Masahiro Tanaka

The New York Yankees Starting Rotation: 2021 and Beyond

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The New York Yankees are looking into Cleveland Indians pitcher, Trevor Bauer.

For the last decade, there have always been questions surrounding the New York Yankees starting rotation. That has been the one flaw in the team that has hindered them from getting over the hump and capturing a 28th World Series championship.

The Yankees made a big step in the right direction signing Gerrit Cole last offseason. Cole has been very good so far this year pitching to a 5-3 record with a 3.20 ERA and striking out 12.1 batters per nine innings. Masahiro Tanaka has been good, but the rest of the rotation has been hit or miss.

Jordan Montgomery hasn’t been sensational so far. The Yankees have had solid outings from J.A. Happ, but the bombers are hoping he’s not part of their 2021 plans given his optional salary. The Yankees have had one pleasant surprise this year, and that’s been Deivi Garcia.

I started thinking about the Yankees beyond this odd COVID season. What is the Yankees rotation going to look like beyond this year, and what are the Yankees going to do this offseason to address the starting pitching? Let’s take a dive into the options.

The Yankees Internal Options

Realistically there is only one guarantee for the Yankees rotation to start the season and that’s Gerrit Cole. Luis Severino will of course be a part of the rotation, but we really don’t know when he will return from his recovery from Tommy John surgery.

I would think that the Yankees would be willing to give Domingo German a spot in the rotation. Last year’s 18 game winner was suspended for the shortened season due to a Domestic Violence case. If those three are in, that leaves questions around the other two spots.

Deivi Garcia sure looks like he deserves a full-time spot in the rotation. The 21 year old has looked sensational through three starts for the Yankees pitching to a 3.06 ERA. However, given the small sample size, his spot isn’t guaranteed.

Jordan Montgomery could get one of the final two spots, but his inconsistent performances could give the Yankees pause. Clarke Schmidt is another option, but he was never given an actual look in the starting rotation, so I’m not convinced they’d go with him.

As things stand, the Yankees could go into the 2021 season without doing a thing and they could field a starting five if Severino is ready to start the year which might be unlikely. If Severino isn’t ready, the Yankees could give Schmidt a chance or look at the starting pitching market.

Options in the Market

The Yankees do have a few starting pitchers that will be hitting the free agent market. The Yankees will do what they can to make sure J.A. Happ’s option doesn’t vest while James Paxton and Masahiro Tanaka are both set to become free agents after the year.

If the Yankees were to sign someone in the market, the likely signing would be retaining Masahiro Tanaka. While resigning Tanaka would certainly not be the sexy option for fans, this will probably be the most likely avenue GM Brian Cashman goes down.

If I were running things, I would take a shot at Trevor Bauer. Bauer is having a career year for the Reds. How nice would it be to pair him and Gerrit Cole? Yes there’s personal friction, but money and championships talk.

The Yankees could also look at retaining Paxton, but given the injury concerns, this likely won’t be an option unless they get him dirt cheap. The Yankees could also explore the trade market, but with Cashman’s history, this is also unlikely because of his unwillingness to deal top prospects.

There are plenty of avenues the team can go down to finish off the rotation next year. I would caution fans to not dream of a Bauer scenario. Instead, prepare yourselves for more of a underwhelming offseason like retaining Masahiro Tanaka.

If the playoffs started today, who would start game 3 for the New York Yankees?

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New York Yankees, J.A. Happ

After an extremely rough and depressing stretch, the New York Yankees finally look like themselves again. The bombers have won four straight games to pull within a half game of the second place Toronto Blue Jays.

A week ago, people were starting to wonder if the Yankees would even make the playoffs. Now, everything is starting to click for the Yankees from their hitting to their starting pitching and bullpen. Now, I’m starting to think about the playoffs and this Yankees rotation.

For the Yankees, the first two games are relatively easy choices. Gerrit Cole would obviously get the ball in game one, and likely Tanaka would get the ball in game two. However, game three isn’t very clear. Who would the Yankees start in a game 3 in the playoffs this year?

The Yankees Options?

Fortunately, the Yankees do have a few options for a third playoff game. If they were in a be in a do or die game three in the wild card round, Aaron Boone has three guys that he could look to for a solid start. None would probably give the Yankees fan base an extreme amount of confidence.

J.A. Happ

The first option would be the veteran lefty J.A. Happ. Happ has started six games this year for the Yankees and he’s pitched to a 1-2 record with a 4.31 ERA. Now, he has been much better over his last four starts. Happ has pitched to a 2.59 ERA since his August 16th start.

While Yankees fans aren’t extremely comfortable with Happ, he honestly might be the safest choice. He’s pitched in the playoffs, and when he’s on, you know what he’s going to give you. Given the experience, I wouldn’t be shocked to see Happ get the ball.

Jordan Montgomery

The next option would be the big lefty, Jordan Montgomery. There were high expectations for Montgomery entering the season given what he did as a rookie, but he’s seen a mixed bag of results so far in his 2020 campaign for the Yankees.

Montgomery has pitched to a 2-2 record with a 4.76 ERA in eight starts this year. Montgomery looked really good yesterday against the Orioles, but this comes just two starts after he couldn’t get out of the first against the Rays. Montgomery is a solid pitcher, but I’m not sure I’d trust him with the ball in a game 3.

Deivi Garcia

The final option for the Yankees would be the rookie, Deivi Garcia. I can honestly say that Garcia has far surpassed my expectations in his first three starts, Garcia has pitched to a 1-1 record with a 3.06 ERA.

His last start blew me away. With the Yankees sputtering, Garcia went out and pitched seven strong innings against the Blue Jays leading the Yankees to a win that snapped their losing streak. Garcia has proven that he belongs in the rotation. Would Boone give him the ball in a game 3 is the question.

The Yankees Decision?

I think that ultimately we are going to need to watch how these three pitch the rest of the season. If things ended today, I think that the Yankees would probably lean towards a rotation of Cole-Tanaka-Happ in the playoffs. While many would love to see Garcia get that start, I think Boone values the experience of Happ.

New York Yankees Recap: Yankees slaughter the Oriole’s 16-1 in doubleheader

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New York Yankees, Luke Voit

The New York Yankees have been waiting these past weeks for a change in fortune. Yesterday they got it, the pitching was stellar, and the offense demolished Baltimore’s pitching. It was probably the best two games in a row for the Yankees, this entire season.  All this while the Yankees honored those that died in the 9/11 attacks, in a pregame ceremony at the Stadium.  The Yankees also donned NYPD caps, honoring the New York Police and Firefighters who lost their lives responding to the attacks on the World Trade Center.

In game one, Gerrit Cole, the Yankees signed for $324 million in the offseason, showed postseason dominance on a day that the Yankees might have been taken out of postseason contention.  Plain and simple, he was brilliant.  Cole pitched the game right into the seventh inning, saving the bullpen for another time. Cole pitched his only game of the season without giving up a home run. He got his first complete game shut out of the year.

The Yankee offense started right away, where in the first inning DJ LeMahieu greeted Oriole starter Alex Cobb by slamming a solo home run over the left-field fence. But the Yankees weren’t done. Next up was Luke Voit who doubled. Then, the mostly dormant season for Brett Gardner came to an end, when he had a long ball into the right-field stands, driving in Voit, and just like that the Yankees first three hitters, all scored off of the veteran Cobb. This allowed Cole to take to the mound with a three-run lead, without throwing a pitch.

At the bottom of the second inning, Mike Tauchman singled. Tauchman went 3-3 in the game. Next up was Kyle Higashioka who homered to left field, driving in Tauchman, and the Bronx Bombers were alive, making it 5-0 in only the second inning. Tauchman also drove in the Yankee’s sixth run in the bottom of the sixth.  Final score Yankees 6 and the Baltimore  Orioles 0. Cole was the winning and Cobb the loser.

In the second game, hoping the momentum would continue, Masahiro Tanaka took the mound for the New York Yankees, for his eighth start of the season. At the top of the first, D.J. Stewart who had hit four homers in five games did it again off Tanaka for his fifth homer in six games. Little did the O’s know, but that would be the only run they would score off of Tanaka.

In the bottom of the frame, Keegan Akin would take the mound for the O’s. With the Yankees on second and third, Clint Frazier grounded to third. DJ LeMahieu took off for home, and a bobbled catch by catcher Sisco allowed DJ to score. Gleyber Torres singled to left and Voit scored. Miguel Andujar doubled driving in two, and it was 4-1 Yankees.

There was no further scoring until the Yankee half of the fourth inning. Luke Voit took to the plate and with two on, homered into the Yankee bullpen, driving in three runs and it was Yankees 7 and the O’s 1. Meanwhile, at the top of the fifth, Masahiro Tanaka put down his twelfth Oriole in a row. At the bottom of the frame, Luke Voit again at the plate, just one run behind Mike Trout for the most home runs in baseball, sent a long ball into the left-field stands for a three-run shot making it 10-1 Yankees. Tanaka was the winner and Akin the loser for the Orioles.

Major takeaways: Both Gerrit Cole and Masahiro Tanaka had masterful games. Cole had a two-hitter and Tanaka a three-hitter.  It was a big night for Luke Voit who hit in both games. He had two homers in game two to tie Mike Trout for the most home runs in baseball. Clint Frazier who has improved immensely in his defense had two amazing catches in the games. All in all, it was a wonderful night for the New York Yankees who pushed the Orioles back two more games, from a postseason spot.

 

 

New York Yankees Previews: Doubleheader today at the Stadium with postseason implications

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The New York Yankees game, against the Baltimore Orioles, was postponed last night due to persistent heavy rain traveling through the Bronx. The game will be made up today as the first game of a doubleheader, at Yankee Stadium.

The games today will not be affected by the weather.  Game one will be played at 4:05 pm eastern. It will be partly cloudy with a game-time temperature in the mid-’70s. Game two at 7:05 pm will be played under mostly sunny skies with temps at about 70. Both of today’s games will be broadcast on the YES Network and in Baltimore on MASN2. Game two will also be televised on the MLB Network (out of market only).

The Yankees enter this series with a bit of momentum, after winning the finale with the Toronto Blue Jays, Wednesday night. Deivi Garcia had the best outing of his three starts, since his major league debut. He pitched seven strong innings allowing two runs, four hits while striking out six and not allowing a walk. Zack Britton has a scoreless eighth, and Aroldis Chapman struck out all three of the Jays hitters in the ninth. He recorded only his second save last night after returning from the coronavirus on August 17.

In game one today, Gerrit Cole will try to break his losing streak. Cole is 4-3, with an ERA of 3.63. Cole this season, is not the Gerrit Cole we saw last year. He lacks the dominance and throws a lot of pitches, to not go deep into some games. There is no question that Cole is the Yankee’s best pitcher, but he is less than what Yankee fans expected. The Yankees have lost the last four of Cole’s starts. In his last start last Saturday, he gave up five runs in just six innings. To be completely fair only one run was earned. a throwing error by Thairo Estrada leads to the other four runs. Cole today, will try to end his three-game losing streak and continue the Yankee’s momentum.

The Orioles will serve up Alex Cobb, in the first game.  Cobb is 1-3 with an ERA of 4.33. This will be his first game back from the IL, for an undisclosed reason.  Cobb is a veteran pitcher, that the Yankees have faced several times over the years, but not this year.  The Yankees last faced him on Aprile 4, 2019, in a game that the Yankees won 8-4.  In his career, Gary Sanchez has scored two home runs off Cobb, during 11 at-bats. Gleyber Torres also likes Cob, he too has 2 long balls off the righty, in only six at-bats.  Cobb’s last outing was on August 29th, when he lost to the Blue Jays.

Game two will headline the New York Yankees Masahiro Tanaka.  Masahiro Tanaka after a slow start this season, after getting hit in the head at the end of summer camp has pitched much better in his last two starts. In his last two starts against the Braves and Rays, he has gone eleven innings allowing only six hits and one home run. He only walked one batter while striking out 11 players. Tanaka unlike other Yankee pitchers has not pitched very well at Camden Yards. He has a 5.22 ERA over seven starts are Orioles Park.  The Yankees hope he can right that in today’s last game of the doubleheader. Tanaka overall this season is 1-2 with a 3.38 ERA in six games. Tanaka lost his last game against the Orioles on September 6th at Camden Yards.

Last night’s scheduled pitcher for Baltimore will start game two. Keegan Akin of the Orioles. This will be the second time the Yankees have faced Akin. In his last outing against the Yankees this past Saturday, he held the Yankees scoreless for 5.1 innings, walking four and striking out eight Yankees. Akin has been a reliever for the O’s but with their shortage of pitchers, he was turned into a starter. This will be his third start since his major league starter debut last month. Coincidentally in his last outing, he also faced Gerrit Cole, who lost the game for the Yankees.

Both of these games, as well as the entire New York Yankees series with Baltimore, have postseason implications.  The Yankees are just holding on to the eighth spot for the AL postseason, after slipping behind the Toronto Blue Jays. The Yankees are third in the East, and Baltimore is just 1 1/2 games behind the Yankees and is still in contention for the last spot on the postseason list.  If the Yankees do well in this series, they will set the Orioles further behind.  Should they falter, the Orioles could potentially take that spot away from the Yankees.

New York Yankee Recap: The first inning foretold the Yankees third straight loss to the Orioles

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New York Yankees, Masahiro Tanaka

For the New York Yankees, the first inning of yesterday’s matinee game at Camden Yards foretold the story of how the game would end. It was a game in which the Baltimore Orioles celebrated the 25th anniversary of Cal Ripkin’s 2,131 straight games, breaking the previous record of New York Yankee Lou Gehrig.  It was also the major league pitching debut of Baltimore’s Dean Kremer.

With Kremer on the mound in the first inning, the young man struck out the “machine,” DJ LeMahieu. He followed that up by striking out Luke Voit. At the bottom of the frame, Masahiro Tanaka took the mound for the Yankees and immediately gave up a two-run home run to D.J. Stewart.  That first inning pretty well foretold how the entire game would end up.

There is not much good to talk about in this game, as the Yankee pitching again failed, allowing the Orioles 9 hits and five runs. The Yankee offense remained silent while committing two costly errors. The last time the Yankees lost to the Orioles was a single game on March 31, 2019. Then the Yankees would go on to win 19 straight games from the O’s. The sliding Yankees have never lost three straight games to Baltimore at Oriole Park, until yesterday.

Unfortunately the Yankees in the last few weeks, just don’t seem to be able to get out of their own way.  They have now lost 13 of their last 18 games. This unprecedented collapse has taken them from first in the East Division, to third, and drawing them closer to completely missing out on the postseason. Going into yesterday’s game they were tied with the Toronto Blue Jays for second place in the East. With the Blue Jays win yesterday and the Yankees loss, the Yankees have slipped to 6.5 games behind the division-leading Tampa Bay Rays, and one game behind the Jays, who they will face in Buffalo for a 3 game set, starting on Monday night.

With only twenty games remaining to be played, it will be impossible with the Rays playing the way they are, for the Yankees to regain the lead in the East.  With the Blue Jays, Orioles, and Tigers playing good ball, the Yankees may even miss the eighth spot in the postseason.

Dean Kremer had a dream debut, in his first game in the majors. He held the Yankees to just one run, setting down 11 Yankees in a row by the end of the Yankee half of the fifth inning. His final line was six innings pitched with one hit, one run, and three walks while striking out seven Yankees.  Meanwhile, Masahiro Tanaka pitched a pretty good game but got no run support and a few infield bungled plays, from DJ LeMahieu and Miguel Andujar.  The winning pitcher was Kremer and the loser, Tanaka.

Miguel Andujar’s bat came to life in the game, getting three hits, although he was left on base all three times.  DJ LeMahieu and Luke Voit were both hitless in the game. Erik Kratz catching for the admonished Gary Sanchez, knocked in the only run for the Yankees as the previously walked Clint Frazier scored.

In an unusual move, manager Aaron Boone, having called out Gary Sanchez for his poor play, sat him for the game in favor of the better hitting Erik Kratz.  Kratz has a batting average of .296 and Sanchez .130, the lowest batting average of any catcher in baseball.

The New York Yankees have traveled to play their first games ever in Buffalo, against the Toronto Blue Jays.  The Blue Jays being denied the ability to play in their Roger’s Center by the Canadian government, finally found a home to play in at Sahlen Field the largest capacity triple-A stadium in the country.  The Yankees will play two-night games and a matinee, before returning to Yankee Stadium for four games against the Orioles.

 

New York Yankees: Tanaka continues to build on strong 2020

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New York Yankees, Masahiro Tanaka

Although the 2020 season hasn’t exactly gone to plan for the New York Yankees, there has been a few bright spots. One of those few bright spots has been Masahiro Tanaka, arguably the most consistent pitcher in the Yankee rotation.

He pitched five scoreless innings against the Braves on August 26th, and followed that with just two runs over six innings against the Rays. With the Yankees continuing to slide, they went to him for the series finale against the Orioles on Sunday.

Tanaka pitched 5.1 innings, allowing just two earned runs off six hits. He struck out five and allowed just one walk. It was also Tanaka’s longest outing of the season in terms of pitches. He threw 95 pitches, just the second time he’s thrown over 75 pitches this season.

This is exactly the year that Tanaka needed. His contract expires at the conclusion of the season, and it’s likely that he’ll be looking for a nice extension. He could be competing with James Paxton for a contract, and with Paxton on the IL, it appears as if Tanaka is currently winning.

Having a few bright spots in a disappointing season is always encouraging. The Yankees $324 million ace Gerrit Cole hasn’t yet lived up to the huge expectations set for him in pinstripes. Although he pitched six one-run innings last time out, he gave up a combined nine earned runs in the two starts prior. He’s 4-3 with a 3.63 ERA.

If the Yankees want to win their division, they need to turn things around fast. They’re on the postseason bubble, and if they continue to falter then they may miss out on October altogether.

 

New York Yankees Previews: Yankees try to salvage the finale with the Baltimore Orioles

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New York Yankees, Masahiro Tanaka

The New York Yankees go into the 1:05 pm matinee today with the Baltimore Orioles, hoping to salvage the finale of the four-game series. The Yankees won the first game, but have lost the last two against a team that they have been dominant with at Camden Yards.

The Yankees have been playing horribly in their last sixteen games, and hope to right that today against those lowly Orioles.  In last night’s game, Gerrit Cole was cruising to a win, striking out eight of the first nine O’s.  Then came the sixth inning when he gave up five runs, one earned. The meltdown as started by Thairo Estrada whose errant throw cost the Yankees four runs. The Yankee bats were also dead for the most part as they went 0-9 with runners in scoring position. Clint Frazier sparked with a home run and a 2-4 performance in the game. Kyle Higashioka also had two hits in the game.  Unfortunately, Gary Sanchez who was the DH continued to waste space in the lineup going 0 for 4 on the night.

As of last night, the New York Yankees were supposed to face Asher Wojciechowski, however, there must be something going on with him, as this morning he was removed as the starter for Baltimore.

The game today at 1:05 pm that will be played at Orioles Park at Camden Yards, will be played under completely sunny skies with no chance of rain.  The game-time temperature on the field will be in the low ’80s with low humidity and a light southerly breeze. The game will be televised on the YES Network and MASN in Baltimore

The New York Yankees will send out Masahiro Tanaka in the four-game finale. Tanaka after a slow start this season, after getting hit in the head at the end of summer camp has pitched much better in his last two starts. In his last two starts against the Braves and Rays, he has gone eleven innings allowing only six hits and one home run. He only walked one batter while striking out 11 players. Tanaka unlike other Yankee pitchers has not pitched very well at Camden Yards. He has a 5.22 ERA over seven starts are Orioles Park.  The Yankees hope he can right that in today’s matinee. Tanaka overall this season is 1-1 with a 3.38 ERA in six games.

After the Yankees complete today’s game they will travel to Buffalo to play three games with the Toronto Blue Jay, who are presently tied with for second place in the East Division. When they finish that series they will again play the Baltimore Orioles in a four-game set, those games will be at Yankee Stadium.

New York Yankees Recap: Tanaka pitches a beauty, Yankees take the Rays at the Stadium, but drama at the end (video)

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The New York Yankees broke their losing streak against the Rays, at the Stadium, but not without some spicy drama at the end.  The Yankees won the game 5-3, but the animosity between these two teams continues, when the Yankees meet up one last time for the season on Wednesday night there may be fireworks. With two outs in the top of the ninth, Mike Brosseau stepped to the plate, and Yankee closer, Aroldis Chapman threw a 101 mph fastball that appeared to be thrown at Brosseau’s helmet.  That caused the umpires to have a meeting, and both sides were warned.  Brosseau struck out and the Yankees won.  But as the Yankees left the field, both dugouts took to the field, which looked as though a brawl would ensue, there was a shouting match, but nothing materialized.  The tension between these two clubs, the last few years has been building. More on this later.

Masahiro Tanaka pitched a beautiful game for six innings, and with a season-high 88 pitches.  He gave up two earned runs, with seven strikeouts.  The game started off with DJ LeMahieu hitting his third homer of the year. LeMahieu homered twice and Urshela bolted for a mad dash around the basepaths in the sixth inning, punctuating a 360-foot trip around the diamond with a terrific slide. as the Yankees surged to a 5-3 victory over Tampa Bay Rays last night at the stadium in the Bronx.

With two on in the fifth, Gio Urshela stepped in against right-hander Ryan Thompson and drilled a liner toward the gap in right-center field, eluding a diving attempt from Kiermaier. Kiermaier slammed to the ground, allowing Luke Voit and Clint Frazier to score easily.  When the throw finally came to the plate, it was overthrown, and Urshela from third raced home for a score that was challenged by the Rays, but was upheld by New York, and the Yankees scored three in the inning.

The Tampa Bay Rays scored an additional run in the seventh, but it wasn’t enough, as the Yankees won 5-3, and broke a six-game losing streak. The winning pitcher was Masahiro Tanaka 1-1, and the loser was Brian Thompson, with the save was Aroldis Chapman, for his first save of the season.

After the game, both pitchers were interviewed, Yankee manager Aaron Boone downplayed the ball that was thrown at Brosseau, but when Rays manager Kevin Cash took to the mic, he was aggressively upset. He, in the moment of anger, suggested that the Yankees coaching staff was responsible for Chapman aiming at Brosseau’s head, an added that he had a bullpen full of pitchers that throw 98 mph.  That appeared to suggest that Ray’s pitchers would take revenge on the Yankee hitters in Wednesday night’s game.  For those that did not see the errant pitch, it should be mentioned that Brosseau was not hit by the ball.

“I can assure you, other than three years ago, there hasn’t been one pitch thrown with intent from any of our guys. Somebody has to be accountable and the last thing I’ll say is I have a whole damn stable full of guys that throw 98 mph.” Cash uttered.

With the bad blood continually building, tomorrow night should be a very interesting game, when the New York Yankee’s Jordan Montgomery faces the Ray’s, Charlie Morton, in the series finale, it will also be the last time the Yankees and Rays will meet in the regular season.

Notes:  Yankee Clint Frazier made an amazing full body dive, to make what is probably the best defensive play of his career. DJ LeMahieu hit two homers in the game and Gio Urshela added on to this homer total.

 

New York Yankees Previews: Yankees hope to right the ship against the Rays

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New York Yankees, Masahiro Tanaka

The New York Yankees will face their nemesis, the Tampa Bay Rays again tonight at 7:05 pm, at Yankee Stadium. The Yankees this season have met up with the Rays eight times, but have only won one game off them, and it was at Tropicana Field. They have lost four straight games against the Rays at Yankee Stadium, including last night’s game that was pitched by Yankee ace Gerrit Cole.

The Yankees need to right the ship with a win tonight.  The Yankees have slipped out of first place during the last two weeks, and are now 4.5 games behind the division-leading Rays.  This series is really important for the Yankees, for if they don’t win this series, with just over three weeks left to the season, it will be near impossible to regain the division.

The weather tonight should not be an issue for the game. The game-time temperature will be in the low ’70s and will be played under partly sunny skies. The game will be telecast on the YES Network and Fox Sports Sun.

In that effort, the New York Yankees will send out Masahiro Tanaka to get a win. Tanaka is 0-1 with a 3.48 ERA.  Tanaka was hit in the head in summer camp and does not seem to have fully recovered from it.  He has never gone more than 5 innings in any game, nor has he thrown more than 71 pitches. He has faced the Rays twice this season and the Yankees have lost both of his outings.  Tanaka, in his last game against the Atlanta Braves, Tanaka was excellent, going five scoreless innings, while giving up just three hits.  But at 66 pitches he ran out of gas and had to be removed from the game.

The Yankees will face the Rays, Trevor Richards, that is 0-0 with an ERA of 5.14.  Richards has been in six games, two of them starts.  Has not pitched more the 4.1 innings on the season, for a total of 22 innings. His last start was last week against the Baltimore Orioles, he allowed two unearned runs in four and a third innings.  He has given up five earned runs in his last eleven innings of work. The Rays will most likely rely heavily on their bullpen tonight. Luke Voit, Brett Gardner, and Mike Tauchman have been very successful off Richards.

Wednesday night will be the series finale against the Rays.  The Yankee’s second most successful pitcher Jordan Montgomery will face the Rays’, Charlie Morton. On Friday the Yankees will have another doubleheader, this one against the Orioles at Camden Yards. It will be the Yankees fifth doubleheader of the season.

New York Yankees Recap: Yankees lose 5 in a row, while being swept by the Atlanta Braves, what’s wrong?

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New York Yankees, Aaron Judge

Last night the New York Yankees lost their fifth straight game.  The Atlanta Braves swept a day-night doubleheader against the Yankees at Truist Stadium in Atlanta. So, what’s wrong? The Yankees offense has been dead.  They have scored just twelve runs in five games.  The Tampa Bay Rays swept the Yankees in three games at the Stadium, and now the Atlanta Braves has swept them at Atlanta. The Yankees have not pitched particularly well, but the offense is the problem.  In the losses yesterday the Yankees only scored two runs in fourteen innings. You don’t win many games with that type of offense.

In the day game, the Braves Ian Anderson, a triple-A replacement, the Yankees just couldn’t figure him out.  He put down the Yankees, one, two, three, in several innings. Meanwhile, New York Yankees ace Gerrit Cole, had his worst outing of the year, giving up three home runs for four runs in his five innings, and ended up giving up five runs in his 103 pitch effort. Looking at all six of his outings, although pitching relatively well, he has seemed at times to struggle and lacking the demeanor and confidence he exhibited last year for the Astros.

Game two had some confusing storylines.  Masahiro Tanaka seemed to have his best outing of the year, mowing down one Atlanta Brave after another.  After just 66 pitches Tanaka was relieved by manager Aaron Boone.  In favor of Chad Green, arguably the best Yankee reliever, that hadn’t pitched in ten days.  As it turned out, Green ended up giving up a two-run homer to the Braves Freddie Freeman, which turned out to be the winning runs.  The second storyline was when Aaron Judge was pulled from the game in the sixth inning with calf tightness.

Earlier in the game Judge was running from first to second base and “felt something.” He stayed in the game but was removed in the sixth inning. The second game last night was Aaron Judge’s first game coming off the IL.  Earlier at Tropicana Field, Judge had a slight hamstring pull running the bases.  He under protest went on the  IL, with the utmost caution of the Yankee trainers.  Judge going into last night’s game claimed to be 100% heathy.  Now, after running the bases only once, he has been pulled.  That is problematic for the Yankees as he is a key piece in the lineup.

After the games, manager, Aaron Boone was interviewed about both Tanaka and Judge. On the subject of Judge, he really couldn’t give any information, other than to say that he felt something and will see how he is tomorrow.  Boone is seldom forthcoming with injury information until it is after the fact, leading to the possibility that Judge will go on the IL again.

On the subject as to why he removed Tanaka after only 66 pitches, he was far more evasive. He said he thought that Tanaka, even after putting down seven straight Braves, was running on empty.  In a later interview with Tanaka, he seemed to indicate that he was running out of gas.  What this writer finds suspect, is why a veteran pitcher, in his fifth start of the season, would run out of gas while throwing just 66 pitchers.  That is somewhat concerning for a pitcher that should be throwing 100 pitches in a game.

The bottom line in the last five games is that the Yankee offense is greatly lacking.  DJ LeMahieu the Yankees hitting machine, Giancarlo Stanton a home runs slugger and Gleyber Torres are all out of the lineup, an on the IL. The New York Yankees have to hope as these players re-enter the lineup, that the offense will greatly improve.

As an ardent follower and life long New York Yankee fan, it appears to me that in this bizarre coronavirus season, the Yankees don’t seem to be having fun, and are not playing with the same energy and purpose as they exhibited last year.

In other important news from last night, the NBA postponed all three of their playoff games last night in response to the killing of an unarmed black man, Jacob Blake.  Blake was shot in the back by a white police officer in Kenosha, Wisconsin.  What started out as a protest by the Milwaukee Bucks’ decision to boycott their playoff game, cascaded across multiple sports.  After the NBA announced all playoff games would be postponed, soccer followed and some MLB players refused to play in last night’s games. Three MLB games were postponed: Cincinnati Reds- Milwaukee Brewers, Seattle Mariners-San Diego Padres, and the Los Angeles Dodgers-San Francisco Giants. The MLB issued the following statement:

“Given the pain in the communities of Wisconsin and beyond, following the shooting of Jacob Blake, we respect the decisions of a number of players not to play tonight,” MLB said. “(MLB) remains united for change in our society, and we will be allies in the fight to end racism and injustice.”