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.