
From Manny Randhawa:
When the final pitch was thrown in the Yankees’ series opener with the Rockies at Coors Field on Friday night, the NBA’s Pacers were trending on social media thanks to their win over the Knicks in Game 2 of the Eastern Conference Finals.
What many did not expect, though, was that the Rockies would be trending, too.
But there they were, the Rockies — a team that entered Friday’s contest against the American League East-leading Yankees with a record of 8-42, the worst 50-game start to a season in the Modern Era (since 1900) — among the most popular topics in the social media world.
That’s because while anything can and does happen in baseball, the result this night was somewhat stunning: a 3-2 Yankees loss to Colorado that surely had sports fans in New York — already reeling from a playoff defeat that put their Knicks in a 2-0 series hole — slipping down another rung of dejection.
These things do happen in baseball. But this Yankees loss was rare — according to the Elias Sports Bureau, it is tied for the second-largest winning percentage disparity in a loss at least 50 games into a season in the Expansion Era (since 1961). The Rockies’ win percentage was .160 entering the game, and the Yankees’ was .612.
Never like hearing “historically rare loss,” huh?
So, yeah, this was one pathetic ass loss. Only scoring two runs against a shitty pitcher making a spot start, but more importantly, Clarke Schmidt doing one of those weird deals where he was JUST good enough to maybe sneak by five innings, but he just couldn’t do it in the fifth, allowing two two-out singles, pretty much FORCING Boone to make a move, since he was up to almost 100 pitches. When you’re up near 100 pitches in the fifth and you JUST gave up two hits (both after getting two strikes, of course), you HAVE to make a move.
Boone, though, decided to pick basically the LAST guy of his possible options that I would have picked, Tim Hill, who Ryan McMahon was 3 for 9 against coming into tonight, with a home run. And in a position where McMahon knew Hill needed to throw strikes. It was a terrible decision by Boone, only compounded by the fact that Hill hasn’t been pitching well recently. He only JUST gave up a home run in his LAST APPEARANCE. Hill is in a major funk, and might just be washed due to his age, but whether it’s a funk or him being done, that was a TERRIBLE choice by Boone in that spot, and, sure enough, it resulted in an awful loss. Of course, the bullpen all shut the shitty Rockies down AFTER that, but too little, too late at that point.
To be fair to the Yankees, a couple of things were of note in this game. One, the Yankees definitely did hit the ball hard, but right at dudes, including a rough double play by Austin Wells with two on and no outs in the…fourth, I want to say? So a lot of that was bad luck. Second, due to how much they used their bullpen in the Texas series, Devin Williams and Luke Weaver were both unavailable, so obviously, some of the shittier guys were going to have to pitch, which I think we all knew was a real possibility due to Clarke Schmidt’s inability to not throw a ton of pitches, even as he generally pitches well (Schmidt also fucked himself with the first Rockies run, where a wild pitch moved the runner into scoring position ahead of a game-tying single). Even with that in mind, I think Boone made a terrible choice with Hill, but it’s fair to say that I wouldn’t have been, like, “Oh man, awesome! Yerry De Los Santos is in!” in that spot, either.
The Yankees lost 12-2 to the White Sox last season, on route to the White Sox having the most losses in MLB history, so this is par for the course for the Yankees. Now, losing this series? THAT would be shocking. So I assume they’ll do that now.
Yankees are 5-10 all time at Coors Field, in two of their previous visits they were swept.
This series is going about as well as expected.
Usually the Yankees can’t pitch at all in Colorado.
My cousin made me his guest to his front row tickets behind the third base tarp last night, and it was wonderful to be out and about amongst the Yankees tribe who evidently had all been waiting to show up and wear their gear.
The Yankees fans at the game last night were joyous, and exuberant, and hopeful, they were silly and unencumbered and celebratory, and it was a good reminder of how wonderful being a spectator of sports can become on occasions, and how the fanhood becomes it’s own event.
The baseball was beautiful, Judge made a graceful running catch in right while we were on the concourse with a perfect view. McMahon made a perfect one handed play at third late in the game right in front of us, and that rally killing double play hit into by Wells was baseball magic, the grab and throw by the second baseman was a good reminder of how talented even the scrubs on the Rockies are.
It was a challenge to spot a single Rockies fan at Coors Field last night.
My company knows I’m a fan and gave me tickets to today for my wife and daughters, which was a relief because when I saw the prices of these games, I told the family there was no way I would spend that much money to watch two terrible baseball teams. It takes corporate money to rescue my reputation with the family.
Surrounded by joyous Yankees fans, can you imagine?
Awesome! Imagine how much better it would have been had Tim Hill not been brought in in the fifth! 😉
Thanks for the report!
If you had 51 games into the season Soto under 250 and under 800, you win. Soto 236/786.
Honestly, if you recall when the Yankees traded for Soto last year, I noted that Yankee fans have got to be forewarned that Soto typically starts the year slow. He didn’t last year, and the result was his best season ever. Well, that slow start is happening now. I’m sure he’ll be fine by the end of the year, but yeah, he isn’t going to hit 40 home runs again.
51 games is more than a start, he’s 227/813 last28 days and 125/419 last 14. 2022 was an off year for him 242/853. That said he’ll probably wind up275/900.
Rice sits, Peraza plays vs LHP.
Do they really believe in Peraza?
No. Vivas either. Just a platoon of suck.
The Yankees are going to get swept, I feel this