Yankees Sink Pirates 2 Out of 3

The Yankees closed a homestand with an Interleague series against the Pittsburgh Pirates. The Bucs' ace, Paul Skenes, had pitched on Sunday, so the Yankees avoided facing him.

Ryan Weathers started on Monday night, but allowed 5 runs, and didn't get out of the 5th inning. The bullpen pitched shutout ball the rest of the way, though, including Angel Chivilli: The Dominican righthander, who turns 24 next week, was picked up in a trade with the Colorado Rockies this past January. Wearing Number 57, he got his 1st win as a Yankee by finishing the 5th inning and pitching a hitless 6th.

Jazz Chisholm had 2 home runs and 5 RBIs. Austin Wells and José Caballero each had 2 hits, and Caballero added 2 RBIs. The Yankees won, 8-5.

The Tuesday game was postponed due to rain. That set up an odd doubleheader for the Yankees, as Gerrit Cole was set to pitch the opener, while Max Fried came off the Injured List to pitch the nightcap. I was concerned that Fried might have been put back in the rotation too soon, as Cole seemed to be.

Over the 1st 6 innings, Cole looked great, taking a perfect game into the 5th inning, while striking out 8 batters. Then he allowed a single and a home run. With 2 out in the 7th, he had allowed 2 runs on 3 hits and no walks, striking out 11. Then he gave up another home run, and was losing, 3-0.

Ben Rice tied the game in the 7th, with his 30th home run of the season. But, after saving the Monday night game, Fernando Cruz fell apart in the 10th inning this time, and the Pirates won, 5-3.

But Fried was brilliant. He was allowed to go only 5 innings, throwing 57 pitches. He allowed a leadoff single in the 1st, and a leadoff walk in the 2nd, and that was it: 1 hit and 1 walk. He struck out 7. The bullpen allowed 2 hits and 2 walks the rest of the way.

Meanwhile, the Yankees scored 2 runs in the 7th inning, on a walk to Cody Bellinger, a double by Jasson Domínguez, and a single by Anthony Volpe. Yankees 2, Pirates 0. Paul Blackburn pitched the 7th and the 8th, and was awarded the win. So the Yankees took 2 out of 3, and were 1 run away from a sweep.

*

With 60 games left in the regular season, the Yankees are 2 1/2 games behind the Tampa Bay Rays in the American League Eastern Division. Their 15-game winning streak snapped -- but leaving us wondering what their new method of cheating is -- the Boston Red Sox are 7 back. The Baltimore Orioles trail by 10, and the Toronto Blue Jays by 13 1/2.

The Yankees begin a roadtrip tomorrow night, with 3 Interleague games with the Philadelphia Phillies, followed by a week in Chicago: 4 against the White Sox, and 3 Interleague games against the Cubs.

Yankees Struggle Against Dodgers

The Yankees began the official, though not numerical, 2nd half of the season by hosting the 2-time defending World Champions, the Los Angeles Dodgers. For a team riddled with injuries, it was not a good combination.

Gerrit Cole started on Friday night, and in 6 innings, he allowed 5 hits, no walks. He was brilliant. But the Yankee bats, depleted by injuries to Aaron Judge and Giancarlo Stanton, couldn't hit, either. Jazz Chisholm singled with 2 out in the 2nd. Trent Grisham drew a walk with 2 out in the 3rd. In the 4th, Jasson Domínguez doubled, reached 3rd on an error on the throw to 2nd, and scored on a passed ball with Chisholm up.

In the 6th, Ben Rice singled with 1 out, and Cody Bellinger singled with 2 out. But Domínguez, having giveth a run, now taketh away a chance, by striking out to end the inning. So, through 6 innings, the Yankees were lucky to have a 1-0 lead.

Cole had thrown 92 pitches. That's usually enough for manager Aaron Boone to take a starting pitcher out, possibly on orders from general manager Brian Cashman. This time, he made the opposite mistake: He left Cole in for the top of the 7th. Cliché Alert: Walks can kill you, especially the leadoff variety. Cole hadn't walked anybody yet, but he started the inning by walking Mookie Betts. And then Max Muncy hit a home run.

As the great New York sportscaster Warner Wolf would say, "Turn your sets off right there." Three Yankee relievers allowed just 2 baserunners, and it didn't matter. The Yankees went down 1-2-3 in the 7th. They looked like they might have something going in the 8th. Grisham walked with 1 out, and Rice doubled, but Grisham was thrown out at the plate. Paul Goldschmidt was intentionally walked, with Max Schuemann sent as a pinch-runner. Bellinger just got under a pitch, and it didn't quite go out, and Andy Pages caught it in center field. The Yankees went down 1-2-3 in the 9th.

Dodgers 2, Yankees 1. I'd like to say this one is all on Boone, but the Yankees only needed to score 1 more run to at least send this game to extra innings.

The Saturday afternoon game was rained out, forcing a day-night, split-admission doubleheader for yesterday. The opener was a battle of aces. Yoshinobu Yamamoto was up to the task. He allowed a home run to Grisham in the 4th, and a double to Chisholm and an RBI single to Anthony Volpe in the 8th.

Schlittler was not up to it. He gave up 2 runs in the 3rd, including an RBI double by Shohei Ohtani. He gave up 2 more runs in the 5th, and, at 4-1, the game already felt over. In the 8th, Jake Bird allowed a double, 3 singles and a walk, and ended up with 5 runs charged to him. He should not be in the major leagues. The Dodgers won, 8-2.

So the nightcap became a must, to prevent a total humiliation, not quite on the same level as the Dodgers taking 2 out of 3 Yankee Stadium games in the 2024 World Series, but perhaps capable of preventing the Yankees from being taken seriously for the rest of this season.

Boone decided to go for a bullpen game. I shuddered. But Ryan Yarbrough pitched 2 2/3rds innings, Paul Blackburn pitched 2 1/3rd, and Brent Headrick pitched 2, so no runs through 7. With 2 outs in the 1st inning, Goldschmidt doubled and Bellinger singled, giving the Yankees a 1-0 lead.

But Boone brought Fernando Cruz in to pitch the 8th, and he gave up a game-tying leadoff homer to Tommy Edman. After 2 walks, Boone got Cruz out of there, and brought in David Bednar, the closer. He got 5 outs, allowing just 1 walk. And Chisholm hit one out in the bottom of the 8th. Yankees 2, Dodgers 1, to salvage the finale, and restore some pride.

*

And yet, the Yankees actually benefited from their arch-rivals, the Boston Red Sox, being on a hot streak. They swept the Tampa Bay Rays 4 straight at Fenway Park. They have now won 13 straight games, and 18 out of their last 20. So the Rays now lead the American League Eastern Division by a game and a half over the Yankees, with the Sox having gotten back into the race, 6 games back.

That's a little good news. There was also bad news on the injury front: Aaron Judge probably won't be back before August 1, and Max Fried's 1st injury-rehab start, at Class AA Somerset, was a bit shaky. But Clarke Schmidt had his 1st batting-practice session, and it apparently went well.

Tonight, the Yankees begin another 3-game home Interleague series, this one with the Pittsburgh Pirates. Paul Skenes pitched yesterday, so the Yankees won't be facing him. As Bill Murray would say, So we've got that going for us, which is nice.

Yanks Get Bare Minimum vs. Rays

The Yankees are chasing the Tampa Bay Rays for the American League Eastern Division. They went down to that stupid, if newly re-roofed, dome in St. Petersburg for a key 4-game series.

The Monday night game offered encouragement. Cam Schlittler was allowed to throw 101 pitches, going 8 innings, allowing just 1 run, 4 hits, and no walks. I love seeing "no walks" from Yankee pitching. He struck out 8.

The game was scoreless through 4 innings. But, Cliché Alert: Walks can kill you. With 1 out in the top of the 5th, Rays starter Griffin Jax walked Jasson Domínguez and Jazz Chisholm, and José Caballero hit a home run. The Rays pulled a run back, but Caballero hit another home run in the 8th, and Ben Rice hit one in the 9th.

Here's the weird part: Rays pitchers only allowed 3 hits -- all of them home runs. They also walked 12 batters, and struck out 17. Nevertheless: Yankees 5, Rays 1.

Attendance: 18,129. I guess a year playing in a reasonably accessible part of Tampa for a year and playing the Yankees again hasn't helped the Rays bring fans in, any more than, you know, winning did.

The Yankees weren't so lucky on Tuesday night. Will Warren allowed 6 runs in 4 innings, and Rays pitchers again struck out 17 Yankees. Rice hit another home run, but the Rays won, 8-4.

Attendance: 18,115. Almost exactly the same. Are the Rays simply closing off the upper deck, and filling the lower bowl? Maybe the Rays are followers of the ancient Chinese philosopher Lao-Tzu, who supposedly said, "A bowl is most useful when it is empty."

The Yankees did not strike out 17 times on Wednesday night. Only 11. Gerrit Cole pitched 6 1/3rd innings, allowing 3 runs. Bur the Yankees stranded runners on 1st and 2nd with 1 out in the 2nd inning and again in the 7th, and wasted a leadoff single in the 6th and again in the 9th, and that was it. Rays 3, Yankees 0.

Attendance: 19,373. The hell, Rays fans? You're in 1st place! You've got the best record in the American League! And these games are against the team you hate the most, the team that's fighting with yours for the Division title and possibly for the Pennant! I know it's Florida and it's Summer, and you don't want to leave the house, but it's all of the preceding, and it's in a dome, so there's air-conditioning!

Move the Rays.

So the Yankees needed to win on Thursday afternoon, the dreaded day game after a night game, just to get a road split against the team they're chasing, the bare minimum of what was needed.

With all the holes in the rotation, and with it being a day game, meaning even less rest for pitchers, Aaron Boone did pretty much the last thing he should have done: Used a "bullpen game." Paul Blackburn pitched the 1st 2 innings, and allowed a run.

But the Yankees scored 6 runs in the top of the 3rd, including a home run by Rice. Jake Bird allowed 2 runs in the bottom of the 3rd, but Austin Wells homered in the top of the 4th. Rice homered again in the 6th, his 28th of the season. He isn't replacing Juan Soto, he's replacing Aaron Judge.

Ryan Yarbrough pitched a scoreless 4th inning, and was credited as the winning pitcher. Camilo Doval got 2 outs in the 5th, Brent Headrick finished that inning but allowed a run in the 6th. Angel Chivilli, a rookie righthander from the Dominican Republic, pitched the 7th and the 8th without allowing a baserunner, and Tim Hill pitched a scoreless 9th.

In other words, Boone tried a bullpen game, and it worked, and it still have worked if the Yankees had only scored half as many runs: Yankees 12, Rays 4. Attendance: 18,255.

You know, if you look at all 4 games, as they would say in soccer, the Yankees "won on aggregate," 22-16. It doesn't look so bad. But the 1st 3 games were discouraging, and the middle 2 games were especially bad.

*

The Yankees are 51-42, on a pace for 89-73. That might be enough to make the Playoffs, but it probably won't be enough to win the Division. They are 4 games behind the Rays, 5 in the loss column. They have to do better.

Injury updates were provided on 3 key players yesterday. Giancarlo Stanton has resumed running, which is a good sign. Carlos Rodón played catch yesterday, which is a good sign. And Brian Cashman said that Aaron Judge "will get follow-up imaging on his injured rib during the All-Star Break." There's not much encouragement there. Nothing new on the other injured starting pitchers, Max Fried and Clarke Schmidt.

Tonight, the Yankees start a series in Washington against the Nationals. They are 48-46, 7 games behind the Atlanta Braves in the National League East. Only the Mets are behind them in that Division, at 40-56, a pace for 67-95.

Can You Dig It? No, I Can't

Usually, the Minnesota Twins turn out to be a cure for what ails the Yankees. Over the 4th of July weekend, that turned out not to be the case.

The Yankees went into Friday night's game with a 7-game losing streak. Gerrit Cole pitched 5 innings, allowing 2 runs on 5 hits and -- beautiful words -- no walks, striking out 7. But he threw 88 pitches, and Aaron Boone took him out. This could have been a disaster. But the bullpen was up to the task: Brent Headrick, Paul Blackburn, Fernando Cruz and David Bednar each pitched an inning. Cruz allowed a hit and 2 walks, but the others are no baserunners between them. Trent Grisham and Ben Rice hit home runs, and the Yankees won, 5-2.

Robert Lamm, the original lead singer of the rock group Chicago, wrote perhaps the group's most familiar lyric about being in Central Park on Saturday, July 4, 1970: "Saturday, in the park, I think it was the 4th of July." The Yankees usually play that song on Saturday afternoons. And this past Saturday was the 4th of July, the nation's 250th Anniversary of independence. The 4th of July won't fall on a Saturday again until 2037.

Of course, the weather was an issue, both the extreme heat and the expected thunderstorm. Uglier still was Donald Trump using the occasion to celebrate himself instead of the country and its ideals. Maybe the lyric we should be remembering from that song is, "Listen, children: All is not lost! All is not lost! Oh, no, no!" Or, "If we want it, really want it, can you dig it? Yes, I can!"

Unfortunately, with Max Fried and Luis Gil on the Injured List, Clarke Schmidt on it all season long, and now Carlos Rodón going on it, the starting pitcher on Saturday was Brendan Beck. He's 27 1/2, born during the Yankees' 1998 Playoff run, and came into this season not yet having made his major league debut. That's a red flag right there. The righthander from the San Diego area, wearing Number 89, made that debut on May 7, pitching 3 innings in a "bullpen game," and not getting the job done.

This was his 1st major league start, and he was worse, allowing 5 runs in less than 4 innings. His career ERA is now 9.45, and his WHIP is 1.800. More seasoning isn't going to do this guy any good. Designate him for assignment. Don't even send him back down to the minors. Let some other team see if they can do anything with him. Let the Mets try.

Jasson Domínguez and Max Schuemann hit home runs, but the real 4th of July fireworks came from the Twins, who hit 6 dingers, including 2 by Josh Bell, and 1 by Kody Clemens, son of Roger. Twins 11, Yankees 4.

Did somebody say, "The Weathers was an issue?" Not quite, but Ryan Weathers certainly was yesterday, allowing 4 runs in 4 innings. Ordinarily, he's been doing well as a rotation-hole-filler, but not yesterday. Camilo Doval didn't help, allowing 2 more runs in the 6th inning. He's got a 4.67 ERA and a 1.356 WHIP this season -- as a reliever. He's 29. He's not going to get any better. Get rid of him.

For the Twins, Joe Ryan pitched like Nolan Ryan, except he only walked 1 batter. He pitched 7 shutout innings, allowing just 3 hits. Even the only Yankee run scored on a double-play grounder in the 9th, by Domínguez. Twins 6, Yankees 1.

The Twins usually don't do well against the Yankees. Either they didn't get the message, or they refused it. Either way, they did not do their part. Nor did the Yankees do theirs.

Can you dig it? No, I can't.

*

Let's review. The Yankees are 49-40, a .551 winning percentage, a pace to go 89-73. That might be enough to make the Playoffs, but it probably won't be enough to win the American League Eastern Division. The Tampa Bay Rays lead it, by 4 games over the Yankees, 5 in (Cliché Alert) the all-important loss column.

Yankee OPS+'s: Ben Rice, 154; Aaron Judge, 151, but he's injured; Max Scheuemann, 139, but that's in only 55 plate appearances; Paul Goldschmidt, 133, but he's in a nasty slump; Cody Bellinger, 116, also in a long-term slump; Trent Grisham, 113; Amed Rosario, 111; Giancarlo Stanton, 101, and he's injured; Jazz Chisholm, 96; Spencer Jones, 92, and he's injured; José Caballero, 90, although he has improved as of late; Anthony Volpe, 89; Jasson Domínguez, 79; Ryan McMahon, 77; Ali Sánchez, 61; Randal Grichuk, 48; J.C. Escarra, 43; Austin Wells, 37; and Oswaldo Cabrera, 3 games, 11 plate appearances, hasn't reached base, which gives him a "negative perfect" score of -100. Escarra and Cabrera are currently at Class AAA Scranton/Wilkes-Barre.

Yankee starters: Cam Schlittler, 8-5, 2.08 ERA, 0.962 WHIP; Max Fried, 4-3, 3.21, 1.005, but injured; Carlos Rodón, 4-2, 3.30, 1.252, but injured; Will Warren, 7-3, 3.73, 1.332; Gerrit Cole, supposed to be the ace, 3-3, 4.01, 1.195; Ryan Weathers, 3-7, 4.29, 1.245; Elmer Rodríguez, 4 starts, 0-2, 4.76, 1.765; Luis Gil, 4 starts, 1-2, 6.05, 1.345, and injured. Rodríguez is currently at SWB.

Yankee relievers (I won't post the won-lost records): David Bednar, 3.00, 1.194; Brent Headrick, 1.45, 1.131; Paul Blackburn, 2.28, 1.154; Fernando Cruz, 2.39, 1.274; Jake Bird, 4.08, 1.326; Tim Hill, 4.18, 1.082; Ryan Yarbrough, 4.29, 1.178; Camilo Doval, 4.67, 1.356. All other pitchers, including Brendan Beck, have less than 9 innings pitched. Bednar has 17 saves, while Yarbrough has 2, and Cruz and Doval each have 1.

Overall, this is not good enough. Some key players are not getting the job done. Others are injured. As with Arsenal, who did manage to win the Premier League this past season, the Yankees seem to have an injury crisis every year. They've changed athletic trainers, and they've changed strength-and-conditioning coaches. Have they changed training and conditioning procedures? If not, they need to do so.

About those injuries:

* Chisholm is "set to be reassessed" today.

* Stanton "is moving with a little more intensity, and hitting again against velocity." He could be back after the All-Star Break.

* Fried threw 36 pitches in "live batting practice" yesterday, and Aaron Boone said he "felt really good." So, figure he gets in 3 or 4 minor-league rehab starts, and he could be back before the end of July.

* Judge "has been performing lower-body exercises and weight room work." I don't expect him back until at least early August.

* Rodón "will not throw for at least a week." Sounds like he'll be out until August.

* Schmidt was last updated on June 30, when he was "continuing to log bullpen sessions," and was "expected to begin facing hitters in July." In this case, no news is not good news.

* Gil was last updated on June 20, when he was placed on the Injured List. Again, not good.

Tonight, the Yankees begin a 4-game series against the 1st-place Rays in St. Petersburg. Now would be a good time to turn things around. But can they, with their underperforming and banged-up lineup? Stay tuned.

Yankees Swept 4 Straight In Boston

 

I was all set for a nice weekend. And then the sports happened.

The Yankees went into Fenway Park in Boston for a 4-game series. As Obi-Wan Kenobi would have said, "You will never find a more wretched hive of scum and villainy." The Yankees went in with the best record in the American League, while the Red Sox were in last place in the AL Eastern Division. Cliché Alert: In this rivalry, you can throw out the records.

On Thursday night, the Red Sox wore their usual home uniforms. Or, as Muhammad Ali would have said, "Ain't they ugly?"

It was a battle of phenom starters: Cam Schlittler for the Good Guys, Connelly Early for The Scum. Schlittler threw 92 pitches, 62 of them strikes, and got 9 strikeouts against 2 walks. And he got an RBI single from Jasson Domínguez in the 1st inning and a home run from José Caballero in the 4th, and led 2-0 going into the bottom of the 5th.

Then the game, and possibly the entire series, turned around. Cliché Alert: Walks can kill you, especially the leadoff variety. Schlittler walked Masataka Yoshida, then gave up a single to Ceddanne Rafaela. He struck Wilyer Abreu out. Then Willson Contreras hit a ball to 3rd baseman Amed Rosario, who threw it away allowing a run. Jarren Duran hit a sacrifice fly, for a 2nd run. And Caleb Durbin hit a home run, making it 4-2 Boston.

The Yankees pulled a run back in the 7th, but the Sox scored 2 more in the 8th. The Yankees made 4 errors in the game, and lost, 6-3. All 6 Boston runs were unearned.

On Friday night, the Red Sox wore their green jerseys, the same shade of green as the fencing around Fenway, including the Green Monster. It wouldn't have been so bad, if they didn't have "Red" in their name.

Will Warren started for the Yankees, and had nothing, allowing 5 runs in 5 2/3rds innings. And here are all the baserunners the Yankees got in the game: A single by Spencer Jones, that broke up a perfect game by Payton Tolle with 1 out in the 6th; back-to-back walks by Domínguez and Caballero with 2 out in the 7th; a leadoff double by Anthony Volpe, off former Yankee Tommy Kahnle, that was followed by groundouts by Jones and Austin Wells, to bring Volpe home in the 8th; and a double by Domínguez with 2 out in the 9th. Red Sox 6, Yankees 1. Pathetic.

Saturday afternoon. The dreaded day game after a night game. The Red Sox wore yellow jerseys. Green, then yellow? I know the Sox played the Oakland Athletics in 3 AL Championship Series (winning in 1975, losing in 1988 and 1990), but I don't think they want to be the A's -- especially since the A's just moved again.

But the ugly uniforms worked for them. Gerrit Cole again looked like he'd been brought back from injury too soon, allowing 4 runs on 7 hits and a walk through 5 1/3rd innings. To give credit where it's due, Brent Headrick, Camilo Doval and Paul Blackburn went the remaining 3 2/3rds, allowing no runs, no hits, and just 1 walk.

Here's all the baserunners the Yankees got: A walk by Cody Bellinger to lead off the top of the 2nd; a home run by Max Schuemann, to break up a no-hitter by Jake Bennett, with 2 out in the top of the 5th; a walk by Paul Goldschmidt with 1 out in the 6th, subsequently eliminated by a double play; back-to-back singles by Rosario and Bellinger to lead off the 7th, followed by the Sox striking out the side; and a walk by Bellinger off former Yankee Aroldis Chapman with 2 out in the 9th. That's it: That's the list. Red Sox 4, Yankees 1.

The Yankees had more chances in the finale on Sunday night. Carlos Rodón started, and over 5 innings, allowed 2 runs, neither of them earned, on 1 hit and 4 walks, striking out 6. But he'd thrown 96 pitches, and, having his orders from Brian Cashman, Aaron Boone said, "Yes, sir, observing the limit, sir," and took him out. To be fair, Blackburn and David Bednar each pitched 2 scoreless innings, each allowing just 1 hit, neither allowing a walk.

But, as so often happens, a pitcher who pitched well before the Yankees, but not with them, pitched well against them. This time, it was Sonny Gray. Here's all the baserunners he allowed: A walk by Rosario, to break up a perfect game with 2 outs in the 5th; and a single by Rosario, to break up a no-hitter with 1 out in the 8th. That's when Gray was taken out: He'd thrown 97 pitches, 1 more than Rodón, and had lost the no-hitter.

So, in 3 straight games: The Yankees had no baserunners until the 6th, no hits until the 5th, and no baserunners until the 5th and no hits until the 8th. At Fenway Park. This is what happens when Aaron Judge, Giancarlo Stanton and Trent Grisham miss the series due to injury.

Finally, in the top of the 9th, with the Sox up, 2-0, Chapman did for the Red Sox what he did so often for the Yankees: He blew the save. Not that it was all his fault. Caballero singled to lead off, and stole 2nd. Chapman walked Volpe. Ben Rice flew out, and Caballero scored on a throwing error. Goldschmidt grounded into a fielder's choice, to score Volpe with the tying run. But Chapman struck Bellinger and Schuemann out to end the threat.

Top of the 10th. Ghost runner time, in this case Schumann. Rosario singled him home, and advanced to 2nd on another Sox throwing error. Oswaldo Cabrera bunted Rosario over to 3rd. Rosario scored on an Austin Wells groundout. Would 4-2 be enough to salvage the finale?

No. Boone brought Fernando Cruz in, and, Cliché Alert: He stunk up the joint. He allowed a single to Anthony Seigler, scoring ghost runner Durbin. Andruw Monasterio was sent in to pinch-run for Seigler. Yoshida hit a double to get him to 3rd. Tsung-Che Cheng hit a sacrifice fly to score the tying run. And then Duran singled Yoshida home with the tying run. Red Sox 5, Yankees 4.

Did Boone blow it by bringing Cruz in? Yes. Did he blow it by not relieving him in that inning? Probably.

But the Sox got the job done, and the Yankees didn't have the healthy hitters they needed.

*

Although the All-Star Game isn't for another 2 weeks, we are now at the halfway point of the regular season: 81 out of 162 games. The Yankees now trail the Tampa Bay Rays by 1 game in the AL East. The Toronto Blue Jays are 10 1/2 back, the Baltimore Orioles 11, and the Sox 12 1/2. Cliché Alert: In the all-important loss column, the Yankees trail by 2, the Jays by 10, and the O's and Sox each by 13.

The latest updates on major injuries:

* Trent Grisham: He is expected to get in some minor-league rehab games, and then to come back during the coming homestand, which starts tonight with 3 against the Detroit Tigers, then Thursday off, and then 3 against the Minnesota Twins. In other words, probably during the Twins half of the series, Friday through Sunday, July 3, 4 or 5.

* Ryan McMahon: Had a throat infection, and so was placed on the 10-Day Injured List. 10 days would be July 4.

* Clarke Schmidt: He "tossed a side session" on June 17. On June 19, Boone said he "is a couple of weeks away from facing live hitters." If Donald Trump had said, "in two weeks," we'd know it was full of shit. With Boone saying it, your guess is as good as his. Two weeks would be July 1. So, figure, after the All-Star Break, when the next game would be on July 19. But don't count on it.

* Aaron Judge: Boone says he "isn't expected to be ready for a re-evaluation later this week." In other words, don't expect him back before at least August 1.

* Luis Gil: Has resumed throwing, which is a good sign, but reports suggest he won't return before August 1.

* Max Fried: On June 20, Boone said  he "is expected to being facing hitters by late June or early July." Well, this is the end of June, and Fried has not begun facing any kind of hitters. This is not encouraging.

* Giancarlo Stanton: He reinjured his calf on June 11. Who knows.

Yanks Take 2 of 3 In Detroit, Head for Boston

"Who loves ya, baby?"

Since the 2006 American League Division Series, the Detroit Tigers have provided the Yankees with more difficulty than they had before it, including 3 postseason series wins. The Yankees went to Comerica Park for a 3-game series in the Motor City.

After a few years with the Houston Astros, including some postseason trouble for the Yankees, Framber Valdez signed as a free agent with the Tigers. Again, on Monday night, he gave the Yankees trouble, going 6 strong innings. In contrast, Gerrit Cole only pitched 4 1/3rd innings, allowing 5 runs on 9 hits. At least his control was good: Of 89 pitches, 62 were strikes, 1 walk, 5 strikeouts. Paul Blackburn and Ryan Yarbrough went the rest of the way, allowing just 2 baserunners, both walks by Yarbrough.

The Yankees stranded men on 1st & 2nd in the 1st inning. With 2 out in the 2nd, José Caballero walked and stole 2nd, and Ali Sánchez doubled him home. It was 1-0 Yankees. They stranded men on 1st & 2nd in the 3rd, and then fell 3-1 behind the Tigers, and then 4-1 behind in the 4th, and 5-1 in the 5th.

With 2 out in the 7th, Sánchez was hit by a pitch, and Amed Rosario hit a home run. But they could get no closer, again stranding men on 1st & 2nd in the 8th. Tigers 5, Yankees 3.

*

Carlos Rodón was a bit better on Tuesday night, allowing 3 runs over 5 1/3rd. The bullpen, with Fernando Cruz, Brent Headrick and David Bednar, was scoreless the rest of the way, allowing just 2 hits and a walk.

At one point, Jazz Chisholm went out to 2nd base with a green lollipop in his mouth. Aaron Boone got upset with that. What if he got hit with a line drive? Even if it wasn't in the mouth, having that lollipop would have been unsafe.

Well, in the top of the 6th, with the Tigers up, 2-1, Paul Goldschmidt singled, and Chisholm hit a home run. Getting back to the dugout, he held his bucket of lollipops up to the camera. As a great New Yorker, Telly Savalas, who was at the Chris Chambliss Game in 1976, would have said while sucking on a lollipop while starring on Kojak, "Who loves ya, baby?" After the game, Boone said he can have as many lollipops as he wants, just not on the field.

After the homer, Spencer Jones struck out, but Caballero singled, and Austin Wells doubled him home, making it 4-2 Yankees. The Tigers closed to within 4-3 in the bottom of the 6th, but that was as close as they got.

*

Last night, Goldschmidt led off the game with a home run. He hit another in the 3rd. Both were off Tarik Skubal, possibly the best pitcher in baseball right now, These homers were the 385th and 386th of his career, and, on the all-time list, he surpassed Dwight Evans and... Aaron Judge. He tied Aramis Ramírez. Next up for him: Johnny Bench, with 389.

Ryan Weathers started for the Yankees, and was strong: 6 innings, 2 runs, only 1 earned, 6 hits, 2 walks, 6 strikeouts. Camilo Doval, Cruz and Bednar went scoreless the rest of the way. Jasson Domínguez added a homer in the 6th, and the Yankees won, 4-2, to take the series.

Meanwhile, in a rain-forced doubleheader, the Mets got swept by the Chicago Cubs at Citi Field, 10-3 and 10-5. Twenty runs in one day? So much for "run prevention." And you thought Brazil beat Scotland badly.

*

The Yankees are 48-31, on a pace to go 98-64. They have the best record in the AL. They lead the Tampa Bay Rays by 3 games in the AL Eastern Division, though just 2 in the loss column, as the Rays have 2 games in hand.

Ryan McMahon has an infection, so he's been put on the Injured List. Oswaldo Cabrera has been called back up, having not played for the big club since May 12, 2025, though he was doing well at Class AAA Scranton/Wilkes-Barre this year. He hasn't been called up because Chisholm, Caballero and McMahon, and sometimes even Anthony Volpe, have been doing well at the positions he can play. There hasn't been a place for him. Now, there is.

And now... off to the Wretched Hive of Scum and Villainy, for 4 games. Fortunately, the Yankees did not follow the pattern of unloading a bunch of runs right before going to Boston, and then playing as if we'd used them all up, as has not always happened, but has happened often enough to stand out. Hopefully, this means we have a few runs to spare, to spread all over that little green pinball machine in the Back Bay.

I also hope, for our fans' sake, the Hub City has restocked the bars, now that the Tartan Army have gone down to Miami. Scotland fans took over Fenway Park last week, while their team was playing World Cup games in Foxborough, and made an appearance at Yankee Stadium II as well. They were certainly better behaved than most Red Sox fans. Better dressed, too.

Here's the pitching matchups:

* Tonight, first pitch scheduled for 7:10 PM, on YES: Cam Schlittler vs. Connelly Early.

* Friday, 7:10, on YES: Will Warren vs. Payton Tolle.

* Saturday, 1:00, on ABC: Gerrit Cole vs. Jake Bennett.

* Sunday, 7:20, on NBC: Carlos Rodón vs. former Yankee Sonny Gray.

I must say, I'm liking MLB's return to the classic networks, NBC (Saturday Game of the Week) and ABC (Monday Night Baseball). If only we had This Week In Baseball as a pregame show. I can hear the opening theme now. And the closing theme... 

Anyway, BEAT THE SCUM!

Yankees Sweep Guardians, On to Jays

"Why aren't you writing about the Knicks?" I will -- when it's over. As Yogi Berra taught us, It ain't over 'til it's over.

The Yankees went to Cleveland and played the Guardians, formerly the Indians, and the Naps, and the Bronchos, and the Blues, at Progressive Field, formerly Jacobs Field.

Will Warren started on Monday night. Having gotten off to a really good start to the season, this was the 2nd straight time he'd pitched as poorly as I feared he would while "filling a hole in the starting rotation." He didn't make it out of the 5th inning, allowing 3 runs, 2 of them earned. Before the 6th inning had ended, Brent Headrick and Paul Blackburn had each added another.

Paul Goldschmidt hit a home run in the 1st inning, the 380th of his career, surpassing Orlando Cepeda and Tony Pérez, and tying the still-active Manny Machado. A month ago, I thought he was done. He wasn't. He'd previously surpassed the still-active Bryce Harper, who has 378; and the still-active Freddie Freeman, with 377. At this rate, he may pass the injured Aaron Judge, with 385.

But the Guardians took a 5-4 lead into the top of the 8th. Trent Grisham led off with a single, and he went to 3rd on a single by Ben Rice. Goldschmidt grounded into a force play that allowed Grisham to score the tying run.

The game went to extra innings, with Ali Sánchez as the Yankees' "ghost runner." A 29-year-old Venezuelan, he's a typical backup catcher, having bounced around the majors for 7 seasons, starting with the 2020 Mets, peaking at 96 plate appearances with the 2024 Miami Marlins, and batting .175 for his career. But with Austin Wells on the injured list, ol' Number 39 was necessary.

Grisham began the inning by flying out. But, Cliché Alert: Walks can kill you. In order to set up the inning-ending double play, Guardians manager Stephen Vogt ordered Rice intentionally walked, bringing the light-hitting (but defensively strong and versatile) Max Schuemann to the plate. Big mistake: He drew an unintentional walk to load the bases, and Cody Bellinger singled Grisham and Rice home. David Bednar pitched the 9th and the 10th for the win: Yankees 7, Guardians 5.

But, sometimes, the great pitchers don't pitch well, either. And we have to remember that Gerrit Cole is still coming off a long layoff. On Tuesday night, he only went 4 innings, throwing 83 pitches. He allowed 2 runs on 5 hits and 2 walks, striking out 4. Regardless of the game's result, the starting pitcher is disqualified from being named the winning pitcher unless he goes 5 full innings (presuming the game goes the full 9).

But Spencer Jones hit his 1st major league home run. Jazz Chisholm hit one, too -- using a bat loaned to him by Judge. Both went over 440 feet. I guess they didn't need a "little league ballpark." Chisholm's homer gave the Yankees a 3-2 lead in the 8th, and that would be the final. Since Camilo Doval was the current Yankee pitcher when Chisholm homered, it was Doval who was named the winning pitcher. Despite his 5.47 ERA, he is 2-0.

Carlos Rodón was okay in the Wednesday afternoon "getaway day" game, going 6 innings, allowing 3 runs on 4 hits and 3 walks, striking out 7. The Yankees took the lead in the top of the 6th, on José Caballero's sacrifice fly. Every Yankee starting hitter got at least 1 hit. Yankees 8, Guardians 4, for the sweep.

The Yankees are 41-26, on a pace to go 99-63. They are tied for 1st place in the American League Eastern Division with the Tampa Bay Rays, who have 2 games in hand, and are thus 1 game ahead in, Cliché Alert, the All-Important Loss Column.

Tonight, the Yankees continue their roadtrip, playing those pesky Toronto Blue Jays.

Yankees Struggle vs. Guardians, Face Red Sox

The Yankees played a midweek series at home, against the Cleveland Guardians. With both Aaron Judge and Giancarlo Stanton sidelined due to injury, runs were expected to be harder to come by.

They were. Though I didn't expect our worst output to provide our best result.

On Tuesday night, Cam Schlittler had the worst start of his career. Not a terrible one, just a weak one: 4 1/3rd innings, 5 runs (4 earned) on 5 hits, although no walks, 3 strikeouts. He might have gotten away with it, had not the bullpen been bad, as Tim Hill allowed a run, and Camilo Doval allowed 3.

But the Yankees just couldn't get going and sustain it. Paul Goldschmidt went 3-for-4 with 4 RBIs, including his 379th career home run, surpassing Matt Williams on the all-time list, and tying him with Orlando Cepeda and Tony Pérez. But the rest of the Yankees only got 5 hits and no RBIs, and they lost, 9-4.

Gerrit Cole made his 3rd post-injury start on Wednesday night, but while his control was all right, he was hit hard: 5 1/3rd innings, 4 runs on 6 hits, although only 1 walk, and 2 strikeouts. Jazz Chisholm Jr. and José Caballero hit home runs, but, other than that, the Yankees had just 3 hits and a walk, and lost, 5-4.

Thursday afternoon, the dreaded day game after a night game. It turned out to be a dandy of a pitcher's duel between Carlos Rodón and Cleveland's Slade Cecconi. (Cliché Alert: Those names don't go together.) Through 6 innings, each had allowed just 1 run, and was looking like he wouldn't allow any more.

In the top of the 7th, Aaron Boone brought in Brent Headrick, and I cringed. But he got through the innings with no hits, and just a walk. Which brings up another Cliché Alert: Walks can kill you. Guardians manager Stephen Vogt brought Codi Heuer in, and, with 1 out, he walked Chisholm. He got Cabellero out, but Chisholm stole 2nd, and Heuer threw a wild pitch that got him to 3rd. Ryan McMahon, not known for his bat, singled Chisholm home. That proved to be the last run: Yankees 2, Guardians 1.

Things were looking up. The Yankees ended the day just half a game behind the Tampa Bay Rays in the American League Eastern Division, although 2 back in the loss column. And they had done this despite all their injuries.

But, at night, came the bombshell: Judge, who had missed the entire series, had a broken rib, and would be out at least 4 to 6 weeks -- through the All-Star Break, and a little bit beyond.

If you have any "George Carlin words" to offer, now would be a good time.

And tonight, we start a series with The Scum themselves, the Boston Red Sox. Without Judge, without Stanton, without Max Fried, without Clarke Schmidt, all due to injury -- and without Cole, since his turn in the rotation will be skipped.

Here's the projected pitching matchups:

* Tonight, first pitch scheduled for 7:05, on YES: Ryan Weathers vs. Sonny Gray, who seems to be able to pitch well for any team except when he was with the Yankees.

* Tomorrow, 7:35, on Fox: Will Warren vs. Ranger Suarez.

* Sunday, 1:35, on YES: Schlittler vs. Connelly Early.

I'm not lookin' forward to this.

Yankees Sweep Royals

Let's see, which analogy should I use for the series the Yankees just swept?

* The Yankees barbecued Kansas City.

* The Yankees crowned the Royals.

* The last time Royals got embarrassed this much, King Charles III stripped his brother Andrew of all his titles and privileges.

Anyway...

The Yankees played the Royals in Kansas City, at Kauffman Stadium, formerly known as Royals Stadium, site of 4 American League Championship Series between the teams when I was a kid, with the Yankees winning in 1976, '77 and '78, and the Royals winning in 1980. Since then, despite a close call in 1985, the teams have only met in the postseason once, with the Yankees winning in the 2024 AL Division Series.

On Monday night, Will Warren started, and allowed just 2 runs over 6 innings. But he didn't get the win, because it was tied 2-2 when he left. Cody Bellinger hit a home run. And in the bottom of the 8th, Bobby Witt Jr., the other guy contending with Aaron Judge and Shohei Ohtani for the title of "best player in baseball," hit a home run off Jake Bird, to make it 3-2 Royals.

I have yet to have a reasonable explanation for why Bird is pitching in the major leagues.

And when Bellinger grounded out to lead off the top of the 9th, it looked like this game was lost. But Paul Goldschmidt singled. Max Schuemann was sent in to pinch-run for him. Jazz Chisholm doubled, but even Schuemann wasn't fast enough to score on the play, and held at 3rd base. But the much-maligned Anthony Volpe singled both runs home. He was thrown out trying to stretch it into a double, but both runs had scored and were counted.

Tim Hill had been the last Yankee pitcher, so when David Bednar got the save, Hill was named the winning pitcher, even though he only faced 2 batters. Yankees 4, Royals 3.

*

Cam Schlittler took the mound on Tuesday night, and was brilliant. He went 6 innings, allowing only 1 run on 4 hits, no walks (I love saying that about a Yankee pitcher), and 6 strikeouts.

Unlike Warren, he got support, so there was absolutely no reason to leave him in longer than that. The Yankees scored 4 runs in the 1st inning, 1 in the 2nd, 4 in the 3rd, none in the 4th, and 1 in the 5th. That linescore, 41401? It's not in use as a ZIP Code, but if it were, it would be in Morgan County in very Appalachian eastern Kentucky -- the kind of place that says it hates its Republican Senators, but always seems to re-elect them.

The Royals' starting pitcher was Bailey Falter, and he did indeed falter, allowing 7 runs over 2 1/3rd innings. For the 1st time in their 124-season history, all 9 Yankee starting batters got at least 2 hits. The Yankees got 2 homers from Amed Rosario, and 1 each from Bellinger, Volpe, Chisholm and Trent Grisham. Rosario went 4-for-6 with 4 RBIs, Grisham went 3-for-7 with 2 RBIs, and Bellinger went 2-for-5 with 3 RBIs.

Ryan Yarbrough pitched shutout ball for the last 3 innings, getting in some good work, albeit with no pressure whatsoever. Yankees 15, Royals 1.

*

On Wednesday night, Gerrit Cole made his injury-delayed 2nd start of the season. He went 6 2/3rds innings, throwing 79 pitches, 59 of them for strikes. He allowed 4 hits and no walks, and struck out 10. Clearly, he's ready.

Goldschmidt led off the top of the 4th with a single, followed by a triple by Ben Rice and a sacrifice fly by Judge. The Yankees broke it open in the 7th, with 3 singles and a walk, 1 of them with the bases loaded, extending their lead to 5-0. A Grisham walk and a Ryan McMahon home run in the 8th extended the lead. Fernando Cruz and Camilo Doval completed the 4-hit shutout. Yankees 7, Royals 0.

Three games, three wins, aggregate score of 26-4.

*

We are now more than one-third of the way through the regular season. The Yankees are 34-22, on a pace to go 98-64. However, we're a game and a half behind the Toronto Blue Jays in the AL Eastern division, 3 games back in the all-important loss column. At this point, no other team in the Division is close.

If the Yankees can just do well until Giancarlo Stanton comes back from injury, the attack will be fine. 

Title 28 will look more possible. At last check, he was cleared to start running, Jasson Domínguez may start taking live batting practice next week, Clarke Schmidt is throwing bullpen sessions, and Max Fried is "playing catch."

They continue their roadtrip tonight, in West Sacramento against the Athletics. A recent report shows that their Las Vegas ballpark is coming along well, and should open on time in April 2028.

Yankees Gain Soggy Split vs. Rays

The Tampa Bay Rays, in 1st place in the American League Eastern Division, came into Yankee Stadium II for a Memorial Day Weekend series. Depending on how it went, the Yankees could have recovered nicely, and resumed a legitimate challenge for Title 28; or fallen out of the race for the Division title, and be left to seek a Wild Card berth.

In the end, little was settled.

Gerrit Cole made his long-awaited 2026 major league debut on Friday night. He went 6 innings, was allowed to throw 72 pitches, and 50 of them were strikes. He allowed 2 hits and 3 walks, and no runs. We couldn't have asked for a better return for the man who might be the best pitcher in baseball, and I don't what to hear about no Paul Skenes or no Tarik Skubal, and certainly about no Shohei Ohtani.

And, between them, relievers Brent Headrick, Fernando Cruz, Camilo Doval and David Bendar pitched 3 innings, and allowed no runs on 3 hits and no walks. Trent Grisham got 3 hits; while Cody Bellinger, Jazz Chisholm and José Caballero each had 2.

That's the good news. The bad news is, Caballero began the top of the 8th with an error, and Tim Hill then gave up single, RBI double, intentional walk, and 2-RBI single. Doval gave up a sacrifice fly that let in another run, but it was charged to Hill.

The Yankees got a home run from Austin Wells, leading off the 5th, and a double by Bellinger and a triple by Chisholm in the 8th. Otherwise, they had runners on 1st & 2nd with nobody out in the 1st, a leadoff single in the 2nd, a double and a single before the 2nd out in the 3rd, a single in the 4th, 2 singles in the 5th, a single with 1 out in the 6th, a runner on 3rd in the 8th (Chisholm), and a runner on 1st with 1 out in the 9th. Of all those runners mentioned after the word "otherwise," none scored.

Rays 4, Yankees 2. Cole was great, but came away with a no-decision.

On Saturday, it rained all day. Rather than collect a full night's worth of revenue from parking, food and souvenirs, the Yankees called it off quickly. The game will be made up later in the season. Yesterday would not feature a doubleheader.

Yesterday's game was a good one for purists. Ryan Weathers allowed 4 hits and 3 walks to the Rays, Drew Rasmussen allowed 5 hits and 1 walk to the Yankees, and both starting pitchers threw 7 shutout innings. For the Yankees, Fernando Cruz got into and out of trouble in the 8th, and Hill did so in the 9th, an an apparent attempt to redeem himself for his Friday night debacle.

Still, it was 0-0 going to the bottom of the 9th. The Yankees wasted a 1-out single by Aaron Judge in the 1st, and single and a steal by Chisholm in the 2nd, a 2-out single by Grisham in the 3rd, a single by Bellinger and a walk by Paul Goldschmidt in the 4th, a leadoff single by Grisham in the 6th, and a 1-out single by Ryan McMahon in the 8th.

Then came the bottom of the 9th. Cliché Alert: Walks can kill you, especially the leadoff variety. Although the Yankees had been killing nothing but their chances for most of the 1st 17 innings of this series -- 26, if you count the Saturday game not played at all. But Grisham led off the bottom of the 9th with a walk. Max Schuemann was sent in to pinch-run for him. It didn't matter, because he wouldn't have to run. Aaron Judge hit an opposite-field walkoff home run. Yankees 2, Rays 0.

For Judge, it broke a career-long 11-game streak without an RBI. It was his 17th home run of the season -- before Memorial Day. It was the 385th of his career, surpassing Harold Baines on the all-time list, and tying Dwight Evans. Next up: Aramis Ramírez at 386.

The Yankees go into Memorial Day at 31-22, a .585 winning percentage, a pace to go 95-67. That's usually good enough to finish 1st in the AL East. But they're still 4 1/2 games behind the Rays, 6 games in, Cliché Alert, the All-Important Loss Column.

I suppose it could be worse: On this Memorial Day, the Mets are in last place in the National League Eastern Division, 13 1/2 games out of 1st, 7 games out of the last NL Wild Card berth. Cliché Alert: Well, tonight, thank God it's them, instead of you.

While Memorial Day doubleheaders have gone the way of tailfins and the Brooklyn Dodgers, there are still Memorial Day matinées. This afternoon, at 3:40 Eastern Time (2:40 Central, and thus local), the Yankees begin a series away to the Kansas City Royals. The Royals are 22-31, the same record as the Mets. The Yankees need to win these games.

Yankees Get a Weak Split With the Pesky Blue Jays

As with getting the last point or goal in a tie game, it's always better to get, rather than give up, the last win in a split multi-game series.

So the Yankees' home split with those pesky Toronto Blue Jays feels more like a loss than a win.

Ryan Weathers started on Monday night, and allowed 5 runs in 6 innings. In the bottom of the 1st, Paul Goldschmidt hit his 377th career home run, tying him on the all-time list with Norm Cash and Jeff Kent. Next up is Matt Williams with 378. Didn't we just do this with Aaron Judge? Yes, because Judge passed Goldschmidt, among others.

The Yankees tied the game at 3-3 in the 4th inning. But former Houston Astro cheat George Springer hit yet another home run against the Yankees in the 5th, to make it 4-3, and the Jays made it 5-3 in the 6th. But the Yankees scored 4 in the 7th, on home runs by Cody Bellinger and Jazz Chisholm.

David Bednar got into trouble in the 9th, but held the Jays off just enough to make a winning pitcher out of reliever Paul Blackburn. Yankees 7, Blue Jays 6.

Will Warren started on Tuesday night, and lasted just 5 innings, allowing 3 runs. Ryan McMahon hit a home run in the 4th, Ben Rice did it in the 5th, and Camilo Doval made things dicey in the 9th, but hung on. Yankees 5, Blue Jays 4.

But the worrying signs were already there. Wednesday night was indicative of the Yankees' struggles so far. Cam Schlittler allowed no runs, on just 3 hits and no walks, over the 1st 4 innings. He allowed 2 singles in the 5th, and a double in the 6th, but kept the Jays off the scoreboard. But the Yankees weren't hitting, either.

In the 7th, Schlittler ran out of gas, and allowed 2 singles and a walk to force a run in, leaving the bases loaded with nobody out. Jake Bird got out of it with only 1 more run, which proved decisive. Yovanny Cruz made his major league debut: The 26-year-old righthander from the Dominican Republic, apparently no relation to fellow Yankee reliever Fernando Cruz, wore Number 96, and pitched 2 perfect innings of relief, striking out 3.

The Yankees only got 6 hits, 3 of them by Chisholm. Trey Yesavage, the Jays' own "Schlittler," who bedeviled the Yankees in last year's Playoffs, did so again. They threatened in the 9th: With 1 out, Cody Bellinger doubled, Chisholm singled, and Goldschmidt got a run home on a groundout. But Amed Rosario struck out to end it. Blue Jays 2, Yankees 1.

Last night's game was worse. Carlos Rodón pitched as if he is back, giving the Yankees' their best starting pitching performance in the series, allowing 1 run on 3 hits and 3 walks, with 7 strikeouts, over 5 innings.

But he threw 95 pitches, and that meant the 6th inning featured Yovanny Cruz again. This time, he wasn't so good: He got the 1st out, then gave up a double and hit a batter. Springer hit another homer in the 7th, this one off Doval. The Yankees only got 3 hits, including a double by McMahon, and 3 walks, 2 of them by Bellinger.

Blue Jays 2, Yankees 0. On the YES Network, David Cone said, very accurately, "This is one you just wanna flush."

Four games, 36 innings, 13 runs, with the total going down with each game. And Met fans are stupid enough to think it's easy to hit in the new Yankee Stadium.

The Yankees are now 30-21, 4 1/2 games, 6 in the All-Important Loss Column, behind the Tampa Bay Rays, who come in for a 3-game series. Tonight, Gerrit Cole comes off the Injured List, and makes his 1st start of the season, nearly a third of the way in. The Yankees need him. Even more, they need to hit.