Yanks Swept In Milwaukee

One worthwhile criticism of this year's Yankees is that they haven't done well against teams over .500.

Of course, one good reason why those teams they have beaten are under .500 is that they've played the Yankees.

The Yankees played the Milwaukee Brewers at American Family Field (formerly Miller Park) this weekend. The Brewers have won the last 3 National League Central Division titles, and made the Playoffs in 7 of the last 8 seasons. They are a Playoff contender again.

While there were hopeful signs for the Yankees, it was a bad series. On Friday night, highly-touted prospect Spencer Jones, an outfielder who bats and throws lefthanded, about to turn 25 and from the San Diego area, made his major league debut. Wearing Number 78, he started as the designated hitter, and went 0-for-2 with a walk.

Max Fried and the Brewers' Jacob Misiorowski both pitched 6 innings. Fried was roughed up for 5 runs. "The Miz," still only 24 years old, allowed 2 hits and 2 walks, and struck out 11. Shane Drohan finished the 3rd-hit shutout. The Yankees never even got a runner to 3rd base. Brewers 6, Yankees 0.

On Saturday, Cam Schlittler pitched 6 shutout innings, and Paul Goldschmidt went 3-for-5 with 2 RBIs, including his 375th career home run, allowing him to pass Rocky Colavito on the all-time list, and tie the still-active Manny Machado. But the rest of the Yankees combined only got 4 hits, and the game went to extra innings.

In the top of the 10th, with Max Schuemann as the "ghost runner," Ben Rice, returning from a brief injury, struck out. Aaron Judge was walked intentionally to set up the double play. Cody Bellinger flew out. Ryan McMahon singled Schuemann home, but Judge was thrown out at 3rd base. Unwritten Rule of Baseball, or, perhaps, Cliché Alert: Never make the 1st or 3rd out of the inning at 3rd base. 

In the bottom of the 10th, neither Fernando Cruz nor Tim Hill could hold the Brewers: Walk, flyout, single, fielder's choice, sacrifice fly. Brewers 4, Yankees 2.

Yesterday, Carlos Rodón came off the Injured List, and made his 1st start of the season. (We're still waiting on Gerrit Cole and Clarke Schmidt.) He could have used another minor-league rehab start as a warmup: He only went 4 1/3rd innings, allowing 3 runs on 2 hits and 5 walks, striking out 4.

In the 1st inning, Aaron Judge hit his 384th career home run, passing Larry Walker on the all-time list, and tying Harold Baines. In the 2nd, José Caballero, and was singled home for Jones' 1st major league hit, and his 1st major league RBI. It was 2-0 Yankees.

But Rodón got into trouble in the 4th, and the Brewers took a 3-2 lead. Rodón was shaky again in the 5th, and Aaron Boone brought Jake Bird in to bail him out. In the 6th, Judge and Bellinger drew walks, but Judge was caught stealing. Jazz Chisholm doubled Bellinger home, tying the score, but had Judge still been on base, he would have scored, too. This turned out to be a rare mistake by Judge, and a big one.

The Yankee bullpen held the Brewers off until the bottom of the 9th. David Bednar came in, and struck Joey Ortiz out, and struck Jackson Chourio out. But he gave up a home run to Brice Turang. Hell, Aroldis Chapman, Luke Weaver, Clay Holmes or Devin Williams could have done that. Anyway, Brewers 4, Yankees 3, and the Yankees were swept.

We are one-quarter of the way into the regular season. The Yankees are 26-15, a pace to go 103-59. But we're a game, 2 in (Cliché Alert) the All-Important Loss Column, behind the Tampa Bay Rays in the American League Eastern Division.

It could be worse: The Mets still have the highest payroll and the worst record in Major League Baseball.

Tonight, the Yankees begin a series away to the Baltimore Orioles.

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