
From Bryan Hoch:
The deciding play came down to a photo finish, Cody Bellinger heaving a flat-footed prayer toward home plate, then engaging Jasson Domínguez in quiet instruction once the action ceased. The lazy fly had been a “tweener,” in the veteran’s words, and it might have had a different outcome if the rookie had taken charge.
“I think he had a better lane into where I was. I heard it late and I was just like, ‘OK, I’m just going to catch the ball,’” Bellinger said of Francisco Lindor’s sacrifice fly, which sent home the go-ahead run in the Yankees’ 3-2 Subway Series loss to the Mets on Saturday at Yankee Stadium. “We had a good conversation.”
That moment of mentorship represents a blip in Domínguez’s high-stakes classroom work; Bellinger acknowledges the 22-year-old’s game has continued to sharpen since the first days of spring, saying of Saturday’s play: “It’s going to be good for the future.”
I still don’t get why Bellinger didn’t just yell at Dominguez to catch it. But whatever, like he said, it’s a teachable moment for the future, so fair enough. I doubt Dominguez would have gotten Acuna, either. That dude is fast.
Anyhow, like I said in the comments, while this game was frustrating in the short term (and Boston coming back to win to cut the Yankees’ divisional lead to four games made it a lot more annoying), in the long term it was fine, as it was mostly a fluky result, and Schmidt pitched well AND DJ LeMahieu looked sprier than he has in SOME time. I assume he will maintain a 1.190 OPS, right? Of course, when he was up with the bases loaded in the 8th with two outs, he made out (he hit it well, though).
The featured image is the “non-swing” on the Tyrone Taylor HBP that loaded the bases in the ninth, leading to the game-winning sacrifice fly. That is OBVIOUSLY a swing. Fucking ridiculous.
What’s their record in 1-run or 1/2-run games?
If close games are more a matter of chance than blowouts, this team is surely better than its record.
They can’t keep losing all those games, right? The bullpen just isn’t that awful.
If managers’ in-game decisions make any difference, it’s in the close games.
Also, I’m still leery of investing – emotionally, but also in terms of who gets played on the field – in DJLM. Maybe he’ll have a crazy bounce-back season. Maybe. Possibly. Maybe.
I can’t get myself to expect enough from him to be satisfied with getting no developmental benefit from second base.
Jesus Rodríguez age 23 C/3b 96 ABs 1st International League 479 OBP, 2nd BA 385, 6th OPS 989. Is he a prospect or a AAAA illusion?
I think more the latter. But it WAS notable that they added him to the 40-man.
I really wish someone would trade for Rumfield. He’s too good to rot in the minors.
Effross to Scranton, Brubaker to High A, Cookie couldn’t get out of the second. We were lucky to get anything out of him.
P Goldschmidt (R) 1B
T Grisham (L) CF
A Judge (R) RF
C Bellinger (L) LF
A Volpe (R) SS
J Domínguez (S) DH against LHP
D LeMahieu (R) 2B
A Wells (L) C
O Peraza (R) 3B
Is Rice hurt?
JUDGE SLUMP!!!