Last night, the Yankees won despite several massive goofs, most notably in the pickoff limbo between 2nd and 3rd. They strangled a rally that could have salted away the game. The Yankees have a 2-0 lead, but the nights have turned cold, there is snow in the Adirondacks, and anything can happen in Cleveland, including a Joba-like mayfly hatch. Expect a slog, because The Babadook remains at large.
Some terrors...
1. Gerrit Cole reverted back to dirty coal. Our ace failed to make it through the 5th. Yes, it was nice to have Carlos Rodon crush game one. But every winning October scenario revolves around Cole, and right now, he's on a roller coaster. Beginning Thursday, the Death Barge will turn to Clarke Schmidt and Luis Gil, with promotional considerations from Marcus Stroman. It's a huge drop, and the message from Cole is that nothing is sure. Don't wanna be Chicken Little here, but we're entering the phase of the ALCS when the opposition stops giving away games. We'll need Cole in game six, and who knows what he'll bring?
2. I can be wrong - (I once believed in our one true lord and savior, Jesus Montero) - but I hated seeing Luke Weaver pitch the 9th with a four-run lead. Boone gave the Guardians a free chance to scout Weaver, our greatest October Surprise. What we saw is a slight, but clear lessening of his dominance - in this case, the homer to Jose Ramirez. The more Cleveland sees of Weaver, the more likely they will hit him. Couldn't Ian Hamilton have thrown the 9th? Was it necessary to use our best bullpen weapon? And if Weaver gets hit, will the results be catastrophic to our bullpen zeitgeist?
3. The Yankee base-running was abominable - especially after Jazz Chisholm and Anthony Rizzo had come through with doubles. Both, picked off second and, in Chisholm's case - so embarrassingly that he called for a bogus video review, which only amplified his guilt. The Yankees nearly ran themselves out of a game. Can you imagine the Yankiverse today, if those goofs had cost us?
Yes, we're sitting pretty. But every hopeful prediction had us winning games one and two. Now, it's gonna get dicey.
"we're entering the phase of the ALCS when the opposition stops giving away games"
ReplyDeleteYes, usually true. But I don't know about this year. I thought KC bumbled their series away, and now Cleveland has done it two games in a row--both times when the starter was pitching. What will change? Suddenly, the Yankees won't hit? Wasn't Bibee supposed to shut us down? Wasn't their bullpen supposed to shut us down? And now, their next two great starters are supposed to shut us down. Unless the usually sure-handed SS drops a pop up. Maybe these guys just aren't that formidable once you take away their games with the White Sox. I dunno.
They make gaffes, we make gaffes. But our pitching has held up better...so far. I don't think Schmidt will suck. Gil will walk too many guys--shades of Cleveland in Game 1.
As Peter Marshall used to say, I might have gone to Wally Cox to block. But this might work out.
The Master was on fire last night! To quote:
ReplyDelete"Boy, isn't that the Yankees. That's what they do; they run the bases like drunks!"
We bask in the glow of greatness the like of which we shall never again know.
I saw thar Sterling quote, and boy did he nail it. The team has no grasp of fundamentals whatsoever. I guess it just doesn’t matter to an analytics driven team.
ReplyDeleteAgree 100 % about Weaver’s usage. No need to burn him out.
And yes, no way we’re going to walk into Cleveland and blow them out. Don’t be surprised to see the series knotted at 2-2 on Fri night.
And please get Wells and Chisolm out of the lineup, at least against lefties.
Pinch me, I can't believe this is happening! The Yankees are a sloppy hot mess of a team, but somehow we've been lucky and things keep falling our way. I'm keeping my pessimism going with my friends to ride the reverse Juju horse that has taken me this far, but it's becoming harder for me to be negative,,,,,,
ReplyDeleteWe are used to seeing championship teams not fuck up on the basepaths, with managers that don't fuck up field decisions, and pitching that's razor sharp for the most part.
ReplyDeleteThat isn't reality this year. This year, the best teams are not that good at any of that stuff. And they are the best there is--this year.
It ain't the old days. Parity allows for mistakes all around.
I was driving around Bayonne last night, where I went to just shoot some photos and escape from the swarm of tech and finance bros in Greenwich Village. I'll admit to turning on the game, MAINLY so I could enjoy the voice of the Master, which was a joy. As for this team, hey...maybe they'll got hot at the right time. Maybe they'll pitch like winners. Maybe they'll stop making mistakes. They have gotten away with some sloppy-ass play against some like-minded sloppy-ass teams. Maybe baseball has just become a sloppy-ass game, half of chance, half of lazy skill. Maybe it's become kind of a drag to devote my time to watching these guys. We shall see. Maybe they'll make the Series. Maybe they'll win. Maybe they'll lose. After all, it's a crapshoot. Anything can happen. It's all right there in front of us.
ReplyDeleteThe Yankees just own AL Central teams. Twins, Royals, Guardians... doesn't matter. These guys can't get out of their own way against the Yankees.
ReplyDeleteThis is probably the easiest path to a pennant in my lifetime.
If the Yankees do advance, I'm curious if the Mets/Dodgers will play cleaner baseball and put up more of a fight.
Yep, those mistakes on the base paths were inexcusable last night. This is where Boone needs to put on his big manager pants, tell Jazz Chisholm, 'No, we're not wasting a video review on your foolishness,' and snap at both he and Rizzo that they need to pay attention.'
ReplyDeleteYep, it was foolish to bring Weaver in for the 9th last night. Yep, he left a ball out over the plate a little too much, and Ramirez, easily their best hitter, drilled it into the short porch. Yep, Cole was back to being Flouncy. Yep, Wells has got to catch every night because the alternative, as the Great Genius Cashman has designed this roster, is to have another 9-10 stolen base game off Trevino-not Trivino...
I was reading a thread on X discussing TBS and them purposefully lowering the crowd noise on their broadcasts. I agree totally with this. And you know I'm addressing Judge's HR. It's god awful what they do...
ReplyDeletesloppiness, gleyberness on the base paths, ughleeness all around and yet - we're up 2-0 - and I'm worried that whoever we might face in the 2024 World Series ill not only each our lunches but vomit it back down our uniforms
ReplyDelete...and yet, with all that said, I, too, find it hard to keep up my usual, anti-juju pessimism. I never thought I'd see an ALCS with a shortstop like Rocchio. A dropped infield pop-up, taking a called third strike like that in a key situation. And yes, that utterly embarrassing home-run celebration in Game 1. It looked like he was imitating a pony...
ReplyDelete...I worry more that the juju powers are setting us up for a truly humiliating World Series. But that's just me.
ReplyDeleteMaybe it’s not just you
DeleteMaybe it's someone else, too.
DeleteMaybe.
How many could there be . . . ?
DeleteMultitudes. I contradict myself all the time, for example, because I contain multitudes.
Delete@Hoss, if the MLB powers to be want a Mets/Guardians WS with the haven't won in a gazillion years narrative, that would speak to that
ReplyDeleteOr do they want Yanks/Dodgers with Ohtani/Judge coming up in 8 batters narrative?
ReplyDeleteYankees/Dodgers guarantee big ratings. Big. Every other combination pales.
ReplyDeleteYou've just given me an idea, JM.
DeleteRemember......its not how you play the game - it's whether you win or lose.
ReplyDeleteBut... but... results don't matter!
DeleteBut...but...it's a crapshoot.......
DeleteI watched the game...Cole wasn't that bad they obviously had a game plan to lay off the curve/slider which are major strike out pitches for him and the ump wasn't giving low and away and he still gutted thru it without blowing the game...he gets those and it's a VERY different game
ReplyDeleteListen, y'all. You can borrow my Juju pessimism as much as you want and just enjoy these days. I'll keep stoking that boiler in the Titanic and I'll keep the benches warm for you all when the water starts pouring in and the doors clang shut. I won't begrudge anyone a measly bit of hope and joy in this life but, trust me, we ARE being set up for the big pineapple. And there will be no lube, my friends. It's going to be Mets version of 2004. Get ready for all of your Mets buddies to come over and sit on your face with no underwear on. These guys are head cases and, even if Judge gets hot now, he's not enough to carry us. Anyway, I'll keep that negative Juju shit wagon rolling. Enjoy the games.
ReplyDelete@13bit...I think you need to ramp up the negativism some more...
ReplyDelete10-4, Ranger. I’ll start shoveling that coal.
ReplyDeleteMr Bit - often a viewfinder can cede a cleft of clarity, perhaps a puzzling perturbation of something best left untouched, or just a tempting titillation causing your shutter to fire repeatedly until you can capture no more of the frame. That said, get any good shots in Bayonne? Asking for a friend that's just standing around outside with a blank look on their face.
DeleteBayonne is a mystery wrapped in an enigma.
ReplyDeleteWith canal waterfront stinks and a few pizzerias.
ReplyDeleteOOOOOH - You're talking Jersey - I thought you were talking about Bayonne France.
ReplyDeleteNevermind
The Masters call from last night. How is this not the new masthead!?
ReplyDeletehttps://x.com/JomboyMedia/status/1846373724552896774
"if that's not the Yankees - run the bases like drunks."
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