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Writer's pictureEthan Semendinger

About Yesterday Afternoon: NYY 6, PHI 5

By Ethan Semendinger

August 1st, 2024

***

The Yankees just swept the best team (by record) in the National League. Hopefully that bad stretch is finally behind them.

 

Quick Stats -

  • Winning Pitcher: Nestor Cortes (5-9, 4.16 ERA)

  • Losing Pitcher: Cristopher Sanchez (7-7, 3.36 ERA)

  • Save: Clay Holmes (22)

  • Home Runs (New York): DJ LeMahieu (2)

  • Home Runs (Philadelphia): Weston Wilson (2)

---

Big Story - If teams were limited to making just 1 move per trade deadline, I would say the Yankees did a fantastic job this year by bringing in Jazz Chisholm. Any reader of this site over the last week or so knows that I was all-in on getting him, and watching him do his thing is extremely exciting.


However, teams can make as many moves as they want at the trade deadline. The Yankees made 4: getting Chisholm, Mark Leiter Jr., Enyel De Los Santos, and trading away Caleb Ferguson. (Just for fun: The Marlins- though sellers- made 6 trades on Tuesday alone!) It was not enough.


The Yankees will be riding out hope from here on out that players like DJ LeMahieu can fix a failed season. Players like Giancarlo Stanton will come back healthy and immediately produce. Players like Alex Verdugo and Anthony Volpe will re-find their early season success. And the pitching (as a whole) will improve.


For now, here was the line-up for the final game in the three-game series against the Phillies, as the Yankees looked for the sweep:

---

Player of the Game -

  • DJ LeMahieu: 2-4, Double, GRAND SLAM, 2 Runs, 6 RBI's

Notable Performances -

  • Nestor Cortes: 5.1 Innings, 3 Hits, 3 Runs (3 ER), 2 Walks, 6 Strikeouts

  • Clay Holmes: 1.0 Innings, 1 Hit, 0 Runs, 0 Walks, 0 Strikeouts

  • Giancarlo Stanton: 2-4, Run

  • Alex Verdugo: 1-3, 2 Runs, 1 Walk

  • Juan Soto: 1-3, 1 Walk, 1 Strikeout

Better to Forget -

  • Aaron Judge: 0-4, 4 Strikeouts

  • Gleyber Torres: 0-5, 1 Strikeout

---

The Game - I have to be honest, I did not expect for Nestor Cortes to have a good day. In his last 3 starts, he had not pitched into the 6th inning. Combined over all three, he allowed 15 runs in just 13.1 innings. In his last 10 starts (going back to the beginning of June) the Yankees had won just 2 of them. He allowed fewer than 3 runs in just 3 of them. He went 6+ innings in just 3 of them as well. Long story short, Nestor Cortes has been bad.


It also should be noted that, just two days ago, there were rumors out there that Nestor Cortes could be traded away to capitalize on a hot sellers market for starting pitchers.


So, how did Nestor do? Well...he went perfectly through the first 3 innings (9 batters) of the game. In the 4th inning, a lead-off walk was followed by a double, and though both would eventually come around to score, Nestor wasn't getting hit overly hard. In the 5th inning, Weston Wilson started off with a lead-off home run, but that was the worst Nestor was hit all day. He would end the 5th without more damage, and get Bryce Harper to flyout to start the 6th before getting pulled. In 5.1 innings pitched, Cortes allowed 3 runs.


Was it good? No. But, it was a lot better than I was expecting. And, the Yankees were playing well enough to make it a game.


The Yankees offense also went down 1-2-3 to start the game, however, Giancarlo Stanton and Jazz Chisholm started the 2nd inning with back-to-back singles. After a Volpe strikeout, Alex Verdugo worked a tough walk, and then- believe it or not- DJ LeMahieu came up with a big hit.


A GRAND SLAM!


The 3rd inning featured two more singles, but didn't end with runs after a double-play. The 4th inning went 1-2-3. The 5th inning featured a bunt pop out by Gleyber Torres (who was trying to bunt over back-up catcher Carlos Narvaez, who got on with a single to start the inning), followed by strikeouts from Soto and Judge.


In the 6th inning, 2-out singles from Anthony Volpe and Alex Verdugo brought back up DJ LeMahieu. The Phillies were worried about a sub-.200 hitter and went to the bullpen...who immediately allowed a hard hit 2-RBI double. DJ LeMahieu had a career-high 6 RBI's. He started the game hitting .173 with a .216 SLG and a 38 OPS+.


If Nestor pitching well was unexpected, I don't have a word to explain how out-of-the-blue DJ LeMahieu popping off was.


But, baseball games don't end after 5 and a half innings. Though the 7th, 8th, and 9th inning, the Yankees offense got just one more baserunner from a Juan Soto walk. The bullpen would need to hold.


Luke Weaver replaced Nestor Cortes in the bottom of the 6th in a 6-3 game. He immediately allowed a triple to Alec Bohm, who scored on a groundout in the next at-bat. (Yankees 6, Phillies 4.) Weaver escaped the rest of the inning without any more damage.


Weaver came back out for the 7th, allowing a lead-off single, getting a groundout, and then he got pulled for Tommy Kahnle. Kahnle allowed a walk, but worked a strikeout and (long) flyout to end the inning. No damage done- though the flyout was just a foot or two higher from being a go-ahead 3-run homerun.


In the 8th, Mark Leiter worked, and got hit. Alex Bohm hit a 1-out double, followed by an RBI single from Nick Castellanos. (Yankees 6, Phillies 5.) Leiter would get his second out via strikes, but a single and hit-by-pitched followed to load the bases.


But, Leiter got Brandon Marsh to strike out.


And, the Yankees went to Clay Holmes for the 9th inning, in a 1 run game. The day after be blew a save in another tight game.


He started off the 9th by allowing a single.

And then a flyout.

And then a groundout, that was turned into a double play.


YANKEES WIN! YANKEES SWEEP THE PHILLIES!

***

The Yankees swept the Phillies. In the first game they dominated 14-4. In the second game, the Yankees outlasted them 7-6 in 12 inning. In yesterday's game, the Yankees got ahead first and were able to hold.


I will stand by my belief that the Yankees are still not built as good as they could've been. I will continue to think that the Yankees should have traded for another bat (Yandy Diaz), another starting pitcher (Erick Fedde or Jack Flaherty), and some bullpen pieces (Ryan Yarbrough, David Bednar, etc).


I know not all of those players were available. But, in a year where you have Aaron Judge and Juan Soto, not going all-in at the deadline was a mistake. I hope it is a mistake that doesn't show itself ever. I hope the Yankees horrible stretch is behind them. I hope Leiter and De Los Santos and Chisholm become great Yankees.


But, they could've- and should've- done more.


One game does not prove DJ LeMahieu is "back". Just like how one good play does not make a poor defender great.


I am hopeful that the Yankees are back to their early season form. However, I am weary. The last month took a big toll on my passion. Wins- and series- like these will win it back.


Let's go Yankees!

---

Next Up - Tonight, the Yankees are off. (Enjoy the off day!)

Tomorrow, the Yankees (65-45) will come back home to the Bronx to face off the against the Toronto Blue Jays (50-59). The Yankees are set to send Marcus Stroman (7-5, 3.64 ERA) on the mound against the Blue Jays' Kevin Gauman (9-8, 4.44 ERA). Coverage begins at 7:05 PM on YES.



12 комментариев


Jeff Korell
Jeff Korell
01 авг.

Sweeping the team with the best record in baseball is extremely impressive. I will take nothing away from that. However................


The Philadelphia Phillies are going through a terrible stretch right now. Besides being swept by the Yankees, the Phillies lost 4 in a row, and have lost every one of their series since the All Star Break, and have one of the worst records in baseball since the All Star Break. Many Phillies pitchers are currently struggling badly, especially their bullpen, and their hitters are slumping. In particular, Bryce Harper has been brutal lately, currently 1 for 30 in all of his recent at-bats. The Yankees were very fortunate to catch the Phillies during their worst stretch of their sea…


Лайк

jjw49
01 авг.

Yankees caught Philly in an awful stretch but come playoffs they could match up again.... will they be able to sweep them again? Will Jazz have the same production? Expecting DJLM to drive in 6 is that realistic? The Yankees are a playoff team, but it remains to be seen how deep they go, especially with Holmes as the closer!

Лайк

fuster
01 авг.

I will stand by my belief that the Yankees are still not built as good as they could've been.


not baseball team ever is


including All-Star teams.


I also think that they would have done well to add a starter


and not only a reliever (Leiter) or two (De Los Santos)


BUT

I have learned to trust the team when it comes to evaluating relief pitchers


AND


first thing I noticed about the guys that they acquired is that they're under team control for more than this season

second thing I noticed is that Chisholm and Leiter look like they can contribute

third thing I noticed was that none of them were highly paid ( by MLB standards)


figure Rizzo,…


Лайк
fuster
01 авг.
Ответ пользователю

Alan, just how stinking bad is the team that Cashman has built?


the record is 65 and 45


you can make a case that the present team is too much dependent on three major star players and otherwise uneven and perhaps mediocre


but there is not a case for claiming that the team is not good.


the evidence does not support that claim

Лайк

Robert Malchman
Robert Malchman
01 авг.

Final score was 6-5, not 6-3. If they'd been up by three runs, I would have needed only two antacids to watch Holmes instead of half a bottle.

Лайк
fuster
01 авг.
Ответ пользователю

Holmes helps to sell a lot of product

I popped an antacid and was reaching for a second one when

the talented and lovely (and much-admired) Bryce Harper

yet again failed to bang

and, instead, whimpered away the game

Лайк

etbkarate
01 авг.

Without jinxing them, i guess Friday night at fenway was rock bottom. Taking 5 straight on the road in Boston and Philly since is impressive. It will mean nothing if they come out flat Friday night at home against Toronto. A lot is on the shoulders of stroman. A solid start and they might be back, a butt kicking and it could set them back, because they have Berrios on Saturday. Don't choke, Marcus! You keep telling us how great you are after a loss and how it was 1 or 2 bad pitches. Ok. Now go out and show us! Go out out and throw 7 solid innings. No excuses, just do it.

Лайк
Robert Malchman
Robert Malchman
01 авг.
Ответ пользователю

June 13 to July 26: 11-24, .314. That's a worse winning percentage than the .329 of the 1912 Highlanders, the worst full-season in franchise history. That's worse than Aaron Judge's batting average this year. They spent 60 games playing .500 baseball. The bottom line is that this is a mediocre ball club with two five best hitters in the American League. They need to play .635 ball over the final 52 games to get to 98 wins, which I think is the minimum needed to have the home field through the AL post-season. They can do it -- they had 35 wins in 52 games to start the season -- but I'm not holding my breath.

Лайк
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