About Last Night: Yanks Win 3-1

By Paul Semendinger

August 22, 2026

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Last night, the Yankees topped the Blue Jays 3-1 at Yankee Stadium.

What follows are my "in game" thoughts as well as some other perspectives throughout...

The Game

• It was nice to see Heliot Ramos running hard down the line to prevent the Blue Jays from turning a double play in the first inning. About a week ago, he jogged, very slowly, to

  first on a grounder.

  
  

• I absolutely emphatically dislike greatly the fact that the Yankees have George Lombard, Jr. batting fifth. Fifth! My goodness! Let the kid acclimate to the big leagues before expecting too much of him. Pretty soon, the Yankees will make him player-manager. Yikes!

• Amed Rosario started at third base, walked in the bottom of the first inning, and was removed for a pinch runner. I call that poor strategy - especially considering that the Blue Jays still hade a left-handed pitcher in the bullpen.

  
  

• The Yankees failed to score in the first inning for the 20th consecutive game.

• It's Players' Weekend. (Bigger questions - Why? What's the purpose and point?) If I were a Yankee, for my unique uniform, I'd take off the Starr Insurance patch.

• In the bottom of the second inning, Spencer Jones hit monster homer into the second deck that was just fair to give the Yankees a 2-0 lead.

• I am currently reading one of Tim Kabel's latest manuscripts. Tim is a gifted writer. I have enjoyed each of the books and manuscripts that he has shared with me. One fun aspect of Tim's books is that there are often a character with the last name of a former Yankee. In this book, I have encountered a Soderholm and a Wynegar. Great stuff!

• I stated the following on the Dr. Sem Yankees Show... the 2026 Yankees have a winning record in every month this season except June. They're playing better than we think. (Of course, the American League isn't all that great, but still...)

• The Yankees picked up their third run in the fourth inning. GLJ singled. Trent Grisham walked. Spencer Jones hit a grounder to move the runners over. Jose Caballero then hit a sacrifice fly. (That was the good news, the bad news was the Yankees wouldn't score again.)

• Cam Schlittler struggled all night. He bent, but he didn't break. That is what top pitchers are able to do - he found a way to get the outs.

• The Jays got a run in the fifth from a double and a single, but soon after Schlitter got a double play grounder. Again, that's how ace's pitch.

• Schlitter pitched 6 innings of one-run ball. Outstanding!

• Through five innings, George Lombard, Jr. came up twice with two outs and runners in scoring position. He struck out both times. Does that prove anything? No. Babe Ruth did that. Ted Williams too, I am sure. And Hank Aaron and Ty Cobb and every player. But, should Lombard, in his 15th big league game, be asked to be an impact bat in the middle of the line-up? No. Absolutely not. This is exactly how to not break a kid into the Major Leagues.

• Brent Headrick pitched yet another scoreless inning of relief. He has been amazing. No one saw that coming.

• Spencer Jones almost made a tremendous catch, but the ball popped out of his glove and it became a triple. Nonetheless, it was a great effort.

• Paul Blackburn pitched a scoreless inning. He hasn't allowed a run since July.

• George Springer of the Blue Jays looks completely lost at the plate.

• One game proves nothing, but Lombard, Jr. struck out again in the bottom of the 8th with a runner in scoring position. It is an unfair expectation for the Yankees to assume that Lombard, a .248 hitter across his minor league career, can help carry the offense in his first few weeks as a big leaguer. I'll say it again and again - there is no world in which he should be batting fifth at this point in his career.

• David Bednar came in for the ninth and nailed down the win. This was his 30th save of the season.

• The Yankees have won five in a row and are 11-7 in August.

Other Notes and Perspectives:

• Let me begin with a statement of obvious fact: George Lombard, Jr. is off to an excellent start to his MLB career. He seems mature and professional. His talent is obvious.

  
  

  That being said, I will always urge caution with prospects. I never believe in rushing them. I never believe in putting prospects in situations where too much is asked of them too soon.

• Many people have told me I am wrong about Lombard. Fair enough. Before the game last night, Lombard, Jr. was batting .292. That's tremendous. But, note, that had been across 14 games. We need to keep his start in perspective.

  
  

  As a comparison, Anthony Volpe was batting .293 across 24 games at the start of 2024. That was at the same time that most were calling Volpe's defense "elite." After all, he had just won the Gold Glove the season before. As a reminder, Volpe, who was asked to do too much, is in the minor leagues and is no longer a shortstop.

• Many players have been good for a few weeks, or more...

Across 14 games in 1972 (from July 7-23), Celerino Sanchez batted .354.

Across his first 26 games in 1980, Mario Mendoza (yes, that Mario Mendoza) batted .292.

As late as September 9, 1989, across 133 games played, Alvaro Espinoza was batting .290 for the season.

I am hoping that George Lombard, Jr. is for real. He just might be. But, let's also not get ahead of ourselves. Plenty of players have had good streaks. These good starts or hot streaks do not make a career.

• In the top of the fifth, Lombard, Jr. over ran a popup and missed it and was charged with an error. It was his second error. That puts him on pace to have 22 errors over 162 games. That would be more than Anthony Volpe ever had in a season. I mention this only to explain that it is very very early in Lombard Jr.'s career and that there will be growing pains. The Yankees and their fans seem to be hoping that he is a superstar already. That expectation just isn't fair.

  
  

• Just a reminder regarding the comments - when people resort to name calling and mocking as happened yet again the other day, it completely ends polite discussion and discourse. The mocking and name calling (and sarcasm) and such go directly against a place where fans feel comfortable discussing the games, the players, the decisions, and sharing their own points of view.

  
  

  I am very tired of having to explain this over and over again and make these reminders - ones I have been stating for years. I am asking kindly, again, possibly for the last time, that all comments be respectful. One can write honestly and respectfully. One can say, "I am not confident in Player X" without calling him a coward or a bum or other such names. A poorly performing player does not need a demeaning nickname.

  
  

  SSTN is not the place for those types of comments. At all. There are other places on-line for that. When one wishes to be obnoxious, go somewhere else.  If one isn't sure if a comment is acceptable, he should refrain from making that comment.

  
  

  When one wishes to write respectfully, write here. This is simple and very straight forward. Again, I do not have the time nor the inclination to keep on with these reminders and discussions.

• Cam Schlittler leads the AL in WAR (pitchers), Games Started, Innings Pitched, and ERA+

• Let's Go Yankees.

Next Up

The Yankees play at 1:35 today against the Blue Jays. Ryan Weathers will be on the mound.

Cover image created by ChatGPT.

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