by Tim Kabel
April 15, 2023
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This felt like a game the Yankees should have won. Anthony Volpe and Aaron Judge hit back-to-back home runs to start off the game. Giancarlo Stanton added a laser shot home run in the 6th inning. Nestor Cortes threw seven solid innings and left leading the game 3-2. It had all the signs of a Yankees victory. Alas, it was not to be. Clay Holmes came in to pitch the eighth inning and could not hold the lead. He gave up two runs on a double to Carlos Correa, who had earlier hit a home run. The past two games have really made me wish that Correa stayed with either the Giants or the Mets. A game that seemed to have the sweet taste of victory quickly turned sour in the 8th inning. This is not a habit the Yankees can fall into if they want to be successful this season.
Quick Stats -
Aaron Judge's on-base streak was stopped at 45 games on Thursday. Last night, he started a new streak.
Anthony Volpe hit his first Major League home run in the first inning. For a moment, I thought the game was in Italy, based on John Sterling's home run call: "Anthony Volpe. A spettacolo oggi. The fox socks one!" Volpe means fox in Italian. A spettacolo oggi translates to "a spectacular show today." Maybe John was influenced by the Twins having Garlick in rightfield.
The Yankees are 29-3 when Aaron Judge and Giancarlo Stanton hit home runs in the same game.
This was the first time the Yankees lost two games in a row this season. Their streak of winning series also ended at four.
When Anthony Volpe hit a leadoff home run for his first career home run, it was the first time a Yankee did that since Bobby Richardson in 1959.
Big Story -
The Yankees seem to be falling into the same old rut of inconsistency and being "good but not great" that seems to be the hallmark of the team under Aaron Boone's leadership. They frequently play just well enough to lose, rather than playing just well enough to win. I'm not necessarily blaming last night's loss on Boone because bringing Holmes in in the 8th inning was not a bad decision. It just seems as if the Yankees will never reach the top of the hill with Boone at the helm.
Player of the Game -
Anthony Volpe hit the first of what will hopefully be very many home runs in his Major League career. He is starting to turn things around after struggling a bit as he adjusted to the Major Leagues.
Notable Performances -
Aaron Judge and Giancarlo Stanton added home runs of their own. Judge already has five and Stanton has four, along with nine RBI, which is the fastest start in his career.
Better to Forget -
Clay Holmes' shaky performance in the 8th inning cost the Yankees the game. Whatever his role is, he needs to be more consistent and reliable.
My Take -
I know it's early, but this Yankees' team does not have a championship feel to it like the teams of the late 90's or the late 70's. It is as if you try making your mother's lasagna and it just doesn't taste the same as hers did. There is some ingredient missing. Sometimes, you rack your brain for hours trying to figure out what that ingredient is.
In this case, the Yankees do have a lot of talent. Judge, Stanton, Anthony Rizzo, and DJ LeMahieu are all doing well. Oswaldo Cabrera has been solid. Franchy Cordero is a pleasant surprise. Gerrit Cole, and Nestor Cortes have done what they are supposed to do. Up until Thursday night, Jhony Brito was a revelation. When Carlos Rodon and Luis Severino return to the team, the starting rotation will improve dramatically. Anthony Volpe looks like he will be fine.
Gleyber Torres got off to a very fast start, but he only has one hit in his last twelve at bats, which fits his pattern of being a very streaky player. At this point, he still seems too valuable to trade, especially with LeMahieu once again having some injury issues. However, if the streakiness continues, it may be time to revisit the idea of trading him.
As I have written many times, I think the missing ingredient here is a manager who can lead a team to a championship. It is hard to say which managers can do that until you see them in action. I think it is fair to say after several years, that Boone is not the man for that job. Yet, we are stuck with him. Eventually, and I believe sooner rather than later, Hal Steinbrenner and Brian Cashman will get tired of falling short, especially considering the talent and payroll that the Yankees have. Unless mangement can find a way to completely Boone-proof the team, they will not be winning the World Series.
It is possible that the Yankees could get very lucky and the talent they have could overcome Boone's deficiencies. In order for that to happen, they will need to get rid of the weak spots on the roster. Having Rodon and Severino return, as well as Lou Trivino, Jonathan Loaisiga and Tommy Kahnle will help. Harrison Bader could also provide a spark. Once the Yankees have all their talent back, they may be good enough to win consistently despite whatever mistakes the manager makes.
As noted multiple times, the Yankees also need to rid themselves of Josh Donaldson and Aaron Hicks. At this point, they are obsolete and don't serve any real purpose on this team. Isiah Kiner-Falefa could soon fall into that category as well, because Boone seems obsessed with getting him in the lineup in some way on a regular basis. He is fine as a backup player or a utility man but, he doesn't need to appear every day. For a time in the 80's and 90's, Gene Hackman seemed to be in almost every movie that was made. That was fine because he is Gene Hackman. IKF is no Gene Hackman. He is more of an M Emmet Walsh. Nobody ever went to the movies to see M Emmet Walsh, and nobody goes to a Yankees' game to see IKF.
Next Up -
On Saturday, the Yankees continue the series against the Minnesota Twins at 1:05 PM at Yankee Stadium. Domingo German (0-1, 5.87 ERA) will face the Twins' Tyler Mahle (1-1, 4.09 ERA).
