About Yesterday Afternoon: The Yankees Drubbed the Brewers 15-5
By Tim Kabel
April 22, 2024
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The Yankees beat up on the Brewers for the second day in a row. The offense has suddenly come to life. Aaron Judge hit a home run for the second day in a row, and also blocked a shot. Unfortunately, this isn't basketball. In the best use of an oven mitt since Julia Child, he broke up a double play In the 6th inning. After the game, the umpire crew chief, Andy Fletcher, indicated that Judge should have been called out for interference. He wasn't. The Yankees scored seven runs in the 6th inning and went on to blow out the Brewers again.
Quick Stats –
· The Yankees scored 15 or more runs in two games in a row for the fifth time in franchise history.
· Every starter had at least one hit.
· Aaron Judge had three hits, including a home run and drove in three runs. We can all come off the ledge now.
· On April 28th, 1985, Yogi Berra was fired after getting off to a 6-10 start in the season. He vowed never to return to Yankee Stadium as long as George Steinbrenner was the owner. It took 14 years and Suzyn Waldman to end their feud.
· Yesterday was Anthony Volpe’s 23rd birthday. He had two hits, including a three-run home run. I wonder if he went out for chicken parmesan once the team landed in Baltimore.
· Anthony Rizzo hit his 300th career home run. He is the 16th player to hit his 300th career home run with the New York Yankees.
Big Story –
The Yankees won the series in Milwaukee by winning a second game they should have won. That does not negate the fact that they lost one they should have won on Friday night. Two out of three is great but when it should have been three out of three, it's not quite good enough. It's about accumulating wins throughout the season. After Friday's game, the manager seemed to indicate that games in April were not as important as games later in the season. The total number of wins is what is important. A manager shouldn't do things to win a game that will hurt the team in the long run, but he also shouldn't give away games.
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Player of the Game –
Anthony Volpe had a heck of a birthday, even better than if he had gone to Chuck E. Cheese’s
Notable Performance –
Anthony Rizzo had four hits, including his 300th career home run.
Better to Forget –
Marcus Stroman was shaky, and Michael Tonkin was only able to give the Yankees 1.1 innings of relief.
My Take –
On Friday night, Aaron Boone added to the Yankees’ promotional schedule by giving away a game. It didn't matter to him that it was a road game, and most give-away days occur at home. His blunders cost the game.
In a perfect example of Boone-proofing, the Yankees scored 15 runs on Saturday and again on Sunday. They created insurmountable leads that no number of managerial blunders could sabotage. However, on Sunday, Boone did make efforts to do so.
The Yankees are in the middle of a long stretch of games without any days off. Their next day off is not until a week from today. Aaron Boone has specifically stated that pitching, and in particular relief pitching, is a concern. He needs to keep people fresh. Therefore, when Ron Marinaccio was pitching with a seven-run lead in the 6th inning, why did he pull him the minute he gave up a hit with one out? He should have left him in at least a little bit longer, to see if he could get out of the inning. Instead, he brought in Ian Hamilton, who had been dealing with some physical issues. He uncharacteristically struggled and walked in a run. So, Boone used two pitchers in one inning with a huge lead.
The Yankees had an eight-run lead going into the bottom of the seventh inning. There was some talk on the broadcast of eventually using a position player to pitch, as they did on Saturday night. Instead, Boone brought in Michael Tonkin. Tonkin’s theme song should be, Please Release Me. He has been designated for assignment three times this season already. The fourth time is as they say, only a matter of time. Boone should have put him in and left him there to eat up innings and save the rest of the bullpen, particularly going into the series against Baltimore. He could have then been designated for assignment after the game. After all, he's used to it. The Yankees could have then brought in a fresh arm from the minor leagues.
The Yankees are playing four games against Baltimore starting tonight. Those are important games. Instead of leaving Tonkin in with an eight-run lead, Boone used Caleb Ferguson and Victor Gonzalez. There was no need for that. The Yankees used six pitchers in a game they won by ten runs. Realistically, they could have used three and saved arms for the rest of this week.
Although the Yankees won the last two games by very wide margins, and Boone’s decisions didn't hurt them in those games, they may cause problems down the road. By down the road, I mean this week against Baltimore.
Boone uses the same rationale to defend opposite moves. He has not improved as a manager in his seven-year tenure. If anything, he is worse now than he was when he started. I think that is because he has somehow deluded himself into believing that he is a good manager. Therefore, he never questions or gives a second thought to his moves because he believes they are the correct moves to make. That is a problem. I hate to harp on this, particularly after two blowout wins but this season does not have success written on it, not as long as Aaron Boone remains the manager.
Next Up –
Tonight, the Yankees open a four-game series against the Baltimore Orioles at 6:35 PM at Oriole Park at Camden Yards. Clarke Schmidt, (1-0, 3.15 ERA) will face Baltimore’s Grayson Rodriguez, (3-0 2.63 ERA).
