The New York Yankees entered last night’s rubber game with the Mets hoping to win the game and take the series after losing their last four series. It was not to be as they lost 7-6. The Yankees are now 3-12Â in their last 15 games and have fallen out of a wild card berth.
Clarke Schmidt to the rescue
With Gerrit Cole’s start date pushed back after leaving a game against the Blue Jays with a strained left hamstring, the Yankees had no one to start last night’s game at Citi Field. So the Yankees called up Clarke Schmidt, who had been rehabbing with the Rail Riders.
Schmidt had started 7 games in the minor leagues en route to his return. He was 0-1 with a 2.96 ERA. With the Yankees short on dependable pitchers, they were hopeful he could give them three or four innings. He was not stretched out, pitching a total of 27.1 innings. In his last four games at Scranton, he had 20 strikeouts over 15 innings of work.
He gave the Yankees more than they could have hoped for; he threw 90 pitches into the fifth inning, giving up two earned runs. But he was victimized by errors causing him to give up 5 runs. Chad Green took the loss in the game as he allowed Franciso Lindor’s third homer of the night in the eighth inning.
The dizzy New York Yankees
Dizziness reared its ugly head again for the Yankees last night. Aaron Judge appeared to get something in his eyes requiring the trainer to add drops to his eyes. After his second at-bat, he felt dizzy and was removed from the game. This is not the first time a Yankee has felt dizzy. Clint Frazier dealt with it and vertigo, allowing him to only play in 66 games this season.
After the game manager, Aaron Boone said of Judge. “I didn’t want him to be in a position where he put himself in danger, hopefully, it’s something that subsides here over the next little bit, and get him back in there tomorrow.†In the same conversation, he indicated that Clint Frazier would not return to the team this season. These problems that Frazier has been enduring may reach back to his concussion. So there is some conversation that suggests that he may never play again.
Gleyber Torres and Giancarlo Stanton homer
It is always said that when the New York Yankees hit home runs, they win games. Normally when you hit two home runs in a game, the likelihood hood with three RBIs, you are on your way to a win. Both Gleyber Torres and Giancarlo Stanton homered in the game. But this was not the Yankee’s night. Francisco Lindor had a career night hitting three home runs for the first time in his career, driving in five runs.
Gleyber Torres led the New York Yankees in 2019 with 38 home runs but in this and last season, he seemed to have lost his power stroke. With his two-run homer last night the Yankees are hopeful that is behind him, and can again contribute.
The Yankees may get some pitching help
In the very long rehab of starting pitcher Luis Severino he may be becoming close to a return to the team, it may not be in time for the regular season, but he could be used out of the bullpen when and if the Yankees get to the postseason. After several setbacks, Severino is scheduled to throw another bullpen session today as he continues to work his way back from Tommy John surgery. He was working off the mound last week and will throw against hitters during his expected session today.
Starter Domingo German may also soon become available. He will have a rehab assignment on Tuesday. He has been away from the club since July 31st with shoulder inflammation.
The Yankees fight to stay in Wild Card contention
With the loss, last night, the New York Yankees fell out of the wild card berths. The Toronto Blue Jays and the Boston Red Sox are tied for the first spot in the one-game playoff that is the wild card game.
Here is how it’s shaping up after the Yankees owned that first game spot for almost six weeks before their slide. The Tampa Bay Rays lead the AL East ten games over the Yankees. In the Central, the White Sox owns the division, and in the West, it’s the Houston Astros.
With only 19 games left to the season, the Yankees are now one game out of the wild card looking in. Right behind them are the Oakland Athletics and the Seattle Mariners that are 3 games out. The Yankees can no longer hope to win the division, but according to how they play, they still can regain a wild card berth if they start winning again. If not they will fall further out of contention and have their worst season under manager Aaron Boone.
Note: Today was supposed to be a day off for the Yankees, but due to a rainout they will play a makeup game with the Minnesota Twins. Luis Gil will be on the mound for the Yankees and John Gant for the Twins. The game will be at 2:05 pm EDT at Yankee Stadium and will be broadcast on the YES Network and Bally Sports North.