Thursday, August 20, 2020

How did we lose last night? Let us count the ways...

With 37 games remaining in this snapshot of a season, the Yankees - still technically in first, and still owning, mathematically, the second best record in baseball - seem to have found their true, psychic level: 

They are the second-best team in the AL East, a solid light year behind Tampa.

Last night, they achieved a perfect choke tri-fecta: They didn't hit the clutch, didn't didn't hustle in the clutch and didn't think in the clutch. They managed to make defeat into an art form. How, you ask? Well... 

Hitting: To illustrate this, we can choose from almost every at-bat with runners on base. But I select Miguel Andujar's ninth inning strikeout - three pitches, so quickly and efficiently performed that it evoked memories of Jose Canseco's appearance in the 2000 World Series. One-two-three, and he was marching to the dugout. 

We all want Miggy to recapture the glory of 2018. And I suspect he will... someday, probably in another uniform. Right now, no Yankee looks more lost, both in the field and at bat. In left field, he's a certifiable Curt Blefary. At the plate, he's over-matched. I wonder, was he crushing balls in those fake games at Scranton? Because right now, he's hopeless.  

We could add to the file Brett Gardner's ninth inning fly to center - on a 2-0 count, from a struggling Chaz Roe - while the defensive alignment openly dared him to bunt. Gardy's supposed to be our best bunter. He didn't try. Gardy turns 37 on Monday. He's hitting .176. Maybe he'll get hot. Or maybe, this isn't a slump. 

Either way, want to unhinge the Yankee bats? It's easy. Just put runners on base.

Hustling: Zack Britton's muff of a soft toss to first base opened the flood gates, and Tampa doesn't forgive other teams' mistakes. But when that ball bounced out of Britton's glove, my immediate reaction was that the catcher would grab it, backing up the play, holding the runner on first.

Today, I wonder: Why would I think such a thing? The replays showed our catcher, the beloved Yankee, Gary Sanchez, standing at home plate, watching the play unfold in his usual, seemingly constipated state. 

Long long ago, in a Yankiverse far far away, I recall catchers running down the baseline, backing up potential errant throws to first. Clearly, that's not the case anymore. Still, on balls hit down the first base line, is it too much to expect your catcher to at least trail the play, in case the throw goes wide? 

Sanchez was nowhere, the Ray took second, and he then took third on one of those wild pitches that seem to happen to Gary five times a night. 

I have a feeling that next year, the Yankees' Gary Sanchez experiment will have ended. And not necessarily on a good note. 

Thinking: Today, we learned that Britton strained a hammy, and he'll be out for several weeks, which means - well - maybe the rest of the season. Typical. Until last night, he was our best hope out of the bullpen.

Let the record show that last night, manager Aaron Boone - for the first time in eons - asked Britton to come in, record an out, go sit on the bench, then return for a second inning. He broke all the routines that Britton - a one-inning workhorse - has developed, asking him to deliver the equivalent of a four-out save. 

In his second inning, Britton looked completely out of sorts. He constantly fell behind the batters. They hit him hard. Nothing seemed right. And now he is gone.

Heck of a job, Boonie.

11 comments:

Platoni said...

The "Thinking" bit should include pinch-hitting Tauchman for Frazier in the late innings. I'm still SMH-ing at that one (granted, I know jack shit about baseball's finer situations like that one).

Ol' Yankee Daddy Roger said...

I agree with Platoni. Why, I was screaming, pinch hit for Frazier with Tauchman, when Tauchman could have pinch hit for Estrada?

Forget lefty righty matchups. Frazier can hit right handers, and Tauchman is touted as being able to hit lefties. And pinch hit Andujar for Tauchman? Not only over managing on Boone's part, but incredibly lousy managing. Why not pinch hit your worst hitter for one of your best hitters? Seriously, what was Boone thinking? And what is it about leaving your pitcher in until: 1) He falls behind and gives up hits; and 2) Pops a hammy?

Horrible at bats last night. Ford looked at six strikes without ever swinging the bat on two plate appearances. It looked like Tampa understood that Gary Sanchez never swings at the first pitch. Shades of "Bang the Drum Slowly" with Sanchez as DeNiro and without a Michael Moriarty. What is going on with Sanchez? And Hicks- I appreciate he got a triple in the later innings, but.... he's batting .226. He's our leadoff hitter, our number 3 hitter. Yes, he takes walks on occasion, but he looks at called third strikes or swings and misses on more 3-2 counts than he actually takes walks. I don't have the stats, but I bet he has twice as much strikeouts as walks. Three times as much.
Sorry about this rant. I'm just MAD AS HELL AND I AM NOT GOING TO TAKE IT ANYMORE.

Platoni said...

You are correct, Daddy R. THE STRIKEOUT RATE IS TOO DAMN HIGH!

DickAllen said...

The office boy of a GM has hired an office boy of a manager.

He should be sent down to the alternate site to learn how real managers work. I can’t think of a game on which Boone made so many basic blunders. Pinch hitting for Clint being the worst of them. That was clearly a no-confidence vote in Frazier’s reliability. Boone can sell it however he wants, but if I’m Frazier I am fucking pissed to the rafters.

And without Le Machine in the lineup and no Judge, this team is a mediocrity. I’ve never seen a Yankees team spend so much time admiring Glasgow’s off speed stuff, as good as it is.

Boone is no big league manager. He belongs where he belongs: in the broadcast booth where his experience mismanaging the Yankees will keep him employed as a commentator forever. That’s all he’s really good for.

Parson Tom said...

Sanchez in the 4th inning:
curveball strike
curveball strike
straight meatball right down the middle strike 3
never swung the bat
less than useless

Anonymous said...

With what we've got right now, here's what our lineup should be:

Tauchman RF
Estrada 2B
Torres SS
Frazier LF
Voit 1B
Urshella 3B
Adujar DH
Sanchez C
Hicks CF

Anonymous said...

Horrible managing... but that aside, anyone else notice the bunt single that lengthened the last inning for Cole and necessitated bringing in Britton for the last out? That resulted in Britton pitching the next inning and...well we all know what happened then. Point is, small ball wins. Can you say sweep?

The Hammer of God

HoraceClarke66 said...

Agreed, Anon—though the complete deterioration of Torres is also alarming. Is he nursing a secret injury? Quite possibly. Or is he simply the next, modern Yankee superstar manque? Or both?

The beat goes on: Sanchez, Judge, Severino, Torres.

Potentially great players come up on the Yankees, slide backwards, get hurt. Nobody ever looks into why the training and tutoring is so blatantly inadequate.

Instead, Cashie just goes to the numbers, the way mob bosses used to go to the mattresses.

HoraceClarke66 said...

Actually, it's almost amazing how badly this team is able to play, considering the numbers—which is another reason to take the numbers with enough salt to cause a heart attack.

The Yanks are 2nd in the AL in runs scored, with over 5 a game. They are first in homers, third in batting average, first in on-base percentage, slugging, and OPS.

The pitching is only so-so, statistically. But the hitting shows just how easy it is to look good in the ledgers and still suck on the field.

Platoni said...

Tie game: Men on base

Boone: Bring on What's-his-name

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