About Last Night - YANKS WIN!!!
- Paul Semendinger
- Jul 11
- 3 min read
July 11, 2025
***
Well, that was fun.
Unlikely. Unbelievable. Amazing. Terrific.
Impossible.
Fun, Fun, Fun!!!
Game Recap:
Unlikely... Marcus Stroman allowed only two runs over five innings. That's a fine start. I never saw this coming - Marcus Stroman returning from the abyss and continually pitching well. The Yankees are 2-1 in his three starts since coming back. He has a 3.60 ERA in that time.
Unbelievable... Bryan Woo of the Mariners walked the first two batters of the game. That's a terrible way to start a game. It then mattered not at all. Woo settled down and retired 20 consecutive batters and carried a no-hitter into the 8th inning.
Amazing... Along the way, the Mariners scored five times including a big three-run homer from Jorge Polanco in the top of the seventh to make the game 5-0. It was all Mariners at that point.
BUT...
In the eighth inning, Jazz Chisholm singled. Then Ben Rice singled. Austin Wells then hit a sacrifice fly and the Yankees were on the board. One out later, the Yankees sent up Giancarlo Stanton to pinch hit.
Giancarlo Stanton is a terrible pinch-hitter.
So, what did he do?
He homered. Giancarlo Stanton hit a pinch-hit home run. And the Yanks were only down 5-3.
Terrific... In the bottom of the 9th, Tent Grisham singled. Aaron Judge then flew out. Cody Bellinger then singled. And Jazz Chisholm flew out. But, Ben Rice walked, and on a 3-2 pitch, Austin Wells tied the game with a two-run single.
Impossible... The Yankees are terrible in extra innings. Horrible. The worst.
Somehow, the Mariners didn't score in the top of the tenth inning. Devin Williams was masterful.
In the bottom of the inning, it looked like it was the same old Yankees. Oswald Peraza couldn't get a bunt down. One out. Then Paul Goldschmidt came up to pinch hit - a bad idea. He was intentionally walked. Of course he was. Trent Grisham though also walked. And just like that, the bases were loaded.
Aaron Judge then hit a shallow fly to centerfield.
Anthony Volpe raced home. He slid as the ball arrived, and was SAFE!!!
The Yankees won in walk-off fashion 6-5!!!
Fun, Fun, Fun!!!
My Takes:
I took part in an on-line baseball class today as a guest speaker. We started discussing the importance of the count when a batter is up. The point was that every pitch in a game matters.
A 1-1 pitch called a strike is devastating to a hitter. A 1-1 pitch called a ball is devastating to a pitcher.
I decided to look at Aaron Judge's career stats with a 2-1 count and a 1-2 count. Sit down before you read these stats...
With a 1-2 count, Aaron Judge's career batting average is .184.
But, with a 2-1 count, Aaron Judge's career batting average is .495.
(I told you to sit before you read that. Amazing.)
***
I'm not a fan of the Home Run Derby. But, if they have the silly thing, the best home run hitters should take part. They don't. This makes the whole event even more unmeaningful than it is.
Jazz Chisholm, it was announced, will take part in the derby next week. That's a terrible idea. First, he's not really a home run hitter. Second, he shouldn't be swinging for home runs. Third... didn't he just say his shoulder hurts?!
***
I greatly dislike the STARR Insurance patch the Yankees have on their uniforms. That being said, the Mariners' patch is much much much worse. It looks absolutely terrible.
***
Once Bryan Woo allowed that first hit, he should have been taken out of the game. We see this all the time, once a pitcher loses a no-hitter, he starts to allow more hits, and very quickly. Before the successive hit came, and the sacrifice fly, he should have been given the hook.
***
The Yankees, the once struggling Yankees, the once swooning Yankees, just swept the Mariners. The Yankees have won four in a row. Things are starting to fall into place.
I hope that Mr. Cashman and Mr. Steinbrenner are carefully watching. With some smart deals, they can address the concerns on the team and make them favorites for a Wolrd Series. The moment to act and go big is now. This is not the time to cower and take half-steps. It's time now, finally, once-and-for-all, to go all-in.
I hope they do.
*** Let's Go Yankees!
During his time in pinstripes, Jazz Chisholm Jr. is homering at a 40.4 HR per 650 plate appearance pace...he might just be a home run hitter when he's not playing for the dumpster-fire Marlins! :-)
He's also hitting .261/.336/.514 in that time. The guy is a borderline star. To be clear, I also will be holding my breath watching him in the HR Derby - I'm sure he'll be incredibly entertaining, but given the injuries he's dealt with this season, I have concerns about him taking dozens of 100% swings.
Lost a bit in the shuffle was that Ian Hamilton looked like himself again, getting the top of the order 1, 2, 3 in his inning, concluding with a strikeout of Raleigh. If he can make it back to the Circle of Trust, that will alleviate some of the bullpen concerns.
Maybe a fun reader's thread could be: Who are your untouchable prospects, or, who who would you not have ANY untouchable ones. For me, while I might not trade a whole bunch of top prospects in one deal, I would not say anyone is untouchable for Jose Ramirez or Jacob deGrom.
MLB has turned the HR Derby into something that does have the player exert a lot of energy, and in my opinion, so if you can't have fun with it, and treat it as a game, you shouldn't do it. Most HR hitters aren't built that way. Pete Alonso is an exception, he just has fun with it. Only the the home team in my opinion needs to ha…