From Bryan Hoch:
It should have been a banner night for Anthony Volpe, who helped fuel his team’s victory with a go-ahead hit, an aggressive steal of third that generated another run and a long homer that dented an advertising board behind the home bullpen.
Yet Volpe’s fielding woes continued to be a focal point, prompting Aaron Boone’s harshest criticism yet of what the manager described as an ongoing “defensive slump.” Volpe committed two errors, including a bounced throw that extended the ninth inning, in New York’s 7-5 win over the Rays on Tuesday evening at Yankee Stadium.
“I’ve never really experienced something like this,” said Volpe, whose 15 errors are tied with Reds shortstop Elly De La Cruz for the Majors’ most. “But I’ve got really good guys around me. I know what I’m capable of. It’s obviously frustrating, but it’s not discouraging. I know the standard I have for myself. I’m going to keep pushing until I prove it to myself every day.”
The victory was valuable for the Bombers, who moved four games behind the Blue Jays in the American League East race. Toronto was swept in their doubleheader against the Orioles.
You KNOW things are getting bad when even Yankees.com is saying, “Yeah, is bad.” As I noted during the game thread, when an Anthony Volpe error (on what should have been a double play to get two quick outs to start the game) led to two men being on base with no outs for the Rays, and then Max Fried choked with two outs by allowing a two-run triple, I was just about to throw in the towel on this shitty season.
However, the Yankees stormed back, tying the game on a Cody Bellinger three-run home run. Bellinger has been excellent this season. He’s almost certainly going to opt out of his contract for next season (he gets $5 million just for opting out, so it would really be stupid to NOT opt out at this point), and I’ll admit that I’ll miss him next season. If Kyle Tucker is available, I don’t think you can re-sign Bellinger, but I’ll definitely miss the guy. He also very clearly LOVES being a Yankee, which is nice to see.
The Yankees impressively added on runs to go up 6-3. Fried impressively pitched into the seventh inning despite throwing over 60 pitches in just the first three innings, but after walking the #8 hitter with two outs on four pitches, Fried was clearly GASSED, as he was well over 100 pitches, but Fried told Boone he could get Taylor Walls, the #9 hitter, and Boone A. didn’t want to bring Loaisiga in mid-inning and B. Didn’t want Lo to face Walls for some reason, so Boone moronically left him in, and after an RBI double, the tying run was at the plate in the person of leadoff hitter, Yandy Diaz. Luckily, Loaisiga out of it, and then pitched a clean 8th inning.
Volpe added a home run to put the Yankees back up three, but then Devin Williams had a shaky outing, hurt by Volpe’s shitty defense leading to the tying runs being on second and third with two outs, but Williams got a big K to seal the victory.
With the Blue Jays embarrassingly being swept in a doubleheader by the Orioles, the Yankees are now within four games of the divisional lead. Meanwhile, the Rangers and Mariners both lost, so the Wild Card standings are like this:
Yankees – The Top Wild Card team
Red Sox – 1 game back – The second Wild Card team (by the way, the Red Sox have played two more games than the Yankees, so their one game lead is a bit misleading, it’s a one game lead with two more games to play)
Mariners – 1.5 games back – The third Wild Card team
Rangers 2.5 games back – Currently out of a playoff position
The top Wild Card team hosts the second Wild Card team in the first round.
Really, at this point, the Yankees just need to win games. They really shouldn’t concern themselves with the standings with so much time left in the season.
Featured image is Bellinger’s home run, as I just couldn’t bring myself to give Fried the featured image, even though he TECHNICALLY had a quality start (two earned runs in six and two-thirds innings).
I missed most of the game after the first inning but by just reading the comments one can use last nights game as a perfect example of why the Yanks cannot win a WS with Boone.
1) batting Goldy 3rd against a righty
2) leaving a pitcher in a batter or two too long (fried in the 7th)
3) not doing anything from the dugout (fried in the first after falling behind 3-0 to the #5 hitter with two men on. I was in the car with my wife and said “he should walk him”. Then he struck out the next guy.)
4) not giving Volpe a day off almost ever.
Nice win. I like bellinger; a real pro.
Per Jack Curry, Yankees picking up CHW 4/5th OFer Austin Slater. Not much of an acquisition, hits lefties well (at least this season). FA at the end of the year. Precursor to trading someone from the OF? Doesn’t seem like a move to win now OR rebuild.
I think it’s gotta be a Grisham deal for a pitcher, because, as of right this second, it doesn’t make any sense. There is no room for Slater when Judge returns, unless they commit to Rice as the full-time backup catcher and send Escarra down.
Slater can play center, left and right, and he definitely has a different hit pattern than the other Yankees.
traded last year’s 4th rounder, Gage Ziehl, a RHP for him.
That probably makes the most sense. The two potential futures are 1) Judge is DH for the rest of the season, Rice is the backup catcher, Escarra is sent down when Judge returns. Slater is the 4th OF. 2) They move Grish for a pitcher of some type. But if Judge can’t play the field when he returns, that’s a weak OF.
Huh? Has to be another move coming.
having these righty bats would really help if boone understood baseball
In all seriousness, many of Cashman’s moves over the years have been clearly done with the intent to Boone-proof the team (like try to get enough good relievers that Boone can’t fuck up who he uses. Of course, Cashman then fucked that up over the last couple of years with all of the relievers sucking, but the INTENT was there).
Stupid Blue Jays.
The O’s couldn’t quite get it across the finish line today as the Blue Jays win 9-8. Yennier Cano just blew up.