YANKEES & METS BATTLE IT OUT ON SATURDAY NIGHT

Source: SportsNet

With an artificial crowd soundtrack and cut out fan photos donning the seats, the Yankees made the cross town trip to Citi Field and battled the Mets on a rare Saturday night contest, the first exhibition game of the set for 2020.

Source: NJ.com

Yankees right handed pitcher Mike King looked sharp and controlled at the hill for the Yankees and Rick Porcello, Seton Hall Prep graduate and former Red Sox, battled the Bombers from the National League side of things. Despite the changes, despite the delays and despite the lack of in person spectators, it was fun to watch, even though it was a different experience.

Mike Tauchman kicked things off offensively for the Yankees in the first inning, with a double and a run scored off of a Gleyber Torres single. With two outs in the fourth inning, Clint Frazier drove a deep center field 2-run home run to put the Yankees up 3-0. Tauchman wound up getting three hits on the night including one in the 9th inning.

As the YES Network called the game from Yankee Stadium and from their homes to maintain social distancing, they talked about the changes to the game, what to look forward to and how the momentum for the game will only grow as baseball enters back into the evening and weekend lineups for fans across the country.

The Yankees looked sharp in game one of two against their cross town rivals, blowing the game open in the top of the 9th easily beating the Mets 9-3. Tonight they battle again, but this time at Yankee Stadium. Baseball is back my friends and so is the road to #28, no matter the length of the season, a season is a season.

--Suzie Pinstripe

BYB Managing Editor

Twitter: @suzieprof

THE YANKEES WIN BUT AT WHAT COST?

Source: USA Today

What a marathon of a game in London, the first of two for the Yankees and the Red Sox.  By now you know that the Yankees took Game 1, 17-13, albeit in almost five hours.  It was a long game, that carried a high price tag for the Yankees.

Source: AP

"I have no excuse for that.  I just wasn't efficient and I was not able to do my job," Masahiro Tanaka said in the post game interview.  He didn't have an explanation for his poor pitching except to say that it was on him for this performance.  He did not blame the venue in what has been his shortest start of his career.  A lot of good hitters took advantage of the poor pitching on both sides as Rick Porcello also left after in the first inning after giving up six.  Because Chad Green stepped in after Tanaka, he is not available for today's game, another costly outcome of yesterday's game on this series.

Source: NY Post

The YES Network discussed that CC Sabathia and J.A. Happ both have extra days rest, but they believe the Yankees will go with another opener, perhaps a Luis Cessa and Chance Adams combo instead of leveraging their veteran starters.

Also costing the Yankees in this London Series is the possibility that Luke Voit will likely spend some time on the injured list following his stint in stretching his single into a double.  Not sure if this is a core injury or a hamstring, but the Yankee first baseman left the game wincing in pain after going 4-4.

Source: NY Post

"The injury comes just hours after the Yankees revealed Luis Severino had been shut down after experiencing soreness while rehabbing his right lat," reported the NY Post.

Voit will be checked out by the team's doctors again today; he says the pain is coming from the left side in his core or quad.  He appeared to be a good spirits in his post game interview with reporters.  Hopefully a few days rest will help the Yankees star first baseman heal without going on the IL.

Game 2 is at 10:00 a.m. on ESPN.  Let's have a quick sweep and head home.

--Suzie Pinstripe
BYB Managing Editor
Twitter: @suzieprof

THE MOMENT YOU LONG FOR AS A BASEBALL FATHER

Photo: New York Times

I was there last night.  The crowd was more engaged than I had ever seen it. In fact, it was incredible. Electric. We were in on ever pitch, razzing Red Sox fans whenever we could. And you know what? They returned it... some angry, some playful, because after all... this is a game, not a war.  Despite the rivalry, if you love baseball, even if you hate the Red Sox, there needs to somehow be an underlying respect for just how well that team played this season.  I know, you are reading this thinking I'm crazy. I'm not... I'm a passionate baseball fan. And yes... I still don't like the Red Sox. But respect the game and all it's great moments. It's why they play it and ultimately it's why we all love it.

But as I'm sitting there seeing fights break out, fans chanting hard and fans being escorted from their seats for inappropriate behavior, hand gestures and disgusting language, I smiled... but only for a moment. I looked around and realized something pretty significant. Baseball in the Bronx, for me give some of the fondest memories in my life.  The passion these fans have for their teams is like no other.  And me, observing every pitch, but people watching in unlimited depths through 9 great innings... made me very happy.

I was with my buddy last night... my oldest son. A kid that I taught the game to as young as 2 years old and to this day he loves and plays baseball, and plays it well. He has an incredible Baseball I.Q. that I'd like to say I taught him, but he found that on his own. He impresses me. He rattles off statistics like Rainman at a Casino, watches all baseball games, at any time of day, be it Brewers, College or highlights on his phone.  He can name the entire Padres team, and knows the color shoes Brett Gardner wore the game before.  If there was anyone more deserving of this moment of Game 4 at Yankee Stadium between these 2 rival teams, it's him.

He'd never been to a playoff game. I never felt it necessary until now to be honest.  Last night, he got it at 16 years old and was appreciative and thankful.  It reminded me a lot of 1981, the World Series when I was 11 seeing Ron Guidry pitch the Yankees to a win against the Dodgers in Game 1. Same energy, same passion. Yankee fans never get soft when it matters, and last night they were rooting hard until the last strike...my son and I included.

Photo: Getty Images

But we fell short last night, unlike Game 1 of that '81 Series. We couldn't figure out Porcello, we couldn't put the ball in play when we needed it, and in that ninth inning, when we simply needed a base hit to tie it, maybe win it, the immaturity of a guy named Gary Sanchez showed up.

Photo: Getty Images

"That's the most disappointing part of this," my son said 20 minutes after the game ended, as we sat in a now very empty stadium.  "Sanchez is just too inexperienced to know that all he needs is a base hit there. He was trying to be a hero. No one likes that when the game is on the line like that.  He failed big."

My kid's a genius.  Not only that, he's right. 100% right.  You can't be a hero... you need to go pitch by pitch and think logically as to how to execute.  The only "HERO" is the team in that win.  Wouldn't it have made sense to just think base hit, not fence?

Photo: Getty Images

We can't go back and the season is now over.  But there will be plenty of questions over the next few days. Is Aaron Boone the right fit? Was Sanchez really that foolish? Why was Miguel Andujar sitting? Why does Giancarlo Stanton have the worst load in baseball? And why, why did we lose this damn game?

Reality? None of it really matters to me.  The season's done.  For me, it was about one of the sweetest nights of my life as a father. Sitting with my son and listening to him scream his head off proved to me one thing... he's a passionate baseball fan. No... he's a passionate Yankee fan, a true love of the game, a true desire to see his team win.  He's also a realist.  He's not blinded by foolish debates about bad calls and crap arguments about who's better, Judge or Betts. He knows... he knows all of it, because he loves this game more than anyone I have ever seen love it and for me, Win or lose... that was my win. Sure, in the end he wanted the Yankees to pull ahead, but he knew the numbers, the personalities in both clubhouses and understood that the fight would be tough and the Yanks may not pull it off.

Father and son at the biggest moment of my kid's life.  I'm emotional just writing about it.  Maybe it's because we got home at 2am. Maybe it just feels right. Who knows.  Sure, losing last night stings like hell... but I'll be over it in a few hours.   For me? It's watching this young man grow up loving the greatest game on this earth, with the greatest fans on earth.

I love the Bronx folks, and I love this team. But I love it more watching baseball with my son.  At this point in my life there is nothing better.

For the Yankees, they come back next year ready to go. That's the best part of this game. It never ends. There's always a reset, and always another pitch or inning.  The Yankees will return and will have a better season next year. And my son will be there to experience it with me again.  I can't wait.

Thanks for a wonderful season to all the Bleeding Yankee Blue fans out there.  You have made me very happy. I love you all because I know a few of you were at the stadium last night just like me. Rooting hard... wanting a win. I get it and I feel your pain.

Congrats to the Yanks for a great season.  You guys rock! Don't ever lose the fire, us fans love you.

--Robert Casey
Chief, Senior Managing Editor & Head Writer
Twitter: @BleednYankeeBlu

IT'S ALL OR NOTHING

Source: Getty Images North America

The Yankees gave it everything they had...I think.  The 16-1 game on Tuesday night just about killed me.  I saw a manager give up; not thinking there was anything to salvage and placing everything on a good showing at the elimination game last night.  That strategy back fired on the 2018 Yankees and we as fans were disappointed with a 4-3 loss to the Red Sox closing out the American League Division Series and the 2018 Major League Baseball Season for the New York Yankees.

Source: Getty Images

Among the disappointments in this series against our division rival Red Sox are Giancarlo Stanton, Gleyber Torres, Gary Sanchez and Luis Severino.  No excuses.  They just were not able to perform.  I can give Torres a pass as a rookie but the others, I am sorry, there are no excuses (including what time is game time in Game 3: Sevy, consult a schedule for God's sake).  According to MLB.com, "While the players disperse for the offseason -- and in the case of the team's nine potential free agents, possibly longer than that -- and the final four teams vie for the World Series crown, Yankees general manager Brian Cashman will hold his organizational meetings to formulate a plan for the offseason."

Source: Getty Images North America

It is very likely that all of the players who disappointed us will be back for more next year, "but guys like Lance Lynn, Adeiny Hechavarria and Neil Walker aren't likely to figure prominently in the offseason plans," reports MLB.com.  Recall the poor management decision to put Lynn into a game three that turned into the biggest nightmare for the Yankees, leading into last night's sense of urgency that wasn't. And that is the kind of style of play we saw the Yankees demonstrate throughout the ALDS Series.  Boone seems to personify this kind of blahsay attitude for the team, which likely rubs off on them on the field.

Source: AP

Here is what leaves me shaking my head:  Why was rookie of the year candidate Miguel Andujar sitting the bench in this Game 4?  Why would you allow Neil Walker come up to the plate with the bases loaded in the 9th inning and not pinch hit the rookie sensation?  "It was more CC and Porcello on the mound,’’ Boone said. “We loved that matchup. It’s probably how we would have done it even a few days ago,” reported the NY Post.  I wish Boone would just pay attention to more than stats and even stand up for himself against Cashman.  Sure, Andujar could be a better third baseman and I think he could be, eventually, but what he did this season, exceeding our expectations was worth the chance of his bat instead of Walker's in the lineup last night.  Or how about this?  Sit Stanton.  Now that is an idea.  And one more thing...just about last night...why didn't Aaron Judge leap for that Christian Vazquez home run like we have seen him do time and time again in that short porch, his short porch in right field?  Not sure I understand what happened there.

Source: Elsa/Getty Images North America

Fans told me to not write a sappy post today about this being a successful year.  Okay, it's not sappy, but we did earn 100 wins, break the regular season home run record and put up a potential rookie of the year for the second year in a row.  Aaron Boone rolled the dice since coming back to NY for a series gone bad.  And his hunches were way off base.  Next steps, regroup, retool and refine.  Could Sevy and Sanchez be gone? Andujar? Gregorius? Clearly, we need to make a change.  Maybe the change is the manager who seems to have no grit or sense of urgency.  We have several months to speculate.

Source: The YES Network

The Winter Meetings are in Las Vegas on December 9th, just under two months from today.  Here's hoping we can fix this thing and by the way, I need to change my lock screen, "Chase for 28" for a while as I get over these horrible two days of Yankee mayhem.  I know it's not the best news of the day, but it's not sappy, it's real, which is what we are about here at BYB.  Looking forward to further discussion and interesting perspectives during a long hard off season.

--Suzie Pinstripe
BYB Managing Editor
Twitter: @suzieprof

EOVALDI RETURNS FOR REVENGE

Photo: Getty Images

Game three is here. It's back to home turf for the Yankees and it's one game closer to the end of this series. It's also going to be the game of Nathan Eovaldi's career and a tough test for the Yankees to pass.

Photo: Getty Images

Just over two years ago Eovaldi's elbow busted while he was pitching against the red Sox wearing a Yankees uniform. My how times have changed. Now the Red Sox are counting on Eovaldi to beat his old team and the Yankees will have to find a way to beat an old friend.

The Red Sox were going to start Rick Porcello today, but they used him in relief on Friday so have decided to give him an extra day of rest. I hate the move, but I tip my cap to Alex Cora. I hate that he is using his smarts in a brilliant move against us. Not so worried about Eovaldi? Well, you should be.

Photo: Getty Images

Eovaldi has had two Tommy John surgeries which may be a curse to any other pitcher, but Eovaldi has learned how to pitch effectively again after his last surgery. He rehabbed all of last year with the Tampa Bay Rays and was traded to the Red Sox in July. He's made three appearances against the Yankees that resulted in no earned runs, six hits, three walks and 13 strikeouts in 16 innings. That's a big deal. What's also a big deal his new found sharp cutter that he features. He's no longer that same old fastball or splitter guy we have come to known. Eovaldi has some new tricks up his sleeve.

Photo: Getty Images

So yes, Cora is a crafty coach. I give him credit for doing his homework and making adjustments as needed. The Yankees will have a difficult test ahead of them. The good news is that since Eovaldi joined the Red Sox the Yankees have come to life and are back at full strength. Aaron Judge and Gary Sanchez have made a lot of noise recently.

Photo: Getty Images

The Red Sox may have a lot of confidence in Eovaldi, but the Yankees also have a lot of confidence in their ace Luis Severino and their offensive abilities.

Nice move, Cora. I give credit when credit is due. Eovaldi had some success against us in the regular season but none of that matters now. We know not to underestimate any team, especially not the Red Sox. We'll be ready. Hopefully we give Eovaldi a homecoming he won't soon forget!

--Jeana Bellezza-Ochoa
BYB Managing Editor
Twitter: @Nyprincessj

THE YANKEES AREN'T DOING MUCH RIGHT

Bad game again.  They all seem like bad ones lately, don't they?

Bob DeChiara-USA TODAY Sports

The Red Sox are good.  Very good, but they aren't as good as the Yankees all the time. Lately however, they are making us look like a BAD high school team.  And I don't mean all high school teams are clueless and without baseball I.Q.  I'm saying really, really bad high school teams are. And the Yankees look a few steps down from the major league level lately.  A lot of it is energy. A lot of it is just bad play... oh and pitching.  And yes, it does come from the top.

Photo: Getty Images

I like Aaron Boone. I believe a change in the Yankees managerial ranking was a good thing.  I think Joe Girardi got complacent and that a change of the guard was good for the team. I really do.

But I am sick and tired of hearing people say that Aaron Boone grew up in baseball... like that means something. I'm sick of hearing that his grandfather played and his dad played and was a manager... and his brother played and Aaron played at the major league level.  Let me be crystal clear when I say this... and get a pen and paper and write this down... SOMETIMES IT DOES NOT TRANSLATE.

Aaron Boone is a big contributor to these losses.  I don't care what people say... he is.  He is in charge. He makes the decisions.  It really doesn't matter the personnel he has in the dugout, he needs to navigate wisely and put the best team on the field.  AND THEN... they need to play the damn game HARD.  We look like this...




(What movie?  Day of Thunder. That's right, I've been dying to use that in a post...)

The point is we need to reel in the sloppiness, get down to business and beat this team that we are so good at beating, because right now... we are not.

AP writes this:

"Porcello pitched a one-hitter, retiring his final 21 batters and striking out a season-high nine in leading the Red Sox over the New York Yankees 4-1 victory Friday night."

Bob DeChiara-USA TODAY Sports

1 hit.  Porcello 1 hit the Yankees. Now, Porcello is good, but not 1 hit good. There's inconsistency in this guy... he's off one year, on the next.  You don't know what you're gonna get sometimes.  But there is one thing he IS... that's confident.

We don't look confident.  We look worried.

There is no rivalry folks. None.  And now we put all this pressure on a kid like Chance Adams that the organization once touted the next big thing... UNTIL,  he came out in spring training, got his tits lit up and suddenly he disappeared into the abyss until this moment happened.

Butch Dill / USA Today Sports

This isn't "Hey, we need you to pitch today, you earned it." No... this moment is "Hey, we need arms and we're desperate." I hope Chance kicks butt today!!!

The Yankees shouldn't be desperate... they should be dominant. This isn't a weekend to be unsteady. We knew it was coming, it was on the calendar. We needed to be prepared.  We are not... again, what is Yankee brass and Aaron Boone doing? It's like tip-toeing through a field of landmines.  Not cool and unfair to us fans that pay their hard earned money to see victory... ESPECIALLY IN THIS SERIES.

When the game happens today, I will be front and center rooting for my guys like I always do, but we are disgusting right now.  Blame is all over the place.

Come on Yanks... Turn this around.

JOHN STERLING SAYS THE RED SOX ARE JUST 'OK'

Source: Newsday

All the anxiety about last night's game came to an abrupt halt when I heard John Sterling bellow these words, "The Red Sox are just ok."  And just like, the Red Sox went from a threat to nothing special.  I guess the Yankees thought so too as they beat the Sox and tied them for first place in the AL East in a 3-2 win at home.

The Stadium was electric for the first Red Sox series of the season here in the Bronx.  As my mother said as we watched the game on Tuesday together, "We have to put up with the Red Sox for three days?"  Yes, but it is exciting none-the-less and three games against the Sox is enough to rial up fans on either side of Connecticut.

Source: Maddie Meyer | Getty Images

"The rivalry got a little stale for a few years there, but now that both teams are bona fide World Series contenders, things have started to heat back up. It's good for baseball when these two teams are good at the same time," reported CBS Sports.  "It has been more than a decade and a half since the Yankees and Red Sox have met while having the two best records in baseball."

 Source: Elsa/Getty Images North America

The Yankees overall had good at bats, which has been a trend for this year's team.  They force pitchers to throw a lot of pitches as they are collectively selective at the plate. And as Sterling said the Red Sox have a few good pitchers and a few good bats, but nothing else, they are just ok.  And I have to agree, not just because they are the Red Sox but because they really are just ok.  They don't have the charisma and depth of the Yankees who pull from a multitude of players to put together wins.  They may have Mookie Betts, but we have five more like him in our lineup.

Source: Winslow Townson | USA TODAY Sports

Before last night NJ.com reported, "the Boston Red Sox have the best record in the majors and the Yankees are next just a game off the pace. The Yankees certainly are the hottest with six wins in a row and an incredible 15-1 record over the last 16." Make that 16-1 (first time since 1953 we went 16-1), seven wins in a row and tied for first.  Look how far we have come in these first 60 or so days.

Source: Rick Yeatts/Getty Images North America

With David Price sitting this one out the Yankees face Rick Porcello tonight for round two.  At stake is sole possession of first place and depth in our lead over other AL East rivals.  As Jack Curry said, "The Yankees try and win in May and maybe have some fun times in October."  Sounds good to me.

--Suzie Pinstripe
BYB Managing Editor
Twitter: : @suzieprof

IT'S OVER. TIME HAS RUN OUT!

Photo: Seth Wenig, AP 

At least that is what the media wants you to think, especially the New York media. Yesterday's game sucked. It certainly wasn't the ending we wanted to see. Boston lost and it was time to gain some more ground. It didn't happen. Some media outlets think the fat lady has quietly started singing.

Gimme a break. I haven't and neither has BYB. Did Sunday suck? Yes, it would've been nice to end the day knowing that the Red Sox are watching the standings and sweating a little more. Nothing more would make me happy, actually. We don't always get what we want though, but that doesn't mean we give up. We just have to fight harder for it.

Photo credit: Joy R. Absalon

I like when the Yankees beat Buck Showalter and this season we have had good luck against the Orioles. It just wasn't our day. Usually when Sonny Gray pitches the Yankees don't give him any run support and the bats are dead. Sunday he just didn't have his best stuff he wasn't throwing as many strikes, he struggled to keep the ball down low in the strike zone and his pitch count got away from him early in the game. It happens, and Buck capitalized on that and more.

We know Buck is tired of dealing with Aaron Judge so he decided to take a gamble against Gary Sanchez and won. I hate it, but it is what it is and we move on and we live to fight another day.

And that's what this is going to be.....a fight. We don't need to roll over though and just give up. The New York Post says that reality has set in. A reality has set in...but it is not the reality the are writing about. No one said this was going to be easy, but the real reality here is that the last time we played postseason baseball against Dallas Keuchel we were not that team. These Yankees are by far better than what they were two years ago and everyone knows that.

I can tell you who especially knows that....the dirty cheating Red Sox. Not to give any compliments to the Red Sox but they also have a young and talented team. I can't stand the Red Sox but even I can admit that. They have talent too but....they still don't have what WE have.

We are built for the future AND we have three big assets that are going to help us make this chase for a division title even more of a nail bitter.

1) The Yankees have 10 of their last 13 games at home and their last series is against the Blue Jays. The Red Sox on the other hand are on the road until the last week of the regular season AND their last four games are against the Astros. If it is still this close down to the end and the Astros can win those games the Yankees could still come out on top.

Photo: MLB.com

2) The Yankees have home run power up and down the lineup. We are tied with the Astros for the most amount of home runs this season at 217. Aaron Judge is a stud, so that certainly helps. The Red Sox on the other hand are tenth at 154 home runs. We can score a bunch of runs in a hurry and as young as we are we still have the fire power. Imagine what that could've been if Greg Bird actually played all season.

3) Yankee pitching has been questionable throughout the season, but even with our weak moments and injuries I have more faith in our starters. Chris Sale may be a Cy Young candidate but he hasn't beaten the Yankees this season and David Price has been a non-factor since he hasn't been healthy.

Credit: Matt West.

Last year's Cy Young winner Rick Porcello is headed towards 20 losses this season. The Red Sox have series pitching problems. A good closer like Craig Kimbrel doesn't matter if your starters can't do their jobs....and we all know how good our relievers are.

There are two weeks left in the season. This fight for the division isn't going to be easy but the Yankees don't have to give up and roll over. The fat lady isn't singing yet. The New York media needs to take a chill pill. The Red Sox haven't hit their magic number yet so it's time for the Yankees to GO BIG while we are at home!



--Jeana Bellezza

BYB Managing Editor 
Follow me on Twitter: @NYPrincessJ