for the DH slot with Stanton, Voit, Rizzo, and others. Boone said after the game:

“I was really encouraged,’’ Boone said of what he saw from Stanton defensively on Friday. “Not surprised. He’s always been a very good outfielder.”

Note: Today, the New York Yankees will go for the sweep of the Marlins. The Yankees are 4-10 in sweep attempts. Today at 1:10 pm, Jordan Montgomery will start for the Yankees against a yet-to-be-named Marlins starter. With two Yankee wins and two Red Sox losses, the Yankees are 7 games out of first place and just one game out of the second wild-card slot.

New York Yankees: 3 Takeaways from Yankees most heartbreaking loss

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New York Yankees, Jonathan Loaisiga

Yesterday, New York Yankee fans experienced their worst heartbreak of the season. After a late-game win the day before, the Yankees were positioned to split the four-game series with the Boston Red Sox. But that was not to be had. Even with Domingo German pitching a no-hitter into the eighth inning, the Yankees fell apart as they have so many times this season. As a result, the Yankees lost the game 5-4.

Domingo German pitches a gem for naught

In an article previewing the New York Yankees Boston Red Sox series, I said of Sunday’s matchup that you never know what you’re going to get from German. “He could be lights out, or he could struggle mightily.” I had no idea that Domingo German would enter the eighth inning yesterday with his first no-hitter. German was just masterful. All of his pitches were working, and he mystified the Red Sox hitters by mixing them up, so they never knew what was coming.

Previous to last night, German had been a mixed bag, bombing to start the season, and being sent down. He returned a new pitcher with the Yankees winning six of his starts, but then he went south again, with the Yankees losing five of his next seven starts. But yesterday, he pitched the best game the Yankees have seen by any pitcher since Corey Kluber’s complete game no-hitter. Now the Yankees can only hope what German experienced yesterday will carry him through the rest of the season.

Yankees look like a baseball team, but woes continue

On Sunday, Yankee fans for a time experienced the Yankee team they had hoped to have this season. The Yankees played baseball instead of looking dead on their feet, as they have most of the season. Seldom have we seen the Yankees push bunt, steal bases, and even Gary Sanchez achieved the second triple of his career. All this was taking place while Domingo German was pitching the game of his life.

But without a minute’s notice, the Yankee fan’s excitement went crashing down. After pitching 20 more pitches than he had all season, German allowed a double, knocking him out of the game while previously not allowing a hit. The usually dependable Jonathan Loaisiga came in and gave up three runs. Zack Britton replaced him in the ninth inning; he allowed two sac flies scoring two more Boston runs for the late game win for the Red Sox. The Yankees and its fans went from the highest of highs to the lowest of lows in mere minutes. The Red Sox won three games of the four-game series and the Yankees, coming off the previous exciting win, dropped another game in the AL East.

Is Boone’s job on the line?

The New York Yankees are fast approaching the point of no return. Winning the AL East is now out of the question unless a miracle happens and the Red Sox and Rays completely collapse. No, the Yankees at this point are fighting to get a wild card spot. Presently they are four games out with the Rays, Athletics, and Mariners ahead of them.

Manager Aaron Boone is in the last year of his contract. He has brought the Yankees to the postseason in each season of his management, only to see them fail time and time again. Now he is managing an underachieving team that he has been unable to inspire to play good baseball. One has to wonder at this time whether owner Hal Steinbrenner may be reevaluating his previous support of his manager.

It would be explainable if this were a team of bad players, but it’s not. It’s a championship-quality team that is playing badly. Someone should be held accountable. When playing at Fenway, you see the stands packed with standing room only. Even with 100% capacity allowed, Yankee Stadium has yet to fill the 15,000 empty seats. Fans have lost faith in the Yankees and its manager, and it costs Hal money. Stay tuned.

 

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: One of the most cherished rivalry in sports has been thrown under the bus

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For New York Yankees fans, what could be more perfect than a hot, humid summer night at Yankee Stadium and the beginning of a four-game series between the long-standing rivalry of the Yankees and the Boston Red Sox? Nothing, it’s a baseball fan’s dream. But that dream may have been thrown under the bus, no players on the field, no fans in the stands, and no hot dogs sold. Not because the tarp was on the field, Not because thunderstorms were forecast, It was because the horrid coronavirus has not left us.

Just like the Miami Marlins and the St. Louis  Cardinals last year lost games to the coronavirus, the Yankees have lost at least one game to the ugly virus. The Yankees had to postpone two games earlier in the season against the Phillies when 8 in the traveling squad had to go under the MLB mandated Covid protocols. Back then, it was staff, not players. This time that caused the postponement, it’s the players that have been affected.

Three players have tested positive, pitchers Nestor Cortes Jr., Jonathan Losisiga, and Wandy Peralta. Three others are waiting for further tests due to testing positive on a first quick test. Those include Aaron Judge, Gio Urshela, and catcher Kyle Higashioka. The pitchers were all vaccinated. Of those that have tested positive, all but one received the Johnson & Johnson vaccine. The New York Yankees were the first team in baseball to reach an 85% vaccination rate.

No vaccine ever developed has been 100% percent effective, and that is why we continue to see uncommon breakthrough cases, cases where individuals that have been vaccinated get the virus. The Johnson & Johnson vaccine is the least effective of the three vaccines. It is 72% effective against getting the virus, moderate Covid-19, and 85% effective against severe Covid-19. According to a March report from the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Pfizer and Moderna vaccines were 90% effective at preventing infections following full vaccination.

With the new Delta variant of the virus, people are still dying from this dread and preventable disease. As an example, Connecticut has one of the fewest new infection rates in the country. Nevertheless, it is one of 42 states that has had increasing rates in the last two weeks, primarily due to the Delta strain that is far more infectious. In the past two weeks, the infection rate has nearly doubled from 0.67 to a 1.29%. The new infection rate means they had 126 new cases yesterday. Over 90% of the new cases are among people who have not been vaccinated. The only way we can return to complete normal is if everyone is vaccinated. There are extremely few valid reasons not to get vaccinated.

Adding to the alarm for the New York Yankees and all of baseball is that slugger Aaron Judge traveled to the All-Star game last week, where he accompanied Yankee ace Gerrit Cole and closer Aroldis Chapman and came in contact with dozens of other players from across the country. This leads to the assumption that the All-Star game could potentially turn out to be a spreader event.

New York Yankees general manager Brian Cashman spoke to reporters Thursday night.

“We have three positives, and we have three pending that we’ve had rapid tests on,” Cashman said, saying the three positive rapid tests are being confirmed with additional lab work.” He further added that the two teams are scheduled to play Friday night at Yankee Stadium. However he added the caviate “we are in a very fluid situation right now.”

It has yet to be seen what impact this will have on the New York Yankees short term. But losing their best reliever Jonathan Loaisiga and one of the best new starters in Nestor Cortes Jr. certainly won’t be helpful as the Yankees try to dig themselves out of a hole in the AL East. If slugger Aaron Judge and third baseman Gio Urshela lose time it could be catastrophic.

It has yet to be determined if the entire series will be played or if a weekend doubleheader will be scheduled to make up for the postponed game. Stay with EmpireSportsMedia.com for all the latest Yankee developments.

 

 

 

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.

 

New York Yankees Recap: Yankees make a statement shutting out the Astros in game one

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Tonight the New York Yankees met up with the hated Houston Astros at a packed Minutemaid Park in Houston for the first game of a three-game set. Nestor Cortes Jr. was on the mound for the Yankees and Jake Odorizzi for the Astros. 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.

In the first inning, Odorizzi faced the Yankees DJ LeMahieu, who ground out to left. Aaron Judge singled. Gary Sanchez singled for back-to-back singles. With men on first and second and one out, Giancarlo Staton hit into a double play to end the threat. Jose Altuve led off the bottom by being tagged on running for first. Myles Straw ground out to second. Michael Brantley lined out to Gardner in second. No score.

At the top of the second, Gleyber Torres faced off against Odorizzi and singled to center. Rougie Odor always singing for the fences stung out swinging. Gio Urshela singled. Brett Gardner, who has not hit well off of Odorizzi, flew out to left-center. Tyler Wade, with two on and two outs, popped out to left to leave two on. At the bottom, Yuli Gurriel flew out to Judge in right. Yordan Alverez lined out to first. Kyle Tucker got a ground-rule double bouncing into the bullpen. Abe Toro looped to Judge. No score.

The top of the third saw the top of the lineup for the Yankees. LeMahieu tapped out to first. Judge lined out to center. Sanchez lined out to third to end the half. At the bottom, Jason Castro lined to LeMahieu. Robel Garcia walked for the first walk of the game. Altuve skied to center. Staw flew out to Wade in left. No score.

Giancarlo Stanton struck out at the top of the fourth inning, tipping it into the catcher’s glove. Gleyber Torres got his second hit of the night to left. Rougie Odor .300 over his last seven games ground into a force out. Urshela smoked back to Odorizzi for a single. Gardner got a two-run double driving in Torres and Odor for the two-run lead. Wade chased for the final out. At the bottom, Brantley struck out. Gurriel popped out to second base. Alverez singled to second with a poor transfer to Voit. Tucker, with one on and two outs, flew out to Gardner in center. New York Yankees 2 Houston Astros 0.

The fifth inning saw the top of the lineup for the New York Yankees. LeMahieu ground out. Judge flew out to foul territory in right. Sanchez popped out to short. At the bottom of the fifth, Toro facing Cortes Jr., struck out swinging. Castro ground out to first. Garcia walked, and that was the end of the night for Cortes jr. For the first time as a starter pitched into the fifth inning and had a season-high 69 pitches. He was replaced by Lucas Luetage, who faced Altuve, who Luetge fanned out. Yankees 2 Astros 0.

The top of the sixth inning was led off by Giancarlo Stanton, who flew out to Brantley. Torres, with two hits on the night, hit into the infield for that second out. Odor struck out swinging. At the bottom, Straw against Luetge ground out to short. Brantley popped out to Urshela. Gurriel ground out to third to end the inning. New York Yankees 2 Astros 0.

The seventh inning was led off by Urshela, who was two for two on the night, slow rolled to third but couldn’t beat it out. Gardner worked a walk. Wade hit a double down the left-field line with Gardner moving to third base. LeMahieu, with two on and one out, hit the 10th pitch of the at-bat up the left-field line driving in two Yankee runs. Aaron Judge singled to third. With men on the corners and one out, Sanchez faced the new pitcher Brandon Bielak and ground out to second for a double play, but the Yankees picked up another two runs. At the bottom, Alverez struck out. Tucker doubled. Toro flew out, and Castro lined out to first to end the inning. Yankees 4 Astros 0.

The eighth inning was led off by Stanton, who ground out to third. Torres chased for the second out. Odor hit one into center over short Altuve’s head for a single. Urshela flew out to left to end the half. Robel Garcia led off the bottom of the eighth by Garcia, who struck out against Green. Altuve flew out to Gardner in center. Straw ground out to short to end the inning. New York Yankees 4 and the Houston Astro 0.

At the top of the ninth inning, Brett Gardner tapped out to the pitcher. Wade got thrown out on a ground ball to short. LeMahieu smoked on up the middle. Judge got his career 500th hit. Sanchez struck out to end the half. With the last licks on the Astros, Michael Bentley led off against the Yankees closer Jonathan Loaisiga and rolled to second for the first out. Yuli Gurriel ground out to second. Yordan Alverez struck out on a 100 mph fastball by Loaisiga to end the game in a shutout.

The final score was the New York Yankees 4 and the Houston Astros 0. The winning pitcher was Lucas Luetge, and the loser was Jake Odorizzi.

Is Jonathan Loaisiga the New York Yankees’ closer of the future?

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New York Yankees, Jonathan Loaisiga

Last night the New York Yankees picked up their third straight win as they defeated the Seattle Mariners 5-4. It was one of those games that made you a little nervous if you were a fan of the Bronx Bombers.

The Yankees jumped out to an early lead of 5-1, but a three-run homerun cut the lead down to one with a few innings to go. At the beginning of the year, fans had little to nothing to worry about with the bullpen in a game like that. However, lately it seems that no lead is safe with the Yankees.

After a string of horrendous outings, the Yankees didn’t go to Aroldis Chapman last night. Instead, they went with an 8-9 combination of Jonathan Loaisiga and Chad Green. It was six up and six down with four punchouts for the two righties as the Yankees secured a big win. 

Despite all of the injuries and issues with the Yankees bullpen this year, Green and Loaisiga have been two gems. Both pitching to an ERA under 2.25 with WHIPs under one. If you can depend on anyone in the pen, it seems to be Loaisiga and Green.

If we look to the future, the Yankees have some decisions to make with the bullpen. Zack Britton has a team option at the end of this year which the team is likely to decline. They might even look to move him at the deadline if he can come back healthy.

Aroldis Chapman and Chad Green both have one more year under contract after this season. We all know the Yankees likely won’t bring back Chapman and Green could command a big premium. With that in mind, is Jonathan Loaisiga is the closer of the future?

The Next Great Yankees Closer?

When Loaisiga came up through the minors, he did so as a starting pitcher. The Yankees had envisioned Loaisiga as a guy who would come up and help with the rotation. However, he’s proving this year that he’s so much better out of the pen.

Loaisiga possesses nasty stuff with the ability to throw 100+ with movement and he has nice off-speed pitches to pair. Most great closers don’t come up through the system as relievers, but they do as starters. Even the great Mariano Rivera started out as a starter.

Loaisiga has developed multiple pitch options which makes him very dangerous on the mound as a reliever. The 26 year old has blossomed this year and I think he’s going to be a key piece of the bullpen moving forward. Loaisiga looks like he can turn into one of the best closers in the game with time.

Am I getting ahead of myself here a little? Of course I am, but what Yankee fan doesn’t think about the future of the ballclub. Loaisiga is under team control through the 2024 season. He’s got nasty stuff and he’s proving to be one of the more reliable arms in the bullpen.

While the closer role between the rest of this season and next likely belongs to either Green or Chapman, don’t be surprised to see Loaisiga get the role after 2022. With his stuff, he just might turn into the Yankees next great closer.

Sound Off: Do you think the Yankees should keep Loaisiga in the pen moving forward to be a future closer or should they try to put him back in the rotation eventually?

New York Yankees: Mid-season player report cards and comparisons

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

Before the 2021 season started, the New York Yankees looked like they had their best chance of accomplishing the next world championship goal. 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 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, 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.

Now at the halfway point, the New York Yankees are playing inconsistent ball and are nine games out of first place in the AL East.  They can’t win against the Red Sox nor the Tampa Bay Rays. With the Yankees seemingly unable to right their ship, the team gets a D on their report card. That D extends to manager Aaron Boone who doesn’t seem to be able to inspire his team to play to their capabilities.

The first figure next to the player’s name is their card from the first quarter and the second is the change since then.

Gerrit Cole, A+/A

Gerrit Cole has a record of 8-4, ERA 2.66 with 129 strikeouts. His record 6-2, ERA 1.81in the first quarter was absolutely amazing this season, considering he has gotten pretty poor run support. He is second in all of baseball with 129 strikeouts. He also has gone deeper into games than any other Yankee pitcher. At the quarter, he led the majors in strikeouts; he is now 5th. Although he is the best Yankee pitcher, his performance has fallen off. Yankee fans expected him to win 20 games this season; at this point, that doesn’t seem likely.

Corey Kluber, A/B

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. First, he recorded the Yankees’ 12th no-hitter against the White Sox. But then he was sidelined with a shoulder injury. He will be out for at least another month.

Domingo German, A/C

Record 4-5, ERA 4.50, his record at the quarter was 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 won six straight of his starts. But then things went downhill fast; in the second quarter, he hasn’t had a win. The Yankees have lost his last two starts, and he hasn’t gone more than 4.1 innings since June 6th.

Jordan Montgomery, B+/B+

Record 3-2, ERA 4.06, his record at the quarter was 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 at the quarter were for five or fewer innings. However, in June, he has pitched into the sixth inning in all of his games and complete seven innings on May 21st. The interesting thing about his stats is that the Yankees have won 11 of his 15 starts.

Jameson Taillon D+/F

Record 3-4, ERA 5.43, his record at the quarter was 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 5/23 outing against the White Sox was one of his best. However, since then, he has only gotten worse and is the Yankees’ most undependable pitcher.

Aroldis Chapman A+/B+

At the quarter, his 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. However, on May 8th, he proved he was human by giving up his first run of the season. Since then, he has blown 3 saves and took the loss in two games and, most recently, on 6/30, failed a hold in an unbelievable 9th inning, giving up 4 earned runs while only recording a single out. If he continues his 9th inning struggles, his report card will drop like a rock.

Jonathan Loaisiga A/A+

Record 7-3, ERA 2.32, was 3-2, ERA 2.49 at the quarter. Loaisiga, ever since spring training, has been manager Boone’s most dependable reliever. Since the last report card, he has only gotten better being Boone’s most reliable reliever.

Lucas Luetge B+/B+

Record 2-1, ERA 3.15; at the quarter, it was 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. He had only one bad relief appearance when he gave up 3 runs in the 6/30 game against the Angels.

Chad Green  B/B+

Record 2-4, ERA 2.48, at the quarter he was 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 low 2.48 ERA.

Luis Cessa C/B+

Record 1-1, ERA 3.31. At the quarter, he was 0-0, ERA 3.00, and hadn’t got into full relief mode, but history shows he gets better as the season progresses. That holds pretty much true as he is a dependable reliever. He gets nearly a strikeout per inning and has given up only twelve runs in 36 innings pitched. At this point in the season, he has the best ERA of his 6-year career.

Aaron Judge A+/A+

Batting average .285 at the half. Aaron Judge has been gangbusters lately after a slow start to the season, hitting 12 home runs and leading the team in hits at the quarter. At the half, he has 18 home runs and leads the team in every stat except doubles. He has played well enough to be the only New York Yankee to be elected to the 2021 All-Star Game in Denver.

Giancarlo Stanton A+/A

Batting average .269. Before going on the IL with a quad strain, Stanton led the team in home runs and was the spark that ignited the team. After a brief off period, he is hitting again and has the second-most home runs on the team.

Gleyber Torres A/C

Battin average .242. Gleyber Torres got a lot of flack at the beginning of the season for poor field play, and he wasn’t hitting. That changed, and his fielding and hitter went up. Now it has changed again, and his batting average is down, and so is his defense. He has been inconsistent and has hit only 3 home runs, compared to his 38 in 2019.

Gio Urshela B+/A

Batting average .272. 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. He has 10 homers on the season.

DJ LeMahieu B/B+

Batting average .273. LeMahieu is still one of the Yankee’s best hitters but is not performing anywhere near like he did last season. He bats almost full 100 points below the average he ended up with last year, earning the baseball batting title.

Brett Gardner C/C

Batting average .204. 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. All three of his home runs have been in the month of June. So he may finally be heating up.

Clint Frazier D/F

Batting average .186. 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 is his mostly stellar play in the field, making many wild diving catches and taking runs away from opponents. However, he is the team’s biggest disappointment this year and may soon be on the trading block.

Gary Sanchez D-/B+

Gary Sanchez has been a tale of two different players. After hitting only .147 last season until recently, he looked to be on track to have another lousy season. He even lost his starting catching job to Kyle Higashioka. But after having a .178 batting average at the quarter, he has raised that to .238. In addition, he has 8 home runs in June after only having 6 during April and May combined. He is the New York Yankees’ most improved player.

Luke Voit X/D

Luke Voit after not starting the season due to knee surgery has returned to the team. He has yet to get him hitting rhythm he is batting just .195 since his return on May 11th. He has only 3 home runs compared to his 22 last season when he was the baseball home run leader.

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