About Yesterday: The Yankees Scuttled the Mariners 3-2

 About Yesterday: The Yankees Scuttled the Mariners 3-2

By Tim Kabel

May 15, 2025

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The Yankees edged the Mariners 3-2 on the strength of home runs by Aaron Judge and Paul Goldschmidt and an RBI double by Jasson Dominguez. That, combined with the solid pitching of Will Warren was enough to beat the Mariners.

The Yankees are now 25- 18 and in first place in the American League East, 3 1/2 games ahead of the Boston Red Sox. They have the second-best record in the American League, behind the Detroit Tigers. The Yankees went 6-3 on the West Coast road trip, and won their last three series. They now head into phase one of the 2025 Subway Series against the Mets, with three games at home this weekend.

Quick Stats – 

·       Aaron Judge leads the Major Leagues with 15 home runs. He is batting .412 and has 41 RBI in 43 games. Judge has reached base multiple times in 33 of the 43 games he has played this season, leading all Major League hitters.

·       Paul Goldschmidt pinch hit a home run for the first time in 11 years. 

·       Will Warren had his second consecutive solid outing, pitching five innings, allowing two earned runs on four hits while striking out nine, which is his high-water mark for the season. He only allowed one walk. If he can develop his consistency, the Yankees might really have something.

·       Ian Hamilton picked up his first win of the season and Luke Weaver earned his fourth save. 

·       Seattle's Julio Rodriguez robbed Trent Grisham of a leadoff home run by reaching over the fence to make the catch. 

·       On May 14th, 1967, Mickey Mantle hit the 500th home run of his career against the Baltimore Orioles. At the time, that made him the 6th player in Major League history to reach that milestone. 

·       On May 14th, 1996, Dwight Gooden pitched a no-hitter for the Yankees against the Seattle Mariners. It was the 8th no-hitter in Yankees history at the time. Apparently, May 14th is not a very good day for the Mariners to play the Yankees.

Big Story – 

The Yankees and Oswaldo Cabrera are reportedly exploring every option before deciding how to treat his fractured ankle. They need to determine the full extent of the damage and are consulting with multiple doctors.  Regardless of the ultimate decision for treatment, he is most likely finished for the season. Oswaldo is certainly not a superstar but, he was doing a fine job holding down third base. While it is true that he is probably best suited to a utility role, he is an extremely hard worker who leaves everything on the field. The fact that he crawled back to make sure he touched home plate and while writhing in pain and asked Aaron Judge if he scored tells you all you need to know about the young man. I'm sure the Yankees will acquire someone to play third base but, once Cabrera is healed, he should have a role on the team for as long as possible. He means a lot to his teammates, and he gives 100% all the time. Winning teams need players like Oswaldo Cabrera.

 Player of the Game – 

 Aaron Judge had two hits, including his 15th home run of the season and raised his batting average to .412. He leads the Major Leagues in almost every offensive category.

Notable Performances – 

Paul Goldschmidt continued his offensive renaissance.

Will Warren delivered another solid start and has shown flashes of being dominant.

Better To Forget

Jorbit Vivas Is batting .174. Aaron Boone pinch hit for him with Pablo Reyes, who is batting .160. That's like replacing Velveeta with a can of cheese whiz on a cheese board.

My Take – 

The Yankees are in first place and do have the second-best record in the American League. Yet, there are some concerns. Luis Gil’s return from the IL is not imminent. Will Warren is showing signs of growth and maturity and could very well be an important part of the rotation by the end of the season. However, he is still young and prone to inconsistency. That is how young players develop for the most part.

Ryan Yarbrough is doing an adequate job filling in as the fifth starter but, he does not provide length and is better suited to a relief role. The Yankees need to acquire a solid starting pitcher. They really can't wait until Luis Gil returns because no one is sure when that will be. Besides, everyone thought the Yankees had too much starting pitching at the beginning of the season and look where they are now. Gerrit Cole is gone for the year, Luis Gil probably won't be back until the end of June at the earliest. Marcus Stroman, who was considered extra baggage, is injured with an uncertain return date. The Yankees need to make a trade for a solid starter sooner rather than later.

Many people thought that the Yankees needed to acquire someone to play third base even before Oswaldo Cabrera went down with that gruesome injury. Until Jazz Chisholm returns, the Yankees will be using a combination of DJ LeMahieu, Yorbit Vivas, Oswald Peraza, and Pablo Reyes to man third base and second base. Basically, the Yankees will be weaker at two positions against almost every team they play for the foreseeable future. Once Chisholm returns, they will only be weaker at third base. They need to trade for someone because they don't have any options in the minor leagues. George Lombard, Jr. may eventually be the third baseman of this team, but he is far from being ready. It would be a colossal mistake and unfair to him to thrust him into that role.

Recently, I wrote about how Aaron Boone was weakening the team by giving multiple starting players the day off on the same day. He did it again yesterday. DJ LeMahieu was making his return from the IL and ended last season batting .204. Yorbit Vivas is not a very good offensive player at this point. So, there were two weak spots in the lineup.  So, what did Boone do? He gave both Paul Goldschmidt and Austin Wells the day off  and played JC Escarra. I know Wells doesn't have very high batting average right now, but he is still a threat and as he demonstrated last year, his offense will improve.  The team is off today so, Boone could have used better judgment in doling out off-days. If he wanted to give Wells a day off, he could have had Ben Rice catch, allowing Goldschmidt to play first base. Ultimately, both Wells and Goldschmidt came into the game and Goldschmidt hit a key home run. The Yankees can't afford to give away at bats. They certainly need to give players days off but, there has to be a better way to do it and taking two key players out of the lineup on the same day, especially when you have a  young, developing pitcher on the mound is not the best idea. However, I should know better than to expect Boone to demonstrate good managing skills and sound judgment.

Next Up-

The Yankees will open a three-game series against the Mets on Friday at 7:05 PM at Yankee Stadium. Tylor Megill, (3-3, 3.10 ERA) will pitch for the Mets. The Yankees will send Carlos Rodon, (4-3, 3.29 ERA) to the mound.