About Yesterday: Yanks Get One Hit

by Paul Semendinger

April 10, 2026

***

Ryan Weathers started for the Yankees and looked great. There was some good defense behind him as well. In the first inning, Ryan McMahon made a diving catch off a line drive for the third out. In the second, Randal Grichuk chased a long fly down in deep left-center to end the frame. More than that, though, Weathers threw strikes getting ahead of almost every hitter. He threw a first pitch strike to 15 of the first 18 batters he faced.

As the Yankees were held hitless, the A's broke a scoreless game in the top of the seventh inning. Max Muncy led off the inning with a triple and score on a single by Tyler Soderstrom.

Overall, Ryan Weathers pitched eight innings, allowing one run on seven hits. He walked no one and struck out six. He demonstrated why the Yankees traded for him. The question will be if he can pitch well consistently. He was certainly deserving of a win yesterday.

The Yankees finally got a hit (a Ben Rice single) in the bottom of the seventh. They had gone 12 full innings without a hit dating back to the previous game. That hit was the only one they'd get as they lost 1-0.

The Yankees have dropped three of four games and are now 8-4 on the season.

Notes:

I probably shared that I am reading Will Durant's 11-volume history of civilization series with my oldest son. We read Volume 1 last year and are reading the second volume (The Life of Greece) this year. In between innings, I read from Durant's last book (published posthumously), Fallen Leaves. Reading books is much better than watching the commercials - most of them are horrible. I most dislike the Liberty Mutual and the Allstate ads the most. Those are horrible. Reading allows me to escape the banality they force on the viewers.

In the first inning, there was an injury to a batter on the A's (Brent Rooker), and as the pinch-hitter got ready, in the background the organist played "stadium music" the way the organ used to monopolize the sounds of the ballpark. I miss those days and wish there would be more organ music and (many) fewer sound effects and dumb noises at the games.

As I sat and watched the game, I also couldn't help but think about my first game on the mound in 2026. Our season begins Sunday. I am hoping to be the Opening Day starter. I cherish every game. As a guy who will turn 58 this summer, I fear I don't have many seasons left.

In the bottom of the fifth inning, Jose Caballero took a strike, challenged it, and it was determined that it was, in fact, a strike. The Yankees should have a standing rule that if a batter is batting .143, as Caballero is hitting, he does not have the luxury of asking for an ABS challenge. The challenges should be saved for big moments and/or hitters that are actually...hitting.

The ABS system works so well that they should just use it for every pitch next season. An umpire should be in a booth who can confirm every call. This would happen seamlessly in the time that the ball is thrown from the catcher to the pitcher. Right now the ABS system is a gimmick because teams have to strategize when to challenge. The purpose should be to get all the calls correct not just some if and when a player challenges.

Randal Grichuk, brought in to "mash lefties," struck out his three times up. None of his at bats was competitive.

This was the first time since 2016 that the A's won a series in the Bronx.

Jazz Chisholm, Randal Grichuk. Auston Wells, Ryan McMahon, Jose Caballero, Trent Grisham, and J.C Escarra are all batting under .200.

Rather than a June swoon maybe the Yankees have begun a glacial April...

The Yankees play in Tampa tonight. Luis Gil makes his first start of the year for the Yankees.