![The Yankees versus the Rays](https://rlyw.net/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/yankees-vs-rays-1024x496.jpg)
Zach Eflin (#24, 30, RHP, 5-6, 3.99) vs. Gerrit Cole (#45, 33, RHP, 2-1, 5.40)
RAYS
2B R. Palacios L
1B I. Paredes R
DH Brandon Lowe L
LF R. Arozarena R
RF Josh Lowe L
CF Jose Siri R
C Ben Rortvedt L
3B J. Caballero R
SS Taylor Walls S
YANKEES
1B Ben Rice L
RF Juan Soto L
DH Aaron Judge R
LF Alex Verdugo L
2B G. Torres R
C Austin Wells L
SS A. Volpe R
CF T. Grisham L
3B DJ LeMahieu R
I love them keeping Verdugo in the cleanup spot. It’s like they always say, when something’s broke, don’t fix it!
Let the putative second half of ‘The Season of Gloom’ begin.
The past few days were so serene.
And then Verdugo and Gleyber and back to reality.
If at first something doesn’t succeed, keep letting it fail over and over and over and over and over and over again.
That’s the saying, right?
“Those who do not learn history are doomed to repeat it.”
Well Verdugo did beat the double play and there was only one out so Gleyber’s ground ball couldn’t be a double play.
Yankees 90 DPs, San Diego 88, Toronto and Rockies 83. MLB record 190.
And no one has asked Boone why he didn’t run for Trevino in a situation screaming for a pinch runner. Was he afraid to lose Vivas if the game went to extras.
DJ! Well, the team has a shot at their all-time DP record, exciting times.
I hate, hate, hate DJLM and the ground balls.
I mean, I really like DJLM, but I dread seeing him at the plate.
It’s just torture. Why wouldn’t HE want to get his f*ing swing in order in the minors or something instead of embarrassing himself like this, and making himself pointlessly disliked, and hurting the team?
It’s possible that he’s just lost it, and this isn’t the injury affecting him.
The trade deadline can’t get here fast enough.
Probably 90% he lost it compounded by a lot of injuries. But what’s Verdugo’s excuse. Or Gleyber’s excuse?
Maybe. But for f*’s sake, just consistently swing lower than you think by about a baseball’s height. Is that so impossible for a professional athlete? Worst case scenario, better to pop out or strike out than this.
The only explanation I can think of is simple weakmindedness for them both, as they are both impending free agents who might be letting the pressure get to them.
363, At least it wasn’t 643 or 543, baby steps for Le Machine.
Good job making up for swinging at ball four the first time by not swinging at it the second time, Rice!
Soto is hilarious.
He’s so cool, right?
Cowardly, Eflin!
Bases loaded and no outs for the cleanup hitter. So the Rays have the Yankees right where they want them.
Sure, they’ll walk Judge to face Verdugo.
You know this guy is first pitch swinging
I call on everyone to never, ever buy anything advertised DURING INNINGS. Even if we would have otherwise.
So offensive.
Yankees 90 DPs, San Diego 88, Toronto and Colorado 83. MLB record 190. Two tries to add on
1990 Bosox, 174. We have a shot!
So long as we have DJ, we have a shot.
HOW WAS THAT NOT A DOUBLE PLAY? Can’t even screw up well.
First pitch swinging groundball. For the love of God, Boone, move him down in the order!!!
At least they have something of a hitter up, now – at least ONE of the 4 – 6 hitters.
Would it have been nice to have him up with the bases loaded and NOBODY out?
And Verdugo gets high fives for having such a horrible AB. Verdugo and Gleyber two pathetic ABs.
Ugly.
See, one more decent hitter and you wouldn’t be able to walk every good hitter.
As of now, he can just walk every good hitter.
Volpe, come around!
Wells and Rice having professional at-bats while Gleyber and Verdugo don’t even know what planet they’re on.
Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh…………….. yesssssss.
Holy Volpe!
Don’t move him up to cleanup, of course, but maybe Wells 4th, Volpe 5th? I’m just impressed he took the first pitch!
That was a really good pitch, too, that he hit the double on.
I’m stuck like a dope with a thing called hope for Volpe; Verdugo, Gleyber and Le Machine not so much.
I’m looking at the TV and saying: Siri, strike out.
Okay, listen closely, DJ.
Swing low. About a baseball’s height lower than you think.
Excellent. It’s a start. It’s an improvement.
For a guy who’s supposed to have a good eye, Rice swings at a ton of obvious balls.
Juan fucking Soto. All the money, Hal, all the money.
So much fun!
The hustle in going for three was amazing. No Ray thought there was any chance.
Seriously, why do we need to pay professional umpires to get it wrong?
There’s zero justification for it.
Caballero sure is a pest.
Where has Cole’s control gone?
Way to bounce back, Cole!
Second pitch, groundout. Mixed things up a bit
I’ll give Gleyber this much. Even when he’s hitting, this is how Gleyber hits, so I can live with it more. Verdugo has no excuse.
Why in the world did Volpe abandon his approach for that atbat? Can he only be expected to concentrate on a plan for two atbats a game?
Is a puzzlement.
A annoying puzzlement.
That’s why you need control of your pitches, Cole.
Sorry for the outage. Don’t know what happened there.
In any event, you all know I was particularly happy that Rortvedt made that out.
Again, DJ – swing about a baseball’s height lower than you think.
Just do it, and keep doing it.
Gleyber gonna be kicked out of the Verdugo/DJ club.
Love the use of Kahnle here. Save the good guys. Don’t use Tonkin or Weaver. But dummy Boone probably thinks Kahnle IS his “good” guy, and he’ll use both Tonkin and Weaver up five for two more innings.
Okay, let’s say the Yankees get a guy like Vlad. Do you let Rice catch at all?
Well well well I guess you all like the Yankees now. Not me though
Roc Riggio with a walk off to win a no hitter. I assume that must’ve happened in the MLB.
Wells needs to hit first or 4th, maybe leadoff when Stanton’s here.
I think cleanup uses his skills best. Stanton can bat 5th. When Stanton is back, it can go:
Rice
Soto
Judge
Wells
Stanton
Gleyber
Volpe
Verdugo
LeMahieu
Hmmm…never mind, no way will Boone bat that many righties in a row, so swap Wells and Stanton.
They need to DFA LeMahieu.
LeMahieu definitely looks washed, but DFAing him would be pointless. He’s still an excellent defender, and he at least has a CHANCE of getting a hit, unlike Waldo. So even if they trade for someone that would move LeMahieu to the bench, you still keep LeMahieu as a utility guy.
Stros now in first in the West.
We all saw THAT coming, right?
The only saving grace is that nothing they do counts until an actual punishment is administered, punishment in line with the punishments in the Black Sox scandal.