Yanks Get Enough to Beat Mets, But Mikemen Are Out

The Yankees' loss to the Mets at Citi Field in the previous game was unacceptable. This time, they had to get enough runs to beat The Other Team. And they had to get good pitching, too.

They got it. After 3 straight bad starts, followed by a stint on the Injured List, Domingo German started, and was very stingy with the Flushing boys. He went 6 innings, allowing 1 run on 5 hits and no walks, striking out 6. The only run he allowed was a solo home run by Jeff McNeil in the bottom of the 1st.

By the time McNeil struck, the Yankees had already done so. DJ LeMahieu led off the game with a double, and Aaron Judge followed with another to send him home. Met starter Jason Vargas got the next 2 batters out, but Gleyber Torres singled Judge home to make it 2-0.

McNeil's homer made it 2-1, but with 1 out in the top of the 6th, Didi Gregorius and Gio Urshela hit back-to-back home runs to make it 4-1. As in the 1st, a LeMahieu double and a Torres single led to a run in the 7th.

It's funny: They say Yankee Stadium II is too easy to hit home runs in, and Citi Field too hard. But they never talk about how the Yankees have no trouble hitting in Citi Field. They did in the previous game, but not in this one.

After German, the Yankees put in their "opener" team, with Chad Green pitching a scoreless 7th and 8th, and Nestor Cortes Jr. pitching a perfect 9th.

Yankees 5, Mets 1. WP: German (10-2). No save. LP: Vargas (3-4).

As for the Yankees' competitors in the American League Eastern Division: The Tampa Bay Rays allowed 6 runs in the 9th inning, bottling it to the Baltimore Orioles, 9-6; while the Boston Red Sox lost to the Toronto Blue Jays, 6-3. This leaves the Yankees 6 1/2 games in front of the Rays, 11 ahead of the Sox. In the all-important loss column, 8 and 12, respectively.

In fact, the Yankees are currently tied with the Los Angeles Dodgers for fewest losses in the major leagues, although the Dodgers have won 3 more, as the Yankees have 3 games in hand. But if the current MLB standings hold to the end of the season, the Yankees would have home-field advantage against any team in the postseason, except the Dodgers -- who lost a Game 7 of the World Series at home 2 years ago, and also lost a clinching Game 5 at home last year.

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The Yankees go down to Tampa Bay to play the last 4 games before the All-Star Break. Tomorrow's game won't be a traditional 4th of July doubleheader, or even a matinee, unless you consider a 5:10 PM start to be a "day game." Then again, this is Florida we're talking about: Down there, 5:10 PM is dinner time.

Broadcaster John Sterling, who turns 81 tomorrow, will not be making the trip. He says he feels "a little under the weather." Personally, I think it's just an excuse to not have to go to Florida and see any baseball played in that stupid dome. After all, he didn't want to miss the MLB London Series against the Sox, or this Citi Series against the Mets. The days off surrounding the London Series, and the All-Star Break, mean he will miss fewer games than he ordinarily would.

His streak ends at 5,060 games. The last time he missed a game was in 1989, his 1st season with the Yankees, having taken 2 games off after the death of his sister.

His former radio partner, the voice of the YES Network since its inception in 2002, is also taking time off to recuperate. Michael Kay announced he's going to have surgery to repair a damaged vocal chord, and will be out for a month.

Ryan Ruocco, who has already filled in for Kay on YES, will be filling in for Sterling on WFAN, alongside Suzyn Waldman. YES has enough guys lined up who can fill in for Kay.

This is Sterling's 31st season as a Yankee broadcaster. Only Phil Rizzuto, 40, has done it longer. Kay has done it for 28 years, with only those 2 and Mel Allen (30) having done it longer.

So, get well, John and Michael, and Happy 4th of July to everyone else.