Sevy & The Sanchino...

Credit:  Rick Osentoski-USA TODAY Sports

Yankees 10, Tigers 2...

I could really get used to these easy wins.  Riding the arm of Luis Severino and the bat of Gary Sanchez, the Yankees rode their way to victory over the Detroit Tigers.

The Tigers opened the game with two good defensive plays to record outs.  As Gary Sanchez strolled to the plate, the FOX announcer said "This cat can hit".  Yes, he can.  Sanchez sent the pitch from Tigers pitcher Jordan Zimmermann high into the left field stands for the early lead.

Credit:  Duane Burleson-Associated Press

The Yankees added more runs in the 3rd inning.  Jacoby Ellsbury, making a rare start, led off with a single to center.  Ronald Torreyes followed with a single through the hole into left field.  Brett Gardner came up and everyone was expecting bunt.  But Gardy swung away and lofted a fly ball deep enough into center for Ellsbury to tag and move to third.  Tigers centerfielder Andrew Romine threw the ball to third, over the head of the cut-off man, too late to get Ellsbury but the throw allowed Toe to recognize the opportunity to take second. Aaron Hicks took a walk to load the bases. Gary Sanchez hit a fly ball that dropped in between the outfielders in left center field.  Both Ellsbury and Toe scored to make it 3-0. Hicks moved to second.  Aaron Judge added a run on a double to center that went over Andrew Romine's head and bounced on the warning track, scoring Hicks.  After a coaching visit to the mound, Didi Gregorius singled to up the middle to center to score Sanchez.  Judge moved to third.  He didn't wait there long as Chase Headley lofted a fly deep enough to center for Judge to tag up and score.  The Yankees had taken a 6-0 lead.

Credit:  Duane Burleson-Associated Press

Didi Gregorius added a solo homer to right center, a few rows behind the wall, in the 5th inning to make it 7-0.

Tigers reliever Chad Bell replaced Zimmermann to start the 6th inning and he proceeded to walk the first two batters (Todd Frazier and Jacoby Ellsbury).  The big little man, Ronald Torreyes, singled to left through the hole between third and short to score Frazier.  

Luis Severino had been cruising up to this point but Ian Kinsler led off the bottom of the 6th with a homer to left to get the Tigers on the scoreboard.  The Yankees wasted no time in getting the run back when Chase Headley homered to left inside the foul pole with two outs in the top of the 7th inning, a solo shot.  It was 9-1 Yankees.

In the bottom of the 7th, Sevy struck out John Hicks to start the inning.  Then, he walked Andrew Romine, and Jose Iglesias singled to center.  Sevy got the second out when he struck out Ian Kinsler swinging but that would be all.  Manager Joe Girardi made the trip to the mound and brought in former Tiger prospect Chad Green.  Green struck out Alex Presley for the third out.

The Yankees final run came in the top of the 8th.  With one out, Ronald Torreyes reached on a grounder that glanced off first baseman Miguel Cabrera's glove into right field.  It was scored a hit for Toe. Brett Gardner chopped a grounder to second and the Tigers got the force out on Toe but a throwing error on second baseman Ian Kinsler (off-balance throw that went into the Yankees dugout) allowed Gardy to make it to second.  A ground ball to left by Aaron Hicks scored Gardy.  10-1, Yankees.

Tommy Kahnle replaced Chad Green for the 9th inning.  John Hicks, the first batter, hit a deep fly to right but it stayed in the park for the out.  Kahnle struck out Andrew Romine for the second out but the next batter, Jose Iglesias, smashed a change-up from Kahnle into the left field stands.  Iglesias may not hit a lot of home runs (this was his 5th) but when he gets a hold of one, it goes far.  Dixon Machado doubled down the left field line, making me wonder if Kahnle was going to make it to the end of the game (Aroldis Chapman was warming up) but Alex Presley grounded out to first to end the drama.  The Yankees win!

The Yankees (68-57) were unable to make up any ground on Boston as the Red Sox beat the Cleveland Indians for the second day in a row.  They remain 4 games behind.  The see-saw battle for third place continued as the Baltimore Orioles reclaimed the spot with an 8-7 victory over the Oakland A's in 12 innings.  The Tampa Bay Rays dropped to fourth with a 7-6 loss to the Toronto Blue Jays.  The O's and Rays are 7 and 7 1/2 games behind the Yankees, and the Jays are one game behind the Rays.  The Yankees picked up a game in the Wild Card standings and lead the Minnesota Twins by 3 1/2 games for the top spot.

Great game by Luis Severino (11-5).  He went 6 2/3 innings (100 pitches...71 for strikes).  He scattered 6 hits and gave up only one run.  One walk and eight strikeouts.  Chad Green had four strikeouts in 1 1/3 innings against his former organization.  I'd like to see Tommy Kahnle get back on track with a few clean innings but at least he got the job done despite the Iglesias home run.  

Credit:  Gregory Shamus-Getty Images

Gary Sanchez continues to scorch August with the homer and 3 RBI's.  The Kraken will be well prepared to take the field this weekend for Player's Weekend at Yankee Stadium.  Aaron Judge had one strikeout to extend his latest consecutive game strikeout streak to one game.  Seriously, it was a good game for Judge.  2-for-4 with an RBI and a run scored.  Also, hats off to Ronald Torreyes who was 4-for-4, also with an RBI and run scored.  You can't say enough great things about the job Toe has done this year filling in for Didi Gregorius and Starlin Castro, not to mention his time at third before Todd Frazier's arrival.

Credit:  Rick Osentoski-USA TODAY Sports

Odds & Ends...

The Boston Red Sox made a few roster moves yesterday.  Starting centerfielder Jackie Bradley, Jr was placed on the 10-day DL with a sprained left thumb (he is expected to be out longer than the minimum time).  They also designated first baseman/outfielder Steve Selsky for assignment. President of Baseball Ops Dave Dombrowski then swung a trade with the Oakland A's to acquire swifty outfielder Rajai Davis. The A's received a low level outfielder from the Red Sox (Rafael Rincones). Davis had the game-tying home run off Aroldis Chapman in Game 7 of last year's World Series.  The Sox also recalled 2B Deven Marrero from Triple A.  

I really felt bad for one-time Yankee Rich Hill last night when he lost a no-hit bid in the 10th inning.  The Pittsburgh Pirates beat Hill and the Los Angeles Dodgers on a walk-off home run by Josh Harrison.  The Dodgers have not had any issues with scoring runs this season but yesterday they were unable to score any and it cost Hill the chance for the no-hitter.  He carried a perfect game into the 9th until Logan Forsythe's error allowed a baserunner.  One run could have given Hill the no-hitter in a regular 9-inning game.  That's a tough way to lose a no-no.

Credit:  Justin K Aller-Getty Images

Have a great Thursday!  It's Getaway Day.  Let's get away with the series sweep! Go Yankees!

Using 2 Hits to Maximum Advantage...

Credit:  Al Bello/Getty Images

Yankees 3, A’s 2…

The Yankees didn’t get much offense on Saturday, but thanks to the rejuvenated CC Sabathia (5-2), they didn’t need it.

In the first inning, they scratched out a run through a walk, hit by pitch, wild pitch, and sacrifice fly (by Starlin Castro).  By the time Oakland’s Ryon Healy doubled in the sixth inning to tie the score, the Yankees were still searching for their first hit against A’s starter Jharel Cotton.

CC was pitching great but I did have a heart attack in the top of the sixth with two outs when Trevor Plouffe sharply hit a fly to right.  Starlin Castro, on the run, appeared to catch the ball but it bounced out of his glove.  Alertly, a running Aaron Judge was in the right spot at the right time and made the catch to end the inning.  

Credit:  Paul J Bereswill

Cotton, who entered the game with a 5.68 ERA, pitched liked an ace.  Despite a walk to Brett Gardner in the third (subsequently erased when he tried to steal second), Cotton was cruising from the second inning through the fifth, with three up-three down each frame.  It was more of the same to start the sixth as Cotton recorded two quick outs on fly balls.  

Then, the walk raised its ugly head for Cotton again when he gave Gary Sanchez a free pass.  Matt Holliday came to the plate, with two outs and no team hits showing on the scoreboard.  After a first pitch ball (low and inside), Holliday got a hold of Cotton’s second offering and launched a blast to left-center.  “High fly ball, left field…going back Davis.  Track, wall, SEE YA!” (courtesy of Michael Kay of the YES Network).  

After giving up a single to the next batter (Castro), Cotton was done even though he had allowed the only two hits the Yankees would get in this game.  Cotton pitched his heart out in his 13th major league game and recorded a career high 107 pitches, but like Masahiro Tanaka found out the other night, Baseball can be a cruel sport.  

CC tired in the seventh when, with one out, he gave up a homer to Josh Phegley, to bring the score to 3-2 Yanks, and a double by Adam Rosales.  Time to turn to the Yankees bullpen which had ignited an A’s rally the night before.  Fortunately, Adam Warren got Matt Joyce on a groundout and left Rosales stranded at third when he struck out Mark Canha.

The eighth inning brought Tyler Clippard into the game.  With the disaster of the night before fresh on everyone’s mind, Clippard struck out the first batter, Jed Lowrie.  Lowrie, who seems to rise to the occasion against the Yanks, was subsequently ejected for arguing strikes.  At that point, the Friday night version of Clippard reappeared.  A walk to Khris Davis and a double by Ryon Healy put runners at second and third with just one out.  Exit Clippard, and enter Dellin Betances.  Ball, called strike, foul, called strike…inning over.  Hey Randy Levine, stick it where the sun doesn’t shine.

Credit:  Brad Penner/USA TODAY Sports

In the ninth inning, it was three up and three down for Betances, with a swinging strikeout by Matt Joyce to end the game.  

Cut to Frank Sinatra singing “New York, New York”…ah, I love that song on winning days.

With the win, the Yankees (28-18) held their two-game lead in the AL East over the Boston Red Sox.  The Sox beat the Seattle Mariners again.  The scary part is that the complete game shut-out was by a rookie pitcher, Brian Johnson, making his first career start at Fenway Park.  Johnson was optioned back to AAA after the game but he’s making the way for the return of David Price who will be activated from the DL this week.  The Baltimore Orioles lost their sixth game in a row to slide 3 1/2 games back.

Player Updates…

Tyler Austin was elevated to AAA Scranton/Wilkes-Barre on Friday with his rehab assignment.  On Saturday, he contributed a run-scoring single to help the RailRiders defeat the Toledo Mud Hens, 5-1.  Gleyber Torres was 1-for-5 with a double, driving in a run.  

Greg Bird departs for Tampa today.  He’ll most likely take a few at-bats in extended spring training at the Yankees’ minor-league complex on Tuesday and Wednesday before beginning his rehab assignment.  He spoke of muscle soreness yesterday (typical soreness after not using certain muscles) but otherwise everything seems to be moving forward with his progress.

Also progressing is closer Aroldis Chapman who must have received favorable news from the doctor on Saturday as he was able to make 25 throws from 60 feet.  He’ll continue with playing catch on Sunday as he begins his preparation for hopefully a mid-June return.  

Speaking of Chapman, I am hopeful that he’ll be activated during the Yankees road trip to California when the Yankees travel to Oakland on June 15th.  I really want to see a rematch between Chapman and the A’s Rajai Davis.  Davis had the game-tying home run off Chapman in Game 7 of last year’s World Series. I want to see Chapman punch out Davis to win a game as retribution.  Hey, I am not a vindictive person…just competitive.

Credit:  MLB.com

Have a great Sunday!  Let’s win again while Chase Headley continues to sit…