It began in the fourth - bases loaded, one out - and Gleyber Torres grounds into a DP. Then Giancarlo Stanton botches the first of three catchable flies to right. And Nestor Cortez starts grooving gophers.
Tonight, we bring out Gerrit Cole - to do what an ace is supposed to.
There is no reason to panic.
Stay clam.
We knew the winning streak wouldn't last forever. We knew Nestor would eventually throw a clunker - and that a DH in RF makes a steady tick-tick-tick sound. We knew that sometimes you bag the lobster, and sometimes you catch the crabs. It's Minnesota, former home of the Homer Dome, where the ghost of Hubert Humphrey, the Happy Warrior, watched from the clouds.
Last night, at the end, Aaron Judge was resting, Manny Banuelos was throwing, our star of the game was Aaron Hicks - (two for three, and a great throw from LF; he's up to .232; he is about to get injured) - and nobody needed to pitch the bottom of the ninth. All good. We could rest. No problem. If you saw me now - NBG -Nothing But Grin! Haha. NBG. All good. So, we got decimated? I say, ha.
Seven game lead over Tampa and Toronto - whom we face next week, launching 13 straight against the Rays, Jays and Astros.
By then, we won't remember what happened last night.
Wait. I've already forgotten. Okay, Mr. Gerrit. It's all yours.
fear not the gathering gloom
ReplyDeleteThere was a screen graphic last night that said--not counting last night--that Hicks had a .368 (or something like that...might have been .386) average in the last six games. Get out the stretcher.
ReplyDeleteStanton's defense last night came directly on the heels of the announcers talking about how good an outfielder he is, something they said Boone was talking about to them. Kaboom.
ESPN.com had a light-hearted article about Nestor's mustache and its role as the secret weapon of his amazing turnaround success. Maybe it's time to shave.
What a sloppy game. Rizzo looked like a kid with ADD. Even Judge was basically silenced.
It's worth noting, though, that with the loss our winning percentage is .714. That's a number that will remain in our memories for all time, until we don't have memories anymore. The home run total of the Babe. The full season plus post-season winning percentage of the 1998 Yankees (maybe it was '99 or '97, my memories aren't what they used to be).
I want to get outta town and leave Minnesota. It's a bad vibe out there. Just never liked it, Homer Dome or this newer place.
I missed the game last night, though apparently the game itself won’t be missed. Several sources commented the Yanks were sloppy on defense and had the the unwelcome return of the RISP blues.
ReplyDeleteDuque, you are right on target about Cole - he is being paid (overpaid?) a kings’s ransom for situations like this. He should help us bounce back with a shutdown outing, and let the offense, led by the resurgent* Aaron Hicks do its thing.
*denotes satire
Good point about the .714, JM. And you're right to fear the place. It's where the late, great Yankees Dynasty came crashing down, both Elston Howard and Jim Bouton horribly injured on an Opening Day, 1965, played in the snow.
ReplyDeleteI'm still grousing over that Gleyber at-bat. Stupid to swing at the first pitch, and inexplicable how slow he is up the line. The ball went to Twins shortstop, who first looked toward second—only to see nobody there—and then trundled over to tag the bag himself, before throwing on to first.
ReplyDeleteGleyber was still out.
As this is the anniversary of Secretariat's immortal win, I can only say, "He was running like a tremendous yutz."
Is this the year that the Twins actually beat the Yankees in a series, mid-season or otherwise?
ReplyDeleteJust wanted to point out that major a difference between the first game and the second was the presence of one, Carlos Correa - Yankee Killer.
Could he be the personal embodiment of Yogi Berra's, "We always beat these guys." as in, "I always beat these guys."?
Food for thought.
its so quiet here you can hear a mouse fart
ReplyDelete(ok - full disclosure for those of you that heard mouse farts before - they are a lot louder and more percussive than one would think - it was really more of the IDEA that I was trying to evoke)
Gleyber outs on the first pitch are never not going piss me off
ReplyDeleteAnd that's why Cole gets the big money.
ReplyDeleteHoly crap!
ReplyDelete"Ace."
ReplyDeleteI’ve never been more happy to see Gary Sanchez at bat. What’s that stat this blog made up about out sphincter clinching rate when someone comes up? We need an opposing team version.
ReplyDeleteThis "ace" of ours, eh? I miss those days when Sabathia would come in, knees made of churros and a belly full of beer, and put a stop to losses.
ReplyDeleteI think that Cole is distracted by the twins behind home plate . . .
ReplyDeleteTWITCH! TWITCH!!!
ReplyDeleteI’m not gonna sit here and outright knock a pitcher of Gerrit Cole’s caliber, but please don’t call him an Ace. An Ace comes up big when you need him to; still haven’t seen that yet from Cole.
ReplyDeleteLike I said a while ago, more deucy than acey.
ReplyDeleteThose twins behind home plate. Shame.
ReplyDeleteThat's four home runs, if you're counting.
ReplyDeleteLuetge is growing himself a NastyStache!
ReplyDeleteMake that five…and counting. Who is this guy?
ReplyDelete
ReplyDeleteWhere is Captain Hook when you need him?
I'm telling you its Carlos Correa. He's the true Yankee killer and he's infectious,
ReplyDelete
ReplyDeleteDoug, every year there’s a new one. Though he seems to be a particularly virulent one.
I got a gallon of sticky stuff on order for his next start.
ReplyDelete2 HR's by Gallo WTF?????
ReplyDeleteIt can only mean one of two things. Either he continues to be productive and becomes trade bait at the Deadline, Or he plays through the rest of the season, and we get to watch him shit the bed during the most important at- bats of his life in the playoffs
ReplyDeleteAnd now Hicks! (and yes I'm watching the hearings and the Rangers. ADD has its plusses.
ReplyDeleteAstounding.
ReplyDeleteI was watching the Jan 6 committee. Hard to believe that shit happened in America.
And now Hicks is getting hot. We all know what that means
ReplyDeleteJudge top of the wall. Just missed.
ReplyDeleteAnd Duran Duran pitching.
ReplyDeleteLet's hope they bring him in. That failure with man on 3rd and 0 out earlier was annoying
ReplyDelete
ReplyDeleteNice little comeback that.
Another Happy Landing!
ReplyDeleteNext time, they best bring kryptonite!
ReplyDeleteNice win. But boy, they wrecked the Cole Train.