Have the Yankees Saved the Season?

Before this series with the American League Eastern Division-leading Boston Red Sox, I said that the Yankees needed to take at least 3 out of 4 to stay alive in the Division race.

Mission accomplished. Next mission: Make sure said preceding mission was not in vain.

On Thursday night, CC Sabathia pitched like an ace. Perhaps even more important than that, he showed that the biggest part of his body isn't his gut, or his head, or his mouth, but his spine. Something the Yankees have shown precious little of against the Red Sox since October 17, 2004. And the Yankees got the runs they needed, beating The Scum 6-2. Things were looking up.

On Friday night, they seemed to come crashing down. Sonny Gray pitched decently, but the Yankees couldn't hit Doug Fister, and lost 4-1.

On Saturday afternoon, Masahiro Tanaka took the ball, and matters, into his hands, and pitched like an ace. And the Yankees gave him the runs he needed to beat Drew Pomeranz, winning 5-1.

And then, last night, Luis Severino pitched like an ace. And the Yankees hit 3 home runs off Boston's much-hyped free agent acquisition, Chris Sale: Chase Headley in the 3rd inning, and, in the 4th, the 1st back-to-back jacks Sale had given up all season, to Matt Holliday and Todd Frazier. Sale didn't get out of the 5th inning. Aaron Judge finally broke his home run drought, unleashing the boomstick for his 38th dinger of the season. Yankees 9, Red Sox 2.

So long, Scum. This is the last time we'll be meeting in the regular season, although a Playoff matchup is possible.

*

So here's where things stand, with 21 of the Major League Baseball regular season's 25 weeks in the books:

* The Yankees trail the Red Sox by 3 1/2 games in the AL East, 3 in the loss column. My guideline is that if you have more weeks left than games behind, you have a chance; if you have more games behind than weeks left, forget it. The Yankees are still under the threshold.

* The Yankees still stand to be the home team in the AL Wild Card Game. As usual, I don't trust Joe Girardi to manage a win-or-go-home game, hence the importance of winning the Division: At the absolute worst, the Yankees would not have the home field advantage in the AL Division Series, but they would still have a margin for error, as it's a best-3-out-of-5.

* If the current MLB standings hold to the end of the season, the Playoff matchups would be as follows, with the team having home field advantage listed first: Yankees vs. Minnesota Twins, winner facing Houston Astros; Cleveland Indians vs. Boston Red Sox; Arizona Diamondbacks (who have won 10 straight) vs. Colorado Rockies, winner facing Los Angeles Dodgers; Washington Nationals vs. Chicago Cubs.

* The Mets are 14 games out of the National League Wild Card, and David Wright is ending his rehab assignment and going into surgery again. His career may be over. The Curse of Kevin Mitchell strikes again.

* The Yankees have 26 games remaining. In order:

* Starting with today's Labor Day matinee, 3 away to the Baltimore Orioles. And the Baltimore Bandbox might be just what the doctor ordered for our sluggers.

* After a day off on Thursday, 3 in Arlington against the Texas Rangers.

* 3 in St. Petersburg against the Tampa Bay Rays.

* 4 at home to the Orioles.

* 3 at home to the Minnesota Twins.

* After a day off, 3 away to the Toronto Blue Jays.

* Home for a rainout makeup against the Kansas City Royals, the game that forced New York City FC to move a "home" game to East Hartford, Connecticut. (After all their fans' snipes about being the true "New York" team because the New York Red Bulls play home games in New Jersey, they will never live that down.)

* 3 at home to the Rays.

* And closing with 3 at home to the Jays.

Having those last 7 games at home may well help, although the Red Sox, with 25 games left, will also have their last 7 at home, but their last 4 will be against the Playoff-bound Astros, who just bolstered their starting rotation with the addition of Justin Verlander, whom Brian Cashman wasn't willing to go after.

So the Yankees have 14 home games, and 12 away games. If they split the away games, 6-6; and, in the home games, take 3 out of 4 vs. the O's; 2 out of 3 vs. the Twins, Rays and Jays; and the 1 vs. the Royals... 16-10 the rest of the way, hardly an unreasonable proposition...

That would give the Yankees 89 wins. That would mean that, for the Yankees to win the Division, the Red Sox would have to go 11-14, .440, the rest of the way. And, with no games left against the Sox, the Yankees have no control over that.

Then again, the Sox' last 4 games are against the Astros. If the Astros take 3 out of 4, then the Sox would have to go 10-11 otherwise. That's certainly possible.

Have the Yankees saved the season with their 3-of-4 performance against The Scum? Stay tuned.

Here's the projected starting pitchers for the Baltimore series:

* Today, 2:05 PM: Jordan Montgomery vs. Dylan Bundy.

* Tomorrow, 7:05: Sabathia vs. Jeremy Hellickson.

* Wednesday, 7:05: Gray vs. Kevin Gausman.

Come on you Bombers!

Top 5 Reasons the Yankees HAVE to Win the World Series -- THIS Year

So the Yankees started August out not the same way they went through most of July, which was taking names and kicking ass.

CC Sabathia did not have a good start against the Detroit Tigers last night at Yankee Stadium. He allowed 3 runs in the 3rd inning, and another in the 4th, and that last one made the difference. Didi Gregorius hit his 17th home run of the season in the 4th, and singled home another run in the 8th, but that was it.

Tyler Wade hit a leadoff double in the 3rd, and got to 3rd on a wild pitch. Man on 3rd, nobody out -- and he got stranded. Including a popup by "can't-miss prospect" Clint Frazier. To be fair, the man of the year, Aaron Judge, did no better, grounding out to end the inning. Matt Holliday doubled with 2 out in the 6th, but was stranded. With 2 out in the 7th, Brett Gardner singled and stole 2nd, but couldn't be brought home.

With 2 out in the bottom of the 9th, Jacoby Ellsbury drew a walk, and Tigers reliever Shane Greene tried to pick him off, and threw the ball away. Ellsbury, the tying run, got to 3rd. Gardner was intentionally walked to set up the force play at 2nd. Big mistake, as the Yankees' speed guy (as opposed to Ellsbury, the Yankees' other speed guy) stole 2nd. Now the tying and winning runs were in scoring position, with Can't Miss Clint at bat.

Frazier popped up to the shortstop. Can't Miss Clint has yet to prove himself to be Clutch Clint.

Tigers 4, Yankees 3. WP: Anibal Sanchez (3-1). SV: Greene (1). LP: Sabathia (9-4).

To make matters worse, the Boston Red Sox had a game where their ace Chris Sale gave up 7 runs... and they still came from behind in the bottom of the 9th to beat the Cleveland Indians, 12-10. They close to within a half-game of the Yankees, who still lead them by 2 games in the all-important loss column.

The series with the Tigers concludes tomorrow afternoon, with Masahiro Tanaka starting against Jordan Zimmerman. Then the Yankees head out to Cleveland.

*

The Yankees haven't won the World Series since 2009 -- 8 years. By their standards, that's an eternity. They haven't won the Pennant since 2009, either. They haven't been to the American League Championship Series, or won the AL Eastern Division, since 2012 -- 5 years. In that time, they've played exactly 1 postseason game, the 2015 AL Wild Card Play-In Game, and lost it in pathetic fashion.

All of which would be bad enough, had the Red Sox not cheated their way to another World Series win in 2013, and the Mets not won a Pennant in 2015. We've seen other teams we don't like succeed as well.

In 2015, the Toronto Blue Jays made the Playoffs, and were beaten in the ALCS by the Kansas City Royals, who then beat the Mets in the World Series. If any NL team but the Mets had been the opposition, that would have been about as much fun to watch as the musical episode of Xena -- if Xena had been played by Lisa Kudrow (who I love, but she can't sing) and Gabrielle had been played by Chelsea Handler (who might be a better singer drunk than sober).

The Giants had never won the World Series since moving to San Francisco. Since the Yankees last won it, they've won 3. The Texas Rangers have won Pennants. Hell, even the Chicago Cubs have won a Pennant and a World Series! And they beat the Cleveland Indians in that World Series, and the Indians haven't exactly won a lot of Pennants.

And yet, the Yankees are still searching. Maybe they wouldn't have gotten any closer had Brian Cashman not made some transactions that would be considered legendarily bad had they been made by the Mets. But it would have been nice to find out.

Enough is enough. I have had it with this losing by this team.

The Yankees have to win the World Series. This year.

Top 5 Reasons the Yankees Have to Win the World Series -- This Year

5. The Last Dance. Some of these guys may not get another chance -- at least, not with the Yankees. CC Sabathia and Matt Holliday are 37. Almost certainly, both are gone after this season. Brett Gardner, Jacoby Ellsbury and Chase Headley are 33. All have perked up lately, but can they really be counted on for 2018 or beyond? Or even August and September 2017? And, if successful there, in October 2017?

CC, Gardy, and the left-and-returned David Robertson (at 32, he seems to have something left) are the last remaining players from the 2009 title. Gardy and D-Rob are the last remaining players in Pinstripes who played home games at the old Yankee Stadium.

The 2009 title was the 1st WS since 2000 and the 1st Pennant since 2003. That 2009 title became what I thought the 1996 title would be: A blip on the radar screen after a drought. (Going into 1996, we hadn't won a Pennant since 1981 or a World Series since 1978.) 1996 was the beginning of 8 years, 7 Division titles, 6 Pennants, 4 World Championships; 2009 was the beginning of 4 years, 3 Division titles, and 1 Pennant and World Championship, followed by 3 out of 4 years missing the Playoffs completely, and flopping in the 1 time we got in.

And there is absolutely no guarantee that the "prospects" that give the Yankees a "great future" will pan out. I'll get back to that in a moment.

4. Joe Girardi's Legacy. Put aside what he did as a player. This is about what he's done as a manager. This is his 11th season as a manager, his 10th with the Yankees.

* If, for whatever reason, he never managed another game after the 2009 World Series, his legacy would be secure: He got the Yankees back to the top.

* If, for whatever reason, he never managed another game after the 2012 ALCS, his legacy would still be pretty good: 5 years, 4 postseason berths, 3 Division titles, and a World Championship that was one terrific ride.

* Since October 3, 2012, counting the 2012 postseason, his record is 400-363, for a percentage of .524. Over a 162-game span, that works out to 85-77 -- about what he's been the last 3 seasons: 84-78 in 2014, 87-75 in 2015, and 84-78 in 2016. That's usually not good enough to make the Playoffs. And most of that was without Mariano Rivera, and nearly all of it without anything resembling a prime Derek Jeter. How well has he managed without those? Mediocrely.

* In particular, Girardi's handling of the pitching staff has been abominable. His viewing of 95 pitches as some sort of magic number has been put aside a few times lately, but, all too often, it has been a benchmark. And bringing relievers in for just 1 inning, or (if a potential lefty-on-lefty situation, which would be the other kind of "LOL" if you hate the Yankees) just 1 batter, has failed many, many times. It's not all Boone Logan and Tyler Clippard, although it sure seems like it.

* Girardi's pitching mismanagement cost the Yankees the Division title, and possibly also the ALCS, in 2010; the AL Division Series in 2011; a Playoff berth entirely in 2013; a Playoff berth entirely in 2014; the Division title, thus dooming us to lose the Wild Card Game, in 2015; and a Playoff berth entirely in 2016.

* Even this season, in which the Yankees are (for the moment) in 1st place, is only at .548, which works out to 89 wins -- sometimes enough to make the Playoffs, but usually not enough to win the Division (which is usually 93 wins).

Girardi simply doesn't seem to grasp that winning the Division is important. It puts you in a much better position during the postseason. And if you don't try to win the Division in the regular season, either you get stuck in the Wild Card Game, where there is absolutely no margin for error; or you miss the Playoffs completely, and you look like an idiot. Girardi's failure to go for it in the AL East race may have cost us at least 1 Pennant, and possibly others.

If the Yankees win the World Series this year, then Girardi joins the list of 19 managers who've won at least 2 World Series, including the still-active Terry Francona (2004 and '07 Red Sox *, now with the Cleveland Indians) and Bruce Bochy (2010, '12 and '14 San Francisco Giants, and still with them).

If he doesn't, that's the difference between being one of those guys, and one of the guys who had a lot of talent, but should have won a lot more than they did. Guys like:

* Bobby Cox: 29 seasons, 16 postseasons, 5 Pennants, but only 1 World Championship.
* Gene Mauch: 27 seasons, 2 postseasons, no Pennants.
* Jim Leyland: 22 seasons, 8 postseason berths, 3 Pennants, but only 1 World Championship.
* Jack McKeon: 16 seasons, but only 2 postseason berths, just 1 Pennant and World Championship.
* Red Schoendienst: 14 seasons, but only 2 Pennants and 1 World Championship.
* Tony LaRussa was one of those guys, before winning the 2004 Pennant with the St. Louis Cardinals, followed by World Series wins in 2006 and '11.

It could mean the difference between making the Hall of Fame, and not. Cox and LaRussa are in. So is Schoendienst, but as a player. Mauch, Leyland and McKeon, thus far, are not.

If Girardi doesn't at least win the AL East this season, what could be a good reason for keeping him for 2018? There is none. If the George Steinbrenner of 1973 to 1990 were running the Yankees in the 2010s, Girardi probably would have been fired in 2013 at the latest.

3. Brian Cashman's Legacy. The Yankee Dynasty of 1996 to 2003 is at the feet of Gene Michael and Bob Watson. After that? It was Cashman who gave huge contracts to Alex Rodriguez, CC Sabathia and Mark Teixeira. It worked in 2009. Other than that, it hasn't.

It was Cashman who let Robinson Cano go (which might have been a good idea, long-term), but it was also Cashman who replaced him with Stephen Drew, while letting Rob Refsnyder rot in Triple-A, ruining him in a way similar to the way he ruined Joba Chamberlain's pitching career.

And, just 1 year ago, it was Cashman who traded away Aroldis Chapman, Andrew Miller, Carlos Beltran and Ivan Nova. Of the players he got in return, so far, only Clint Frazier has given the Yankees anything -- and his clutch failures, including tonight, have been almost as numerous as his big hits. And the games he's contributed to winning haven't even come close to offsetting the defeats that could have been avoided if only Miller (for whom he was traded) had been available.

Cashman made those trades despite the Yankees' top 5 farm teams all making their respective leagues' playoffs in 2016. He didn't need to boost the farm system: It was already the best in baseball. We didn't need Clint Frazier. We didn't need Gleyber Torres. We didn't need all those teenagers who aren't going to contribute until at least 2019.

If at all. Who knows if they'll be the new Jeter, Williams, O'Neill and Pettitte -- or the new Steve Balboni, Hensley Meulens, Kevin Maas and Clay Parker? They might never pan out, and Cashman might have thrown away our 2016 chance for a future that never comes.

If the deals Cashman made this past weekend pan out, he rewrites history. A World Series win in 2017 wouldn't be attributable to the genius of Gene Michael, the tenacity of Bob Watson, or the ability of Hal Steinbrenner to spend his father's money.

The result of this season, one way or the other, will be the responsibility of Joe Girardi and Brian Cashman. Win, and all is forgiven, and their Monument Park Plaques can be readied, with only the specifics needed. Fail to win, and there is no reason for either one to still be working in the Yankee organization on November 2, 2017 (barring a postponement, the latest date the 2017 World Series can end is November 1) -- or, possibly, even as early as October 2 (the regular season ends on October 1).

2. The New York Mets. As of right now, and continuing until at least October 18 (the postseason schedule is far from finalized, although we know the Division Series will start on October 4 and the World Series on October 24), the Mets have still won New York's last Pennant. That cannot be allowed to stand.

True, they stink at the moment (they are 14 games out of the National League East lead, and 10 1/2 games out of a Wild Card slot), but their fans can still say they've won New York's last Pennant.

Does that sicken you? It should. The Yankees can do something about it. Do we really want to go another year without them having done something about it?

1. The Boston Red Sox. They've still won the more recent Pennant and the more recent World Series. And, now, they are battling us for the AL East title, as God intended it, but without their big fat lying cheating bastard David Ortiz. Whatever they achieve this season -- be it the Wild Card, the Division, the Pennant, or the World Series -- they can now claim that they won it without steroids, and there's nothing we can say about it.

Whereas if they don't, we can say it was all about the cheating.

You know what's better to say? "The 28-Time and Current World Champion New York Yankees."

Now, the Mets making the postseason, and doing anything therein, is a very long shot right now. But the Red Sox could still make it, and do something therein.

We do not need to have the Red Sox win an (apparently) untainted title.

We need to win one.

It is time for Title 28.

If we don't win it this time, who's to say we ever will?

The New York Yankees must win the World Series. This year. The future is now.

Because it could be never.

Yanks Survive Weird Marathon at Fenway

If ever there was a "must-win" game for the Yankees in mid-July, this was it. If they had lost yesterday's game against the Boston Red Sox at Fenway Park, it would pretty much have meant that the season was over. But a win would have put them legitimately back in the American League Eastern Division race.

It may have been the fulcrum game of the 2017 season. And before it was over, a lot of people were asking, "What the fulcrum is going on?"

It's Yankees vs. Red Sox at Fenway. This is a matchup where anything can happen, and so much does.

Luis Severino started for the Yankees. He was terrific. And, knowing that today would feature a rain-forced doubleheader, Joe Girardi knew that his usual 95-pitch limit for starting pitchers would have to go out the window. He let Sevy throw 114 pitches in 7 innings, and he allowed just 1 run on 4 hits and 2 walks, striking out 6.

It is unfair to ask more of a starting pitcher than that, especially at the little green pinball machine in the Back Bay. The only run Sevy allowed was in the 3rd inning, on 2 walks, an infield single, and a sacrifice fly.

Unfortunately, that 1 run stood up, as Chris Sale, Boston's big acquisition of the offseason, was also brilliant, taking a 13-strikeout shutout into the top of the 8th inning. He allowed a leadoff walk to Brett Gardner in the 1st, a leadoff double by Starlin Castro in the 2nd, a double by Gary Sanchez in the 3rd, a grounder resulting in an error that allowed Chase Headley to reach 1st base in the 4th, and a leadoff walk by Castro in the 7th -- and he stranded them all. He allowed a single by Gardner in the 8th, but was relieved by Craig Kimbrel, and he stranded Gardner.

Girardi brought Tyler Clippard in to pitch the 8th inning. Tyler Clippard. At Fenway Park. I couldn't look. Sure enough, Clippard allowed a leadoff single to Tzu-Wei Lin. But it worked: He got the next 3 guys out.

In 93 appearances with the Red Sox over the last year and a half, Kimbrel had never blown a save at Fenway. (He has 279 for his career, having led the National League 4 times while with the Atlanta Braves.) But a 1-run lead is never safe at Fenway, and Matt Holliday showed why, taking him 443 feet over the Green Monster. Tie ballgame.

The Yankees threatened for more: Castro then reached on an error, and was replaced by pinch-runner Jacoby Ellsbury, who stole 2nd. But Kimbrel then struck out the side: Headley, Didi Gregorius and Ji-Man Choi.

Bottom of the 9th. Girardi thought for himself, instead of looking in his binder, and decided to save Aroldis Chapman for the bottom half of a later inning, in case the Yankees got a lead in the top half. He brought in Dellin Betances, and he got the Sox out 1-2-3.

The Yankees got a 2-out walk from Sanchez in the 10th, but couldn't get him home. Now, Girardi was managing in extra innings. There has got to be something in the Geneva Conventions against this.

He started by bringing Chasen Shreve on. He allowed 2 singles. The winning run was on 2nd with nobody out. Girardi got Shreve out of there, and brought in... Adam Warren? No, no, no... Yes, yes, yes: Warren got the next 3 guys out.

Then came the top of the 11th, and this is where it got weird. Holliday drew a leadoff walk. Ellsbury grounded to 1st base, and 1st baseman Mitch Moreland decided not to go for the easy out at 1st, but for the lead runner at 2nd, Holliday. Given that outs are at a premium at Fenway, this might not have been the best move.

Seeing this, Holliday went back toward 1st. Xander Bogaerts, the Sox shortstop, took Moreland's throw as if Holliday had kept going to 2nd, stepped on the bag for the forceout, and threw back to 1st. Moreland -- apparently, no relation to 1980s Philadelphia Phillies and Chicago Cubs player Keith Moreland -- stood for the throw, but it hit Ellsbury, who was still entitled to try and reach the base, and bounced into foul territory. Ellsbury was safe.

Red Sox manager John Farrell argued that Holliday interfered, much like Reggie Jackson was accused of doing in Game 4 of the 1978 World Series. Gary Cederstrom, the umpires' crew chief, gathered his men, talked it over, and decided that Holliday hadn't interfered, intentionally or otherwise, and let Ellsbury keep 1st base.

Farrell told Cederstrom that the Sox were playing the rest of the game under protest. However, the Yanks ended up not scoring in the inning, so the protest is pointless: Even if the play is overturned, the result will not be affected.

Austin Romine walked to lead off the top of the 12th, but was erased by a double play. Aaron Judge walked with 1 out in the top of the 13th, but was stranded. Ellsbury walked to lead off the top of the 14th, and Headley singled him to 2nd, but the Yankees couldn't get them home. Judge walked again with 2 out in the top of the 15th, but, again, was stranded.

Meanwhile, Girardi made a good move, letting Jonathan Holder pitch 3 innings, in which he allowed just 1 baserunner. Then he brought Chapman in for the bottom of the 14th, and while he walked a batter, he didn't let him score. He brought Ben Heller in to pitch the bottom of the 15th, and that worked, too.

This would be the best game Girardi has managed all season -- if only the Yankees could push a run across. But it went to a 16th inning, making it the longest Yanks-Sox game at Fenway in 51 years, a 6-3 Boston win on June 4, 1966, on a walkoff home run by Jim Gosger (yeah, surrre) off THE Dooley Womack (2 Ball Four references there). The Yanks and Sox played a 19-inning game in The Bronx on April 19, 2015, a Sox win.

The question now was, Would either manager have any pitchers available for the rest of the series? Farrell brought in Doug Fister, who was supposed to start on Tuesday night. Ellsbury led off the inning, and, using his experience as a former Red Sock, crashed a drive off the Green Monster, pulling into 2nd for a double. Headley singled to center -- but while the Monster giveth, it also taketh away: Despite his speed, Ellsbury was unable to score on the play.

That would not be the case on the next one: Gregorius singled him home, and brought Headley to 3rd. Romine singled home Headley. Ronald Torreyes bunted the runners over. Gardner was intentionally walked to set up the double play. But Sanchez flew to left, and the sac fly was enough to get Sir Didi home.

Girardi left Heller in to finish the job: He got Dustin Pedroia to ground to 2nd, Bogaerts to fly to right, and Moreland to fly to center.

After 16 innings, and 520 pitches between the 2 teams over 5 hours and 50 minutes, the game was finally, fully in the books. Yankees 4, Red Sox 1. WP: Heller (1-0). No save. LP: Fister (0-3).

*

So now, the Yankees are 3 1/2 games behind the Sox, 2 in the loss column, as we have 3 games in hand on them.

Today, because of a rainout earlier in the season, we have a full day of baseball. At 1:05, on TBS, CC Sabathia will start for the Bronx Bombers, Rick Porcello for The Scum. CC was supposed to start in Minnesota tomorrow night, with Bryan Mitchell going in this game. But with the bullpen so exhausted, Mitchell is needed there.

Masahiro Tanaka starts the 2nd game, against David Price, with the first pitch on ESPN scheduled for around 8:00. Tanaka could have been moved up to start the 1st game, thus giving CC a few additional hours of rest, but Tanaka has a much better record at night, and CC is more likely to go long anyway, which our relievers will need. (It is, of course, legal for a player, including a pitcher, to appear in both games of a doubleheader.)

I said before the series that the Yankees needed to take 3 out of 4. A split of today's games means a split of the series, and, at this point, I'd take it.

Come on you Bombers! Beat The Scum!

Yanks Begin 2nd Half With Lots of News, Not Much of It Good

Tonight, the Yankees begin the official, though not numerical, 2nd half of the regular season, in Scum Town, facing The Scum at Scumway Park.

As you might have guessed, I want to win these games. The Yankees go into the series 3 1/2 games behind Boston in the American League Eastern Division, 2 in the all-important loss column, having lost 17 of their last 25 games, now only 45-41, 4 games over .500.

Taking at least 3 out of 4 is a must, to send the Red Sox the message that we aren't going to let them run away with the Division, that we are going to battle them to the end. And if we can take all 4, well, sure, that would be even better.

The projected pitching matchups are as follows:

* Tonight, 7:10 PM: Jordan Montgomery vs. Drew Pomerantz.

* Tomorrow, 4:05 PM: Luis Severino vs. Chris Sale.

* Sunday, 1:05 PM, opener of a rain-forced doubleheader: Bryan Mitchell vs. Rick Porcello.

* Sunday, 8:00 PM, the originally-scheduled game of the day: Masahiro Tanaka vs. David Price.

Why is Mitchell starting? Because that was supposed to be Michael Pineda's spot in the rotation, but his elbow is hurting, and he's been told he needs Tommy John surgery -- in his contract year, no less. His contract runs out at the end of this season, and there goes any shot he had at a big payday. Most likely, the Yankees won't try to re-sign him, so he has probably pitched in Pinstripes (and road grays) for the last time. Indeed, there's a not-insignificant chance that he may never appear in the major leagues again.

Mitchell is starting because it's too soon in the rotation for CC Sabathia, who will start in Minnesota on Monday, or Luis Cessa, who will start on Tuesday.

In addition, 1st baseman Greg Bird, who seemed so promising at the end of 2015, but has missed all of last season and most of this season due to injury, may need surgery again. We probably won't see him until Spring Training next year, and possibly never again.

With this in mind, Brian Cashman finally decided to do his job, and fill a major hole. He sent little-used pitcher Tyler Wade to the Milwaukee Brewers for Garrett Cooper. He is expected to make his major league debut tonight, at 1st base. He's 26, and, despite having hit like hell for Triple-A Colorado Springs, the Brewers had not yet chosen to bring him up to The Show. So what does that tell you? It tells me that Cashman was getting a guy on whom his previous team had given up.

There is some good injury news: Matt Holliday, who's been sick, should return tonight. Starlin Castro's had a bad hamstring, but is expected to return tomorrow.

But we need more good news. Can we possibly get it against The Scum this weekend? Stay tuned.

*

Days until The Arsenal play again: 1, tomorrow morning, 6:00 AM our time, as they complete their 2-game excursion in Australia. Having beaten defending A-League Champions Sydney FC 1-0 yesterday, they will play the preceding club's local rivals, Western Sydney Wanderers, also at Stadium Australia in Sydney.


Days until the U.S. national soccer team plays again: 1, tomorrow night at 7:00, in the Group Stage of the CONCACAF Gold Cup, against Nicaragua, at FirstEnergy Stadium in Cleveland, home of the NFL's Cleveland Browns. They opened Cup play with a sluggish 3-2 win over Martinique in Nashville.

Days until the Red Bulls play again: 5, next Wednesday night at 7:30, home to the San Jose Earthquakes. This past Wednesday night, they advanced to the Semifinal of the U.S. Open Cup, by, for the 2nd time in 9 days, going on the road and winning a "derby" against the New England Revolution, having taken a league game against them the previous week. It wasn't long ago that Metro couldn't beat the Revs away, no matter what they did.

Days until the Red Bulls next play a "derby": 23, on Sunday, August 6, against New York City FC at Yankee Stadium. They will next play the Philadelphia Union on Sunday, September 17, at at Red Bull Arena. They will next play the D.C. Scum on Saturday, September 27, at Red Bull Arena in Harrison, New Jersey. They are not scheduled to play the Revs again this season. The Red Bulls might make the Playoffs, but the Revs probably won't, so they almost certainly won't face each other again until next season.

Days until the Premier League season begins: 28, on Friday, August 11. Just 4 weeks. The Arsenal open the season at home to Leicester City, in a game moved back from the intending opening to suit British TV.

Days until the next Yankees-Red Sox series (after this one): 28, on Friday, August 11, at Yankee Stadium.

Days until Rutgers University plays football again: 49, on Friday, September 1, home to the University of Washington. Just 7 weeks.

Days until East Brunswick High School plays football again: 56, on Friday night, September 8, home to Sayreville, a "derby." Just 8 weeks.

Days until the New Jersey Devils play again: 85, on Saturday night, October 7, home to the Colorado Avalanche. Under 3 months.

Days until the New Jersey Devils next play a local rival: 92, on Saturday night, October 14, against the New York Rangers at Madison Square Garden in Midtown Manhattan. Their 1st game against the New York Islanders will be on Sunday, January 7, 2018, at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn -- and they'll have played the Rangers 3 times by then. Their 1st game against the Philadelphia Flyers will be on Saturday, January 13, 2018, at the Prudential Center in Newark -- and they'll have played the Rangers 3 times and the Islanders once by then. This is a weird schedule. But at least we have it. The NBA usually doesn't release its new season's schedule until August.

Days until the Alex Rodriguez Contract From Hell officially runs out, and the Yankees can spend his salary on new players: 109, on October 31.

Days until the next election for Governor of New Jersey: 116, on Tuesday, November 7. Under 4 months until we elect Phil Murphy, defeat Kim Guadagno, and end Christieism forever. But only if you vote!

Days until the next Rutgers-Penn State football game: 120, on Saturday, November 11, at Beaver Stadium in State College, Pennsylvania.

Days until the next North London Derby: 127, on Saturday, November 18, at the Emirates Stadium. This game could be moved to the following day, for TV purposes.

Days until the next East Brunswick-Old Bridge Thanksgiving high school football game: 132, on Thursday, November 23, at 10:00 AM. Under 5 months, and thank God it's at home, at Jay Doyle's Green Grove, rather than at that purple shit pit on Route 9.

Days until the next Winter Olympics begins in Pyeongchang, Korea: 214, on February 9, 2018. Under 7 months.

Days until the next World Cup kicks off in Russia: 335, on June 14, 2018. Just 11 months. Has Bruce Arena turned our chances around? Maybe. Or maybe, with the tournament on his soil, Vladimir Putin will tell his bitch Donald Trump to tell Bruce Arena to tank the games. Maybe not. Or maybe only if we end up playing Russia. I don't think Arena will listen. If he doesn't, I hope his life insurance is paid up, because Putin has had people killed for defying him.

Days until September 2018 roster call-ups, when we can finally start to expect seeing most of these wonderful "prospects" for whom Yankee general manager Brian Cashman threw away a chance at the 2016 Playoffs: 414. A little over a year, or 13 1/2 14 months. Of course, Clint Frazier is already up, but we've hardly benefited. We could end up seeing another of them sooner than that, but since most of them are at Double-A Trenton now, if that, who's kidding who?

Days until the next Congressional election: 480, on November 6, 2018. Under a year and a half, or a little under 16 months.

Days until the Baseball Hall of Fame vote is announced, electing Mariano Rivera: 544, on January 9, 2019. A little under a year and a half, or a little under 18 months.

Days until the Baseball Hall of Fame vote is announced, electing Derek Jeter: 909, on January 8, 2020. A little under 2 1/2 years, or a little under 30 months.

Days until the next Summer Olympics begins in Tokyo, Japan: 1,114, on July 24, 2020. A shade over 3 years, or 36 months.

Days until the next Presidential election: 1,576, on November 3, 2020. Under 3 1/2 years, or a little under 40 months.

Days until Liberation Day: 1,654, at noon on January 20, 2021. A little over 3 1/2 years, or a little over 42 months. Note that this is liberation from the Republican Party, not just from Donald Trump. Having Mike Pence as President wouldn't be better, just differently bad, mixing theocracy with plutocracy, rather than mixing kleptocracy with plutocracy.

Our Long Metropolitan Nightmare Is Over

Maybe the Subway line going to The Stadium

should be renamed: Not the D Train, but the Didi Train.

My fellow Yankee Fans: Our long metropolitan nightmare is over. The Yankees have ended their 7-game losing streak.

Last night, Jordan Montgomery started against the Los Angeles Angels at Yankee Stadium II, and got into the 6th inning, having allowed 2 runs on 5 hits and 2 walks, with 5 strikeouts. He should have been allowed to pitch longer.

But because Joe Girardi is an idiot who uses a binder instead of his eyes to decide what to do with pitchers, and Montgomery had thrown 97 pitches, he took Montgomery out, and brought in Chad Green to get the last out of the 6th inning. He did. Incredibly, he left Green in to pitch the 7th inning, and he got through that without allowing a hit, too.

But you gotta get runs. The Yankees did. Didi Gregorius hit a home run in the 2nd inning, his 8th of the season. For perspective: That's 8 home runs through 69 games, and the previous Yankee shortstop, guy named Jeter, averaged about 13.3 home runs per full season.

(Not saying Didi will have a better career than Derek. Saying he's having a pretty good season.)

Matt Holliday, moved to 1st base in place of the super-struggling Chris Carter, hit a home run in the 5th inning, his 15th. He's now at roughly the pace Carter was last season, when he hit 41 home runs to lead the National League. Except Holliday is doing it in the American League, and helping us, whereas Carter isn't helping us much at all.

The Yankees scored 3 more runs in the 7th, and 2 more in the 8th. It was 8-2 Pinstripes, and things were looking really good.

But because Joe Girardi is an idiot who uses a binder instead of his eyes to decide what to do with pitchers, and it wasn't a save situation, he decided to put Tyler Clippard in, to boost his confidence. You know, by showing him that he couldn't blow a 6-run lead in the 9th.

Clippard's 1st batter was Andrelton Simmons. Sounds like a law firm. And he ex post factoed the ball, nearly over the fence, settling for a double.

Clippard's 2nd batter was Martin Maldonado. Sounds like a cigar company. And he smoked the ball, fully over the fence, for a 2-run home run.

Clippard had thrown 7 pitches, and allowed 2 runs. Girardi came to his senses, and said, "To Hell with the binder, this guy is going to lose us the game if I don't get him out of there," and got him out of there. Clippard was tremendously booed as he walked back to the dugout -- or was that booing for Girardi himself?

It still wasn't a save situation, but Girardi brought in the closer, Aroldis Chapman. Lineout, groundout, strikeout.

Whew.

Final score: Yankees 8, Angels 4. WP: Montgomery (5-4). No save. LP: Ricky Nolasco (2-9).

The losing streak ends at 7. And, with the Boston Red Sox also losing, 6-4 to the Kansas City Royals, the Yankees are now back in 1st place in the American League Eastern Division, by half a game over the Sox, 2 in the loss column.

Perhaps, most importantly, Girardi may finally have learned a lesson. Maybe it's, "Manage with your head, not your binder." Or, maybe it's no more than, "Never, ever send Tyler Clippard out to pitch in an American League game." That, alone, could make the difference between winning the Division, and not. Which could make the difference between getting home-field advantage in the AL Division Series, and having to go through the Wild Card Game and not having home-field advantage in any round.

The series with the Angels concludes tonight, with Luis Severino starting against Jesse Chavez. Come on you Bombers!

*

Days until the Red Bulls play again: 2, this Saturday afternoon, at 1:30, against New York City FC, a Hudson River Derby at Red Bull Arena in Harrison, New Jersey. Last week, also at Red Bull Arena, the teams faced each other in the U.S. Open Cup, the American version of England's FA Cup, for the 1st time, and the Red Bulls won, 1-0.

Days until the Red Bulls next play a "derby": See the previous answer. They will next play the Philadelphia Union on Tuesday, June 27, in the 5th Round of the U.S. Open Cup (the Round of 16), at Red Bull Arena. They will next play the New England Revolution on Wednesday, July 5, at Gillette Stadium in Foxboro, Massachusetts. And they will next play the D.C. Scum on Saturday, September 27, at Red Bull Arena in Harrison, New Jersey.

Days until the U.S. national soccer team plays again: 9, a week from this Saturday, a friendly against Ghana, at Rentschler Field in East Hartford, Connecticut. Qualification for the 2018 World Cup is not yet assured, but it's much more likely now, with the win over Trinidad & Tobago and the drew with Mexico, under manager Bruce Arena, than it was under the idiot Jurgen Klinsmann.

Days until The Arsenal play again: 21, on Thursday, July 13, when they begin their preseason tour of Australia and Asia, with a game against A-League winners Sydney FC at Stadium Australia in Sydney.

Days until the next Yankees-Red Sox series: 22, on Friday, July 14, at Fenway Park. Just 3 weeks.


Days until the Premier League season begins: 51, on Saturday, August 12. The Arsenal open at home to Leicester City. The schedule has been released. There is a chance, of course, that the TV networks could have Arsenal's match moved to the following Sunday or Monday.

Days until Rutgers University plays football again: 71, on Friday, September 1, home to the University of Washington. Just 10 weeks.

Days until East Brunswick High School plays football again: 78, on Friday night, September 8, home to Sayreville, a "derby." The schedule has finally been released.

Days until the New Jersey Devils play again: 107, on Saturday night, October 7, home to the Colorado Avalanche. The schedule was released about 2 hours ago, thank you!

Days until the New Jersey Devils next play a local rival: 114, on Saturday night, October 14, against the New York Rangers at Madison Square Garden in Midtown Manhattan. Their 1st game against the New York Islanders will be on Sunday, January 7, 2018, at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn -- and they'll have played the Rangers 3 times by then. Their 1st game against the Philadelphia Flyers will be on Saturday, January 13, 2018, at the Prudential Center in Newark -- and they'll have played the Rangers 3 times and the Islanders once by then. This is a weird schedule. But, at least, now we have it. The NBA usually doesn't release its new season's schedule until August.

Days until the Alex Rodriguez Contract From Hell officially runs out, and the Yankees can spend his salary on new players: 131, on October 31.

Days until the next election for Governor of New Jersey: 138, on Tuesday, November 7. Under 5 months.

Days until the next Rutgers-Penn State football game: 142, on Saturday, November 11, at Beaver Stadium in State College, Pennsylvania.


Days until the next North London Derby: 149, on Saturday, November 18, at the Emirates Stadium. This game could be moved to the following day, for TV purposes.

Days until the next East Brunswick-Old Bridge Thanksgiving high school football game: 154, on Thursday, November 23, at 10:00 AM. Under 6 months, and thank God it's at home, at Jay Doyle's Green Grove, rather than at that purple shit pit on Route 9. Just 5 months.

Days until the next Winter Olympics begins in Pyeongchang, Korea: 236, on February 9, 2018. Under 8 months.

Days until the next World Cup kicks off in Russia: 357, on June 14, 2018. Just under 1 year, or 12 months. Has Bruce Arena turned our chances around? Maybe. Or maybe, with the tournament on his soil, Vladimir Putin will tell his bitch Donald Trump to tell Bruce Arena to tank the games. Maybe not. Or maybe only if we end up playing Russia. I don't think Arena will listen. If he doesn't, I hope his life insurance is paid up, because Putin has had people killed for defying him.

Days until September 2018 roster call-ups, when we can finally start to expect seeing some of these wonderful "prospects" for whom Yankee general manager Brian Cashman threw away a chance at the 2016 Playoffs: 436. Under a year and a half, or a little over 14 months. Of course, we could end up seeing one of more of them sooner than that, but since most of them are at Double-A Trenton now, if that, who's kidding who?

Days until the next Congressional election: 502, on November 6, 2018. Under a year and a half, or under 17 months.

Days until the Baseball Hall of Fame vote is announced, electing Mariano Rivera: 566, on January 9, 2019. A little over a year and a half, or under 19 months.

Days until the Baseball Hall of Fame vote is announced, electing Derek Jeter: 931, on January 8, 2020. A little over 2 1/2 years, or under 31 months.

Days until the next Summer Olympics begins in Tokyo, Japan: 1,136, on July 24, 2020. A little over 3 years, or a little over 37 months.

Days until the next Presidential election: 1,598, on November 3, 2020. Under 3 1/2 years, or under 41 months.

Days until Liberation Day: 1,676, at noon on January 20, 2021. Under 4 years, or a little under 43 months. Note that this is liberation from the Republican Party, not just from Donald Trump. Having Mike Pence as President wouldn't be better, just differently bad, mixing theocracy with plutocracy, rather than mixing kleptocracy with plutocracy.

Yankees In Freefall; Larry Grantham, 1938-2017

The Yankees come home from a Pacific Coast roadtrip, having won the 1st game, against the Los Angeles Angels in Anaheim, and having dropped the next 6 straight, 2 to the Angels, and 4 to the Oakland Athletics at the Oakland Coliseum. The club is now in freefall.

Luis Cessa was started by Joe Girardi, in the slot that would have been CC Sabathia's, had he not gotten hurt. He did not pitch well, allowing 4 runs on 5 hits and a walk over 4 innings. It is possible, givein his background as a reliever, that he was only intended as a 2-to-5-inning starter anyway, but he did not get the job done at any rate.

Actually, he allowed all but 1 hit and the walk of that in the 3rd inning, meaning he really had pitched like Sabathia -- of 2013, '14 and '15, struck by "Onebadinningitis." The other 3 innings, he was fine. Maybe there is hope for him.

The bullpen, which once again had Aroldis Chapman available, was terrific. Chad Green pitched the 5th and 6th innings, allowing 2 hits, but no walks. The much-maligned Tyler Clippard pitched a hitless 7th, albeit with a walk. And Chapman pitched a perfect 8th. So that's 4 scoreless relief innings, a welcome sight -- although it would be better if it were 2 scoreless relief innings one game, 2 more the next, following strong 7-inning starts.

But the bats were, quite literally, hit-and-miss. Matt Holliday, back from the allergies that were bothering him, hit a home run in the 2nd inning, his 14th of the season. Didi Gregorius hit one in the 4th, his 7th. The problem is, they were both solo home runs. Aaron Judge had an RBI single in the 3rd inning.

Other than that, though, the Yankees just didn't hit. Gregorius had an additional single, Brett Gardner had a single and a double, and Chris Carter drew a walk. That was the extent of the Yankees' baserunners yesterday.

A's 4, Yankees 3. WP: Jharel Cotton (4-3). SV: Sean Doolittle (3). LP: Cessa (0-1).

*

My concern that Chapman's injury would have the Yankees "treading water" until he got back proved well-founded:

* On May 14, the Yankees were 22-13.

* Since then, they are 16-16.

* Of those 16 losses, 8 have been by 1 run.

* And yet, the Yankees have lost only half a game: They were half a game up on the Baltimore Orioles in the American League Eastern Division on May 14, and are tied with the Boston Red Sox now.

But now we find out that CC Sabathia will be out for 6 more weeks. And that injury to The Great Prospect, Gleyber Torres? He needs Tommy John surgery, and will be out until next year's Spring Training.

Brian Cashman trading Chapman away last July 25 (before re-signing him for this season) for Torres and 3 other guys was never going to be a good trade unless Torres -- a natural shortstop, when we already had Gregorius, meaning either Gregorius or Torres was going to have to be moved to 3rd base if we wanted to keep both of them -- turned into the next Derek Jeter.

Now, he's turned into the next Brien Taylor. (By the fact of his injury, if not by what was injured, or how.) And he still hasn't faced a major league pitch. He's barely been at Triple-A. He's 20 years old, and his career might well be over.

"Yesterday is a canceled check. Today is cash on hand. Tomorrow is a promissory note." -- Hank Stram

"The future is now." -- George Allen

"You play to win the game." -- Herman Edwards

Yes, I know, those guys were football coaches, not baseball managers. They would all have told Cashman that those trades were stupid.

I did.

I was right.

I wish I had been wrong.

*

Speaking of football, New York football lost a legend over the weekend.

James Larry Grantham, who always used his middle name, was born on September 16, 1938 in Crystal Springs, Mississippi. A linebacker, he was an All-American at the University of Mississippi, when their quarterback was All-American and future Yankee catcher Jake Gibbs. Both are in the Ole Miss Athletic Hall of Fame.

In 1960, the 1st year of the American Football League, he was drafted by the NFL's Baltimore Colts and the AFL's New York Titans. He chose the Titans, who changed their name to the New York Jets in 1963. He played in the All-Star Game in 8 of the AFL's 10 seasons, and was 1 of 20 players to have played in all 10.

Grantham wearing Titans navy and gold, at the Polo Grounds

So much has been made of Joe Namath quarterbacking the Jets that their defense has never gotten enough credit. Wilbur "Weeb" Ewbank was the head coach, and Buddy Ryan was his defensive coordinator. (Like his son Rex turned out to be, Buddy was brilliant as a defensive boss, but not so much as a head coach later.) That defense had a line of Gerry Philbin, Paul Rochester, John "Jumbo" Elliott (no relation to the later Giant Super Bowl winner of the same name and nickname) and Verlon Biggs; a linebacking corps of Ralph Baker, Al Atkinson and Grantham, the defensive Captain; and a backfield of Johnny Sample, Randy Beverly, Jim Hudson and Bill Baird.

"I always saw Larry as the captain and the leader," Philbin said. "His football knowledge, the way he skirted around blockers and made tackles, he just surprised a lot of people. Pound for pound, he was the best player on the Jets."

There were 3 games in which the 1968 Jets allowed 31 or more points, and they went 1-2 in them. In the remaining 11 games, they allowed 21 or fewer points, and they went 10-1 in them. They allowed a combined 53 points in the last 4 regular season games. The AFC Championship Game, against the Oakland Raiders at Shea Stadium, was a struggle, but the Jets won it -- and it was a better game than the one that followed, on January 12, 1969.

I've seen Super Bowl III in full a few times. A great moment is not necessary a great game. This was not a good game at all. But that was because the Jets got the job done. Early in the 3rd quarter, it was still Jets 7, Colts 0. In fact, for all the hype about Namath, his money, his attitude, his hair, his white shoes, his personal style, and his big mouth and the guarantee he made with it, he only led the Jets on 1 touchdown drive the entire 60 minutes, and passed for no touchdowns. He did, however, get the Jets within Jim Turner's field goal range 3 times: 32, 30 and 9 yards.

But it was 16-0 Jets with 3:19 left on the clock, when the Colts finally scored, thanks to an injured Johnny Unitas coming off the bench and working his magic. Had the 2-point conversion been in place at the time -- the AFL used it, the NFL didn't, and since this was during the merger process, the NFL's rules prevailed -- the Colts could have made it 16-8 instead of 16-7, and the Jets might really have been in trouble. But they still needed 2 scores in the last 3 minutes, and even prime Johnny U couldn't do that -- and Johnny U was 35 and shaking off a season-long injury: That TD was his 1st drive of the entire season.

The Colts were not going to get those 2 touchdowns. With Ewbank, Ryan and Grantham running the defense, the Jets held the Colts to 143 rushing yards, 181 passing yards, and 4-for-12 on 3rd down conversions. The Jets intercepted 4 passes and recovered a fumble. Turnovers decided this game: The Jets only lost 1 fumble, and Namath threw no interceptions. (In fact, he only threw the ball 29 times, for 17 completions and a rather ordinary 195 yards. And he got sacked twice; for as good as they were, the Jets got no sacks of Earl Morrall and Unitas.)

That 16-7 score was the final, and the Jets were World Champions. They have not made the Super Bowl since, going 0-4 in AFC Championship Games.

Grantham remained with the Jets through the 1972 season. He came out of retirement in 1974, to play for the Florida Blazers of the World Football League. The Orlando-based club made it to the league title game, the World Bowl, losing to the Birmingham Americans. Grantham then retired, and the league folded in the middle of the next season.

He was a Jets radio broadcaster, and later moved into the business and banking industries in his home State of Mississippi. He was named to the AFL's All-Time Team and, when MetLife Stadium opened, the Jets' Ring of Honor.

"That probably climaxes a career, and doesn't take second place to anything," Grantham said at the time. "I'm not in the Pro Football Hall of Fame, and, sure, that's a great, big honor. But, to me, this honor with the Jets is unbelievable. Just think of all the players they've had up there from 1960 'til now. It's something I can't put into words."

He died this past Saturday, June 17, 2017, in the State capital of Jackson. He was 78 years old. At the moment, I have no information on survivors.

With his death, there are now 34 surviving members of the 1968-69 World Champion New York Jets:

* On offense: Quarterbacks Joe Namath and Babe Parilli; receivers Don Maynard, Bill Rademacher and Robert "Bake" Turner; tight end Pete Lammons; running backs Mark Smolinski, Bill Mathis, Emerson Boozer, Lee White and Matt Snell; centers John Schmitt and Paul Crane; guards Bob Talamini and Randy Rasmussen; and tackles Dave Herman and Jeff Richardson.

* On defense: Ends Gerry Philbin and Karl Henke; tackles Paul Rochester and Steve Thompson; linebackers Carl McAdams, Ralph Baker, Al Atkinson and John Neidert; cornerbacks Randy Beverly, John Dockery and Earl Christy; and safeties Jim Richards, Michael Stromberg, Bill Baird, Mike D'Amato and Cornell Gordon.

* On special teams: Placekicker Jim Turner.

UPDATE: Grantham was buried at Crystal Springs Cemetery in his hometown of Crystal Springs, Mississippi.

Yankee Stadium: The Star Chamber

It occurred to me as I was writing this post that naming a 3-row, 6-seats-per-row section (18 seats total) of Section 104 in the right field Bleachers at Yankee Stadium "The Judge's Chambers," with faux mahogany wood and fans in black robes in the style of a judge, only makes sense when Aaron Judge is on defense, playing right field, in front of said section.

As a righthanded power hitter, he's much more likely to hit to left field. Since The Judge's Chambers were set up on May 22, in spite of the new Yankee Stadium's established status as a hitter's park, only 1 home run has been hit there, but the other Aaron, Hicks.

That's one of the few things that's gone wrong for the Yankees this season, along with Masahiro Tanaka's hungry gopher and a few Joe Girardi bullpen WTFs.

Last night, against the Baltimore Orioles, Judge hit a seat-seeking missile down the right field line, just fair, that Statcast, which has been recording the speed of batted balls since the 2015 season, measured at 121.1 miles per hour, the fastest batted ball they've ever recorded.

Somewhere, Mickey Mantle must be laughing and saying, "Yeah, surrrre!"

And Babe Ruth is saying, "I know, but this is our kinda baseball, ain't it?"

Mine, too, even if I couldn't produce it myself.

In fact, the Yankees have scored 14 or more runs in a game twice this season, and both times, it's been against Buck Showalter's Orioles, the team the Yankees were chasing for most of the season, but have now seriously slumped, behind both the Yankees and the Boston Red Sox in the American League Eastern Division.

Judge's 3-run homer last night was part of a 6-run 1st inning. Didi Gregorius also homered in the inning, for 2 runs. Starlin Castro had a 3-run dinger in the 2nd, and that was it for Chris Tillman, who usually pitches well against the Yankees.

Matt Holliday had a 3-run homer in the 4th, Judge had a 3-run double in the 5th, and Gary Sanchez got in on the action with a 2-run homer in the 8th. Respectively, that's 19 homers on the season for Judge, 6 for Sir Didi, 11 for Castro, 13 for Holliday, and 9 for El Gary. Never mind "The Judge's Chambers": Yankee Stadium II is becoming "The Star Chamber": Full of stars and, like its Renaissance-era English equivalent, punitive judgement.

Judge is now batting .332 with 19 home runs and 44 RBIs. Those would be really good numbers at the All-Star Break -- and we're still a month away from that.

Luis Severino made sure that not all of those home runs would be necessary. He went 7 innings, allowing 1 run on 7 hits, 2 walks, 8 strikeouts. Yeovany Gallegos and Tommy Layne each pitched an inning in which they allowed a run, but that's no big deal.

Yankees 16, Orioles 3. WP: Severino (5-2). No save (ha, ha). LP: Tillman (1-4).

The series concludes this afternoon. Chad Green, who's been pretty good out of the bullpen, starts against Kevin Gausman. Like Tillman, Gausman usually pitches well against the Yankees. I wonder if we'll get a similar result.

Tanaka was supposed to pitch, but Girardi moved him back a day. The Yankees will fly out to the Coast after the game, and Tanaka will start the series opener in Anaheim tomorrow night.