The Yankees Bats Went Silent In a Cold Miserable Night in the Bronx Last Night
Last night was probably a game the Yankees should have won. When Masahiro Tanaka is throwing the ball like he did for his first six innings you have to give him a lead. Last night Andrew Cashner stymied this lineup on a cold, windy night in the Bronx. Tanaka was very solid from the get-go, keeping his splitter low consistently. If there’s ever a tell-tale sign with the asian sensation it’s if his splitter is staying down. When that pitch is up in the zone you can expect him to get rocked. For five and a half innings the game was scoreless until Aaron Judge found a jet stream in right center to get the Yanks on the board.
Judge became the fastest player ever to 58 home runs which is such a random stat that was just dug up to sound fascinating. Regardless, I think Judge has easily looked the best at the plate between Stanton, Sanchez, and himself. Just in terms of putting together the best at bats, every time he steps to the plate I think he looks the most comfortable.
Judge’s bottom of the sixth homer was just about the only bright spot from that point moving forward. In the top of the 7th things took a turn for the worst. Jonathan Schoop led off with a single as Aaron Boone got the bullpen cooking. Next up was Adam Jones who went on to hit a two run shot to left to give the O’s a 2-1 lead. People on Twitter criticized Boone for not pulling Tanaka here and I didn’t think that was warranted whatsoever. Listen, Aaron Boone has not had the best opening week ever but we’ve reach the point now where people are blaming him for every single bad thing to happen in a game. The facts are that Tanaka was cruising in this game with a pitch count well under control at around 85 pitches in the 7th. You’re not pulling your starter in that situation with only a man on first with the way he had been throwing.
After a groundout and a single Boone pulled Tanaka and brought in the always reliable Chad Green. Last night was weird for Chad as every pitch was seemingly down the middle and getting clobbered. It was an odd sight for the Yankees Weapon X and after three hits the lead ballooned to four.
In the bottom of the inning the Yankees brought the tying run to the plate in the shape of Miguel Andujar. I thought Boone should’ve pinch hit Brandon Drury here. That’s not because I don’t trust Andujar, it’s because the crafty right-handed side-armer Darren O’Day was on the mound. To ask a rookie to face O’Day in that spot is a very tough ask with the tying run at the plate. I don’t think it was the best idea to have him up there and the end result was a weak infield pop out.
In the 8th the Yanks threatened once more, loading the bases for Neil Walker. Walker had some dangerous hacks in the at bat, but ended up grounding out to the pitcher ending the threat, and the Yankees chances of winning the game.
This team should never lose to the O’s but there will be nights the bats go silent plain and simple. You just hate to waste an outing of Tanaka’s like that, especially against the O’s. Gary Sanchez’s start to the year is a bit troublesome (.077) but it’s still so, so early so there’s no real reason for concern yet. Whenever he gets his act going the rest of the lineup will follow suit. Maybe that happens this weekend, hopefully it happens in Boston but need El Gary to be the El Gary we’ve grown to love.
A new episode of The Short Porch is live. We recorded right after the loss so you get that instant reaction as well as a recap of the week that was including Boone’s rough week, Stanton getting booed, all the home run fireworks and more. Also at the end Tommy Smokes gives us a full recap of his trip in San Antonio. Listen here below.