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.
