by Cary Greene
August 9, 2022
***
Quick Stats:
Losing Pitcher: Logan Gilbert (10-4, 3.09 ERA) 4IP/ 10H, 7ER / 2K, 1BB / 91-57 PC-ST (63% Strikes)
Winning Pitcher: Jameson Taillon (11-2, 3.95 ERA) 7.0 IP/ 3H, XER / XK, XBB / 108-69 PC-ST (64% Strikes)
Yankee Home Runs: Josh Donaldson (11th, 1-run HR, 3rd-inning off Gilbert), Aaron Judge, (44th, 1-run HR, 9th-inning off Borucki)
Yankees batters still lead the Majors with 186 Home Runs this season, 19 more than the Braves, who have hit 167.
The sputtering Yankees +206 run differential is now second to the Dodgers +226.
SEA-ING CLEARLY: The Yankees have won their last 10 series at T-Mobile Park (since 9/12/11) and according to Elias, that matches the Yankees' longest road series winning streak against any opponent in franchise history.
Who’s Hot?
LEMACHINE: DJ LeMahieu tied his season high with three hits on Sunday at St. Louis, going 3-for-6 with 2 runs, 2 doubles, 1 homer, and 1 RBI. After last night, he’s now reached base in 37 of his last 38 starts, batting .340 with 36 runs, 6 doubles, 6 HR, 16 RBI, 35 BB, 1 HP and 3 SB in that span. Since June 21st, LeMahieu ranks second in the Majors in OBP (.468, first in AL) and walks (36, first in AL) and seventh in BA (.338, third in AL).
Who’s Not?
Boone’s “Tankees” are now 15-18 since July 1st and their .455 Winning Percentage over that time is the second worst in the American League East, trailing only the Red Sox (who are managing to play significantly worse)
The Big Story: DJ LeMahieu continued his stellar play since late June with a leadoff single, and after a ground-rule double by Aaron Judge, the Yankees were in position for Josh Donaldson get the Yankees out to an early lead as he lined a two-run single off crafty Mariners starter Logan Gilbert.
Taillon served up a one-out home run to Seattle right fielder Mitch Haniger in the bottom of the first to make the score 2-1 Yankees. Haniger was looking for a fastball and he got his pitch in a 1-2 count. It looked as if Taillon knew he should have expanded the zone on Haniger in that situation, as Taillon was visibly mad at himself.
After a scoreless second-inning, Josh Donaldson struck again, this time clubbing an upper-90’s fastball from Gilbert deep to left-field for a 3-1 Yankees lead. Then, new Yankees left fielder Andrew Benintendi drilled a hard 1-0 breaking ball to deep right for a double that miraculously scored Gleyber Torres who had reached on a single previously.
Torres looked to be a dead-duck as Haniger threw a bullet to second base and Mariners shortstop J.P. Crawford’s throw arrived on-line but in the dirt, in front of catcher Cal Raleigh and about 15-yards beforeTorres, who looked lost as he tried to get to the plate, slid into home-plate.
Raleigh couldn’t scoop the ball and apply the easy tag and instead, the ball caromed off his glove and it wound up being a run-scoring hit.
Seattle then loaded the bases in the fourth inning but was only able to plate a single run as they scored as Crawford drew a bases-loaded walk. The score was 4-2.
In the top of the fifth, Donaldson led off with a Double and then Torres doubled to put runners on second and third. Then, Benintendi did it again, this time drilling a one-hopper off the wall in left field that resulted in a two run double off of Gilbert to make the score 6-2 Yankees.
The Yankees weren’t done there though. Jose Trevino, the Yankees All-Star catcher, advanced Benintendi to third base with a picture perfect ground out to Crawford at shortstop for the first-out of the inning. It was a thing of beauty as “Trevy” did exactly what a hitter should do in that spot, moving the runner is what it’s all about! In lock step with Trevino, Yankees shortstop Isiah Kiner-Falefa then hit a perfect sacrifice fly to right field and now the score was 7-2 Yankees.
Mariners catcher Cal Raleigh smacked a Taillon deep to right-center field and the Seattle closed to within four-runs at 7-3. Then, Aaron Judge answered with a 423’ smash to center field, his 44th of the season, to make it 8-3 Yankees. The blast tied Judge with Mark McGwire for being the third-fastest to the milestone ever, in a single season. Then, after yet another Donaldson double, Jose Trevino knocked him in with a single and it was 9-3 Yankees.
Clay Holmes came in to mop things up and after he hit Eugenio Saurez, he struck Santana out with a 98 mph sinker, but Crawford hit a soft liner that dropped extremely shallow in left field to put runners on first and second. After Raleigh flied out, Haggerty singled in Saurez and it was 9-4 Yankees. Holmes then got Frazier to tap back to the mound and he was able to close things out, though he certainly didn’t earn Aaron Boone’s confidence with the performance.
Player of the Game - Josh Donaldson was a wrecking-ball last night. He finished the game 4-5, with 3 RBI’s. His home run in the third inning traveled 110.9 mph off the bat, landing 415 feet into the left-field bleachers - a very loud hit indeed! One that made my Mariners friends cringe! Without Donaldson, last night would have been anyone’s game.
Notable Performances:
Jameson Taillon, who came through with a much needed quality start for the Yankees. He got out of a massive jam in the bottom of the fourth, then he retired the side in order in the bottom of the fifth. Taillon’s effort was absolutely huge as the reeling Yankees desperately needed to suppress the Mariners in order to open the series on the right foot! He threw a season-high 108 pitches last night - his effort may have been his most valuable start of the season to the Yankees, as he served as a big-time stopper.
Andrew Benintendi finished the game 2-4 with 3-RBI’s and two-walks, making some very loud spray-contact. Clearly opponents are forced to play Benintendi straight-away as he uses the entire field. I’ve seen Benintendi play a number of times in person, but last night was a real treat. He’s a superb hitter and it really showed last night.
Aroldis Chapman came on to pitch the 8th-inning, getting much-needed regular work. He’s starting to find himself lately and it couldn’t come at a more needed time in the season.
Mitch Hanigar played superb defense last night and he also went 3-4 for the Mariners. Seattle is fortunate to have him back in their outfield after he had missed 14-games due to Covid and then another 99 games because of an ankle injury - collecting 4.7 million while he was out! How would the rest of us like that kind of sick-time-pay!? Not bad right?
Better to Forget
Matt Carpenter fractured his left foot, when he fouled off an 0-2 slider in the third-inning. This is disastrous news for the Yankees, who finally had the ultimate, well-balanced lineup. More than likely, the Yankees will likely call up Miguel Anjdujar from Scranton to replace Carpenter in the lineup. <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Matt Carpenter has suffered a left foot fracture, the <a href="https://twitter.com/Yankees?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@Yankees</a> announce. <a href="https://t.co/73dtXjkdM2">pic.twitter.com/73dtXjkdM2</a></p>— YES Network (@YESNetwork) <a href="https://twitter.com/YESNetwork/status/1556856287786328066?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 9, 2022</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
Clay Holmes no longer looks like a closer. He’s completely lost it. He’s just not getting swings and misses like he was earlier in the season and his control is not nearly what it was.
My Take - I attended last night’s/today’s game at the beautiful T-Mobile park as I had to fly out to Seattle for business on Bainbridge Island. It was an opportunity to attend a Mariners game with a slew of Mariners fans, who enjoyed poking fun at the “Tankees” as they have taken to calling my favorite team. Before the game, we ate at Elliot's Oyster House down on Alaskan Way - fortunately I didn’t have to pay for the dinner! What a place! **I went with the Prawn Cocktail, the Crab and Corn Chowder, the Cripsy Pacific Rockfish with Peppers, Shitake Mushrooms, Cashews, Onions, Black-Bean Sauce and a Jasmine Rice Cake and of course I had to have a few Crab Cakes to keep me in the crabby-mood I’ve been in ever since the All-Star game, when the MVP of the game went down with an ankle injury and has now missed 11-games. Perhaps his presence in the Yankee lineup matters more than many think!
Seattle is one of America’s only cities where, no matter where you are, those cool Pacific breezes bring the smell of saltwater to you, making you crave a walk on the beach or perhaps to drop a line in the water and fish for dinner!
With that out of the way, I’m bummed-out worse than I have been in a long time as a Yankees fan. Matt Carpenter, who caused me to buy a fake mustache which I wear because of him, Nestor Cortes and Lucas Leutge to all home games I attend of course, is out, possibly for the season, with a devastating broken or fractured foot. I can hardly breathe! The wind has been knocked out of me. I don’t even know what to say. I’ve loved Carpenter. And he’s left-handed! Wow. There goes the great balance the Yankees had going.
First baseman Anthony Rizzo, Carpenter, and newly acquired Andrew Benintendi had given the Yankee lineup, in theory, remarkably amazing balance. But now, with “Carp” out, quite possibly for the season, how will this impact the Yankees going forward? Josh Donaldson will probably play more, for sure. Perhaps Miguel Andujar will get one last shot as a Yankee after all, or, will Estevan Florial get one last look?
Benintendi’s contact oriented approach at the plate and his ability to use the whole field shined brightly last night and many Yankees fans, perhaps unsure about Benintendi and the value he adds to the lineup, got a chance to see what clutch hits can do for a team that gets a lot of runners into scoring position.
Instead of waiting for a home run, the Yankees now have DJ LeMahieu and Andrew Benintendi in the same lineup, God forbid if they ever bat back to back, righty followed by lefty. Both hitters are consummate batsmen in their own rights. The Yankee offense is alive and well and it’s still scoring runs at a very high clip!
Next Up: Later tonight, the Yankees play game-five of this road-trip as the Bombers will send the suddenly faltering Gerrit Cole to the mound (9-4, 3.56 ERA) while the Mariners counter with sudden Yankee-killer Luis Castillo (4-4, 2.86) - the pitcher Cashman decided not to trade for because the Reds wanted to begin the conversation with the letters e - p - l - o - and V.
Cole will make his 23rd start of the season tonight as the 31-year-old pitches on extended five days' rest due to Thursday's team off day. He last pitched on Wednesday vs. Seattle, taking the loss in the Yankees' 7-3 defeat at Yankee Stadium (6.0 IP, 7 H, 6 ER, 1 BB, 8 K, 3 HR).
Cole has allowed 2 earned-runs or fewer in 12 of his last 19 starts and one-or-zero runs in nine of those starts. He ranks second in the Majors in strikeouts (170) and second in K/9.0IP (11.65). In 64 starts with the Yankees, Cole is 32-15 with a 3.27 ERA (385.2IP, 140ER) and 507 strikeouts.
