"Let's look at the blown opportunities..."

(From commentator Hammer of God...)

John Smoltz, who in my humble opinion does an outstanding job of color commentary, said the Yankees blew their chances and "should've, could've, would've" won that game.

Let's look at the blown opportunities. In the first inning, only one run on what should've been a double play ball hit by Stanton. Pitcher struggling, on the ropes, Donald Duck and Torres come up with terrible at bats to end the first.

In a later inning, Yanks have second and third, nobody out, and fail to score. Once again, Stanton, Donald Duck and Torres do the honors.

In the 9th, Stanton takes it into his own hands and wipes out the game with a double play ground ball. So (perhaps) thankfully, we never get to see Donald Duck and Torres fuck up their at bats.

The 9th inning was particularly egregious because their closer was on the ropes and having a stopwatch meltdown. I don't know how many times the ump came out and tapped his wrist for a pitch clock violation, but it was a lot. All Stanton had to do was outlast that bozo, who was melting down faster than an ice cream cone on a 105 degree late June day. I'm sure Stanton would've drawn a walk, if he'd taken two strikes. Anyway, that's another at bat where you sure wish the batter would've had the good sense to strike out.

Last point, did hitting Judge in the two spot help the Yankees yesterday, or thus far in the two games? Doesn't look like it to me.

Judge in the first inning in Game 1, comes up bases empty and homers. Followed by a Rizzo single. Yanks only score 1 run in that first inning. But they do win the game 5-0, so no harm no foul I suppose. Although it very well could've would've should've been 2-0 after one inning, if they'd flip flopped Judge and Rizzo in the lineup order.

In yesterday's game, Judge comes up in the first inning, bases empty, and singles. Then is pushed to second by a Rizzo walk. Ends up scoring on the botched Stanton double play ball.

In the third inning, Judge leads off with a strikeout. In the fifth inning, DJ doubles, Judge singles. Rizzo follows up with a double, but only one run scores that inning.

In the seventh inning, with bases empty, Judge flies out.

In the ninth inning, Volpe singles, DJ walks. So Judge comes up as the tying run. Obviously, though, that's a tall order, to hit a three run jack there to tie the game. He does the next best thing, which is an RBI hit.

You can argue that hitting Judge #2 got him to the plate in the 9th inning with a chance to tie the game. Or you could argue that hitting Judge #3 might have resulted in a better outcome.

Essentially, what hitting Judge #2 in yesterday's game did was to put the RBI chances in the hands of lesser hitters. And the lesser hitters did what they usually do, which is to fuck everything up.

Look, I know this lineup is extremely challenged. They essentially only have one guy who scares pitchers. Doesn't it make more sense to put Rizzo in the #2 slot? I guess Boone wants to break up the righty hitters with a lefty thrown in at #3, which is not his fault that the Yankees have to field a lineup with 7 righty hitters against a righty starting pitcher.