From Bryan Hoch:
The Yankees flipped their outfield configuration for this weekend’s series at Fenway Park, a shift that was discussed back in Spring Training. Given Alex Verdugo’s familiarity with the ancient diamond and its odd dimensions, they decided this would be an ideal time to try Juan Soto in left field.
Soto gamely accepted the assignment, preparing by watching batting practice drives off the 37-foot-tall Green Monster before Friday’s series opener. While Soto appreciates Fenway’s history, it was less than ideal to be chasing so many wall-denters, especially early in Saturday’s 8-4 loss to the Red Sox.
“It’s not that fun when you’re seeing a lot of balls hitting the wall,” Soto said.
Boston pounced on left-hander Carlos Rodón for five runs across the first two innings, including a three-run first that featured three doubles — Jarren Duran, Tyler O’Neill and Jamie Westbrook all sent drives out toward Soto in left field.
That first frame was uncharacteristically rough for Rodón, who had permitted just four first-inning runs across his first 14 starts.
Rafael Devers extended Boston’s lead with a two-run double in the second. Already having tossed 60 pitches, Rodón knew he needed to help save the bullpen by lasting at least five innings, which he did by clamping the damage there.
Rodon gets the featured image spotlighting the big dumb look he had on his face throughout the first two innings. But hey, at least he buckled down and pitched well after he already choked the game away. That was something.
Quite the pathetic performance. Not that the offense was any great shakes, either.
I worry about Stroman on Sunday night.
Just to remind us how good the Yankees have to be, playing with the Boone handicap.
Given the starters’ amazing run, the Yankees have to have the most rested bullpen at this point of the season in the history of the game. No team can ever have afforded as easily to take out a starter on a day he just didn’t have it at all. It’s got to be hard for us to even REMEMBER the last time that happened. I mean, what is all that rest FOR?
Also, I wouldn’t be too down on Stanton. He had as many hits as Judge, Soto, Volpe, Verdugo, Rizzo and Torres combined. He’s been fine. In fact, it’s odd – he’s almost always on an extended cold streak or a less-extended by awe-inspiring hot streak. For almost all this season he’s just been pretty good. Strange.
Volpe, though, can’t by a hit for love or money. When Volpe’s off, I mean, he’s really off. We saw it just before his hot streak.
Volpe last14 days 210/210/307, last 7 121/121/182 No walks in over 62 games.
Gleyber 208/269/396 last 14
DJ 196/302/196 only 5 balls hit 300 feet or more
This has to be somewhat on Boone.
Pinstripe Alley: “Fangraphs stat, aptly dubbed “Base Running (BsR)”, aggregates stolen bases, caught stealings, runners thrown out on the base paths, taking extra bases, and other baserunning plays and turns them into runs above and below average. By this metric, the Yankees are the second-worst team in baseball with -7.2 BsR, in front of only the Angels.
“Statcast runner runs created to measure base running success, is based on the runner’s speed and position as well as the fielder’s arm and position. It’s basically a measure of how successful a runner should be compared against how successful they actually are. By this measure, Statcast has the Yankees tied as the second-worst team in baseball with -4 extra runs from baserunners.”
Interesting that there are so many ways THIS TEAM could actually become better. Amazing, really.
1) replace the right side of the infield. Or at least get a 1b who can hit.
2) get another relief pitcher
3) get someone else to make in game decisions and fill out the line up card. Keep Boone around for everything else.
DJ might turn out to be a bigger problem than Rizzo. He’s not hitting the ball hard and it’s now 21 games between the majors and minors.
And what to make of Volpe? As of today the infield is not very good with Baltimore and Philly upcoming. Hopefully next week the problem will rectify itself.
I’m guessing DJ will hit his stride at some point, but I still can’t fathom why they brought him up immediately, when he hadn’t even started hitting impressively in the minors.
As opposed to Dominguez, who they didn’t bring up when he was clearly hitting way over his league’s head. Now he’s hurt, hoping it’s nothing, but remember… what was his name? Brien Taylor, right? Thank God the idiot blew out his arm in a barfight. If he’d stayed healthy and had a HOF career, imagine how much of his service time the team would have used up!
Tragedy avoided.
Martian to 7 day IL (undisclosed). Oh Good!
Isn’t the 7 day for concussions? I don’t like it.
Yoshinobu Yamamoto was up nearly 2 mph in his Yankees start, averaging 97+ mph.
He reportedly made a mechanical tweak prior to this start.
Check the glove arm before/after.
Explanation below on why this can increase velo ⬇️
https://x.com/TreadAthletics/status/1799546214125310178
And then to the IL shortly thereafter.
As I had mentioned in the previous thread. They even gave him an extra day or two off after that game.
Happy Father’s Day to all who celebrate in some way. I am now the proud dad of a new child (a PS5 which is now my heir and the light of my life)
Why are they being so secretive with The Martian. Could he be an illegal alien?
Jasson Dominguez felt something in his left side on a checked swing, Aaron Boone said. He is getting testing today.
See ya next Spring.
“next Spring”
Cockeyed optimism.
Pretty cool
https://www.mlb.com/news/elly-de-la-cruz-scores-from-second-on-pickoff-attempt
OK it took 15 minutes to load Last Of Us from the disc and now there is an update that is 4o minutes to download
it’s fathers day for chrissakes