Sunday, June 8, 2014

Game 62 Wrap-Up: KC 2 NYY 1

(Courtesy of the AP)

I'm running out of things to say about this offense or ways to try to look at it from a positive perspective.  The Yankees flat out don't hit.  They don't hit for average, they don't hit for power, they don't get on base, they can't lay down a sac bunt when they need to, and they very rarely string hits together at opportune times.  They haven't hit well when they've been healthy, they haven't hit well when they've been beat up.  They had opportunity after opportunity to score runs and easily win by a comfortable margin today against James Shields and the Royals and they didn't.  They suck.

Game Notes:

- The Yanks blew their most golden opportunity in the top of the 2nd when they loaded the bases with nobody out only for Kelly Johnson to strike out, Brett Gardner to ground into a force play at home, and Derek Jeter to whiff to strand all 3 runners.

- The Royal lineup capitalized on that free pass by stringing some hits together against Hiroki Kuroda in the bottom of the inning.  4 straight hits, a Lorenzo Cain double and Mike Moustakas single the run-scoring ones, led to 2 KC runs and a 2-0 lead.  All of them came with 2 outs.

- The blown chances by the Yankee lineup didn't end in the 2nd.  They wasted a leadoff double in the 3rd, a 1-out double in the 4th, and a 1-out triple by Brett Gardner in the 7th.

- The one time they did manage to not fuck up with a runner in scoring position was the 6th, when Yangervis Solarte hit a 1-out double down the right field line.  He moved to third on a wild pitch and scored on Ichiro's RBI groundout.

- Hirok was pretty good after the 2nd.  He held them to just 1 more hit and 1 more walk in his final 5 innings of work and kept the team in the game.  He still doesn't have the killer slider/splitter combo of the last 2 years, but he pitched good enough to win.

- Of course, the Yankees had to tease one more time in the 9th.  Ichiro singled, moved to second on a wild pitch, and stood there while the next 3 hitters failed to even move him over.  Like I said, they suck.

BOOOOOO...

32 runs scored in the last 12 games.

Boo!

3 runs scored or fewer in 15 games since the start of May.  3-12 record in those games.

BOO!!

1-17 with RISP today.

BOOOOO!!!!





BOOOOOOOO!!!!!!

Still batting 2nd:


BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!

Draft Day 3 News And Notes


The Yankees' strategy was clear on the first 2 days of the 2014 MLB Draft.  Easy-to-sign college players and pitchers with big frames.  The implication was that they were going to take a few chances and make a few reaches to try to find some young, high-ceiling HS talent on day 3, but instead they stuck to the script from the first 2 days and kept loading up on college players and big-bodied hurlers.  The highlights from the third and final day of the draft are after the jump.

Game 61 Wrap-Up: KC 8 NYY 4

(Courtesy of the AP)

There was a lot of good in the Yankees' series-opening win in Kansas City on Friday night.  They got a stellar 7-inning start from the consistently overachieving Chase Whitley, they didn't have to burn through their best bullpen guys for multiple innings as a result of that start, and they got a big hit from Brian McCann as he continues to put things together at the plate.  They were going to need more from McCann and the 'pen last night to support the consistently inconsistent David Phelps on the mound.  They were also going to need more than the 1 XBH they had on Friday night (McCann's).  Phelps had one of his bad nights, McCann got the night off, and there wasn't enough help from anywhere to make up for it.

Game Notes:

- It didn't take long for Phelps to get into trouble.  Back-to-back doubles to lead off the 2nd put 1 Royal run on the board.  3 more singles sandwiched around a failed sac bunt made it 3-0.

- The Yanks had nothing to show for a pair of singles and a pair of walks through 5 innings against Danny Duffy.  A Derek Jeter single got things started in the 6th, with Carlos Beltran doubling him home for the team's first run and a Yangervis Solarte single plating 2 more to tie the game.

- Given new life, Phelps promptly went out in the bottom of the 6th and gave the game back to KC.  Walk, walk, 3-run home run was how the first 3 batters of the inning went and Phelps exited after allowing another run to score for a 7-3 KC lead.

- Solarte doubled to start the 9th and eventually came around to score, but there was no real rally by the Yankees after the 6th.  They shot their wad tying the game at 3 and Phelps' meltdown the next half-inning was a deathblow.

- Jose Ramirez made his second Major League appearance, finishing up the 7th and handling the 8th.  He struck out 1, walked 1, and did not give up a hit.