Betances' second pitch to slugger Richard Urena - the Toronto SS, bating ninth and hitting .215 - was so juicy that, if it sat on your couch it would have left a stain. Urena slammed a line drive over Aaron Judge's head that hit the right field wall and bounced back to Judge, who held the speedy infielder to a single. If Urena had lifted the ball slightly, for his 2nd home run of the year, it would now be somewhere over the Atlantic, drifting with Puerto Rican pelicans in the remnant winds of Hurricane Maria.
To the next batter - the immortal Teoscar Hernandez! - Betances threw a ball in the dirt that was charitably ruled a passed ball by Austin Romine. Then he walked Hernandez on a three-two count, throwing a knuckle curve that wasn't close. This roused Joe, like the groundhog in February, to skip from his bunker, hand in the air. There was no conversation.
A four-run lead in a meaningless game, and your All-Star reliever can't last three batters. Wow.
I suppose Betances might "find himself" today and tomorrow, giving Joe a glimpse of the dominating pitcher that occasionally shows up. That would give Joe reason to pitch him in, say, the ninth inning of a Wild Card blowout. But really, folks, in the one-game season, a guy this wild, this erratic - an outing can take a hairpin turn on every pitch - is not an option. And I wonder what to do about Betances, period.
For the season, his ERA remains an all-star stat - 2.87. Numbers-wise, he's a valid, veteran closer candidate. And before yesterday, his previous three outings went relatively fine - no runs, but he beaned a batter. The one before those three, though, was a near disaster: two walks and a hit batsman, to be saved only by Chapman, who occupies his own personal Robert Louis Stevenson- themed universe. Good grief, will we ever again this year feel confident about a lead?
This winter, Betances turns 30 and is eligible for arbitration. Frankly, I don't care how much a player makes. There's nothing less appealing to the human condition than hearing the New York Yankees' owner poor-mouth about salaries. Boo-fucking-hoo. But Betances was a cost-effective $3 million per year. That's going to explode - like that ball off Urena's bat.
Maybe Betances needs a change of cities. Or could he be converted back to the starter he once was? I dunno. I hope he stays. I prefer homegrown Yankees to the mercenaries that never quite meet expectations. I believe homegrown Yankees are forged in a fire not found in smaller markets. But right now, Betances is being consumed in that fire. If we see him in the Wild Card, it probably means the game is over.
Sad to see Betances lose his mojo. Guy had it going on for quite a while. Looks like Chapman's got his back, though.
ReplyDeleteHe's hurt and overthrowing to compensate, which is why he's mostly kept his speed but is missing spots and hitting batters. Should be shut down for the season, diagnosed, treated and not heard from again until Spring.
ReplyDeleteJJ might have a point. Me, I said last year that we should've traded Chappie and Betances and kept Miller. Still waiting to be proven wrong.
ReplyDeleteAfter all the lunacy around Saber Boy, he did contribute an interesting statement...that with the run differential the Yanks should have nine more wins. That sounds to me about exactly the number of games Girardi has lost for us through over- and mismanagement. As SB said, there's no way to prove it. But it is interesting to me how much my gut and his stats came to very much the same conclusion.
Girardi does lose games.
So does Cashman.
ReplyDelete
ReplyDeleteJudge #52!
Who is this guy calling the game with John? Where the hell is Suzyn? Someone file a missing person's report.
ReplyDeleteAnd I wanted them to trade Betances before the deadline last year. I felt they could successfully bamboozle teams into believing he and Miller are the same caliber, but since Betances has more control on his contract they'd get more. I still don't know why they didn't try to trade him and keep Miller. Betances imploding almost immediately after jettisoning Miller and Chapman was just strengthened my convictions.
I agree, Leinstery. I was all for trading Betances and keeping Miller. But who knows if the Indians would have gone for that?
ReplyDeleteAnd yes, Girardi has had a poor year as manager. But much as The Master is going on today about our vaunted bullpen, they blew games left and right, from the Yankee Clipart's foundering, down through the implosions of Chapman and Betances.
Some of this was Girardi's finagling around. But also, too often, in close games these guys simply blew.
Suzyn is doing a broadcaster's Sandy Koufax, observing Yom Kippur. Which means she will no doubt return to broadcast winning Game 7 of the World Series this fall.
ReplyDeleteThe guy in the both is Sweeny Murti, as apparently the Yankees wanted to be sure to steer clear of not only sacrilegious Jewish broadcasters, but anyone in the Abrahamic tradition.
Cone and his fellow announcers on Fox today were also going on about how great, amazing, and fearsome out bullpen is. Everyone keeps beating this drum, but as Horace said, we've seen them blow so many games this year, it's hard to count. Kahle, who Cone said has been having a lights-out September, couldn't get through an inning today.
ReplyDeleteSo Sweeny was on today? Who's that other guy they were trying to groom in the radio booth? I wish him well, but didn't care for him. Ryan somebody?
You mean Ryan Ruoco, John?? Absolutely agree that we should have tried at all costs to keep Miller over either or both the other two...
ReplyDeleteAs for Joey, I think 9 games botched is being very kind to Joey. He ought to thank both Pythagoras and Stat Boy for being so generous.
Joey was two days too late with his hook; actually, if he had used the "big boys", he might not have HAD to use the hook - - but, aw, shucks - - I'm sure his heart bled for Sonny Boy not getting the chance to win the game...he's such a humanitarian.
...speaking of humanitarians, please don't get me started on Tweet-Boy the Champion Golfer - - my God, is he making an ass of himself today: he's out at Bedminster - - costing us money, and probably sneaking in 18, and implying the PR people are "lazy". God, what a shxthook!! LB (No J)
Who knows Horace, maybe they did try to trade Betances, but the only teams with major prospects saw through it. Betances is slow to the plate and has a pitching motion that can easily get out of whack. Miller slide steps to the plate and is rarely wild. Maybe that was the deciding factor.
ReplyDeleteAnd thanks for the update on Suzyn. I was worried she was sick or worse.
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