Sherman, set the Wayback to Aug. 7, 2020, bottom of the eighth, shortly after Gary Sanchez has fanned with the bases loaded, killing our best scoring op of the night:
In comes the ever-serviceable, hipster Brooklynite, Adam Ottavino. He walks the lead off Ray, walks him to second, wild pitches him to third - (one of those passed ball/wild pitch hybrids for which Sanchez is renowned) - and scores him with a long fly. The Rays win with small ball, while the Yankees waste another night trying to blast holes in the dome. Does anybody anymore teach the art of making contact?
And so we lost a winnable game. No big deal, I guess, with 48 left to play. Still, our lineup is starting to resemble a mine field, cratered with sluggers who have yet to show up. Why Aaron Hicks bats third demands a podcast. Gleyber Torres can't seem to get started. Giancarlo Stanton is drifting. And Sanchez continues to flail, offensively and defensively. At this point, Aaron Boone - the dugout Prometheus - has little choice but to play Sanchez and hope for a miraculous improvement. But sands are running out on "The Kraken." Come November, it's quite likely that Cooperstown Cashman's first mission will be to find a catcher. We cannot go on this way. Look, look, LOOK at this horror show...
Acoupla things:
1) We can obsess over those miserable Yankee BAs, but the Rays - five players below .200 - aren't exactly the Big Red Machine.
2. One bright spot is Luis Cessa, with two scoreless innings. Another botched start by Happ or Paxton, and Cessa will probably get the call. Thus far in his Yankee tenure, Cessa has never put it together. But as Chaz Roe showed last night, in this stone soup of a season, anything can happen.
3. Mike Tauchman continues to deliver. Boone must keep him in the lineup.
4. For inexplicable reasons, I'm more roused by Mike Ford than Luke Voit. Ford takes great swings and doesn't waste them on pitches in the dirt. The fences just seem to be moving out on Voit. Maybe it's just me.
The Yankees have now lost three of four. Normally, a botched series opener on the second weekend of the season would matter less than a photo of drunk Jerry Falwell Jr. with his pants down. But this year is different. This year has only nine weekends, and one might have just slipped out of Sanchez's mitt. Today, we play two. Is it too early to panic?
When the Yanks dole out those big contracts for Judge and Torres, Sanchez will be gone. League knows how to strike him out...he's a sucker for an outside slider.
ReplyDeleteThey didn't even need a slider on Gary's bases loaded K last night. Three fastballs was all it took. Then his mistakes in the bottom of the inning...poor framing on the lead off walk, Otto passed ball that was really Gary's fault (Heads up Gary, Otto's slider's a doozy, sometimes goes very hard to your right, gotta be ready, especially late with men on). He's the worst player in baseball.
ReplyDeleteAnswer to Sanchez problem is spelled R-E-A-L-M-U-T-O.
ReplyDeleteI recall criticizing Girardi a few years ago. Remember Joe's criticism of Gary, and what appeared to be a few too many "says off"? I thought he was jealous of Gary's offensive talent. Joe, a light hitting, defense first grinder simply couldn't abide a slugger who wouldn't worship at the altar of sacred catchers culture. More fool, I. Joe was right.
ReplyDelete1) Sanchez has to go. You will notice that the other day when he (finally)hit his HR he watched it like it was some 450 foot blast. It hit the top of the wall. He should have run it out. This guy is the WORST.
ReplyDelete2) The other guy who cost us the game is Hicks. He's on second. Flyball to right that the fielder has to make a sliding catch on. Does Hicks advance to third, to be driven in by Gleyber's fly ball in the next at bat? No. He stay's on second. Game over.
Tauchman in center. Red Thunder in left. Gardy spells them both.
Doug K.
Sanchez was lazy on that wild pitch. No effort was made to move his body, just a fundamentally terrible glove swipe. You would have thought that the Yankees were up by ten runs. I dunno, but he seems to lack any sense of anticipation. I know that Cashman won't give up on him, yet. But I agree, the day could be coming.
ReplyDeleteYes. The time is rapid approaching for radical change.
ReplyDeleteSit Gary down. Make him back-up. Sit hicks. Play Ford. Let Andujar DH. And bring up Estrada ( he makes contact ).And bring up Schmidt. Get rid of Happ. Can't waste another 2 inning, 5 run outing from him.
Tick fucking tok.
I don't want to make excuses for Sanchez. He's sucking it up a lot right now. Just keep in mind, though, that the team's coaching wants everyone to swing for the fences, on every pitch. 400 strikeouts in 500 at bats? O.K. with management, as long as you hit 40 homers. Seriously, Sanchez could become the first player ever to hit under .100 with 40 homers. This is moneyball, Cashman's Yankees style. Sanchez has to separate his defense from his offense, but I think he's having trouble doing that also. Growing pains? Maybe, maybe not. I'm just saying that even if we bring in another catcher, the coaching staff will encourage the same problems with the bat. Only those who are immune to the stupid coaching, like DJL, will hit .300 on this team.
ReplyDeleteThe Hammer of God
@Alphonso Team management doesn't like contact hitters like Thairo Estrada. They've made that abundantly clear. And perhaps the only real reason why guys like Andujar and Frazier can't crack the lineup or the roster is that they don't swing for the fences on every pitch. Sometimes they cut down and make contact, even hit the ball the other way. These appear to be cardinal sins in management's eyes. Coaching and management want moonshots and moneyball, period. Anyone who doesn't fit in gets sent down.
ReplyDeleteThis is why they like Gardner so much. He doesn't hit a lot, but when he does, it's usually a homer.
The Hammer of God
Game #14 and the Yankees are in first place, a spot they are not likely to surrender.
ReplyDeleteAnd there are holes in the lineup. I believe they are temporary. We expect every one of these guys to be consistent hitters day in and day out; which Is highly unrealistic.
Many of you are in favor of hanging Sanchez, maybe even demoting Gleyber, both more than adequate performers. Let’s face it, neither player has forgotten how to hit, and past history says they will again. Who knows what’s going on in their minds? But this I do know: they will hit again, and in the near future we will be singing their praises. It won’t be long either.
When I consider what must be going on in Boston blogs, I feel like Gehrig: Thank God he made me a Yankees fan.
Patience and playing the long game, whether I like it or not, is the order of the day. The hitters will remember to hit and the pitchers, like Tanaka, will regain their touch and soon, all will be well in The Yankees Universe.
Providing any of us will still have any hair to pull out of our heads before this crazy season comes to an end.
Tanaka was great, but our rotation is still Cole, Tanaka, and prayers.
ReplyDeleteTorres will come out of this, but Sanchez, I'm not so sure. He needs different coaches or something. Or he may never be more than great potential, not quite fulfilled.
On another topic, Sonny Gray is looking pretty good, ain't he? Maybe we can trade for him.
Sanchez has become a head case. Great talent, but our coaches have lost him. If Old George were still around, he'd have ordered a personal coach for him, a "Sanchez whisperer", someone who knows his swing and his psyche, who helped mold him into the player who resembled a right handed Babe Ruth in 2016.
ReplyDeleteThe Hammer of God
ReplyDeleteI really want the world to know about this great man who brought back happiness into my life again after my husband left me and the kids 3 years ago for another women online when i contacted Dr Believe he cast a love spell for me within 48 hours my ex husband start calling me and begging for forgiveness for everything that have happened between us. I was so happy to have my family back together with love again here is the email of Dr Believe via believelovespelltemple@gmail.com a man with the great powers you can also call him or add him on Whats-app: +2348156148821
God bless you
I am very grateful for your help in my marriage.