From Joe Trezza:
If you were Jacob Barnes and the Nationals, you couldn’t have asked for a better outcome. Then you couldn’t have asked for a worse one.
The Nationals had a four-run lead in the eighth inning of their 4-2 win over the Yankees on Tuesday night at Nationals Park when Barnes, facing Juan Soto, got exactly what he wanted: a double-play ball with runners on first and second. Soto tapped a weak grounder to second, but Luis García Jr. threw the ball wide of CJ Abrams. And instead of two outs, the Nationals got none.
Now the Yankees had the bases loaded, down four runs, with no outs for Aaron Judge, sitting on 51 home runs.
Would you believe Barnes wiggled out of trouble again?
Judge smashed a sharp grounder to short that did turn into a twin killing but also brought home a run. The Yankees watched another rally fizzle in the ninth, and what had been a frustrating night offensively persisted into a sloppy loss to the Nationals in the nation’s capital.
Once again, the Yankees played down to their opponent’s level, and the result was a PATHETIC loss, made even worse by the Orioles having a GREAT win against the Los Angeles Dodgers IN Los Angeles.
There were so many losers in this game, but I’ll highlight DJ LeMahieu for the featured image, because it highlights how dumb Boone was for letting LeMahieu hit with two men on and one out in the ninth inning. Thank goodness Anthony Rizzo is almost back. It’s not even that Rizzo is GOOD, but he’s better than LeMahieu, and he has enough veteran goodness about him that Boone won’t play LeMahieu OVER Rizzo (besides an occasional rest day against a lefty).
DJ and Trevino are in for defense.
Ugly game. Needed more Judge home runs.
When the other side hits more home runs than [the number of home runs your team x infinity], how can you win?
In the 6th inning, the Nats had as many HRs as the Yankees had hits.
Trevi last 18 PAs 071/421, Wells 286/889.
The Yankees’ bullpen since the start of June has been below average. Entering Tuesday’s game, the Yankees’ bullpen ranked 21st in bullpen ERA since June 1. Out of all potential postseason clubs, only the Kansas City Royals produced less fWAR from their bullpen than the Yankees.
Leiter has allowed eight earned runs, 18 hits, six walks and four home runs over 11 1/3 innings. Opponents have a 1.049 OPS against Leiter.
https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/5727037/2024/08/28/yankees-bullpen-analysis-matt-blake/
Report from Grover’s Mill
https://x.com/eboland11/status/1828852302716817721?s=61&t=fhOaqwtc8q2TMSXUDRjPeg
Good, I think this team can be improved just in the nick of time with Jasson in LF, Rizzo at 1B, Jazz at 3B, Giancarlo hitting again and a talent injection into the bullpen of some combination of Hamilton, Effross, Marinaccio, and Trivino.
I don’t think we’ll see much of Jasson barring an injury to Verdugo or Stanton.
I think Jasson will get plenty of playing time, but playing time will be spread around, if only to prevent him from losing his rookie eligibility.
IMO not in big games in the regular season or playoff especially since he’s a better hitter left handed. Verdugo’s role is locked in unless he goes 0/20 again and Martian hits ~350/950 the rest of the way.
Wells and DJ in. DJ playing despite the fact that Gore has a reverse split, lefties are OPSing 862, righties 764 against him. Reverse split, wasn’t that a thing yesterday? Oh and this DJ is hitting 149/228/195 against LHPs.
I didn’t imagine how much I would want Rizzo to return (and DJ to retire.)
This is not a serious baseball operation in the Bronx.
Boone’s lips were moving
https://x.com/chriskirschner/status/1828897408295526721?s=61&t=fhOaqwtc8q2TMSXUDRjPeg
Did You Know? LeMahieu has been worth -1.5 WAR in about 200 PA, or about -4.5 WAR over a full season. Good thing he’s only signed for two more years!
Cash’s worst mistake.
LOL It has already been declared.
“You want to let things really declare themselves to where you’re making sound decisions moving forward.”
A serious team would not do this. They aren’t serious about winning a WS.
Was looking at box scores today – pirates blew a 10-2 lead and lost 14-10 to the Cubs. And I was reminded how much I hated Chapman and why I’m glad he’s gone. So thanks HalCash for not resigning him.
Yordan Alvarez with a 3 HR game. What have you done for us lately, Aaron Judge?