New York Yankees: 4 major takeaways from Yankees 6-3 win over the Indians

New York Yankees, Domingo German

German shakes the rust off

The New York Yankees nurtured Domingo German after not pitching for over a year. He played great in spring training but failed in his first two starts of the new season. The Yankees sent him down to Scranton to figure it out. Yes, he had a bad first inning last night but then pitched five scoreless innings, keeping the Yankees in the game. Other than that first inning, German impressed the Yankee management.

In addition to German’s good start, the New York Yankee bullpen was again great, not allowing another run in the game. Aroldis Chapman on the season has now pitched a record with 16 straight innings with 2 strikeouts or more per inning.

Torres learned his lesson

Gleyber Torres is an amazing Yankee player that hasn’t put his all into the last two seasons. After not running hard in the loss to the Braves, he was called into the manager’s office. Manager Aaron Boone expressed to him that he has to do better.  The result was that Torres played the game last night with new aggressiveness and energy, getting three hits in five at-bats. Last night Torres had his first two-hit game of the season.

Odor again rescues the Yankees

Rougned Odor was again a Yankee hero breaking the game tie wide open with this two-run single. Although his batting average is not all that good Odor has been keen on being a great situational hitter. The Yankees have won only seven of 18 games, and that is partially due to Odor, he provided the deciding run in two of those wins.

What’s new with Yankee hitting?

The New York Yankee hitting wasn’t wonderful in last night’s game, but it was a big improvement over the last few games. The Yankees behind Domingo German seemed to have more energy in the game and showed it with several hitters hitting better than they have recently.

The Yankees had more hits in this game than the last two series with 8 hits. But the Yankees had several walks and still left 8 on base, going 2 for 11 with runners in scoring position. That means if they had more situational hitting, they could have driven in more runs, but in a 162 game season, it was a good start.

Kyle Higashioka is becoming the Yankee premium catcher.

At the beginning of the season, the manager made it known that Gerrit Cole would not have a personal catcher in Kyle Higashioka, much to fans’ surprise. Since then, he has done nothing but impress. Aaron Judge has more home runs on the season, but actually, the best Yankee home run hitter is Kyle Higashiona, who has three home runs in just five games.

Tomorrow’s game will be a battle of the aces. Gerrit Cole will face Shane Bieber. The two are probably the best two pitchers in the American League. The can’t miss game will be at 7:10 pm.

 

New York Yankees Recap: Odor again comes to the Yankee rescue in the win over the Indians

Tonight the New York Yankees started a four-game series at Progressive Field with the Cleveland Indians. They are coming off a sweep by the Rays and a split with the Atlanta Braves. On the mound for the Yankees was Domingo German, coming back from a stint at Scranton after two bad starts at the beginning of the season. The Yankees hope he can return to his previous form in spring training when he was near perfect. He faced the Indian’s Aaron Civale, who had a 3-0 record coming into this game. Due to the cold weather, only 6,800 fans were in attendance.

At the top of the first Civale faced Brett Gardner, who walked. DJ LeMahieu struck out swinging. Aaron Judge walked for two on and one out. Mike Ford flew out to right for the second out. Gleyber Torres struck out swinging to end the half. At the bottom, Jordan Luplow led off against German, and he struck out. Cesar Hernandez singled to left. Jose Ramirez had a hustle double, and Hernandez went to third. Eddie Rosario singled, driving in a run for the Indians’ early lead. Fanmil Reyes, still with only one out, singled on a German double bobble causing another run for the Indians. Josh Naylor still with only one out single driving in yet another run. Jake Bauers popped out for the second out. Roberto Perez went down on strikes, but the Indians got 3 runs in the innings. Indians 3 Yankees 0.

Aaron Hicks started the second inning by grounding out to second. Rougie Odor ground out to first base. Clint Frazier struck out to end the half. Andres Gimenez led off the bottom with a line-drive single to right. He also stole second base. Luplow struck out. Hernandez ground out to Odor. Ramirez flew out to Gardner in left to end the inning for a fast inning for both pitchers. Indians 3 Yankees 0.

Kyle Higashioka led off the third inning by doubling to right. Gardner at the plate Civale balked, and Higgy moved to third. Gardner went down on strikes. Looking out into the stands, the fans appeared really bundled up. Last night’s Indian game was postponed due to snow on the field. Lemahieu singled, driving in a Yankee run. Aaron Judge, who walked in the first, went down on strikes. Mike Ford walked with Civale’s 61st pitch in the third. Torres doubled for driving in two Yankee runs to tied up the score at 3. Aaron Hicks popped out to second, but the Yankees tied up the game. Rosario led off the bottom, flying out to foul territory in left. Reyes got hit first career triple. Naylor struck out, and Bauers flew out to end the inning, leaving one on. Indians 3 Yankees 3.

tTo lead off the fourth, Odor had a failed drag bunt. Frazier flew out to right. Higgy ground out to first to a quick half. At the bottom, Roberto Perez ground out to short. Gimenez lined out sharply to ford. Luplow walked. Hernandez singled, moving Luplow to third. Ramirez, who had the best batting average against the Yankees, ground into the shirt ending the inning. Indians 3 Yankees 1.

Brett Gardner led off the fifth inning by grounding out. LeMahieu walked. Aaron Judge went down on strikes. Mike Ford flew out to left field to end the half. Eddie Rosario led off the bottom of the fist by flew out to Hick on the warning track. Reyes ground out to LeMahieu, playing third. Naylor ground out for a 1-2-3 inning for Domingo German. Indians 3 New York Yankees 3.

Toop of the sixth saw Torres at the plate facing Civale with 89 pitches and ground out. Hicks 0 for 2 on the night singled to left field ending the night or Civale.  Odor faced Bryan Shaw; he flew out to the far center. Frazier, with two outs and one on, walked for two Yankee on base. Higashioka walked to load the bases for Gardner. Gardner chopped out, leaving the bases loaded with Yankees. Bauer, with German still on the mound with 83 pitches, lined out to Hicks at the bottom. Perez struck out. Gimenez struck out with German putting down the last 7 Indians in a row. Indians 3 Yankees 3.

DJ LeMahie led off the seventh, striking out against Wittgren. Aaron Judge walked for the second time in the game. Mike Ford struck out for the second out. Torres singled to center, moving Judge to second. Aaron Hicks walked to load the bases with Yankees. Rougie Odor had a two-out, two-run single giving the Yankees a two-run lead. Frazier again, the new pitcher Karinchak struck out, but the Yankees got the job done on Odor’s two-run single. Yankees 5 Indians 3. At the bottom, Luplow against the Yankees’ Jonathan Loaisiga, and he flew out to Torres. Hernandez singled to left. Ramirez reached in a fielder’s choice with Hernandez out at second. Rosario struck out for a scoreless seventh for Loaisiga. Yankees 5 Indians 3.

Kyle Higashioka led off the eighth for the Yankees and homers to left-center. Brett Gardner singled to center. LeMahieu hit it hard but into a double play. Aaron Judge walked on four pitches. Ford chopped up the middle to end the half. Reyes led off the bottom against Chad Green by striking out. Naylor popped out, and Bauers ground out to Ford to end the inning, but the Yankees picked up another run. Yankees 6 Indians 3.

Gleyber Torres led off the eight by singling to left field. Aaron Hicks, batting from the right side, ground into the force. Rougie Odor singled to right field. Mike Tauchman in for Frazier singled to load the bases with Yankees and brought up Higashioka, who had a 420′ homer in his last appearance struck out. Gardner popped out, leaving the bases loaded. Aroldis Chapman was on the bottom with last licks on the line for the Cleveland Indians. Perez led off against Chapman and struck out. Gimenez walked. Luplow struck out. Hernandez also struck out against Chapman for three in the inning. New York Yankees win 6-3.

The winning pitcher for the New York Yankees was Domingo German the loser was Wittgren and the save went to Aroldis Chapman. The final score was Yankees 6 Indians 3.

New York Yankees: Takeaways from Yankees 4th loss to the Rays and preview of today’s game

The New York Yankees again lost a game to the Tampa Bay Rays yesterday, making them 1 for 5 this season. The Yankees have lost 16 of 22 games against the Rays in the last two seasons, including the postseason. With the two teams with almost identical season records against all teams, the Yankee must win against the Rays in head-to-head matches to succeed in the season.

Yankees pitching still not good enough

If you’re a pitcher and your name is not Gerrit Cole, you have not performed to your abilities, and it has cost the Yankees wins and overuse of the bullpen. Yesterday the Yankees lost to the Rays 6-3. Jordan Montgomery took the loss but managed to save the bullpen somewhat by getting into the seven-inning. A walk facing his first batter in the 7th  ended his night.

Overall, Monty was charged for 4 earned runs driving his ERA up to 4.24. However, Jordan pitched considerably better than the numbers would indicate. His control was good, but just a couple of bad pitches was his demise.  The real difference in yesterday’s game was that the Rays took advantage of his mistakes, whereas the Yankees didn’t do the same with the Rays’ mistakes.

Is there some hope for the Yankee lineup?

To put it as nicely as I can, the New York Yankees hitting has been lackluster, to say the least, right from the beginning of the season, except for two or three games. Manager Aaron Boone has been making every excuse in the books during interviews about the lineup deficiencies. Apparently, after Friday’s game, Boone had had it and called for a team meeting. According to Giancarlo Stanton, the usually positive Boone was angry.

Apparently, the talking to was somewhat successful as the Yankees showed a bit more spark in yesterday’s game, but it still wasn’t enough because they again could not pull out a win. In my preview yesterday, I said that the Yankees would have their hands full against Tyler Glasnow, one of the best pitchers in the league. But as it turned out, the Yankees gave him a hard time causing him to throw over 30 pitches in the first inning. The Yankees had their chances against him even loading the bases, But the lack of situational hitting that has dogged them this season again reared its head, and they couldn’t get the job done.

The Yankees, in the game, could only muster up 5 hits against 13 strikeouts. The Rays between Friday and Saturday have stuck out 27 Yankees.

Rougie Odor could be the real deal

Yesterday in the Tampa Bay Rays game, Rougned Odor hit his first home run as a New York Yankee. It was a no-doubter lofted several rows into the second tier of the bleachers.

On April 6, 2021, the New York Yankees traded with the Texas Rangers for Rougned Odor (O-door), but in a game on April 11, in Tampa, Florida, he became a Yankee. In the 10th inning against the Tampa Bay Rays, he became a hero, hitting the game’s winning hit. The game went into the 10th inning, tied at 4 apiece. Odor was a breath of fresh air after the Yankees lost the first two games of the set.

Yesterday had the rest of the lineup done their Job; Odor again could have been the hero and be called the Rays killer. In his seven years with the Texas Ranger, Odor hit an average of 21 home runs annually. During four of those years, he hit 30 or more long balls. Now in just six games with a disappointing .143 batting average, he has hit his first home run as a Yankee. If he continues at this pace, he could hit 27 or more home runs this season.

PREVIEW:

Today the New York Yankees will have their best chance of winning a game against the Tampa Bay Rays and avoid a sweep by the Rays. The Yankee ace Gerrit Cole will be on the mound against the Ray’s Andrew Kittredge. Both pitchers have a 2-0 record with ERA’s in the mid 1’s., so Kittredge is no slouch. But he is not the strikeout pitcher that Cole is; Cole has 29 strikeouts to Kittredge’s 4.

The 1:05 matchup will not be nationally televised or on the YES Network; it will be broadcast on Bally Sports Sun in Tampa and the New York area on WPIX. It can also be viewed free to Amazon Prime members in CT, NY, NJ, and eastern PA. Connecticut viewers can also watch the game on CW20. With the Yankees digging themselves into a hole, they really need to pull out a win today with Cole on the mound; if they don’t, it does not bode well for the season.

 

New York Yankees Recap: Yankees lose yet again to the Rays

New York Yankees, Jordan Montgomery

The New York Yankees met up with the Tampa Bay Rays for game two of a three-game set at Yankee Stadium. The Rays took game one and three of the four games the two teams have played this season. Today the Yankees put Jordan Montgomery on the mound to face the Ray’s Tyler Glasnow, one of the best pitchers in this young season. It was a cloudy day but somewhat warmer than last night’s game.

Yandy Diaz led off against Montgomery and ground out to Odor. Randy Arozarena struck out, and Austin Meadows also struck out for a 1-2-3 inning for Monty. At the bottom, Tyler Glasnow was on the mound for the Rays facing DJ LeMahieu, who struck out. Aaron Judge flew out to left field. Aaron Hicks singled to center.  Giancarlo Stanton singled, moving Hicks to third base. Gleyber Torres walked to load the bases with Yankees. Brett Gardner, with two outs and the bases, loaded, ground out to first, leaving 3 on base. No score.

Mike Brosseau led off the second and ground out to short. Manuel Margot struck out. Francisco Mejia homered just over the right-field wall. Joey Wendle struck out, but the Rays picked up a run. At the bottom, Gary Sanchez was patient and walked. Gio Urshela walked. Rougie Odor popped out behind the plate. LaMahieu had an RBI single driving in Sanchez to tie the game. Aaron Judge struck out for the second out. A wild pitch allowed the runners to move up. Aaron Hicks line drove to Brosseau, but the Yankees tied up the game at one apiece.

Willie Adames led off for the Rays at the top of the third inning and ground out to third. Brett Phillips tapped back to Monty for another 1-2-3 inning. Giancarlo Stanton led off the bottom by striking out swinging. Torres flew out to right field. Gardner struck out to give Glasnow his first one, two-three inning. Yankees 1 Rays 1.

At the top of the fourth, Arozarena struck out. Meadows walked for Monty’s first walk allowed in the game. Mike Brosseau flew out to Judge. Magot hit a two-run home run for the Rays 3 to 1 lead. Mejia flew out to Judge. At the New York Yankee bottom, Gary Sanchez led off by popping out to center. Urshela struck out. Odor flew out to right. New York Yankees 1 Rays 1.

At the top of the fifth, Gary Sanchez came out of the game from being hit in the hand in the fourth. Wendle lined out directly to Urshela. Adames flew out to Gardner. Phillips struck out for Monty’s third 1-2-3 inning. Back to the top of the Yankee lineup at the bottom. LeMahieu faced Glasnow, who had 85 pitches. Before he got to throw to DJ, Glasnow’s hand cramped up that halted the game for about 8 minutes, but he stayed in the game and walked LeMahieu. Judge went down looking. Hicks made it to first on a dropped ball in the infield, but LeMahieu got forced out at second. Stanton struck out on Glasnow’s 105th pitch. Rays 3 Yankees 1.

At the top of the sixth Diaz, line drove to Judge for the first out. Arozarena bunt out, and Meadow popped out to Torres. At the bottom, Jeff Springs took over for Glasnow. Torres struck out. Gardner ground out to first. Kyle Higashioka replacing Gary Sanchez, popped out to short for the quickest inning of the game. Rays 3 Yankees 1.

Mike Brosseau led off the seventh with Monty on the mound, still with 84  pitches his longest outing of the season. Brosseau walked on four pitches. Jonathan Loaisiga replaced Montgomery. Margot hit into a double play that was overturned. Mejia at the plate Margot stole second on Torres not being able to catch Higgies on-target throw. Mejia flew out to Judge, but Margot went to third. Joey Wendle got a turn run homer over Judge’s head, and the Rays pick up another two runs. Adames struck out. Urshela led off the bottom by striking out. Odor hit a homer 447′ into the bleachers of center field, closing the gap with the Rays. LeMahieu faced McHugh and went up the middle for a base hit. Aaron Judge doubled driving in DJ. Hicks struck out swinging. Stanton struck out, leaving Judge at second. Rays 5 New York Yankees 3.

Loaisiga back out to pitch the eighth for the Yankees and ground out Phillips. Diaz got a base hit in the gap. Arozarena went down on strikes. Meadows also went down on strikes for a quick inning for Loaisiga. Gleyber Torres led off the bottom by flying out to left field. Gardner flew out, and Higashio ground out. Rays 5 Yankees 3.

Justin Wilson came out for the top of the ninth. Brosseau singled into no man’s land in short centerfield. A passed ball allowed Brosseau to go to second. Margot struck out swinging. Mejia doubled on a ball that just got past the diving Urshela scoring Brosseau.  Wendle ground out, but Mejia went to third. Adames went down on strikes. With last licks on the line for the Yankees, Gio Urshela led off the bottom of the ninth with Castillo on the mound. Urshela went down swinging. Odor ground out. DJ LeMahieu struck out to end the game.

The final score was Tampa Bay Rays 6 and the Yankees 3. The winning pitcher was Tyler Glasnow; the loser was Jordan Montgomery. The Yankees managed only 5 hits, and they, for the most part, were not situational when the Yankees had opportunities.

 

New York Yankees: 3 major takeaways from Yankees win over the Jays

Gerrit Cole, New York Yankees

Last night, the New York Yankees met up with the Toronto Blue Jays for the second set of the young season. The Jays won two of the three-game set in the first meeting. Last night the Yankees turned the tables on the Jays, winning the game 3-1. The game was held in Dunedin, Florida, at TD Stadium because the Jays can not yet play at Roger’s Center in Toronto.

Gerrit Cole was mostly dominant

Last night Gerrit Cole started for the New York Yankees, and Robbie Ray started for the Jays. It was Ray’s Blue Jay debut as he was on the IL at the beginning of the season due to falling down a flight of stairs, missing two starts. Cole first faced Marcus Semien, who popped out to catcher Higashioka, Bo Bichette singled. Vlad Guerrero Jr. singled, moving Bichette to third with one out. Randal Grichuk flew out, but Bichette scored for the Jays lead. Cavan Biggio struck out swinging to end the half, but the Jays put up a run. Cole looked a bit shaky in the first but became dominant in the rest of the game.

The game was the second game in a row that backup catcher Kyle Higashioka caught Cole. He won both games with Kyle catching. In his first game, he had a no-decision being caught by Gary Sanchez. This is important because the duo of Cole and “Higgy” produced an ERA last season of 1.10. When being caught by Sanchez, his ERA was 3.91.

Higashioka became Cole’s personal catcher late in the season and in the postseason with excellent results. But at the start of spring training, manager Aaron Boone made it clear that that would no longer be the case. Knowing the comfort zone of the Cole/Higgy duo made this writer scratch his head.

With a small but important sample, that relationship this season seems to be taking hold. In Cole’s first game of the season, he pitched to a 3.38 ERA. In the last two games caught by Higashioka, he has brought his ERA down to 1.47, giving up no home runs while striking out 21 hitters over 13 innings.

The writing seems to be on the wall, but in a post-game interview last night, when asked if he would stick with Higashioka, Boone said Sanchez would catch Cole, but he was sure Higashioka would get plenty of starts. If the Yankees hope to win the division, it seems they should limit Sanchez’s catching duties when Cole is on the mound. It seems to this writer that it is a no-brainer.

On a side note that is still prominent, Higashioka showed his power behind the plate last night, hitting 2 home runs, tieing for the most home runs of any Yankee. He now has a batting average of .571, the highest of any Yankee with 7 plate appearances. He has a ridiculously high OPS of 2.196.

Yankee bullpen remains stellar

New York Yankees bullpen was again on fire last night. Starter Gerrit Cole went six innings before being replaced by the bullpen. The combination of Justin Wilson, Darren O’Day, and Aroldis Chapman combined with Cole to quiet the Blue Jays lineup, putting down 20 Jays in a row for the Yankee win.

Yankee hitters still need a spark

The New York Yankees won the game last night 3-1 over the Blue Jays, but the Yankee hitting still wasn’t as active as it should be. If it weren’t for the Yankee’s excellent pitching, they probably would have lost the game, they only garnered up 4 hits through nine innings, and none of those hits came from the first 6 in the lineup.

All of the run production came from the bottom 3 hitters in the lineup. Kyle Higashioka who won the game for the Yankees, and Rougned Odor, for the second night in a row, and Mike Tauchman. Odor seems to be adding a spark to the Yankee lineup. In his first Yankee appearance, he won the game for the Yankees. Last night, he got a hit in the game and has not had a Yankee strikeout.

 

 

 

New York Yankees: Rougned Odor becomes a Yankee in a big way

On April 6, 2021, the New York Yankees trade with the Texas Rangers for Rougned Odor (O-door), but last night in Tampa, Florida, he became a Yankee. In the 10th inning of the game against the Tampa Bay Rays, he became a hero, hitting the game’s winning hit. The game went into the 10th inning, tied at 4 apiece. Odor was a breath of fresh air after the Yankees lost the first two games of the set.

Aaron Judge was on second (man on second rule after 9) with AaronHicks at the plate at the top of the tenth. Hicks was hit by a pitch going to first. Two on no outs. Mike Tauchman bunted, and the runners moved to second and third. Gleyber Torres had a slow roller, and Judge was called out trying to reach home. “Rougie” Odor, with men on the corners and two outs, became a Yankee hero in his first game as a New York Yankee; he popped one into no man’s land in center that scored Hicks for the Yankee lead. Gary Sanchez drove in another run, and Gio Urshela drove in two more, and just like that, it was 8-4 Yankees. At the bottom of the inning, Albert Abreu took to the mound and held the game for the New York Yankees.

With New York Yankee fans knowing little to nothing about this still young man, let’s find out his origins and what got him to the Bronx. Rougned Roberto Odor was born on February 3, 1994, in Maracaibo, Venezuela.  He has been playing baseball since the age of 2. [1]. He previously played for the Texas Rangers from 2014 to 2020. The Rangers traded Odor to the Yankees on April 6, 2021. [2]

After three years in the Texas Rangers, minor league system, the Rangers promoted Odor to the major leagues on May 8, 2014. Odor finished the year hitting a .259 batting average, 39 runs, 14 doubles, 9 home runs, 4 stolen bases, and 48 RBIs in 386 at-bats over 110 games. In 2015 Odor was the opening day second baseman, but he struggled mightily and was demoted but was shortly called back up. He finished the season hitting .261, with 16 home runs, 61 RBIs, and 54 runs scored, but he also led the league in errors.

In 2016 he finished the year with a .271 batting average, 33 home runs. In 2017 he did something few players have ever done; in the season opener against the Cleveland Indians, Odor hit two home runs in his first two at-bats of the season. During the last few years, 2018-20, he had a slash line of .209/.273/.425 with 58 home runs over the span. Other than a relatively low batting average, and even though he hits a lot of home runs, he also strikes out frequently. In acquiring Odor, the Yankees may have seen something that the Rangers haven’t seen and can find a way to fix that.

A lefty bat with power is a dangerous thing for Yankee opponents at Yankee Stadium; hopefully, the Yankees will find a way to use Odor with the best results. Last night they did that. The Yankees will have him through the 2022 season and will pay him $570K annually. The contract that the Rangers will mostly pay has an option for the 2023 season at $13.5 million with a $3 million buy-out.

On a personal note, his nickname is “Rougie.” Odor is deeply involved in horses and the sport of toros coleados. His involvement in horses started when he was a child visiting his mother’s family on weekends, who had horses. His long-range plan is to build a horse farm in North Texas and move his entire family from Venezuela.

New York Yankees: 3 major takeaways from Yankees win over the Rays

Last evening the New York Yankees went into their third game of a 3 game set, losing the first two games against their nemesis Tampa Bay Ray losing 9 of the last ten games at Tropicana Field. The Yankees pulled out a win using new and old players in a gutsy 10th inning win. The New York Yankees won the game 8 to 4 against the Rays.

Jordan Montgomery did what he had to

After an excellent start in a Baltimore Orioles game, Jordan Montgomery, when he went six innings with no runs, seven strikeouts, and no walks, took on the Rays in the third game of the set between the Tampa Bay Rays. It was obvious early that in this game, Monty did not have his best stuff, but he made the pitches he had to to keep the Yankees in the game. He gave up 4 runs in five innings.

Nevertheless, he held strong and gave the Yankees a much-needed five innings of work for an already overworked New York Yankees bullpen. He pitched to 23 of Ray’s hitters. He struck out 4 Rays and walked two after not allowing a walk in his first game. Although his performance was nothing like his first game, he ground it out through five innings, still giving the Yankee a chance to advance in the game.

A new Yankee made his mark

Last night was the debut of second baseman Rougned Odor in pinstripes. He didn’t disappoint. When it counted in the tenth inning of a tied game, he, with men on the corners and two outs, became a Yankee hero in his first game as a Yankee; he popped one into no man’s land in center field that scored Hicks for the Yankee lead. Odor played second base as LeMahieu moved to first base to give Jay Bruce a day off after several disappointing starts. Odor and the Yankees couldn’t be happier with his situational hitting.

After Odor’s single, Gio Urshela that was 4 for 4 in the game, drove to center bringing in two runs for the Yankee 4 run lead. Urshela moved to third on the error by Margot. Gardner stuck out. Yankees 8 Rays 4.

Yankee bullpen stellar again

The New York Yankee bullpen has been a Godsend this season so far, as the Yankees’ starting pitching, in general, has not gone deep into games. Last night was no different. Starter Jordan Montgomery got the Yankees through five innings, turning it over to the bullpen. Chad Green came in and in 2.1 innings, did not allow a run, and struck out 3 while walking none.

Coming into the game, the New York Yankee bullpen had a 1.92 ERA only surpassed by Atlanta and the San Diego Padres. Green was replaced by Darren O’Day in the eighth and Aroldis Chapman in the ninth; neither allowed a run while striking out 4 Rays. In the tenth inning, Albert Abreu struck out two and allowed the Yankees to hold on to the 8-4 win.

The final score was the New York Yankees 8 and the Tampa Bay Rays 4. Aroldis Chapman got the win. Gio Urshela greatly improved his season performance by going 4 for 4 and driving in two runs for the Yankee 4 runs lead.  Yankees had 7 walks, more than they had in their last 3 games combined. That’s what Boone means when he talks about controlling the zone, having disciplined at-bats, and extending at-bats. Even Odor’s at-bat was an example of that as he laid off a couple of 2-strike pitches. Overall it was a happy night for the New York Yankees as they head into a 3 game set with the Toronto Blue Jays in Dunedin, Florida.

Tomorrow at 7:07 pm, the Yankees will take on the Toronto Blue Jays at Dunedin, Florida. Dunedin is the home playing field for the Blue jays as they are still not allowed to play at Roger’s Center in Toronto. The Yankee ace Gerrit Cole will face Robbie Ray in his first start after entering the new season on the IL.  The game will be televised in Canada on SNET and in the New York area on the YES Network.

New York Yankees Recap: Yankees avoid the sweep with gutsy win in the 10th

Today the New York Yankees faced the Tampa Bay Rays in the finale of a 3 game set. The Yankees have lost the first two games, with the Ray shutting out the Yankees Yesterday. Today the Yankee’s Jordan Montgomery faced the Ray’s Brent Honeywll Jr. Montgomery was coming off his first game of the season in which he was totally dominant. He shut out the Orioles 7-0, striking out seven and walking none. Honeywell made his Ray’s Major League debut after not pitching for 3 and a half years due to several surgeries.

DJ LeMahieu started off facing Honeywell and flew out to right. Aaron Judge ground out. Aaron Hicks ground out to first for an excellent start for Honeywell. At the bottom, Montgomery faced Yandy Diaz, and he walked. Randy Arozarena hit into a double play, two outs. Monty plunked Austin Meadows. The Yankee pitchers have hit several Rays in this series. Manuel Margot ground out for the last out. No score.

Giancarlo Stanton led off the second against Honeywell. He struck out looking. Gleyber Torres down on strikes Rougned Odor flew out for another quick inning for Honeywell. The Rays lead off with Mike Brosseau, the player that caused Chapman’s suspension. He singled to left with a hard-hit line drive. Brandon Lowe flew out to Judge on the warning track. Willie Adames flew out to Gardner in left field. Mike Zunino hit a home run into the left-field stands. Kevin Padlo struck out, but the Rays picked up two runs. Rays 2 Yankees 0.

Michael Wacha took over for Honeywell in the third inning. Gary Sanchez walked. Gio Urshela hit a long home run over the center-field wall to tie the game at 2 (457′). Brett Gardner singled up the middle. LeMahieu doubled on a ground-rule double. Aaron Judge walked to load the bases with no outs. Hicks hit into a double play, but Gardner scored. Stanton ground out to third. Yankees 3 Rays 2. Montgomery faced the top of the order at the bottom of the third. Diaz singled over Torres’s head. Arozarena homered, bringing two more runs for the Rays. Meadows struck out. Margot doubled to center. Brosseau ground out to Urshela. Lowe chopped back to DJ, but the Rays regained the lead. Rays 4 Yankees 3.

Gleyber Torres led off the New York Yankees fourth by walking. Odor flew out to left. Torres stole second. Sanchez ground out to third base. Urshela stuck out, leaving Torres stuck at second. At the bottom, Adames struck out. Zunino flew out to Hicks. Padlo struck out for a fast 1-2-3 inning for Monty. Rays 4 Yankees 3.

Gardner led off against Wacha in the fifth by striking out. LeMahieu hit into a double play. Judge made it 1-2-3 for Wacha. At the bottom, Diaz ground out to Urshela. Arozarena followed, doing the same. Meadows got hit by a pitch for the second time in the game. Margot ground out to Odor to end the inning. Rays 4 Yankees 3.

Hicks led off the sixth by comebacking to the pitcher. Stanton struck out for the 3rd time. Torres struck out for 9 in a row for Wacha. Brosseau led off the bottom by walking on Monty’s 82nd pitch. Lowe against Chad Green ground out. Adames ground out to DJ, but Brosseau made it to third base with two outs. Zunino struck out. Rays 4 Yankees 3.

Odor led off for the New York Yankees in the seventh grounding out. Sanchez walked on a hit-by-pitch. Urshela singled up the middle to put two on for the Yankees with one out. Gardner walked to load the bases. Thompson replaced Reed. LeMahieu hit into a double play for the second time in the game. Yankees leave three on base. At the bottom Padlo against Green and stuck out. Diaz struck out, and Arozarena popped out to DJ in foul territory. Rays 4 Yankees 3.

Aaron Judge led off the top of the eighth by walking. Hicks flew out to the far left-center. Stanton walked giving the Yankees two on with one out. Mike Tauchman was brought in to run for Stanton. Torres got an RBI single to left to tie up the game. Castillo came in to replace Thompson. Odor popped out, two away. Sanchez flew out to center but the Yankees were able to tie up the game.  Green was out again for the bottom of the eighth. Meadows lofted to Gardner in left. O’Day came in to replace Green. Margot ground out to Torres. Tsutsugo pinch hit for Brosseau and struck out for the 1-2-3 inning for Darren O’Day. Yankees 4 Rays 4.

Leading off the ninth was Urshela he doubled up the middle. Gardner walked, first and second with no outs. DJ LeMahieu goes to second on a bad throw by Padlo. (E5), Gardner got caught between third and home and was tagged out, and Judge ground out as the Yankees left two on base in the ninth in a tied game. The Yankees closer Aroldis Chapman came in to hold the Rays at the bottom of the inning. Lowe struck out as did Adames. Zunino doubled to Gardner. Padlo struck out to bring it to the 10th inning. Score tied at 4.

At the top of the tenth Judge was on second (man on second rule after 9) with Hicks at the plate. Hicks was hit by a pitch going to first. Two on no outs. Tauchman bunted and the runners moved to second and third. Gleyber Torres had a slow roller, and Judge was called out trying to reach home. “Rougie” Odor with men on the corners and two outs, he became a Yankee hero in his first game as a Yankee, he popped one into no man’s land in center that scored Hicks for the Yankee lead. Sanchez singled bringing in Torres for the two-run lead. Urshela line drove to center bring in two runs for the Yankee 4 run lead. Urshela moved to third on the error by Margot. Gardner stuck out. Yankees 8 Rays 4.

In the bottom of the 10th with last licks on the line for the Rays, Albert Abreu came out to pitch for the New York Yankees. With Pedlo on second, Phillips struck out. Arozarena struck out. Meadows flew out to Hicks to end the game and give the Yankees an 8-4 win over the Rays as they avoided the sweep. The winning pitcher was Aroldis Chapman the loser, McHugh.

 

 

 

 

 

New York Yankee Player Profiles: Rougned Odor, where will he fit?

Rougned Odor, yankees

Most New York Yankee fans are not aware that yesterday the Yankees made an intriguing trade. They traded with the Texas Rangers acquiring Rougned Odor. Odor will sit on the bench. To make this possible, the Yankees designated Thairo Estrada for assignment. The Yankees have 10 days to trade Estrada or release him on waivers. The 27-year-old Odor has $27 million left on his contract; most will be paid by the Rangers while the Yankees will pay him the MLB minimum per Jeff Passan of ESPN.

Now the New York Yankees question is what to do with Jay Bruce, Tyler Wade, or do they send Odor to Scanton to start the season. The question for Yankees fans is why Odor. Well, for starters, he is a lefty bat with power that Bruce and Wade don’t exhibit. Odor consistently hits home runs, 30 in 2019 and the equivalent of 26 in the shortened 2020 season. With his lefty power, the short porch at Yankee Stadium looms huge. Odor is a second baseman by trade, so the Yankees will also have to figure out that.

With New York Yankee fans knowing little to nothing about this still young man, let’s find out his origins and what got him to the Bronx. Rougned Roberto Odor was born on February 3, 1994, in Maracaibo, Venezuela.  He has been playing baseball since the age of 2. [1]. He previously played for the Texas Rangers from 2014 to 2020. The Rangers traded Odor to the Yankees on April 6, 2021. [2]

After three years in the Texas Rangers, minor league system, the Rangers promoted Odor to the major leagues on May 8, 2014. Odor finished the year hitting a .259 batting average, 39 runs, 14 doubles, 9 home runs, 4 stolen bases, and 48 RBIs in 386 at-bats over 110 games. In 2015 Odor was the opening day second baseman, but he struggled mightily and was demoted but was shortly called back up. He finished the season hitting .261, with 16 home runs, 61 RBIs, and 54 runs scored, but he also led the league in errors.

In 2016 he finished the year with a .271 batting average, 33 home runs. In 2017 he did something few players have ever done; in the season opener against the Cleveland Indians, Odor hit two home runs in his first two at-bats of the season. During the last few years, 2018-20, he had a slash line of .209/.273/.425 with 58 home runs over the span. Other than a relatively low batting average, and even though he hits a lot of home runs, he also strikes out frequently. In acquiring Odor, the Yankees many have seen something that the Rangers haven’t seen and can find a way to fix that.

A lefty bat with power is a dangerous thing for Yankee opponents at Yankee Stadium; hopefully, the Yankees will find a way to use Odor with the best results.

On a personal note, his nickname is “Rougie.” Odor is deeply involved in horses and the sport of toros coleados. His involvement in horses started when he was a child visiting his mother’s family on weekends, who had horses. His long-range plan is to build a horse farm in North Texas and move his entire family from Venezuela.

Yankees strike deal with Rangers to acquire infielder Rougned Odor

Rougned Odor, yankees

The New York Yankees and Texas Rangers have struck a deal to trade infielder Rougned Odor to the Bronx. Having last played in 2020, Odor experienced 38 games of action, hitting 10 homers and 30 RBIs, finishing with a .167 average. The Rangers recently designated Odor for assignment prior to Opening Day, who has two years and $27 million remaining on his contract.

This is undoubtedly an interesting move for the Yankees, as Odor is capable of being a solid lefty hitter with power, hitting 30 homers in 2019. At 27 years old, he is still youthful and has tons of potential left to un-tap. However, his strikeout rate has ballooned in recent years, going from 17% in 2014 to 31.8% in 2020.

The Yankees might see something in his fundamentals and technique that might be throwing him off as they look to resurrect his career and make him a potential starter moving forward. He will join a bench that features catcher Kyle Higashioka, outfielders Mike Tauchman, Brett Gardner, and INF Tyler Wade.

Wade could be sent back to the minor leagues while Odor will take over his spot. The question is, who in the infield is going to make a move with the acquisition of Odor. Theoretically, the Yankees could move DJ LeMahieu to first base, Gleyber Torres to second, and Gio Urshela to shortstop, with Odor taking over the hot corner. The only issue, Odor has never played third base before, so that could present an issue.

Nonetheless, we will have to wait and see how the Yankees approach this acquisition and what they plan to do with the former Texas Ranger.