N.Y. Yankees: Evil Empire Once Again Undone By Rebel Forces

From the desk of: THE SULTANS OF SO WHAT

AMERICAN LEAGUE DIVISION SERIES

Rays defeat Yankees; 3-2

I - NYY 9; TBR 3

II - TBR 7; NYY 5

III - TBR 8; NYY 4

IV - NYY 5; TBR 1

V - TBR 2; NYY 1

A.L. East Champion Tampa Bay Rays Eliminate Bronx Bummers

The Yankees lineup features a keen balance of young talent and veteran leadership, as well as this season's American League batting champion and home run leader.  Aaron Judge and Giancarlo Stanton are healthy and in the line-up together.  Kyle Igashioka is batting over .300 and providing a needed upgrade behind the plate in place of beleaguered catcher Gary Sanchez.  On the mound, New York's $300 million dollar man is on the mound while one of baseball's more formidable closers stands at the ready.

Entering Game Five the Yankees have everything perfectly set up.  All is going according to Brian Cashman's plan.

Pitching on only two days rest, Tampa "opener" Tyler Glasnow allows no runs and no hits in 2.1 innings pitched.  In the fourth inning Aaron Judge takes reliever Nick Anderson deep to right for a 1-0 Yankees lead.  Tampa ties the score in the bottom of the fifth when right fielder Austin Meadows connects against Gerrit Cole who is pitching on three days rest.  In the bottom of the sixth Brett Gardner reaches above the left field wall to intercept left fielder Randy Arozarena's potential home run.  Aaron Boone immediately makes a pitching change.  Enter Zach Britton who holds Tampa scoreless for 1.1 innings.  After which Aroldis Chapman is brought into the game with two outs in the seventh.  Rays reliever Peter Fairbanks contributes two scoreless innings and Diego Castillo holds the Yankees scoreless in the top of the eighth.  With one out in the bottom of the eighth Michael Brosseau deposits Aroldis Chapman's tenth offering of the at-bat into the left field seats for a 2-1 Rays lead.  Diego Castillo closes out the game with strikeouts of Giancarlo Stanton and Luke Voit and retiring Gio Urshela on a liner to third.  The A.L. East champs win the series three games against two and advance to the ALCS versus the waiting and defending World Series champion Houston Astros.  

#StayAngry

The Yankees fall short of their mission statement, again, forgoing an opportunity to avenge last year's ALCS loss against the Astros.  With no banging garbage cans anywhere to be heard the Yankees have no excuses.  No Luis Severino?  No, sorry, that's hardly a viable reason why the Yankees lost in five to Tampa.

They couldn't prompt the offensive machine at will when faced with superior post-season pitching.  Home run or nothing loses again.  The Yankees do not string together hits.  That's a difficult task with Aaron Judge batting second and Giancarlo Stanton hitting clean-up.  Despite a .316 average in the series, Stanton's six home runs are largely inconsequential.  Aaron Judge goes 4 for 30 (.133) with three home runs, five runs batted in and ten strikeouts.  Together, Stanton and Judge combine to hit .214 (12 for 56) with nine home runs, 18 runs batted in and 20 strikeouts.  The Yankees strikeout eleven times in Game Five and 18 times in Game Two (accounting for 66% of their allotted outs).  Yet, Yankee analytics say strikeouts be damn; it's better than grounding into a double play.  

Therefore ... the Sultans of So What!

Someone tried getting too cute and completely botched Game Two.  Without knowing who is largely responsible, both Brian Cashman and Aaron Boone are equally to blame.  They tried outsmarting the small market Rays and failed.  This is the organization Chaim Bloom left behind in favor of the Boston Red Sox position.  Cashman the general manager needs to reassess himself and this grand master plan of his.  Some on the outside looking in might say Cashman has done everything perfectly.  But the results do not agree.

Game Two essentially becomes a lesson in upper management meddling and analytical oversight.  You can not script games ... at least not like the Rays.  Aaron Boone was clearly left speechless.  But when Jordan Montgomery saved the Yankees from elimination, Game Two became less of an issue.  Now that the Yankees have bowed out of the playoffs Game Two again becomes a most glaring issue.

Brian Cashman has essentially recruited a bland band of narrowly focused stormtroopers.  Armed with analytics the Yankees have become robotic and stationary.  I'm sure everyone knows what bad shots stormtroopers are - these aren't the pitches you're looking for.  The Yankees ability to tap into the force at the flick of a switch is equally suspect.  Analytics may steer teams during the regular season when the law of averages rule the day.  The playoffs, however, require far more humanism in order to deal with the nuance of short series baseball.

Michael Brosseau avenges an Aroldis Chapman fastball aimed right at his head back in September.  

Tampa outclasses the mighty Bronx Bombers.

The Evil Empire is once again outdone by smaller rebel forces.

N.Y. Yankees: Game Two Loss Features Many Questions and Loads of Strikeouts

From the desk of: BLAME CARLOS MAY

THE PEOPLE WANT TO KNOW

AMERICAN LEAGUE DIVISION SERIES

Yankees and Rays tied; 1-1

I - NYY 9; TBR 3

II - TBR 7; NYY 5

THE CASHMAN REPORT: FRONT OFFICE FOLLY OR FIELD MANAGER F*@K UP

Aaron Boone tries taking a page out of the Rays playbook.  Three times during their regular season meetings Tampa bullpens the game with regular starter Charlie Morton serving as opener and three times Tampa Bay comes away with victories.

With a win in Game One, Aaron Boone withholds Masahiro Tanaka for Game Three, electing instead to start rookie Deivi Garcia in Game Two.  It appears he is tasked with pitching the first inning.  Or was Boone expecting him to go longer?  Garcia faces six batters, surrenders a two out home run and hits a batter.  Boone then hands off to J.A. Happ.  The Rays jump him for four runs on five hits and three walks in 2.2 innings pitched.  At this point Boone is surely expecting a little more length from Happ, who yields home runs to Manuel Margot and Mike Zunino.  Relievers Adam Ottavino and Jonathan Loaisiga each surrender a run as well.  Jonathan Holder and Nick Nelson each throw a scoreless inning.

Tyler Glasnow makes his fourth start this season against the Yankees.  He allows four runs through 5.0 innings on three hits and three walks with ten strikeouts.  All told, he has allowed ten runs (4.71 ERA) on 13 hits and ten walks with 32 strikeouts in 19.1 innings pitched against the Bombers.  

Tampa then puts a precarious three run lead in the hands of their bullpen.  Diego Castillo and Nick Anderson join for three scoreless innings.  

In the ninth inning Tampa's 7-4 lead is placed in the trust of Peter Fairbanks.  After walking the first two batters, Fairbanks fans Clint Frazier for the first out.  Pinch hitting, Gary Sanchez strikes out swinging.  With two outs D.J. LeMahieu singles back through the middle scoring Gio Urshela.  With runners on the corners Aaron Judge grounds out third to first and the Rays win.

The Rays win...! 

Did Aaron Boone blow Game Two or did Brian Cashman's Bureau of Internal Calculations mastermind this?  As previously noted, the Rays implemented this very plan with success.  The Yankees, not so much.  Someone perhaps over thought this?  

But what of the ineffectiveness of Happ, Ottavino and Loaisiga?

Boone who says he can bring back Deivi Garcia on short rest now hands off to Masahiro Tanaka in a pivotal Game Three.  In his only start of the post-season so far, Tanaka was routed by the Indians, allowing six earned runs on five hits and three walks in only four innings pitched.  He made three regular season starts against the Rays, allowing seven runs (4.20 ERA) on twelve hits and just one walk with 14 strikeouts over 15.0 innings.  In ten regular season starts he posted a 3.56 ERA and a 1.17 WHiP over 48 innings pitched.

THE SULTANS OF SO WHAT!!

The Yankees strikeout 18 times and generate just five hits.  Two of those hits were home runs by Giancarlo Stanton.  Through four playoff games Stanton is now 5 for 15 (.333) with eleven runs batted in.  All five of his hits have been home runs.  He easily leads the team in both categories.  Aaron Judge is now 2 for 19 (.105) with three runs batted in.  Like Stanton, his only two hits have gone for home runs.  Stanton and Judge together are 7 for 34 (.205) with seven home runs, 14 runs batted in and 13 strikeouts.

Tampa Bay answers four home runs in Game One by the Yankees with five home runs of their own in Game Two ... which brings us back to Aaron Boone and his loss for words after Tuesday night's game.

N.Y. Yankees: Giancarlo Stanton TKO's Rays in Game One

From the desk of: BLAME CARLOS MAY

AMERICAN LEAGUE DIVISION SERIES

Yankees lead Rays; 1-0

I - NYY 9; TBR 3

Bronx Bombers Pick Up Where They Leave Off

Seven times during the regular season the Rays hit multiple home runs against the Yankees.  They do it again in Game One.  After taking a 1-0 lead in the top of the first on Aaron Hicks' sac-fly, left fielder Randy Arozarena homers off Gerrit Cole tying the score at one.  Clint Frazier gives the Yanks a 2-1 lead with a home run in the third.  One inning later Ji-Man Choi gives the Rays a 3-2 lead with a two run home run to center.  But that's where the Rays power surge stops and that of the Yankees begins.  Kyle Higashioka and Aaron Judge each hit a solo home run in the fifth.  Aaron Hicks drives home two more runs in the ninth with a single and Giancarlo Stanton caps off the Yankees scoring with a grand slam against reliever Chad Curtiss.  Overall, the lineup cranks out 15 hits in 39 at-bats (.384) and the bullpen tosses three scoreless innings.  Although still prone to the long ball, Gerrit Cole yields three runs on six hits and two walks with eight strikeouts through six innings for the win.

In four starts against the Rays Cole has yielded twelve runs on 18 hits and eight walks with 35 strikeouts through 22.1 innings pitched for a 4.88 earned run average. 

The Yankees now have 38 hits through three playoff games.  Eleven have gone for home runs.  Giancarlo Stanton now leads the pack with three and Aaron Judge has two.  However, Stanton and Judge have no other hits, just five home runs.  Just five home runs, imagine that.  Stanton's grand slam is the Yankees second of the playoffs.  Luke Voit has yet to go long in three playoff games, but leads the team with three doubles.

With a game one victory Aaron Boone is afforded an opportunity to start rookie Deivi Garcia who has just six games of MLB experience.  This sets up Masahiro Tanaka to either clinch the series or steer the Yankees clear of a two game skid.  Garcia last started on 9/26 against the Marlins in which he surrenders four runs on seven hits and one walk with seven strikeouts.  In six starts Garcia has allowed 19 runs (4.98 ERA) on 35 hits and six walks with 33 strikeouts.

N.Y. Yankees: Bronx Bombers Rain Destruction at Progressive Field

From the desk of: BLAME CARLOS MAY

AMERICAN LEAGUE

WILD CARD ROUND

GAME ONE

Yankees   12

Indians      3

FINAL

GERRIT COLE JOINS ELITE COMPANY

New York announces their presence with authority.  

With mission in hand they open the bomb bay doors dropping four high kiloton dingers upon Progressive Field.  

Aaron Judge zeroes in right away when he blasts Shane Bieber's fourth pitch of the game over the right/center field wall for a prompt 2-0 lead.  Gleyber Torres also hits a two run home run off Bieber in the fifth.  Reliever Cameron Hill yields yet another two run home run off the bat of Bret Gardner in the seventh and Giancarlo Stanton closes out the Bronx Bombers barrage with a solo home run in the ninth.

The bottom portion of the lineup proves particularly devastating.  Number seven batter Gleyber Torres is a perfect 4 for 4 with a walk, three runs scored and three runs batted in and batting eighth  Brett Gardner goes 3 for 5 with two runs scored and three runs batted in.  The Yankees hit a combined 15 for 41 (.365), with five extra base hits, three walks and ten strikeouts.

American League Cy Young candidate Shane Bieber does not make it through the fifth.  It's easily his worst outing of the season.  Despite seven strikeouts he yields seven runs on nine hits and two walks through 4.2 innings pitched.

Otherwise, this is why Gerrit Cole gets paid the big bucks.  He joins Tom Seaver as the only two pitchers with 13 strikeouts and no walks in a post-season game, according to @MLBStats.  He surrenders just two runs on six hits through 7.0 innings pitched.  He throws 105 pitches with 73 (69%) going for strikes.

Gerrit Cole or not, the Indians can not play catch-up ball against the Yankees.  They go 8 for 35 with eight hits, three for extra bases, one walk and 14 strikeouts.  Left fielder Josh Naylor is the only disruptive bat of the lot, going 4 for 4 with a double, home run and two runs scored.

The Yankees play a clean game in the field after leading the circuit with 48 errors.

Masahiro Tanaka goes in game two.  This is his fifth post-season with the Yankees over which he's nothing but brilliant.  Through eight appearances dating back from 2015 Tanaka owns a 5-3 record with a 2.13 ERA and a stellar 0.90 WHiP.  He has walked just 11 batters and fanned 37 while yielding just 25 hits through 46.0 innings pitched.  In ten regular season starts Tanaka posted a 3-3 record with a 3.56 ERA and 1.17 WHiP.  He has allowed 48 hits in 48.0 innings pitched with eight walks and 44 strikeouts.

Cleveland is counting on 33-year old right-hander Carlos Carrasco to help stave off elimination.  He went 3-4 in twelve starts with a 2.91 ERA and 1.21 WHiP, and struck out a robust 82 batters in 68.0 innings pitched.

N.Y. Yankees: Streaky Bombers Open Playoffs Against Cleveland Indians

From the desk of: BLAME CARLOS MAY

ROAD TRIP!

AMERICAN LEAGUE PLAYOFFS

WILD CARD ROUND

New York Yankees

vs.

Cleveland Indians

FROM

Not League Park

The rollercoaster ride which has been the 2020 New York Yankees regular season is about to take another two-G turn around the bend.  

Next Stop: Cleveland, Ohio, for the Wild Card round against the Indians.

This was clearly not the season the Yankees anticipated.  After jumping out to a 16-6 start, they go 5-15 over their next twenty games to flatten out at 21-21, then go on a decisive ten game win streak before stumbling into the post-season winners of just two of their final eight games.  Bronx finishes second in the A.L. East behind the Tampa Bay Rays and enter the playoffs as the five seed with a slightly lower winning percentage than the Indians.  All games if the series goes three will be at Progressive Field.

New York owns the advantage at the plate:

• AVG - Yankees #6 (.247); Indians #12 (.228)
• OPS - Yankees #1 (.789); Indians #13 (.689)
• RUNS - Yankees #1 (315); Indians #13 (248)

Cleveland owns the advantage in pitching:

• ERA - Indians #1 (3.29); Yankees #8 (4.35)
• WHiP - Indians #1 (1.11); Yankees #5 (1.24)

The offensive disparity is notable.  Cleveland struggled enough to be overlooked.  But they're obviously better than the numbers indicate.  If the Indians play with a lead, they'll own the advantage.  However, trouble awaits them if forced to play catch-up.  After all, the Yankees were one of three A.L. teams to eclipse 90 home runs.  They are better equipped for comeback baseball.  Cleveland's lineup just isn't as lengthy as that of the Yankees, who one through nine can instantly change the outcome of a game.  Plus, with Gary Sanchez in semi-benched status that cluster of strikeouts packed into the middle of the lineup also featuring Aaron Judge and Giancarlo Stanton is somewhat lessened.  Otherwise, the disparity in pitching is less discernible.  Advantage: Yankees.

Game one will feature an extraordinary match-up pitting Gerrit Cole against Shane Bieber.  Cole posted a 7-3 record with a 2.84 ERA over twelve starts and 73.0 innings pitched.  Cy Young candidate Shane Bieber was 8-1 with a stellar 1.63 ERA through twelve starts and 77.1 innings pitched.

Masahiro Tanaka is penciled in for game two and will be opposed by Carlos Carrasco.  Tanaka was 3-3 with a 3.56 ERA in ten starts.  Carrasco posts a similar 3-4 record in twelve starts but with a 2.91 ERA.

If this series requires a decisive game three ... we'll cross that bridge when we get to it.

Game Called: COVID-19 Whitewashes Yankees vs. Mets at Citi Field

From the desks of: 

HEAD-BUTTING MR. MET  &   BLAME CARLOS MAY

GAME CALLED
COVID-19
SNY NEWS YouTube Channel

One player and one organizational member of the New York Mets tested positive for COVID-19.

I bid them and their families, and the Mets organization health, calm and peace of mind.

*

Just a reminder: I am on record as being opposed to the playing of the 2020 regular season.  But if players chose to play, earn a potion of their salaries, and in tun allow owners to recoup lost revenue through an expanded playoff, more power to them.  I wish them well.  However, as we see there are ramifications and repercussions to their decisions and actions.

Thursday's Mets/Marlins game in addition to Friday's Yankees/Mets game at Citi Field were postponed.  The Mets are now the tenth team to experience COVID related postponements.  That's ten out of thirty teams - you do the math.  The Yankees previously had a series against the Phillies postponed.  Both instances were related to trace contact with the Miami Marlins who earlier in this process experienced an outbreak of 18 players and team personnel.  Miami has so far been limited to just 18 games and to some extent their roster is unrecognizable.  BUGS BUNNY had the right idea when he hand-sawed Florida away from the continental United States.  On a personal note, my sister and some cousins live in Florida which keeps forever pensive.  Their state clown governor is a governor clown.  The Marlins are due in New York next week.  I say let them land at LaGuardia Airport, give them time for refueling, turn them right around and send that plane right back to South Beach.  The local Tri-State are did a superb job flattening the curve particularly here in New York City.  Last thing we need is a school of infected Fish swimming about in Flushing Bay.  Of course I speak somewhat in jest, but on a more serious note is appears Yoenis Cespedes and Marcus Stroman are owed apologies by all of those whom chastised them for opting out under the perceived pretense of self-centeredness and selfishness.  In fact Stroman himself expressed his anxiety over the upcoming road trip into Miami.

There's a lesson to be learned: temper yourselves.

ICYMI:

• N.Y. Yankees: Jury Still Out on Aaron Judge
• N.Y. Mets: Monster Matz is a National League Smash

The New York Mets presently own a 12-14 (.461) record, with 123 runs for and 130 runs against.  Between the starting rotation being in shambles and the ongoing issue of hitting w/risp, the Mets have more problems than a math book.  Things may look great for the Yankees.  The second place Bronx Bombers own a 16-9 (.640) record, one-half game behind the Rays, with 135 runs for and 107 against.  But they've already sustained injuries to Giancarlo Stanton, Zack Britton, Gleyber Torres, James Paxton, Luis Avilan, Aaron Judge, and now DJ LeMmahieu.

N.Y. Yankees: Jury Still Out on Aaron Judge

From the desk of: BLAME CARLOS MAY

ABILITY vs. AVAILABILITY

A Crumbling Cookie?

As a freshman, the 2017 American League Rookie of the Year plays 155 games.  Now confirmed, injuries have since compromised each of Aaron Judge's next three regular seasons (wrist fracture, shoulder soreness, an oblique strain, broken rib and partially collapsed lung, and now a calf injury).

In 2018 he misses fifty games from July 26 through Sept. 14, and last season he is unavailable from April 20 through June 21, bringing up the number of games missed to one hundred ten.  This season Judge gets off to an astounding start slashing .290/.343/.758, with nine home runs and twenty RBI in just seventeen games and 62 at-bats.  He last plays on August 11, and has since missed the Yankees last seven games, bringing his number of games lost due to injury since 2018 up to 117 out of a possible 348 Yankees games, not including post-season.  Said another way, Aaron Judge's court is out of session 33% of the time.  He has so far missed 11% of this 2020 truncated season.

In 2018 the Yankees are 76-41 (.649) with him, and 24-21 (.533) without him.  In 2019 the Yankees are 66-42 (.611) with him, and 37-17 (.685) without him.  Entering Thursday's action the Yankees are 5-2 since Judge went down.  I like to say: once is an event, twice is a coincidence, and three times is a trend.  But Aaron Judge's absence from the line-up has so far proven negligible.

The jury is still out.

MLB CANCLES FRIDAY'S 

METS vs. YANKEES at CITI FIELD 

DUE TO COVID-19

N.Y. Yankees: Bombers Flirting With Historic Start

From the desk of: BLAME CARLOS MAY

JUDGE PUNISHING 

OPPOSING PITCHERS

BRONX BOMBERS OFFERING NO QUARTER

Aaron Judge, like the Yankees, is off to a freakish start.  He is also demonstrating the benefits of the season commencing in July.  Had the season started on time in April, an injured Judge wold not have been in the Opening Day lineup.  Be that as it may, a fully healthy Aaron Judge is presently batting .314 through his first 35 at-bats.  Of his eleven hits, six have gone for home runs.  He is slugging over nine, for Pete's sake.  Meanwhile, the Yankees as a team lead the majors in (20) home runs, slugging, and OPS.

On the mound, off-season acquisition Gerrit Cole is likewise off to a fine 3-0 start with a 2.61 ERA, allowing ten hits and five walks, with sixteen strikeouts, through three starts and 17.2 innings pitched.  As I write, per SNY-TV, Cole is 19-0 with a 1.86 ERA, 0.81 WHiP, and a 13.3 K/9 average over his last 25 starts dating back to last season.

With Monday's victory over former manager Joe Girardi and the Philadelphia Phillies, the Bronx Bombers improve to 8-1.  For the moment no team has lost less games than the Yanks, none except the Marlins, that is, whom are frozen in quarantine with a 2-1 record.  This is the third time in Bomber history they have gotten off to an 8-1 start.  The first time comes in 1988, and the second time occurs to start the 2003 season.

It just so happens the Yankees in baseball history own three of the top five records through the first sixty games of a regular season.

• 1912 - New York Giants; 48-11-1
• 1939 - New York Yankees; 47-13
• 1953 - New York Yankees; 46-14
• 1998 - New York Yankees; 46-14
• 2001 - Seattle Mariners; 47-13

Nine games into the season, the Yankees are presently on course for 45 victories.

Make no mistake: the Evil Empire is once again fully armed and operational.  Just ask Aroldis Chapman, who has been cleared to return.  He should be rejoining the team shortly.

N.Y. Yankees: Bronx Bombers Quietly Advance Into Off-Season

From the desk of: BLAME CARLOS MAY

MINUTE MAID PARK

SEPTEMBER 2019

AMERICAN LEAGUE CHAMPIONSHIP SERIES

Astros defeat Yankees; 4-2

I - NYY 7; HOU 0

II - HOU 3; NYY 2

III - HOU 4; NYY 1

IV - HOU 8; NYY 3

V - NYY 4; HOU 1

GAME SIX

Yankees   4

Astros      6

FINAL

Like a Bottle Rocket in the Night the Bombers Season Goes Pop

ALL AROLDIS CHAPMAN COULD DO WAS GRIN, AND BEAR IT.  I believe it was more a curt expression than anything else.  Dismay manifests itself in many forms.  But the look on Chapman's face no doubt punctuates another confounding New York Yankee exit from post-season play.

• 2019 ALCS - BR

What a brilliant at-bat in the top of the ninth inning by D.J. LeMahieu.  He demonstrates great discipline in laying off a slider low and away for ball two.  With a 2-2 count he fouls off four straight pitches (five in all), which I felt was attributable to poor sequencing.  But when Roberto Osuna finally elevates an enticing eye level fastball, LeMahieu smartly takes it for ball three.  That forces Osuna into throwing a hitter's pitch.  His tenth offering of the sequence is just that.  LeMahieu deposits the ball over the right field wall just beyond the outstretched arm of a leaping George Springer tying the game at four.

With two outs in the last half of the ninth Aroldis Chapman walks George Springer.  That brings to the plate Jose Altuve who promptly ends the Yankees season by crushing Chapman's fourth offering, a slider, high and deep over the left field wall for a walk-off victory.

If you're wondering why Chad Green is starting game six of the ALCS, look no further than Brian Cashman.  Otherwise the decision to bullpen an elimination game is Aaron Boone's only recourse.  Although no stranger to starting games, Green nevertheless yields a double, a walk, and a three run home run by Yuri Gurriel for an 0-3 first inning deficit.

Gary Sanchez drives in a run in the second, and Gio Urshela's home run in the fourth closes the gap to one.  But Houston picks up an insurance run when Altuve scores on Alex Bregman's fielder's choice in the sixth.

And into the ninth inning they go ...


NUMBERS OF THE BEAST

Both sides utilize seven pitchers in GAME SIX:

• NYY: six earned runs on six hits and six walks with six strikeouts through 8.2 innings pitched.  They throw 170 pitches with only 101 (59%) going for strikes.
• HOU: four earned runs on ten hits and four walks with eleven strikeouts through nine innings pitched.  They throw 154 pitches with 101 (65%) going for strikes.

SWING AND A MISS

• Jose Altuve: .348/.444/.652; two home runs; three runs batted in; four walks; one strikeout!
• Carlos Correa; George Springer; Yuli Gurriel: five home runs; 13 runs batted in.

• Aaron Judge: .240/.321/.360; home run; two runs batted in; three walks; ten strikeouts!
• Gary Sanchez: .130/167/.261; home run; three runs batted in; one walk; twelve strikeouts!
• Edwin Encarnacion: .056/.227/.111; four walks; eleven strikeouts!
• Brett Gardner: .136/.208/.136; one run batted in; two walks; ten strikeouts!
• Giancarlo Stanton: 2 for 7, home run; three strikeouts.
• Thank goodness for Aaron Hicks?

• HOU: slash .179/.281/.318; eight home runs; 27 walks; 54 strikeouts; 24 runs scored.
• NYY: slash .214/.289/.383; ten home runs; 22 walks; 64 strikeouts; 21 runs scored.

THE REAL BRONX BOMBERS

• DJ LeMahieu: .346/.414/.615; two home runs; three runs batted in; three walks; two strikeouts.
• Gleyber Torres: .280/.333/.600; two home runs; six runs batted in; two walks; four strikeouts.
• Gio Urshela: two home runs; two runs batted in; two walks; .828 OPS; two strikeouts.

THE REAL BRONX BUMMER

• HOU Three Starters: ten earned runs in 31 innings for 2.90 ERA; 24 H; 10 W; 34 K.
• NYY Three Starters: seven earned runs in 23.2 innings for 2.71 ERA; 18 H; 12 W; 23 K.

• HOU Bullpen: ten earned runs; 21.1 innings; 4.26 ERA.
• NYY Bullpen: seven earned runs; 26.1 innings; 2.41 ERA.

• HOU hit eight home runs, only four are solo shots.  They leave 45 runners on base and bat (5/46) .108 w/ RiSP.  Team slash .179/.281/.318.
• NYY hit ten home runs, but seven are solo shots.  They leave 42 runners on base and bat (6/35) .171 w/ RiSP.  Team slash .214/.289/.383.

SO, WHAT THE F&@% JUST HAPPENED.!?

Game Two Loss:

• Starter James Paxton lasts just 2.1 innings; reliever J.A. Happ surrenders game winning home run in 11th inning.

Game Three Loss:

• Luis Severino is far from mid-season form.  He misses the entire season until returning to action in September.  He makes three appearances and pitches just twelve innings prior to the ALDS versus Minnesota.  Opposed by Houston's Gerrit Cole, Severino yields two earned runs on five hits and three walks with six strikeouts through 4.1 innings pitched.  Cole throws seven scoreless innings allowing just four hits and five walks with seven strikeouts.

Game Four Loss:

• Zack Greinke and Ryan Presley outperform Masahiro Tanaka and Chad Green.  Tanaka surrenders four runs (three earned) on four hits (George Springer home run) and two walks with just one strikeout through five innings pitched.  Chad Green yields a two-run home run in the sixth to Carlos Correa.  Greinke and Presley surrender just one run on three hits and five walks with seven strikeouts through five innings.

Game Six Loss:

• Chad Green serves as game opener.  He promptly surrenders a first inning three-run home run to Yuli Gurriel.  LeMahieu hits a game-tying home run in the top of the ninth.  Aroldis Chapman loses control of his fastball, Altuve crushes a slider in the bottom of the ninth, series over.

Brian Cashman's failure to land a viable starting pitcher at the trade deadline comes to pass.  The plan to bullpen game six backfires horribly.  No one could have predicted Domingo German's season ending in suspension.  Although with 30 home runs allowed and a 4.03 ERA through 143 innings pitched, I'm not quite sure German would have made a series altering difference.  However, waiting on Luis Severino proves a mistake.  C.C. Sabathia's physical condition and overall effectiveness was also a known factor.  Moreover, last season's money acquisition of J.A. Happ fails to pay dividends.  His ineffectiveness was likewise a known factor heading into the deadline.  Happ posted a regular season 4.91 ERA through 161.1 innings pitched.  Relegated to the bullpen for the playoffs, he makes just two appearances against the Astros, yielding a hit, a walk, and a run, through 2.2 innings pitched.  Otherwise game six "opener" Chad Green posts a 9.64 ERA through four appearances and 4.2 innings pitched.  Adam Ottavino is worse, allowing four runs on six hits through five appearances and 2.1 innings pitched for an 11.57 ERA.

I'd be remiss if I didn't mention Houston's outstanding defense; Houston's game saving defense, that is.  Meanwhile four Yankees errors in game four contribute to three unearned runs in an 8-3 loss.  Gary Sanchez once again proves a liability behind the plate.

Failure to improve rotation depth; a bullish bullpen; too many strikeouts; and lack of clutch or even situational hitting; make of it what you will.  At the end of the day, Houston's top star rises to the occasion and the Yankees top stars do not.


TRENDING

Once is an event; twice is a coincidence; three times is a trend.  The Yankees are eliminated from post-season play for a third consecutive year, twice at the hands of the Houston Astros.

2017 ALCS: Astros Defeat Yankees; 4-3

• HOU: slash .187/.271/.294; 20 runs; 40 hits; four home runs; 24 walks; 45 strikeouts.
• NYY: slash .205/.274/.347; 22 runs; 45 hits; six home runs; 19 walks; 70 strikeouts.

• HOU Four Starters: 13 runs on 32 hits through 46.1 innings for 2.54 ERA (6.2 innings per start).
• NYY Four Starters: 9 runs on 21 hits through 36 innings for 2.25 ERA (5.1 innings per start).

• HOU Bullpen: 9 runs on 13 hits through 12.2 innings for 6.64 ERA.
• NYY Bullpen: 11 runs on 19 hits through 23.1 innings for 4.28 ERA.

2018 ALDS: Red Sox Defeat Yankees; 3-1

• BOS: 27 runs; 39 hits; .279/.358/.429; 18 walks; 29 strikeouts.
• NYY: 14 runs; 28 hits; .214/.295/.321; 15 walks; 31 strikeouts.

• BOS Four Starters:  7 runs on 18 hits through 20.2 innings pitched for 3.12 ERA.
• NYY Four Starters: 15 runs on 19 hits through 13.0 innings pitched for 10.38 ERA.

Stick It With Your Analytics ~ Acquire Starting Pitching ~ Stop Striking Out So Damn Much ~ Stick It With Your Analytics ~ Acquire Starting Pitching ~ Stop Striking Out So Damn Much ~ Stick It With Your Analytics ~ Acquire Starting Pitching ~ Stop Striking Out So Damn Much ~ Stick It With Your Analytics ~ Acquire Starting Pitching ~ Stop Striking Out So Damn Much ~ Stick It With Your Analytics ~ Acquire Starting Pitching ~ Stop Striking Out So Damn Much.  Stick It ...

N.Y. Yankees: The Empire Strikes Back

From the desk of: BLAME CARLOS MAY

Astros lead Yankees; 3-2

I - NYY 7; HOU 0

II - HOU 3; NYY 2

III - HOU 4; NYY 1

IV - HOU 8; NYY 3

V - NYY 4; HOU 1

AMERICAN LEAGUE CHAMPIONSHIP SERIES
GAME SIX

New York Yankees 

vs.

Houston Astros

FROM

JUICE BOX PARK

James Paxton Out-Duels Justin Verlander; Yankees Stave Off Elimination; Series Shifts Back to Houston.

Baseball wisdom says in order to achieve success against the game's best pitchers you need to get at them early before they settle in.  On Friday, the Yankees do just that.  D.J. LeMahieu homers on Justin Verlander's second offering of the game.  Four batters later Aaron Hicks' three run home run off the right field foul pole stakes the Yankees to 4-1 first inning lead and final margin of victory.  After which Verlander retires 20 of his next 21 batters faced.  Through the next six innings he allows no runs, no walks, and just one hit with seven strikeouts (nine overall) albeit in a losing effort.

Meanwhile James Paxton's night doesn't start well.  He unleashes a first inning wild pitch permitting George Springer to score from third with the game's opening run.  But after throwing 52 pitches through the first two innings, Paxton settles down to provide the Yankees with much needed length and effectiveness.  He strikeouts out the side in the second, fans two in the fourth, and two more in the fifth, while throwing a more economical 60 pitches over his final four innings.  Overall Paxton allows just one earned run on four hits and one walk with nine strikeouts through six innings full.

• Per YES Channel post-game, Paxson's 112 pitches were the most this season by a Yankees starter.

Making his seventh appearance in seven post-season games Tommy Kahnle yields a hit and a walk while throwing just eight pitches in the seventh.  Otherwise Zack Britton and Aroldis Chapman are perfect over the final 2.2 innings with three strikeouts.

The Yankees generate just five hits, draw no walks, and strikeout ten times.  Aaron Hicks who is limited to just 59 appearances this season with an elbow injury strikes the major blow of the night.  That's not as promising as it sounds as the Yankees still must win two in a row at Houston.  Aaron Judge, Giancarlo Stanton, and Gary Sanchez, join forces on 1 for 10 with seven strikeouts.

N.Y. Yankees: Bombers Offer Twins No Quarter

From the desk of: BLAME CARLOS MAY

OFF TO MINNESOTA

Yankees lead Twins; 2-0

I - NYY 10; MIN 4

II - NYY 8; MIN 2

AMERICAN LEAGUE DIVISION SERIES

GAME THREE

New York Yankees

vs.

Minnesota Twins

FROM

TARGET FIELD

Look what the Yankees did to the Twins, again.  They say it's not a series until the home team loses.  By then it may be too late for the Twins as the series shifts to Minnesota for game three on Monday.  Up two games with two chances to win one at Target Field, if the Yankees return to Bronx County for a decisive game five it's because something went terribly wrong.

In the meantime the Yankees have been a bunch of savages in the batter's box, outscoring the Twins by an 18-6 margin.  They're batting .297 with seven extra-base hits, 16 walks, and 18 strikeouts.  Of their 19 total hits, only three have gone for home runs.  That means they're stringing together hits.  They're additionally batting (8 for 24) .333 with runners in scoring position.

IF IT'S HIGH, LET IT FLY; IF IT'S LOW, LET IT GO

• Aaron Judge: 4 walks; no strikeouts!
• Giancarlo Stanton: 4 walks; one strikeout!

CALL TO ARMS

Masahiro Tanaka pitches brilliantly on Saturday, yielding just one earned run on three hits and one walk with seven strikeouts through five innings.  In game one James Paxton allows three runs on five hits (two home runs) and one walk with eight strikeouts through 4.2 innings.  Through two games the bullpen has allowed two runs on five hits and five walks with twelve strikeouts over 8.1 innings pitched.


Minnesota's last playoff victory over the Yankees occurred on back on Tuesday, Oct. 5, 2004, in game one of the ALDS at Yankee Stadium.  Johan Santana and Mike Mussina duel for seven innings.  Twins relievers Juan Rincon and Joe Nathan complete the 2-0 whitewashing of the Yankees.

N.Y. Yankees: Minnesota Twins Pose More Trouble Than Meets The Eye

From the desk of: BLAME CARLOS MAY

AMERICAN LEAGUE DIVISION SERIES

GAME ONE

Minnesota Twins

vs.

New York Yankees

FROM

161 Street at River Avenue

This marks the seventh meeting in post-season play since 2003 between the New York Yankees and Minnesota Twins.  Suffice it to say things have not gone well for the Minneapolis/St.Paul Nine.  The Yankees own a 16-2 record in post-season games against the Twins.

• 2003: NYY def. MIN; 3-1
• 2004: NYY def. MIN; 3-1
• 2006: NYY def. MIN; 3-0
• 2009: NYY def. MIN; 3-0
• 2010: NYY def. MIN; 3-0
• 2017: NYY def. MIN; WC

The Twins averaged a 91-71 regular season record during the six aforementioned seasons.  This year Minnesota will offer the Bronx Bombers no quarter.  They come into these playoffs with a 101-61 regular season record.  The Yankees finish 103-59, while the Houston Astros finish with an American League best 107-55 mark.  New York won the regular season series versus Minnesota four games against two, outscoring them by a 43-38 margin.

STRENGTH OF DIVISION

• A.L. EAST: Tampa; Boston; Toronto; and Baltimore; post a combined a 301-347 (.464) record.
• A.L. CENTRAL: Cleveland; Chicago; Kansas City, Detroit, post a combined 271-375 (.419) record.

AMERICAN LEAGUE RANK
Link: STATS/New York Yankees

I - PLATE

• RUNS SCORED: NYY #1 (943); MIN #2 (939)
• HOME RUNS: MIN #1 (307); NYY #2 (306)
• TOT BASES: MIN #1 (2,832); NYY #3 (2,735)
• TEAM AVG: MIN #2 (.274); NYY #4 (.267)
• TEAM OBP: NYY #3 (.339); MIN #4 (.338)
• TEAM SLG: MIN #2 (.495); NYY #3 (.490)

II - MOUND

• TEAM ERA: MIN #5 (4.18); NYY #6 (4.31)
• TEAM WHiP: NYY #t5 (1.30); MIN #t5 (1.30)
• AVG AGAINST: NYY #5 (.248); MIN #8 (.257)
• STRIKEOUTS: NYY #4 (1,534); MIN #6 (1,463)
• SAVES: NYY #t1 (50); MIN #t1 (50)
• * BLOWN SAVES: NYY 28; MIN 22

In a short five game series with a travel break after game two, there's every chance Aaron Boone limits his starters to no more than four innings of work.  Masahiro Tanaka, J.A. Happ, and James Paxton average under six innings per start to begin with.  J.A. Happ owns a 4.91 ERA through 161.0 innings pitched.  Tanaka this season pitches the second most innings of his career but also posts the second highest ERA (4.45) of his six year career with the Yankees.  Of the three, only James Paxton posts a season ERA (3.82) below four.  The biggest unknown is Luis Severino.  He has appeared in three games since returning from a season long absence, yielding just two earned runs on six hits with six walks and 17 strikeouts through twelve innings pitched.

The Yankees struck out 1,437 times this season which ranks seventh most in the American League.  That's a vast improvement over previous years. Giancarlo Stanton, Aaron Judge, and Gary Sanchez, have missed considerable time with various injuries.  But just in time the band is back together.  Out since Sept. 12, Gary Sanchez is back from a groin injury.  He played two games against the Texas Rangers going 1 for 6 with four strikeouts.  In 396 at-bats this season he has struck out 125 times.  Giancarlo Stanton returned to action on Sept. 18, and has since struck out eleven times in 28 at-bats.  For the season Stanton has fanned 24 times in just 59 at-bats.  Then there's Aaron Judge with his 141 strikeouts through 378 at-bats.  That's 552 strikeouts in 833 at-bats!  The Minnesota Twins struck out the fourth least times this season.

N.Y. Mets: Pete Alonso Breaks National League Rookie Home Run Record

From the desk of:  HEAD-BUTTING MR. MET

NATIONAL LEAGUE

established 1876

The Polar Bear Hits Dinger Number Forty; Sets New National League Rookie Home Run Record.

... with eleven games still left to play in August!

Mets first baseman Pete Alonso hits his 40th home run of the season breaking the National League rookie record.  The milestone comes in his final at-bat of Sunday afternoon's 11-5 victory over the Kansas City Royals in which Alonso goes 3 for 4 with a double, the aforementioned home run, three runs scored, and two runs batted in.

Previous record holder Cody Bellinger in 2017 hit 39 home runs through 132 games and 480 at-bats. Pete Alonso first ties the N.L. record in just his 120th game of the season through 511 plate appearances and 435 official at-bats.  He then breaks the record in just 122 games, and 443 official at-bats.

With the National League record in hand, Alonso becomes one of only three rookies to ever achieve 40 home runs in a season (Mark McGwire, Aaron Judge).  Alonso is now one home run away from tying the Mets all-time mark of 41 home runs shared by Todd Hundley and Carlos Beltran.  After which come Aaron Judge.  The New York Yankees right fielder set the major league rookie record in the same season Bellinger set the National League mark with 52 home runs in 155 games with 678 plate appearances and 542 official at-bats.  Alonso needs 13 home runs in the next 38 games in order to surpass Judge.

• APRIL: Pete Alonso hits his first MLB home run in just his fourth game played; finishes month with eight.

• MAY: Hits ten home runs giving him 19 for the season.

• JUNE: Pete breaks the club's 36-year old club rookie record of 26 home runs set in 1983 by Darryl Strawberry.  Alonso's record breaking dinger comes in only his 77th game and 279th at-bat of the season.  Whereas Darryl Strawberry in 1983 played in 122 games with 420 at-bats.

• JULY: Pete Alonso breaks Darryl Strawberry's rookie record of 74 RBI.  Alonso's 30th home run ties him with Dave Kingman for most ever home runs before the All-Star break.  He then he goes on to win the All-Star Game home run derby.

• AUGUST: Homers in four consecutive games (Aug. 5-9).  Six home runs through 17 games this month.  Season high six RBI vs. Atlanta Braves (Aug. 15).  He is presently slugging .604 with a .979 OPS and 95 RBI.  He also becomes the fourth ever Met to achieve 40 home runs.

I've said this before.  We're talking about a rookie, and therefore I'm most impressed with his adaptability and ability to roll with adjustments being made against him.

Oh, yeah  ...

With Sunday's series clinching win at Kansas City, the Mets remain two games out of a wild card.

N.Y. Mets: Pete Alonso Ties Senior Circuit Rookie Home Run Record

From the desk of: HEAD-BUTTING MR. MET

Pete Alonso w/ Binghamton ~ 2017 Road Trips

The greatest season known to mankind ever turned in by a Polar Bear this side of the arctic circle continues ...

• APRIL: Pete Alonso hits his first MLB home run in just his fourth game played; finishes month with eight.

• MAY: Hits ten more home runs giving him 18 for the season.

• JUNE: Pete breaks the clubs's 36-year old club rookie record of 26 home runs set in 1983 by Darryl Strawberry.  Alonso's record breaking dinger comes in only his 77th game and 279th at-bat of the season.  Whereas Darryl Strawberry in 1983 played in 122 games with 420 at-bats.

• JULY: Pete Alonso also breaks Darryl Strawberry's rookie record of 74 RBI.  Alonso's 30th home run then ties him with Dave Kingman for most ever home runs before the All-Star break.  He then he goes on to win the All-Star Game home run derby.

This past Thursday Pete Alonso tied L.A. Dodger Cody Bellinger's National League rookie record of 39 home runs set just two years ago.  Bellinger played 132 games during his milestone season tallying 548 plate appearances and 480 official at-bats.  Alonso ties the record in just his 120th game of the season through 511 plate appearances and 435 official at-bats to date.

New York Yankees right fielder Aaron Judge set the major league rookie record with 52 home runs in the same season Bellinger set the National League mark.  In 2017 Judge played 155 games in 2017 with 678 plate appearances and 542 official at-bats.  To date Alonso is slashing .264/.369/.595/.965, with 39 home runs and 91 RBI through 120 games and 512 plate appearances and 435 at-bats.

In the meantime, Alonso is just two home runs shy of tying the Mets all-time mark of 41 home runs shared by Carlos Beltran and Todd Hundley ... the same exact number of games remaining in the Mets regular season.

• BaseballReference.com

Yankees and Red Sox Rivalry Invades London

THE RIVALRY

LONDON SERIES

Yankees win series 2-0

BOSTON RED SOX

vs.

NEW YORK YANKEES

FROM

Across the Pond

LONDON

A year ago today the Yankees and Red Sox open a three game series at Bronx County.  First place Boston arrives in town with a 55-27 (.671) record.  Their second place hosts own a 52-26 (.667) record.  The Bombers wind up winning two of three and take over first place by percentage points over the Red Sox.  But whereas Boston stays the course with a 53-27 (.662) record over their final 80 games the Yankees fail to keep pace posting a 48-36 (.571) record over their final 84 games.  The Red Sox clinch the A.L. East at Yankee Stadium and go on to register an MLB best 108-54 (.667) regular season record.  Despite hitting the century mark in wins (100-62) the Yankees must settle for one of two Wild Card berths.  Their one game playoff victory over the Oakland A's at Yankee Stadium sets the stage for an ALDS showdown against the Red Sox.  Boston goes on to befuddle the Yankees in four games, and for a second time within three weeks pop off champagne celebrations in the visitor's clubhouse at Yankee Stadium.  The Red Sox roll on, defeating the defending world champion Houston Astros for the American League pennant then taking out the Los Angeles Dodgers in five to clinch Boston's ninth championship in franchise history.

The Yankees enter this year's London Series in first place of the A.L. East with a 52-28 (.650) record, the same number of wins as last season but with two more losses.  Remarkably they've not only withstood a season long spate of injuries but have thrived to the extent of achieving a tie with the Minnesota Twins for most wins in the American League.  Miguel Andujar has not been apart of the season; they most recently lost Giancarlo Stanton again this time to a knee injury; and still remain without Luis Severino.  Aaron Judge only recently rejoined the line-up.  In the meantime, acquisitions DJ LeMahieu and Luke Voit are becoming stars before out very eyes.  Gleyber Torres is another.  The 22-year old has 19 home runs with 47 RBI in only his second season in the bigs.  This past Tuesday DJ LeMahieu and the Yankees break and set the MLB record for hitting a home run in the their 28th straight game.  With center field at London's facility reportedly only 385' away from home late (Olympic standards), there's a good chance this series devolves into a gas house gorillas skit.

The defending world champion Boston Red Sox enter London Series with a 44-38 (.537) record and in third place of the A.L. East, a distant nine games behind the Yankees.  This season, it appears the Red Sox will be the one sweating out a Wild Card berth while the Yankees run away with the division.  In that regard they must contend with the Tampa Rays, Cleveland Indians, and damn near the entire A.L. West save for Seattle.  Unlike the Yankees, the Red Sox Achilles heel has been their bullpen.  Out of 33 save opportunities, they've converted only 17 for a 51% rate of blown saves.  The Yankees on the other hand are saving 71% of their games.  And therein lies your difference from one season to the next.

True Story: I visited London back in 1989.  A waitress says to me, "Oh, you're from the colonies, are you?  I wanted to respond with something innocuous, but what came out of my mouth was far from that, "If by that you mean New Amsterdam, then, yes, I am."  To my fellow Americans crossing the pond, please behave won't ya!

NO ROUNDERS!

PLAY BALL!!

SATURDAY

Red Sox  13

Yankees  17

FINAL

In a game more resembling Batting Practice With the Stars, the Yankees outlast the Red Sox by an unsightly 17-13 final score requiring nearly five hours to decide.  Each team takes turns scoring six runs in the game's first inning alone.  With a total of 37 hits and 30 runs scored, Saturday's respective pitching performances leave much to be desired.  Parties of both sides are guilty as charged.  The feature match-up pitting Masahiro Tanaka against Rick Porcello never makes it out of the first as each are given the hook prior to recording a third out.  Perhaps we owe #UK fans an apology for treating them to such a poor exhibition of pitching.

The Yankees get home runs from Brett Gardner, Aaron Hicks, and Aaron Judge.  Boston matches them with one home run from Jackie Bradley Jr., and two off the bat of Michael Chavis.  DJ LeMahieu goes 4 for 6 with five runs batted in.  Didi Gregorius is 2 for 5 with a double and three RBI.  Yanks bat 9 for 18 with runners in scoring position.  Yankees are now 9-2 in their last ten trips.

With a 44-39 record Boston now trails the Yankees by ten games.

SCENES FROM LONDON STADIUM

Courtesy my cousin who made the trip.

SUNDAY

Yankees   12

Red Sox    8

FINAL

So what did we learn?  That pitchers need more time recovering from overseas flights?  It's my understanding when flying the body suffers dehydration.  Did pitchers need to better hydrate?  Is that it?  So much for Boston's $500,000 charter flight with all the fixings.  Let's face it, just about every pitcher from both the Yankees and Red Sox whom toed the rubber sucked.  The Yankees outscore the Red Sox by a 29-21 margin.  However Boston out-hits the Yankees 33-32 and hits six home runs to the Yankees four.  The common denominator is the roughly seven hour flight to London.  

Otherwise I have no idea ...

Congratulations London, England, and greater UK on your first ever major league baseball games.  Although the series lacked somewhat the more artistic aspects of pitching, sometimes a good old slug fest works just as well.  Thing about baseball is you never know what you're going to get.

Entering Monday night's action, the first place Yankees own a seven game lead over the Tampa Bay Rays, and an 11 game lead over the defending champion Red Sox.  The Yankees 54-28 record presently tops the American League.  The Los Angeles Dodgers lead baseball with a 57-29 record.

N.Y. Yankees: Bombers Continue Shredding League's Top Competition

From the desk of:  THE HOUSE THAT HAL INHERITED

Yankees lead Astros 3-0

I - NYY 10; HOU 6

II - NYY 4; HOU 1

III - NYY 7; HOU 5

IV - SUNDAY

HOUSTON ASTROS

vs.

NEW YORK YANKEES

FROM

River Avenue Grounds

Outside of Miguel Andujar and Aaron Hicks, the return of Aaron Judge means the Yankees are relatively intact for the first time since April.  As such, Cashman's New World Order is back in effect and reaffirming control over their competition.  With a 49-27 record the Yankees reestablish a 5.5 game lead over the Tampa Rays and an eight game lead over the Boston Red Sox.  Only the Minnesota Twins have a better record in the American League by one game over the Yankees. 

They're winners of eight in a row which includes a sweep of the second place Tampa Rays followed by three straight victories over the West Division leading Houston Astros with the series finale slated for Sunday afternoon.

The Yankees hit an MLB leading 267 home runs last season.  They're on a similar pace again this season with 125 home runs through 76 games.  With home runs from Austin Romine and Gio Urshela on Saturday the Yankees have now hit at least one home run in 25 consecutive games.  The MLB record is 27 straight games set by the 2012 Texas Rangers.

N.Y. Yankees: Bombers at the Gates

From the desk of:  BLAME CARLOS MAY

Just when you thought the coast was clear, 

here come the Red Sox.

New York Yankees: Bombers Season Starts Now

April of last year I was road tripping in Boston the weekend following the Yankees/Red Sox series - the one featuring the rather un-cordial exchange of pleasantries between Alex Cora and third base coach Phil Nevin.  While there I listened to a pair of WEEI-radio guys say among other things that Aaron Boone had no pulse.  Their comment stuck with me all summer, then into Fall.  After what transpired in the post-season I continued pondering this throughout the off-season still not sure of its merits. 

Now when I compare Aaron Boone's demeanor so far this season versus all of last season, I would agree the Bean Town talkies may have been on point.  But only insofar as last season.  One year later Boone seems far more comfortable in his pinstriped skin.  He's blown his top a few times and received some well deserved ejections.  Call it window dressing, but at least it demonstrates a confidence of character.  At the same time it instills either by design or otherwise a sense urgency into a young group.

In any event, Adversity and Defeatism since day one have been sitting in the Yanks dugout spitting out seeds with hardly a glance from the skipper.  As we know this year's 25-man roster has been decimated by injury after ruinous injury.  To borrow a phrase: it was getting late really early in the season.  Or so everyone imagined when the Yankees opened the season minus Didi Gregorius and Aaron Hicks; or after March 31 when both Giancarlo Stanton and Miguel Andujar went down; or after April 3 when Troy Tulowitzki followed suit; or after April 13 when Greg Bird joined them; or after April 20 when even Aaron Judge got overruled; etc., etc. 

Yet, thanks to their baby Bomber reinforcements, the Yanks own a 14-6 (.700) record since Judge went down 20 games ago.  Moreover, with Sunday's victory over the Rays they closed out the week eight games above .500 and are now within one-half game of first place.  So, yeah, Aaron Boone has a pulse.  In fact, he's very much alive and doing quite well - calm, cool, and delightfully less collected than ever.

But for how long?

The baby Bombers are doing things well, like limiting their strikeouts to sixth least in the American League, rating fourth in average, and sixth in OPS.  But what's going to happen when Giancarlo Stanton and Aaron Judge are reunited in the middle of the lineup with Gary Sanchez?  We're speaking of anywhere from 550 to 600 strikeouts a season between the three.  If you do not believe this poses a potential negative affect to the present dynamic, I'll agree to disagree.

On May 12, 2018, the Yankees owned a 27-12 record.  One year later, they enter Monday's action with a 24-16 record.  It's been a remarkable story to date replete with kids, comebacks, and competitiveness.  There's a case to be made this season is now New York's to lose.  That said, Aaron Boone knows somewhere out there lurks an undetected iceberg ready to slice a huge gash into all this smooth sailing.

Just don't look now because here come the Red Sox whom seem to be over their World Series hangover.  After sleepwalking through a 7-13 start, the Sox have since gone 14-6, improving to 22-19 and creeping back into the mix just three games back of the division lead.  Not until May 8 did they reach the .500 mark for the first time this season.

And by no means are the Rays to be overlooked.  They won 90 games last season.  Make no mistake.  They're a good team and presently in first place for a reason.  They'll continue proving a troublesome Yankee foe just as they've done throughout their existence.  After their upcoming three game against the Orioles, the Yankees host the Rays next weekend.

The Red Sox are due to arrive in town at the end of the month.

Steady as she goes.

N.Y. Yankees: Bronx Bummer Leave Bombers on Brink

From the desk of:  BLAME CARLOS MAY

Red Sox lead series 2-1

I - BOS 5; NYY 4

II - NYY 6; BOS 2

III - BOS 16; NYY 1

GAME THREE

RED SOX   16

YANKEES    1

FINAL

Boston Red Sox Hand Bronx Bombers Worst Defeat in Franchise Post-Season History.

Featured prominently across the front of Boston's warm-up jersey reads their post-season mantra: Do Damage.  Monday at Yankee Stadium the Red Sox do just that, handing the Bronx Bombers their worst post-season defeat in their 115-year history, and pushing them to the brink of elimination.

Already lost upon Bomber fans' collective memory is Gary Sanchez becoming the first Yankee catcher to hit multiple home runs in one playoff game, or that Aaron Judge becomes the first Yankee since Reggie Jackson to homer in three consecutive playoff games.  With one more loss in this ALDS, all fans will remember is a 100-win regular season spiraling counter-clockwise down the toilet; rookie manager Aaron Boone's failure to get out of the first round a year after Joe Girardi leads them within one game of the World Series; and something a little closer to their heart, getting eliminated yet again by the rival Red Sox in their own yard.  Nothing short of two straight victories changes that narrative now.

This much, however, for the moment remains true as ever: the Yankees live and die by the home run.  Through two Yankees losses, they total just one home run - an Aaron Judge blast in the ninth inning of Game One.  In their Game Two victory, Judge hit his second of the series, and Gary Sanchez adds two.  From a Red Sox perspective, they trade home runs in Game One, and win; get out homered in Game Two and lose; then hit one home run versus zero for the Yankees in Game Three, and win.

Boston had already scored 14 runs on 17 hits before Brock Holt's two-run jolt in the ninth.  As an aside, he becomes MLB's first player to hit for the cycle in a post-season game.  Cycling back, the Yankees have hit four home runs versus Boston's three, but the Red Sox have now out-hit the Yankees 31-23, and outscored them 23-11, through three games of the ALDS.

Luis Severino's very first offering of the game clocked in at 95-mph.  Leading off for Boston, Mookie Betts hits said pitch 405 feet away to the base of the center field wall for a very long out.  After which, the route is on.  Severino faces 18 batters through three innings, allowing six earned runs on seven hits and two walks, with two strikeouts.  The Yankees bullpen (Austin Romine aside) allows eight more runs on ten hits and five walks, with just two strikeouts.

In a tale of two acquisitions, the Yankees acquire J.A. Happ, who through his career has pitched very effectively against the Red Sox.  In Game One, Boston knocks him out of the box after just two innings upon allowing five earned runs on four hits and a walk.  In turn, the Red Sox acquire Nathan Eovaldi, a one-time Yankee, whom likewise has a reputation for pitching well against his former club.  In Game Three at Yankee Stadium, Eovaldi pitches a gem, allowing just one earned run on five hits, no walks, with five strikeouts, through seven full innings pitched.  In the seventh he pops the radar gun at 100-mph.

With another victory on Tuesday, the Red Sox clinch a trip to the ALCS, but not before making a complete mess of the visiting locker room at Yankee Stadium for a second time this season.  If you're the Yankees, there's all the motivation you need.

Game Four features C.C. Sabathia versus Rick Porcello.

Sabathia last pitched twelve days ago against Tampa, in which he pitches five scoreless innings of one hit ball, with no walks and five strikeouts before being ejected.  Sabathia is afforded a similar break coming out of the all-star break, when he goes two full weeks between starts.  Upon his return, he allows two earned runs on six hits and two walks, with eight strikeouts against Kansas City.  Over his last five starts, however, C.C. has allowed 13 earned runs over 21.2 innings pitched for a 5.51 ERA.

In Rick Porcello's last start against the Yankees on Aug. 3, he tosses a one-hit complete game victory at Yankee Stadium.  Porcello's last appearance against the Yankees comes in relief, when he records two game critical outs on 15 pitches in the eighth inning of Game One at Fenway.

Should the Yankees win, another match-up between J.A. Happ and Chris Sale awaits in Game Five.