Whenever the winds seem to gather behind us, something shifts beneath our feet, and it doesn't matter who we're playing. We lose. Often, horribly.
But neither can the O's pull away in the AL East. Yesterday, while we were crapping the bed, they won their second straight against Houston, formerly the hottest team in baseball.
It will probably go this way into the last week of September, when we host the O's for three games.
In the meantime, there are pressing matters.
1. Yesterday, the Yankees once again used practically their entire staff in a fumbling, stumbling loss. We don't have a bullpen guy who can throw four innings and save the staff. And it's getting worse.
After 56 innings pitched, Michael Tonkin is starting to look spent, and we're seeing why Mark Leiter Jr. was so easily available in a deadline trade. Right now, the Yankees have three relievers within Aaron Boone's circle of trust - Luke Weaver, Jake Cousins and Tommy Kahnle, with a flashing "X" over Clay Holmes. Everyone else is a crooked number, waiting to happen. And if somebody, anybody, emerges, it remains to be seen whether Boone will simply burn him out. Who pitches those last three innings against Baltimore? The answer, sadly: Whoever happens to have the hot hand.
2. Alex Verdugo homered yesterday. He sure needed it. Nobody has looked more lost, more agonized, more hapless. He's been so bad that the YES announcers had given up searching for hopeful signs - a good swing, a smart take, whatever. Of course, they beamed with joy over the HR, pronouncing it a hopeful sign!
Meanwhile, Jasson Dominguez went 0-4 at Scranton with a walk and a K. He's batting .298 in a very small sample size.
Left field is up for grabs. Someone - either Verdugo in the Bronx or The Martian at Biden Town - has got to start hitting. These grounders to 2B cannot go on. And if neither gets hot, the Yankees should consider shifting Oswaldo Cabrera into the outfield. Somewhere, somebody has to fill that dead zone, which is keeping the Yankees from having the best outfield in baseball.
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6 comments:
Yep, I agree about Cabrera in left. Mentioned it a few days ago, in fact, but the front office and Boone were not listening. Maybe they'll listen now. But of course, Vertigo hit a homer. So he's good for another 0 for 25 or thereabouts.
Whatever happened to the knuckleball? We could use a guy like that who could pitch literally everyday, multiple innings, any situation…at the very least it could spare the rest of the pen from Boone’s awful handling.
Cabrera in LF? Why not, everybody else has had a shot out there since we parted ways with Brett Gardner.
We should have one more week before Rizzo, Schmidt, Hamilton, er al begin to
return.
I don't get a vote. But if I did, I would send Warren to AAA (or single-A) as soon as Schmidt or Hamilton return. And I'd turn Gil into the closer. Maybe our present closer could kick in 2 innings of relief every 2nd day?
Yeah, Joe, I wanted to believe when it came to Warren, but he's far from ready. Maybe he'll never be. We need Schmidt and Hamilton badly. And Gil might be completely tapped out for the season. Certainly an inning out of the bullpen every three days or whatever has got to help his obvious fatigue.
I'd like to see Rizzo return in style and regain his old form, but I'm afraid what we'll see is the old without the form. And for God's sake, get Verdugo out of the lineup. And Gleyber out of the lineup, at least temporarily. And play Wells as many days as possible, not Trevino. We've got a fucking star in the making and Boone keeps trotting out the old guy. So Yankees of him.
Are any of the Old-timer pitchers still in town ? Maybe we can sign a few of them up for the rest of the season. Who am I kidding - sign ‘em all for god sakes. Boone is just going to mismanage them into assisted living anyway but maybe they can get us through the next month…
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