Yankees Fall Victim to Domestic Stupidity

The Yankees began yesterday with the awful news that, for the 3rd time, they had a pitcher who has been suspended for violating Major League Baseball's domestic violence policy.

True, Aroldis Chapman had been suspended for it before joining the team, and they have since let him go (twice), but they still acquired him (twice). Then, Domingo Germán was suspended right before the 2019 Playoffs, and he also missed the entire 2020 season, including the Playoffs.

Now, it's Jimmy Cordero. He's been suspended for 76 games, the rest of this year's regular season. He's not contesting it, meaning he accepts that he did something wrong. At least he's taking responsibility for his actions.

Brian Cashman acquired all 3 of these men. No, it's not as bad as what they've been alleged to have done. But put everything he's done together, and the question must be asked: When is he, or team owner Hal Steinbrenner, who hired him, going to take responsibility for his actions?

So it's not surprising that the Yankees lost last night, in the 3rd game of their 4-game home series with the Baltimore Orioles. Or maybe the suspension had no effect on their mindset, and it was "just one of those games."

After all, things went pretty well at first. Rookie Randy Vásquez, filling one of the injury-forced holes in the rotation, pitched 5 shutout innings, allowing 2 hits and 3 walks. The game was scoreless until the bottom of the 5th, which Josh Donaldson led off with a home run. After a DJ LeMahieu lineout, Isiah Kiner-Falefa singled. Anthony Volpe grounded into what should have been a double play. IKF was out at 2nd, but an error put Volpe on 2nd. And Kyle Higashioka singled him home. It was 2-0 Yankees.

But Aaron Boone followed ordered, and pulled Vásquez, who had only thrown 75 pitches, and put in Nick Ramirez. He had nothing. Nor did Michael King, who managed to close out the top of the 6th, but not before allowing the O's 4 runs, on a double, 2 singles (this is where King came in), a triple and a fielder's choice.

Volpe gave the Yankees some home, leading off the bottom of the 8th with a home run. But in the 9th, an Adley Rutschman double and a Ryan O'Hearn home run off Ian Hamilton put the game out of reach. Orioles 6, Yankees 3. WP: Dean Kremer (9-4). SV: Félix Bautista (23). LP: Ramirez (0-1).

And how did Cashman thank Vásquez for his nice performance last night? He was sent down to the minor leagues, so that Carlos Rodón could return from the Injured List, and make his long-awaited Yankee debut tomorrow night. Don't get me wrong: I'm all for Rodón being available. But sending Vásquez down hardly seems fair.

Maybe Boone and Cashman should be suspended, for violating a domestic stupidity policy. Alas, no such policy exists.

The series concludes tonight. Luis Severino starts against Kyle Bradish.

Yanks Don't Hit In Series Finale With Cards

The day my twin nieces Ashley and Rachel were born, the Yankees won, beating... the Minnesota Twins.

That would not be the case on their 16th birthday, and not just because they were, instead, wrapping up a series away to the St. Louis Cardinals.

Ace Gerrit Cole started, and, for the most part, he did his job: He went 6 innings, allowing 2 runs on 6 hits and 2 walks, striking out 5. He has fallen victim to the gopher ball a few times, but did not allow a home run this time.

But Jordan Montgomery became the latest in a long line of former Yankee pitchers to pitch well against the Bronx Bombers. The Yankees didn't score off him until the top of the 7th inning, when Jake Bauers doubled home Isiah Kiner-Falefa. And that would be the only run the Yankees would score.

The poor pitching of Jimmy Cordero put the game out of reach, as he allowed 2 runs in the 7th and 1 in the 8th. The Yankees stranded Bauers on 2nd in the 7th, and wasted a leadoff walk by Oswaldo Caberera in the 8th (no Cliché Alert here). With 2 out in he 9th, Anthony Volpe singled and Bauers walked, making a comeback look possible. But Kyle Higashioka grounded out to end the game.

Cardinals 5, Yankees 1. WP: Montgomery (6-7). No save. LP: Cole (8-2). The Yankees are 9 1/2 games behind the Tampa Bay Rays in the American League Eastern Division, 8 games in the loss column. If the current standings hold to the end of the season, the Yankees will have the 5th seed in the AL Playoffs.

The Yankees come home, to play a 4-game home series with the Baltimore Orioles. The Tuesday game is the 4th of July, and thus a matinee, while the others are night games.

Clarke Schmidt Was Not the Problem: Not Hitting Was

Just a couple of weeks ago, I could not have imagined that letting Clarke Schmidt continue to pitch would have been a good thing for the Yankees. Well, last night, against the Baltimore Orioles, it would have been. It didn't matter, though: They didn't hit.

Aaron Boone let Schmidt pitch 5 innings, in which he allowed 1 run on 5 hits and 2 walks. But that added up to 97 pitches, and Boone didn't dare defy Brian Cashman and let Schmidt pitch more. All bow down before the Holy Pitch Count.

So Nick Ramirez was brought in to start the 6th, and he pitched to the minimum 3 batters: Single, flyout, error. Boone brought in Jimmy Cordero, who got a double play. He only pitched to 2 batters in the 7th, with a runner reaching on another error. Wandy Peralta was brought in, and in the 8th, he gave up 2 walks and a double.

That put the game out of reach, because, as I said, the Yankees didn't hit. They wasted a leadoff single with a double play in the 1st inning, a walk with 1 out in the 3rd, 2 walks in the 4th, a walk with 1 out in the 5th, and another a leadoff single with a double play in the 7th.

Walks, especially the leadoff variety? Just as they can "kill you," they can "give you new life." Aaron Judge drew a leadoff walk in the bottom of the 9th. Anthony Rizzo grounded out, but that moved Judge to 2nd. Harrison Bader struck out. Willie Calhoun doubled Judge home. There was hope: Rookie sensation Anthony Volpe was the batter. He certainly tried: He hit a drive to deep center field. But a great catch by Oriole center fielder Ryan McKenna ended the game.

It should be noted that Edwin Moscos, the home plate umpire, was squeezing Yankee pitchers all night. He wouldn't give us pitches that were clearly on the edge of the strike zone. Boone didn't like that, and yelled at him from the dugout. He threw Boone out of the game, Boone's 4th ejection of the season, and his 2nd in the last 4 games. During the argument, Boone spit on Moscos -- or so Moscos claimed. It was clearly an accident: It's not the sort of thing that Boone does.

Sometimes, a manager will get himself thrown out to throw a charge into his team. If that was Boone's idea, it didn't work: Orioles 3, Yankees 1. WP: Kyle Gibson (6-3). SV: Yennier Cano (4). LP: Schmidt (2-5). The Yankees are now 30-22, 7 games behind the Tampa Bay Rays in the American League Eastern Division, and in the 5th AL Playoff slot.

The San Diego Padres now come into Yankee Stadium for 3 games. One of the preseason favorites due to their high spending, it hasn't worked out too well for them so far. They are 23-27, 7 1/2 games behind the Los Angeles Dodgers in the National League Western Division, and 2 games out of the last NL Playoff slot. They need this series more than we do, so they may be playing hungry. Joe Musgrove, hero of their Playoff win over the Mets last season, starts for them tonight. For us, Randy Vásquez, a 24-year-old Dominican, will start, making his major league debut.

One of Those Games, All In One Inning

Last night, at home to the Baltimore Orioles, the Yankees had one of those games. And it all happened in 1 inning.

Nestor Cortés started, and over the 1st 6 inning, he was fine, allowing 1 run on 3 hits and a walk.

And the Yankees staked him to a lead. Gleyber Torres hit a 2-run home run in the 3rd inning. In the 6th, Isiah Kiner-Falefa hit a 2-run homer, and Torres added a solo homer. It was 5-1 Yankees.

Then came the 7th, and the roof caved in. Cliché Alert: Walks can kill you, especially the leadoff variety. Cortés allowed walk, single, home run. That brought the Birds to within 5-4.

Aaron Boone brought in Jimmy Cordero, who has been very inconsistent. He allowed single, single, double, to make it 6-5 Baltimore. After a strikeout, there was a walk, an error by Aaron Judge, an error by Harrison Bader -- back-to-back errors by different outfielders, mind you, a rare occurrence -- and a single. That made it 9-5.

If Judge and Bader are making errors, it's not going to be the Yankees' night. 

Rizzo singled a run home in the bottom of the 7th, but that would be it. Orioles 9, Yankees 6. WP: Mike Baumann (4-0). SV: Felix Bautista (12). LP: Cordero (3-2).

The series concludes tonight. Clarke Schmidt starts against Kyle Gibson.

Yankees Ride Severino Return to Sweep In Cincinnati

The Yankees went for the sweep against the Cincinnati Reds at Great American Ball Park yesterday. But priorities are in order: More important than the result was seeing if Luis Severino, coming off the Injured List to make his 1st start of the season, was going to be 1st) okay and 2nd) effective. If both of those turned out to be true, then that would have been good signs for the long term, and a loss would have been acceptable.

He was on a strict 75-pitch limit, which he reached in the 5th inning, 1 out short of qualifying as the winning pitcher. He allowed a run in the 1st inning, but settled down, and allowed no more, allowing 4 hits and a walk.

It was, by necessity, a short performance, but a very encouraging one. If he's truly back, then we're down to just one hole in the starting rotation, Carlos Rodón's. Well, two holes: Neither of the starts of Domingo Germán's suspension have happened yet. But, long-term, only one.

Albert Abreu finished the 5th and pitched the 6th, Jimmy Cordero the 7th, Wandy Peralta the 8th, and Clay Holmes the 9th. Bullpen totals: 4 1/3 innings, no runs, 2 hits, 1 walk. Also encouraging.

It was still 1-0 Reds going into the top of the 5th, when Harrison Bader hit a home run with Willie Calhoun aboard, to give the Yankees the lead. Gleyber Torres added a hone run in the 6th. Anthony Volpe added a run with an RBI double in the 7th.

Yankees 4, Reds 1. WP: Abreu (2-1). SV: Holmes (5). LP: Hunter Greene (0-4).

So the Yankees finish the roadtrip 6-1. Just 1 more run in the 1st 9 innings in Toronto on Wednesday, and it would have been a 7-game sweep. They closed to within 5 1/2 games of the Tampa Bay Rays in the American League Eastern Division -- 6 in the all-important loss column.

Also, Aaron Hicks, once one of Brian Cashman's precious "prospects," but long since flamed out, was designated for assignment. He has, almost certainly, played his last game for this team.

The Yankees come home, and have today as a well-deserved day off. Then, the Baltimore Orioles come in to start a series on Tuesday night.

"Opener Game" Works, Barely, Yanks Beat Jays

When your favorite baseball team goes on the road, and starts a new series against a known good team, and jumps out to a 7-0 lead, that feels good. You certainly don't think they're going to blow it.

Last night, the Yankees almost did. Say this for them: They do love their drama.

Aaron Boone decided to go with an "opener game," starting reliever Jimmy Cordero, and then moving to Jhony Brito, who has usually filled this hole of the rotation caused by injuries to Yankee starters. Cordero pitched the 1st 2 innings, and didn't allow a hit. Clearly, Boone didn't think Cordero was going to pitch a no-hitter, so he brought Brito in, on schedule. From the 3rd through the 7th inning, Brito was just fine, also allowing no runs and no walks, although 3 hits.

Pitching like that deserves run support. It was provided early, with Aaron Judge and Willie Calhoun hitting 1st-inning home runs to give the Yankees a 3-0 lead. The Yankees tacked on 2 more runs in the 4th inning, another in the 6th, and Judge homered again in the 7th. The Blue Jays made a big deal about "renovations" to the Rogers Centre in the off-season. If, like the Baltimore Orioles pushing the left-field fence back at Camden Yards, it was designed to make it harder for the Yankees to hit home runs there, it didn't work last night.

Boone let Brito keep pitching into the 8th. Ordinarily, I would encourage this. And if you want to find out whether he can pitch longer than he has so far, this was the time to do it.

But there's a reason I tend to call the Toronto ballclub "those pesky Blue Jays." No matter how good or bad they are, and no matter how good or bad the Yankees are, the Jays always seem to give the Yankees trouble.

Brito ran out of gas, allowing a run on 3 hits, and loading the bases with only 1 out, before Boone removed him in favor of Ian Hamilton. He allowed 2 hits and 3 more runs, making Yankee Fans wonder if maybe, just maybe, we were going to blow a 7-0 lead with only 6 outs to go, but he got out of the inning.

Michael King was brought in to finish the game, and he did, without further damage. Yankees 7, Blue Jays 4. WP: Brito (3-3). SV: King (3). LP: Alek Manoah (1-4).

The series continues tonight. Domingo Germán starts against Kevin Gausman.

Yankees Finding Their Guts, Win Back-to-Back Classics vs. Rays

From the perspective of a neutral fan, the 6 games played thus far this season between the Yankees and the Tampa Bay Rays have been very entertaining.

From the perspective of Yankee Fan, however, the last two have been very, very satisfying.

Nestor Cortés started at Yankee Stadium this afternoon, against Shane McClanahan, who started the season 7-0. He would not end the game 8-0.

The game was only 1-0 Rays after 4 innings, but Cortés lost it in the top of the 5th. Or maybe he didn't lose it so much as the Rays just plain took it, taking 5 runs onto the board. But the Yankees came right back, scoring 4 in the bottom of the 5th, including home runs from Kyle Higashioka and Aaron Judge, knocking McClanahan out.

The Yankees got another run in the 6th. Later in the inning, a Gleyber Torres hit was followed by another Judge home run, making it 7-6 Yankees and sending the Stadium into paroxysms of joy. It was Judge's 1st big moment of the season, after spending a big chunk of it in a slump followed by another, smaller chunk hurt.

The Yankees loaded the bases again, and Oswaldo Cabrera singled 2 more runs home. A Yankee Fan could have been forgiven for thinking that those 2 runs would come in handy, due to experience. And they did: The Rays got 2 more runs in the 7th.

But Clay Holmes and Wandy Peralta, so often unreliable this season, shut them down the rest of the way. It was the 2nd straight big 9th-inning performance by Peralta, and the 2nd straight classic Yankee win over the Rays. Yankees 9, Rays 8. WP: Jimmy Cordero (3-1). SV: Peralta (2). LP: Ryan Thompson (1-1, not to be confused with the Mets outfielder of the same name of the 1990s).

The Yankees closed to within 7 games of the Rays. They are finally fighting back, and showing some of the guts they showed in the 1st half of last season. Of the Rays' 11 losses this season, 3 of them have been dealt by the Yankees.

The series concludes tomorrow afternoon. Clarke Schmidt starts against Zach Eflin.

Yankees Sweep A's, For Momentum to Carry vs. Rays

The Yankees sweeping a 3-game home series from the Oakland Athletics shouldn't be considered a big deal. But it needed to happen, after the Yankees came within 4 runs of sweeping the Tampa Bay Rays in St. Petersburg last weekend, but, instead, lost 2 out of 3. So, with the Rays coming to The Bronx to start a 4-game series tomorrow night, the Yankees need all the momentum they can get.

Rookie Jhony Brito started, and got into the 5th inning, having allowed 2 runs. Jimmy Cordero got the Yankees through the 6th, without allowing any further runs. Since Brito did not finish the 5th inning, he could not be the winning pitcher.

But Brito did leave the game with a lead. The Yankees scored 4 runs in the bottom of the 1st, thanks in part to a 3-run home run from Harrison Bader. They gut 7 runs in the 5th inning, including got a 2-run homer from DJ LeMahieu and a grand slam from Anthony Volpe.

Yankees 11, Athletics 3. WP: Cordero (2-1). SV: Deivi Garcia (1). LP: Kyle Muller (1-3).

So now, the Rays come in, and the Yankees need to take a stand, to show that the Rays will not win the American League Eastern Division easily, and that the Yankees will not go away quietly. Here are the first-pitch times and the projected pitching matchups, with all 4 games to be broadcast on the YES Network:

* Thursday, 7:05 PM: Domingo Germán vs. Drew Rasmussen.

* Friday, 7:05 PM: Gerrit Cole vs. Josh Fleming.

* Saturday, 1:05 PM: Nestor Cortés vs. Shane McClanahan.

* Sunday, 1:35 PM: Clarke Schmidt vs. Zach Eflin.

These 4 games could turn out to be the ones that determine whether the Yankees make a race of it in the AL East, or have to fight for a Wild Card Playoff berth.

El Flunko In Florida

Last night, the Yankees began their 1st major test of the season. Result: El Flunko.

The Yankees went into the 1st game of a 3-game weekend series, away to the Tampa Bay Rays, at 17-15, 9 games behind the Rays. The Rays had won their 1st 13 games of the regular season. From then until last night, they'd gone 13-6, which is still exceptional.

Jhony Brito started the game, and so much of the promise he showed early on has faded. He only went 4 innings, allowing 4 runs on 6 hits and a walk.

DJ LeMahieu drew a walk in the 2nd inning. He singled in the 4th. Both times, he got to 2nd base. Both times, he was stranded. Jose Trevino drew a walk in the 5th inning, but was erased on a double play. And those were the only baserunners the Yankees had over the 1st 5 innings.

Then came the top of the 6th. With 1 out, Anthony Rizzo singled. Gleyber Torres doubled him home. LeMahieu drew another walk. Willie Calhoun struck out. But Harrison Bader, seemingly injured in the Cleveland series, was ready to play last night, and crushed a 436-foot home run to left-center, tying the game at 4-4.

Albert Abreu pitched a scoreless 5th and a perfect 6th. But Aaron Boone brought Jimmy Cordero in to pitch the bottom of the 7th. Cliché Alert: Walks can kill you, especially the leadoff variety. Cordero allowed walk, fielder's choice, RBI double.

The Yankees got men on 2nd and 3rd with 1 out in the 8th, and a man on 1st with 2 out in the 9th, to no avail. Rays 5, Yankees 4. WP: Kevin Kelly (3-0). SV: Jason Adam (3). LP: Cordero (1-1).

A dreadful loss, all on Brian Cashman. He tells Boone what players to use. And it was Cashman who caused the holes in the rotation that neither Brito nor Clarke Schmidt has been able to fill.

The series continues this afternoon. Domingo Germán starts against Drew Rasmussen.

Volpe & LeMahieu Lead Yanks Past Jays

Last night, the Yankees were totally flat in the opener of their home series against the Toronto Blue Jays. I was hoping they would be considerably better.

They weren't. They were just barely better enough.

Gerrit Cole started, but after letting him go the distance in his last start, this time, Aaron Boone panicked, and took him out after 96 pitches, when it was 0-0 in the 6th inning. Ron Marinaccio and Clay Holmes got the Yankees through the 7th with no damage.

So runs were required. But they didn't come. Alek Manoah was even more effective for the Jays. With 1 out in the 3rd, Oswaldo Cabrera doubled, and Oswald Peraza drew a walk, but Manoah stranded them. The Yankees didn't get another baserunner until Gleyber Torres singled in the 7th.

Finally, with 2 out in the 8th, Peraza singled, and Anthony Volpe hit a home run. It was 2-0 Yankees, and victory looked likely.

But Boone sent Wandy Peralta to the mound for the 9th, and he gave up a 2-run homer to Kenley Jansen, letting all the air out of the balloon in The Bronx. Jimmy Cordero had to be brought on to get out of the inning.

The Yankees didn't want extra innings. I certainly didn't. Anthony Rizzo led off the bottom of the 9th with a double. Isiah Kiner-Falefa was sent in to pinch-run for him. Torres hit a grounder to short, and there was no play: 1st & 3rd, nobody out. Torres stole 2nd without a throw, a play designed to get a throw and possibly get the runner on 3rd home. Willie Calhoun drew a walk to load the bases with nobody out.

I thought, "If we don't get any runs home here, and lose the game in extra innings, that's the season, right here."

DJ LeMahieu had been given the day off, but Boone sent him up to pinch-hit for Franchy Cordero. The Jays brought the left fielder in as a 5th infielder. It didn't work: DJLM singled to left anyway, and the game was over.

Yankees 3, Blue Jays 2. WP: Cordero (1-0, his 1st win as a Yankee). No save. LP: Jordan Romano (2-1).

The series concludes tomorrow afternoon. Clarke Schmidt, Mr. Hole In the Rotation, is scheduled to start against Kevin Gausman, who usually pitches well against the Yankees. Don't get your hopes up.