Batting Cleanup: Buffalo Soldiers
Celebrations! What are those! (AP)
After suffering through a month of mediocrity and poor performance, it seems like the Yankees might have figured this baseball thing out. They came up with a much needed sweep against the Toronto/Buffalo Blue Jays and had something for everyone - hitting, pitching and defense. Let’s dive into a series recap you’ll actually enjoy!
Game 1: Yankees Win 6-5
I’m not sure what can be classified as a turning point for these Yankees, but I’m willing to say that this game could have been one! Faced with a 5-2 deficit, the Yankees actually came back to win! In a game in which they allowed five or more runs, only their second time doing so all year! Don’t call it a comeback (or you can, because it was).
Dinger Day
I’m almost ready to declare the offense Officially Back. The Yankees scored more than five runs for the sixth time in their last seven games (although they’ve only gone 3-4 in those games because the pitching has gone backwards) and continued to show the signs of offensive life that we love to see, including the best sign - home runs. As we said on last week’s podcast, this Yankees team was built around the long ball and when they don’t hit home runs, they don’t win games and they don’t look good. It’s as simple as that. When a team’s strength is neutralized, they are not going to play like the team you thought they would. The Yankee comeback last night was fueled by the long ball. The team was hitting the ball hard all game off Ryu - peep the exit velo stats below - but we’ve seen how hard hits don’t necessarily translate into runs. This time, they did.
First, Gary heeded the call that we put out in the series preview by hitting his ninth home run of the year.
Next, “Hard Hittin” Chris Gittens picked up his first MLB hit, a 439-foot home run, after just missing out on a home run that went foul last week in Minnesota.
Finally, Brett Gardner “went Yardner” and golfed a pitch just over the wall in right for his second homer of the year.
If the Yankees are going to turn this season around, it will start and end with their ability to hit dingers. Tonight was a great and encouraging continuation of the trend that began last week in Minnesota. Home runs - you love to see them!
Down (To Left Field) Goes Frazier
The Yankee comeback from their 5-2 deficit was sparked by home runs, but sealed by a player who has struggled mightily this season but has come up with some big hits in clutch situations. Clint Frazier pinch hit for Brett Gardner in the top of the eighth inning and turned around a 97 mile an hour fastball in on the hands to left for a go ahead double, scoring Tyler Wade (who contributed with his legs by stealing second beforehand). Clint is only batting .188/.305/.319 this year, which is downright terrible for someone who had a career .806 OPS before this season. He has lost the starting left fielder job to Miguel Andujar and has been riding the bench for most of the last few weeks, even with the offensive struggles. As this at bat demonstrated, Clint has lightning quick bat speed and loads of talent, so it’s been very disappointing to see him struggle. Hopefully this game can be a jumping off point for Frazier to return to his past offensive performance and give the Yankees the outfield help they need.
Mediocre Monty
Although the final line doesn’t look great, Jordan Montgomery was better than his stats showed. His pitches were all located very well and he kept the Blue Jays from blowing the game open in some close situations.
He was hurt by his defense, as a passed ball by Gary Sanchez with two outs allowed a run to score, and a subsequent two out single by Bo Bichette was another backbreaker. However, Montgomery’s exit velocity allowed was only 84 MPH, which is pretty good against a talented Blue Jays lineup. Consider this neither a good nor bad start, but one that can get swept under the rug thanks to the bats showing up. That’s a feeling we haven’t really had this year at all. Of course, the stellar bullpen work made the slim 6-5 lead stand up, despite some shakiness by Zack Britton (going 3-2 against Yankee Killer Bo Bichette with the bases loaded made me feel...not the best). Monty got the no decision and now has a 4.20 ERA on the season, which feels about right given the up and down nature of his starts.
Game 2: Yankees Win 3-2
I hope you all are taking some time to appreciate our lord and savior Gary Sanchez. The summer, and Gary, are concurrently heating up right now and it’s a glorious thing to watch. The Sanchino’s pinch hit home run boosted a “surging” Yankees team to their second straight win over the Jays. Vengeance, thy name is Gary.tw
HOT! GARY! SUMMER!
How many times do we have to say this before the world comes to accept it as truth? It is Hot Gary Summer and we’re all just spectators to its shenanigans. As we mentioned in the series preview, Gary is on a roll. Before Tuesday’s game, we wrote the following: “In his last 27 games, Gary is batting .250/.324/.500 with 6 home runs and 15 RBI, numbers that are typical Gary Sanchez numbers from his best years and rank among the best catcher batting statistics in the league.” That line is up to .263/330/566 thanks to his home run in the seventh inning in this game. Gary entered pinch hitting for Kyle Higashioka, who was catching Gerrit Cole, and with the Yankees facing a 2-1 deficit, did this against Ross Stripling.
It was a huge home run for what looked to be a pending frustrating close loss, and was the Yankees’ second consecutive game won via a pinch hit in the seventh inning or later, something they hadn’t done since the 1960s. Say what you will about Gary Sanchez, but no one can deny that when the man gets hot, he gets HOT. In this game, it helped the Yankees secure a 3-2 lead that they wouldn’t give up.
Nail Biting Ninth
Despite that, the Yankees tried their hardest to lose the game, specifically in the ninth inning. Aroldis Chapman came in to nail down the win and immediately gave up a single and a double. The Jays had runners on second and third with no one out and the Yankees’ lead seemed destined to be blown. However, Chapman bore down to strike out Randall Grichuk, bringing up Santiago Espinal with one out. Enter Gary Sanchez, who has a second career as an actor after he retires with five World Series rings and a Hall of Fame spot. Espinal fouled a ball off that may or may not have had contact with the bat and Sanchez immediately ensured that the umpire thought the ball was foul to prevent the Blue Jays from scoring on a wild pitch. Was the ball fouled off? Maybe. Did Gary sell the hell out of it and get the umpire to believe it was fouled after the call was made late? For sure. Minutes later, Gary’s defense bailed out Chapman in a major way. Vlad Jr. was caught straying too far off third and Gary sprung into action to nab him on this fielder’s choice. This man has such a beautiful arm.
A sticky situation in the ninth was quickly resolved thanks to the help of, who else, Gary Sanchez. Also credit to Chapman for pitching his way out of this one - we’ve seen him look less than his best on this road trip and it was great for him to resume his 2021 dominance after a brief break.
Aces Wild
Speaking of sticky situations, the buzz across baseball this week has been over the league’s forthcoming crackdown on pitchers using “sticky stuff” to improve their grip on the ball and thus their spin rates and performance. Gerrit Cole has been at the center of this nationwide “RPM Watch” thanks to his previous linkage to using these substances. I regret to inform all the haters that a Gerrit Cole without Spider Tack is still a better pitcher than anyone whose name isn’t Jacob DeGrom. In this outing, Cole pitched eight innings, allowing two runs and striking out four. The Blue Jays weren’t swinging and missing at his stuff as much as one might expect, but remember that they have a really good offense. This was not an easy assignment for Gerrit and he passed it with flying colors, keeping the Yankees in the game long enough for Gary to do his thing. Another ace performance from Cole - in his 14 starts this year, he has dominated in 12 of them. That’ll do just fine.
Game 3: Yankees win 8-4
A series sweep against one of the hotter teams in the league? Yeah, we’ll take it. The Yankees capped off an all around great series with a convincing 8-4 win in the series finale. Get your brooms out when you read this recap!
Buffalo Boomin’
This game clinched it - the long ball is back, ladies and gentlemen! Tonight, it helped the Yankees score 4 of their 7 runs. First, Urshela hit a long two run home run off of Blue Jays long reliever turned starter TJ Zuech to give the Yankees a 3-0 lead. Then, in the seventh inning when the Yankees were trailing by a run, Giancarlo Stanton stepped to the plate and mashed a ball to right field to put the Yankees ahead 5-4. Urshela’s home run was a moonshot and Stanton’s was a typical Stanton “wrists only” homer. This road trip has been a coming out party for the Yankees offense and hitting multiple homers in a game seems like something out of a fantasy. It’s a good reminder that, as we’ve said, this team has a lineup of talented hitters and they will make you pay if you’re not careful. Good stuff, boys.
Triple Play!
Of course, we’d be remiss if we didn’t talk about the defense. Because, for the second time in a month, the Yankees turned a casual old triple play. It’s the first time in their history that they’ve ever turned multiple triple plays in the same season. This one, unlike the one against Chicago last month, came via some poor Blue Jays baserunning. It was entertaining, confounding, and bailed the Yankees out of a big time jam. Multiple triple plays and no hitters - this Yankees season has got it all!
King Is a Pawn
Another mediocre outing for Michael King, who only lasted 4.1 innings in this one and gave up three runs. He just doesn’t have the stuff or consistency to start in a Major League rotation right now, which isn’t a knock on him so much as it is on management for using him in a role that he isn’t suited for. Between King and Jameson Taillon, the Yankees have some major rotation holes right now. Thankfully, the bullpen did its job as usual and only allowed one run the rest of the way. The pitching might be coming back to Earth, but they were so far above it that they are still on another planet. Jonathan Loisaga specifically brought his A game in the eighth inning, touching 100 miles an hour and dominating the Jays hitters. It’s so fun to watch the parade of relievers come marching out of the pen and have complete faith that they will get the job done, and if the team can rally to get to October, hitters might be in for a bad time.
Up next will be the Oakland A’s at home for ReOpening Day, to celebrate the return of full capacity to Yankee Stadium. We’ll have the series preview for you tomorrow - enjoy a restful night and sweep dreams!
