From Bryan Hoch:
The Yankees’ victory formula has followed a classic model thus far: when they can hit homers in bunches, more often than not, they’re shaking hands at the end of the night.
Trent Grisham, Ben Rice and Austin Wells all cracked fifth-inning drives into the seats as the Bombers found their long-ball stroke in a rematch of last year’s American League Division Series, powering a 4-1 victory over the Royals on Monday night at Yankee Stadium.
“It’s impressive; I think anybody on any night can pick the lineup up,” Wells said. “I think that’s what makes the lineup really good. I feel like we have the ability to be great.”
Very nice win.
The key to the game to me wasn’t the home runs even, but rather the outstanding performance by Cookie Carrasco. A lot of his success in this game was that the Royals’ lineup isn’t exactly filled with mashers, and so you could tell he was being more aggressive than he would have been with a better lineup BECAUSE he wasn’t concerned about their bats, but still, even with that in mind, he did a fine job just being aggressive. If Carlos Rodon could pitch like Carlos Carrasco did with his awful shit, Rodon would be a Cy Young candidate every year.
Similarly, Fernando Cruz has some of the best stuff you’ll ever see out of a reliever, and yet he rarely seems to know what he’s doing with it. It’s very frustrating, especially when you contrast him with the guy who followed him, Tim Hill, who clearly ALWAYS knows what he is doing with his pitches. Luke Weaver mostly executed well in the 8th, and Devin Williams was okay in the ninth. He DID walk a guy with one out that brought the tying run to the plate, but honestly, I think he was pitching around Salvy Perez, and I don’t necessarily disagree with him. He handled the next two guys easily (if Maikel Garcia is your #6 hitter, well, he shouldn’t be).
Featured image is Cookie Carrasco heading to the dugout after five strong innings. The game was still tied at the time, though, so he wasn’t AS excited as he normally would be had he left the game with a lead. Also, a lot of these Yankee pitcher are actually kind of stoic when they leave the mound.
Hindsight being 20/20 and seeing how this team is hitting now, are we still trading King for Soto?
Yes. Soto and judge gave them a chance to win the WS. Judge without Soto but with king every 5th day did not. Talking out of my ear since I can’t prove it.
Yep. I haaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaated trading King, but you had to do that deal.
I get it, I probably still the deal now, but knowing that Soto went to the Mets and King is a legit Cy Young candidate pitcher and how the OF looks with Bellinger in CF … it makes me wonder.
Also, Goldschmidt looks like he could be an absolute steal for a 1 year $12.5m contract. He had a rough first half last season that dragged his numbers down, but he’s been a solid .800+ OPS guys since.
I doubt they get Fried if they had King, though, so I don’t know that it would materially change the makeup of this year’s squad. But yes, I was definitely dreaming of a Cole/King 1-2 punch in 2024 before Preller insisted on King in the Soto deal.
We got Trent Grisham. I call it even.
Soto now whining that he isn’t hitting in front of Judge anymore is A+ stuff.
Alonso’s having a huge start.
agreed. i hate talking about ex yanks but that is delicious
Yeah, i have no idea what the heck he’s talking about when Alonso has had as hot of a start to the season as Judge.
I wish someone would ask him what kind of price tag he’d put on hitting in front of Judge and if it’s north of … oh … about $5M.
What I said when he took the Mets money, why would you not want to have a few more years of hitting in front of Judge over a little more money.
Also why would you not want to play for the NY Yankees? Ruth, Gehrig, Joe D, Mantle, Jeter or Ron Swoboda and Marv Thrownberry?
Yep, it was baffling to me, as well, but it sounds like he just loved getting the most money possible, which certainly is an approach.
Happy Jackie Robinson Day!
Is that legal?