Luke Voit

New York Yankees Smack Seven Home Runs to Beat Orioles

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The New York Yankees came out swinging on a sunny Sunday in the DMV, hitting seven home runs to beat the Orioles 15-3.

Scary Gary

Gary Sanchez led the New York Yankees by smacking three home runs, while just missing a fourth in the final inning. Two of his long balls came off a fastball, one first pitch, and the third was off a slider.

Clint Frazier built off of Saturday’s game by going 4-for-5 with two home runs and an RBI single. Gleyber Torres went 2-for-5 with a home run, and Austin Romine mashed a home run in the ninth.

New Yankee Giovanny Urshela added an RBI while going 2-for-3 as well as playing a good third base.

The Yankees accumulated 15 hits while drawing nine walks during the game, with Gardner drawing three. Aaron Judge went 0-for-4, but didn’t strikeout at all.

Luke Voit went 1-for-5, and despite him having a .182 average, he has reached safely in all but two games thus far.

Dominant Domingo

Domingo German was dominant on Sunday in possibly his best start yet. He pitched 6+ innings, allowing two hits and two runs. German actually had a no-hitter going through 5 1/3 innings. In the seventh inning, he gave up a hit and a walk before he was pulled.

Once pulled, Steven Tarpley came in and allowed both runs to score, as well as one of his own runs as he struggled to make it through the seventh.

Luis Cessa came in for the eighth and ninth, giving up just one hit. Cessa is looking better and better each time out, and we are finally starting to see why Brian Cashman thinks so highly of him.

Speaking of Brian Cashman, the Yankees won their 2,000th game with Cashman as the GM. What an accomplishment for one of the best general managers in all of sports.

The Yankees now travel down to Houston to take on the Astros in a three game series. Masahiro Tanaka gets the ball for the Yankees against Houston ace Justin Verlander. First pitch is set at 7:00PM (ET) on ESPN, Watch ESPN, YES Network, and FOX Sports Go.

New York Yankees Finally Put Together Some Offense in Win Over Baltimore

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New York Yankees, Gleyber Torres

Just four days ago, the New York Yankees finished dropping a three game series against the Orioles at home. Now on the road, the Yankees finally pieced together some offense and beat the Orioles by a score of 8-4.

Gleyber Torres led the way

Gleyber Torres put together a game he won’t forget. Torres went 4-for-4 with two dingers and four ribbies.

His first time up, he roped a 1-1 splitter to left field and gone for a solo homer. His next time up, he cracked a double.

The third time he came to the plate, the Yankees were trailing 4-2 in the sixth inning, shortly after catcher Gary Sanchez had a homer himself. Torres took an 0-2 fastball to left for a three run home run to give the Yankees a 5-4 lead. Torres also had a single in the eighth, and if he had another plate appearance, he would need just a triple for the cycle.

In the ninth inning, first baseman Luke Voit popped a 1-2 sinker into the seats for a three-run bomb, putting the Yankees up 8-4 to seal the deal.

Something that is worrisome about the game is the fact that Aaron Judge went 0-for-5 with four strikeouts. He isn’t getting a ton of friendly calls behind the plate, but nonetheless he shouldn’t be striking out as much as he has been. Like we said yesterday, it’s all about situational hitting.

Big Maple’s first Yankee win

Getting a no decision in his first Yankee game, James “Big Maple” Paxton picked up his first Yankee win on Thursday against the Orioles.

Paxton pitched 5 1/3 innings while giving up four runs on eight hits while striking out nine and walking two. Paxton threw 99 pitches and threw first pitch strikes to 14 of his 25 batters. He got eight of his nine strikeouts on variations of his fastball, and was hitting 96 MPH consistently on the radar gun with the four-seam.

Once Paxton was finished, Tommy Kahnle came in for 1 2/3 scoreless innings of relief, followed by Zack Britton and Aroldis Chapman with scoreless innings to close it out.

Reminder: We’re only seven games into the season. The Yankees are 3-4, but the Astros (who we play next) are 2-5 and the Red Sox are 2-6. Plus, the Cubs are also off to a 1-4 start. Those four teams area handful of the World Series favorites.

Fans just need to patient. The Yankees will heal, and they will win games.

The Yankees actually have Friday off with the whole home opener, next day off thingy. So the Yankees and the O’s finish off this three game series on Saturday and Sunday.

Saturday’s game will be at 7:05PM on YES Network and Fox Sports Go. MASN may be available dependent on where you live and which TV provider you have, and that is another way to watch.

JA Happ gets the ball for the Yankees against the Orioles’ Dylan Bundy. That will be a rematch of this past Sunday at Yankee Stadium.

 

New York Yankees: Is it “Luuuuuuke” They’re Chanting?

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New York Yankees, Luke Voit

The New York Yankees first baseman Luke Voit is on the verge of experiencing a very unpleasant phenomenon in Yankee Stadium – when the shouts of “Luuuuuuuuuuuuuke” suddenly turn to jeers of “booooooooo.”  Not that I’m advocating such a turn of events – quite the contrary.

Voit was the hero of Opening Day from the cleanup spot, hitting a three-run shot in the first inning with Aaron Judge and Giancarlo Stanton on the bases.  He also had two walks and was hit by a pitch.  He had a 1.000 day – on base four times with 1 H, 1 HR, and 4 RBIs.

He said to CBSSports.com after the game:

“It felt good off the bat — I did my little Sammy Sosa hop — it felt good to pick up where I left off,” said Voit following the game. “To get that first hit out of the way is always nice.”

Voit’s offensive production so far in the young season nearly all came on Opening Day, as he’s had only two hits since.  In 19 at-bats, across six games, he’s batting .158/.385/.316 with 3 H and 1 HR.  

In fact, in Tuesday’s game against the Detroit Tigers, the Tigers intentionally walked Judge to get to Voit, which, we all know, can’t happen.  While fans want men on base when Voit is at the plate, they don’t want the bat to be taken out of Judge’s hands.

In Wednesday’s action, Voit was again hitless and Boone said afterward:

“He’s one of the guys that’s good at not going out of the zone and he needs to get back to that,’’ Boone said of Voit.

So while he might have picked up where he left off last season on Opening Day, he needs to pick it up again.  The Yankees’ offense has stalled against both the Baltimore Orioles and the Tigers and Voit’s bat has been part of the problem.

Yankee fans want to see that player who hit .333 with 14 homers and 33 RBIs in just 39 games last season.  He ignited the Yankees in August and September for the all-too-brief postseason run.

Coming into the season, Voit and Bird competed hard for the first base position,  though fans had been told by general manager Brian Cashman that Voit had won the job on the strength of his performance after coming to the team .  Voit took a few hits for his defense last season, but worked in the offseason to improve with the glove.

In spring training, Voit hit .289 with 4 homers and 12 RBIs in 17 games which was enough to keep pace with Bird, who had an outstanding spring himself, for the first baseman’s position, although the battle was not ultimately decided because Hicks went down with injury and the team elected to carry both Voit and Bird.

Voit is poised to either make the analytics nerds proud or to whiffle into Yankee obscurity, only to be discovered buried in some future history of the Yankees.

With a virtual team on the Injured List, Voit needs to work hard not to land there himself as he’s twice been hit by pitches this season, most recently in Tuesday’s game against the Tigers.  X-rays after the game were negative and he was back in the lineup on Wednesday.

The Yankees lack of offense is certainly not Voit’s fault.  The Yankees lost to the Tigers by a score of 2-1 on Wednesday and along the way set a new Yankee record for strikeouts in a game with 18.  In fact, all 10 Yankees batters struck out in the game.

Voit, as one of the Yankee starters still standing, needs to produce on offense and soon or those calls from the stands he hears won’t be “Luuuuuuke.”

 

New York Yankees Strike Out a Franchise-Record 18 Times in Loss to Detroit

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The New York Yankees struck out a total of 18 times, a franchise record for a nine inning game, and only amassed five hits as they dropped the rubber match of the three game series against Detroit 2-1. The Yankees were an ugly 2-4 during their six game homestand, and also lost Troy Tulowitzki to an injury on Wednesday.

Not getting runners on

The New York Yankees had a 2-for-5 completion rate with runners in scoring position. Judge had an RBI single and Torres had a single that didn’t score a run. LeMahieu, Bird, and Frazier each had singles, making it a total of just five hits for the Yanks. Luke Voit got hits in the three games against the Orioles, but went hitless against the Tigers in three games.

The team did draw four walks, but they aren’t getting runners in scoring position. Judge did have a stolen base, but Brett Gardner was caught stealing.

They may be able to get on base more and have more success at the plate if they improved their situational hitting. Every single guy goes up to the plate hoping to smack one into Poughkeepsie. That mindset doesn’t work at all. Through six games they have just five home runs, and if they just try to put it in play, good things could happen.

Maybe Aaron Boone needs to try some small ball, like in the bottom of the order. Get a guy on then have someone like Mike Tauchman or Tyler Wade bunt or do a hit and run to try to get runners in a better position, even if it may cause an out for the batter.

Loaisiga and Sanchez

Jonathan Loaisiga started the game on the mound for the Yankees, and despite the fact he only pitched four innings he did well. The Yankees had no intentions to stretch him out, and was removed after just 70 pitches. He struck out four but issued three walks and only gave up one hit. He gave first pitch strikes to nine of his 16 batters while getting three groundouts and five flyouts.

Gary Sanchez already has four errors, and has played just five games. He had another bad throw on a steal attempt, allowing Nick Castellanos to move to third. He really needs to get those throws down and on target.

Another one bites the dust

Troy Tulowitzki was injured in Wednesday’s game against the Tigers with a calf strain and will hit the IL. The team is down another position player, forcing them to call up Thairo Estrada to take Tulo’s place. Estrada has been on the 40 man roster for some time, but hasn’t made his MLB debut.

They need guys like Estrada to step it up during these injuries. It may be early on and generally a low-stress time, but we don’t want these losses to pile up too much.

The Yankees will play the Orioles starting on Thursday at 3:05PM. James Paxton will get the ball for the Yankees against the Orioles’ Alex Cobb.

The New York Yankees Beat The Tigers as Gardner and Sanchez Homer

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New York Yankees, Gary Sanchez

In a low scoring affair, New York Yankees starting pitcher Domingo German threw five solid innings and Gary Sanchez and Brett Gardner each hit solo home runs to beat the Detroit Tigers by a score of 3-1.

Seven combined hits

The Tigers and the Yankees combined for just seven hits all game, and just two came from the Tigers. Both of them happened to come off the bat of Jordy Mercer, who went 2-of-4.

The Yankees had five hits, two of which left the yard. Sanchez and Gardner each had solo shots, and Gardner also added a single in the first.

Greg Bird had a single to left field, but Tigers outfielder Christin Stewart bobbled it and Luke Voit put the wheels on and scored from first after a walk in the third inning.

Judge doubled in the seventh inning, but was stranded there, unable to build on the lead.

Aroldis Chapman came in to lock it down in the ninth, pitching a 1-2-3 inning with a strikeout to end it.

The Yankees four big relievers that are healthy right now pitched on Monday, and each did a great job. Chad Green, Zack Britton, Adam Ottavino, and Aroldis Chapman were each scoreless in one inning of work, and Britton was the only one that allowed a hit.

German did what was asked of him

Domingo German went out there on Monday with relatively low expectations, but pitched a solid game. In five innings, he only gave up a hit and a run, the run being charged on another Gary Sanchez throwing error. It did look like Gleyber Torres just missed the catch and Sanchez was just stuck with the error, so it’s not really his fault.

German only threw 77 pitches, but struck out seven while throwing first-pitch strikes 62 percent of the time. He got three of his seven strikeouts on curveballs, two of his seven on sliders, and two of his seven on fastballs. So basically, there was a lot that was working for German.

Though his pitches worked well, his accuracy and composure were poor. He walked five batters on Monday, and a 7:5 strikeout to walk ratio is really bad. He needs to keep practicing his accuracy and find more strategies with Gary Sanchez to get the ball to spots he can hit and the batters can’t.

Game two of the series against the Tigers continues on Tuesday at 6:35PM on YES Network and Fox Sports Go.

Masahiro Tanaka is scheduled to make his second start of the season, while Jordan Zimmerman will do the same for Detroit. Zimmerman was dominant last time out against the Blue Jays, allowing just one hit in seven innings.

 

 

Andujar with missed opportunities as Yankees drop first game of season

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New York Yankees, Miguel Andujar

In his first start as a Yankee, southpaw James Paxton pitched well, giving up two runs (one earned) off of four hits with five strikeouts. However, he was credited with a loss as the Yankees couldn’t get much going on offense, dropping the second game against the Orioles by a score of 5 to 3.

Despite having 10 hits, the Yankees only managed to score three runs while going 3-of-9 with runners in scoring position. Their defense sure didn’t help any, having three errors on the game.

The little offense they had:

In the fourth inning, DJ LeMahieu punched one up the middle, barely strong enough to get through, scoring Gleyber Torres.

In the sixth inning, the Orioles put up two runs off a single by Dwight Smith and a throwing error by Gary Sanchez on a double steal attempt. With runners on first and second, Sanchez threw to second on the steal attempt. The throw was in plenty of time, just off target. This would knock Paxton out of the game.

An inning later, Baltimore got one more, this time off of Chad Green. Rio Ruiz doubled, then later scored off a single by Jesus Sucre. Sucre led the Orioles, going 3-for-4 with three RBIs.

In the ninth inning, Yankee reliever Jonathan Holder made a mess, starting after an error by DJ LeMahieu. With runners on the corners with one out, Sucre knocked one down the left field line, stopping at second and clearing the bases while making the score 5 to 1.

The Yankees sure tried to come back in the bottom of the ninth. Troy Tulowitzki led off with an opposite field home run, then LeMahieu followed with a double. Gardner hit a hard liner to center that was caught for the first out, however Aaron Judge kept it going with a hard single. After a full count strikeout by Giancarlo Stanton, Luke Voit hit a high fly ball that barely dropped in with the outfield playing back. That scored a run making it 5 to 3, but Miguel Andujar struck out on a 1-2 slider to end the game.

Andujar ruined their two biggest opportunities

Way back in the first inning, Baltimore starting pitcher Nate Karns was in no mood to deal with the big boys. After Gardner was retired to start the inning, Karns walked Judge, Stanton, and Voit to load the bases. After taking a low fastball for a ball, Andujar hit it back to Karns who threw it to Sucre behind the plate, then Trey Mancini at first for a 1-2-3 double-play.

Now in the ninth inning, the Yankees had Judge on third and Voit on first with Andujar up to bat. After swinging at a 95 MPH fastball for strike one, Oriole reliever Mike Wright threw three straight sliders. Andujar laid off the first one but swung at the next two to end the game.

Andujar finished 1-for-5 with two strikeouts on the afternoon.

The Yankees finish the series with the Orioles on Sunday afternoon at 1:05PM in the Bronx. The game will be televised on YES Network and Fox Sports Go.

 

Three run first inning powers New York Yankees to Opening Day Win

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New York Yankees, Yankees, Luke voit

It didn’t take very long for New York Yankees first baseman Luke Voit to prove haters wrong.

After back-to-back singles by Aaron Judge and Giancarlo Stanton, Voit cranked a low slider on a 3-1 count into Monument Park for the Yankees first three runs of the game and season, and it led them to a 7-2 victory over the Baltimore Orioles.

That home run was Voit’s only official at-bat, he took walks in two other plate appearances and was also hit by a pitch. His hit-by-pitch actually resulted in an RBI, as the bases were loaded. Aaron Judge was the only Yankee with multiple hits, a single to right and an infield single. All Yankee batters besides leadoff hitter Brett Gardner had a hit, but Gardner did have a walk.

Greg Bird went 1-for-4 on the game, with three strikeouts and a home run into the Yankee bullpen. Miguel Andujar had a single to CF in the seventh and an RBI sacrifice fly early on. Andujar, however, did have a throwing error in the fourth inning.

A quality start for Tanaka:

Masahiro Tanaka got his 2019 season off to a good start, giving up six hits, two runs (one earned), and fired five strikeouts in 5 2/3 innings of work. Only throwing 83 pitches, the Yankees didn’t want to stretch it with him as the team doesn’t play again until Saturday.

Tanaka was throwing his slider and splitter well and for strikes. All five strikeouts were swinging, including him striking out the side in the second inning using mainly offspeed pitches. Most outs came from his slider or splitter, and he only threw a few curveballs all game.

Tanaka faced 22 batters and threw first-pitch strikes to 12 of them.

Ottavino showed out in his first game:

Adam Ottavino had no New York jitters. He came out to relieve Tanaka in the sixth inning with two outs to strike out Rio Ruiz, then came back for the seventh inning getting two more strikeouts and a lineout to Troy Tulowitzki at shortstop, who got a hit in his first game as a Yankee.

Zach Britton and Aroldis Chapman came in for the eighth and ninth innings, and each pitched scoreless innings despite both giving up a hit.

The two teams don’t play on Friday but will continue the series on Saturday at 1:05PM on YES Network, ESPN+, or FOX Sports Go. The probable starters for the game are Nate Karns and James Paxton.

 

New York Yankees First Base Position Battle is Decided, Greg Bird Wins the Job

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New York Yankees, Greg Bird

New York Yankees skipper Aaron Boone announced that Greg Bird will get the start at first base for the team’s opening day game against the Baltimore Orioles. Luke Voit is still expected to DH on Thursday but won’t play the field. Voit is definitely the fan favorite, and fans now have questions about the move.

Greg Bird had a slightly better spring:

Both players hit the ball well this spring, but Bird’s stats were just a bit better. Bird hit .333 compared to .289 for Voit. Voit however did have more home runs (12) and RBI’s (four) compared to Bird (10 and three respectively). While the more seasoned fielder did have a higher OBP and slugging percentage than Voit, he also showed a new ability to hit to the opposite field.

But will the spring success continue up north for Bird? He hasn’t had much success in the big leagues in his career, only one really big moment in pinstripes. That, being his ALDS game three home run off of Andrew Miller in 2017. If he doesn’t hit well, it could be his last chance with the Yankees.

Both aren’t fast or have particularly good gloves:

Both Voit and Bird aren’t known for having a good glove or necessarily being a speed demon. In my opinion, Voit is definitely a better runner and hitter, but he lacks defensive advantage. They are both good enough to get by in comparison to other players at their position.

So no matter who they pick to play defense, it honestly may not matter. It comes down to offense with those two players, and Voit will likely bat higher in the lineup, even as high as fourth or fifth. I think that Voit’s success last year wasn’t a fluke and that they have found their first baseman of the future.

New York Yankees: Why Tyler Wade Will Make the Roster Over Clint Frazier

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With camp breaking on Sunday for an exhibition in Washington on Monday, the New York Yankees will likely be forced to decide on a final position player spot in the coming days. Aaron Hicks going down with the injury makes it look as if both Luke Voit and Greg Bird will be on the opening day roster, but nothing is 100% yet. However, two players are fighting for a roster spot indirectly, in Tyler Wade and Clint Frazier.

Tyler Wade has had a way better spring, and has a lot more versatility, making him a better fit on the roster. Frazier still has some work to do on the little things, but should still see time in the big leagues as the 26th man, for injuries, and come the roster expansion in September if healthy.

What Wade brings to the table

Tyler Wade is a very versatile infielder that can play some outfield who has been raking this spring. He has bat .333 with a home run, and his slugging percentage is at .571. Wade is also very speedy and has stolen three bags so far. His fielding skills are above average, and is primarily a middle infielder but played centerfield for the Yankees last season on a few occasions.

His versatility is what the Yankees love, knowing they can plug him into the lineup in several different positions. Plus, his speed is something the team wants to use for pinch running when he doesn’t start.

What Frazier brings to the table

Clint Frazier has struggled mightily this spring, but some may be from rust. He has just six hits in 40 at-bats. However, he has had more success at the major league level and cracked a walk-off home run in 2017. Frazier has a lot of power, good speed, and a good glove. But because of his struggles so far, it would be best to start him in AAA to polish up mechanics and work off the rust. The more he plays, the better he should too and the better his stats will be.

If Tyler Wade starts this season like he did last season, his time in the MLB may be short and Frazier could come up fast. But, something to watch out for is that Wade is starting to run low on options, and the team needs to limit how freely they send him up and down.

New York Yankees: Masahiro Tanaka Dominant in Spring Debut

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New York Yankees, Masahiro Tanaka

New York Yankees starting pitcher Masahiro Tanaka had is spring debut on Sunday at home against the Tigers, and boy he sure looked good.

In the first inning, Tigers centerfielder Daz Cameron rocketed a double deep into center field, but Tanaka stranded him on third by striking out the next two batters and forcing a fly out to center for the third out.

Tanaka’s second inning was flawless, working three groundouts to the left side, two of them to Miguel Andujar at third. The first one, Andujar took a few steps right to field a backhanded, hard-hit ground ball, and threw a two-hopper to first. The second was a routine ground ball that he put away with ease.

The third inning was just as good for Tanaka, getting the leadoff hitter to groundout to Kyle Holder at short, then two easy flyouts to Estevan Florial in center.

His final stat line: three innings, one hit, two strikeouts, and one runner stranded at third.

He also got a little run support in the first two innings, Brett Gardner hit two homeruns to right field for his first two hits of the spring, Aaron Judge lined his first homerun of the spring to right, and Gary Sanchez hit a screamer down the left field line that barely stayed fair.

Yankees feature two squads in two-game Sunday:

The Yankees are actually playing as a split squad today, the other team is playing the Toronto Blue Jays in Dunedin. Luke Voit is leading the way down there with a solo homerun, making the fight for first base even more interesting.