Andrew Velazquez

New York Yankee Player Profile: Clarke Schmidt to start tonight’s Mets Finale

September 12, 2021 by William Parlee

Tonight the New York Yankees will have their finale with the New York Mets. It is the rubber game of the series, and Clarke Schmidt will start the game in his first start of the season. Schmidt was considered for a starter role for the 2021 season, but a common extensor strain ended the highly-rated prospect’s hopes. An MRI confirmed no serious damage, but a couple of bouts with renewed discomfort kept him out.

Schmidt has started 7 games in the minor leagues en route to his return. He is 0-1 with a 2.96 ERA. With the Yankees short on dependable pitchers, the Yankees will be hopeful he can give them three or four innings. He is not stretched out, pitching a total of 27.1 innings. In his last four games at Scranton, he has 20 strikeouts over 15 innings of work.

If you are not familiar with Schmidt or have forgotten about him, here is what you need to know. Clarke was born in Acworth, Georgia, attended Allatoona High School, and played baseball at the University of South Carolina. Schmidt pitched in 18 games and made 10 starts as a freshman, pitching to a 2–2 with a 4.81 ERA and 55. He became South Carolina’s ace as a sophomore in 2016. He pitched in 18 games with 17 starts and went 9–5 with a 3.40 ERA and 129 strikeouts. Schmidt remained the team’s number one starter his junior year in 2017, but he was forced to have Tommy John surgery to repair an ACL in April.

Nevertheless, he was drafted by the New York Yankees in the 2017 draft but did hot play that year at all rehabbing. He made his pro debut with the Gulf Coast Yankees in 2018. He got a big signing bonus of $2.1 million. He quickly worked his way in the minors finishing the season with a 3.09 ERA in 23 1/3 innings. He started 2019 with the Tampa Tarpons but was promoted to the Trenton Thunder in August, where he pitched until it was announced that there would be no minor league season. Then, on September 4th, he was called up to the Stadium, where he pitched in relief. The 24-year-old pitched in 3 games for 6.1 innings striking out seven but had an elevated 7.11 ERA.

He really impressed manager Aaron Boone and the coaching staff during spring training. Pitching coach Matt Blake feels that Schmidt is progressing well and is the second most promising pitcher after Deivi Garcia. Garcia has had a disappointing 2021 for the Rail Riders. Tonight at Citi Field, he will finally get his chance to start a game this season before it is turned over to the bullpen. The Yankees sent Andrew Velazquez down to Scranton to make room for him on the roster, although that is likely not the last we will see of him this season.

New York Yankees: 5 Takeaways from the Yankees 4th consecutive loss

September 1, 2021 by William Parlee

After losing three in a row, the New York Yankees hoped to right the ship last night at Angels Stadium. However, the Tampa Bay Rays keep winning, so the Yankees couldn’t afford to lose more games. In the effort, the Yankees sent Jameson Taillon to the mound to face the Angel’s Jaime Barria. The Yankees’ had won Taillon’s last eight starts. But, unfortunately, last night, the Yankees lost their 4th game 6-4.

Yankees returning to their old ways?

For New York Yankees fans, last night was not worth staying up for. It was like watching a game from May or June. The Yankees seemed sluggish and out of focus. At times it looked as if they were going through the motions. They scored just four runs with a satisfactory 10 hits. But, like earlier in the season, the Yankees only went 1 for 10 with runners in scoring position. Also, like the past, and even worse, the Yankees hit into five double plays, just one short of an all-time franchise record.

It brought us back to a time when fans and management alike scratched their heads, saying, what the hell is going on? But, as I said, the Yankees hit into an incredible 5 double plays failing to lift the ball. During the entire 13 game winning streak, the Yankees hit into only 4 double plays across the span.

A good example of this perplexing problem lies with Joey Gallo. On this road trip, the home run hitter hit into his first double play since 2018. Including then, he has hit into 3 double plays; that’s 3 in his last 12 plate appearances. Gallo has only 9 hits into double plays in his 2,288 plate appearances. Last night Gallo’s frustration shown through.

With the Yankee’s 4th consecutive loss, they have also lost their first series since they lost to the Red Sox back in July. If losing 4 games in a row isn’t bad enough, the Yankees are supposedly in a race to the postseason. However, while the Yankees are losing, the rival Tampa Bay Rays are winning. As a result, the Yankees have slipped back to 8 games behind the Rays, with only 29 games left to play in the season.

Is Jameson Taillon tiring?

Jameson Taillon came to the Yankees before the season in a trade with the Pittsburgh Pirates. The Yankees got him on a low-risk, possibly high reward bet. Taillon disappointed early on when he didn’t seem to return to the form the Yankees were hoping for. But soon after, he began to show why the Yankees went after him, to begin with. He started winning. The Yankees won all eight of his starts from mid-July until last night.

But in his last win on August 26th against Oakland, Taillon started to show cracks in the armor. He only lasted 3.2 innings giving up 5 earned runs. The Yankees picked him up and won that game. Last night he went 4.2 innings giving up 6 earned runs that the Yankees could not recover from. It could be that he is tiring out after not pitching for two years and 5 months into the season. Only time will tell if he can regain his form.

Yankee closer situation just got worse

It is well documented that the New York Yankees have big problems with their normal closer Aroldis Chapman. He has been undependable. Now the situation has worsened. Second, go to closer Zack Britton has elected to have bone chip surgery and will be out for the rest of the season. Manager Aaron Boone relies on Jonathan Loaisiga, Chad Green, Lucas Luetge, Wandy Peralta, and Albert Abreu. Boone has been afraid to use Chapman to close one-run games.

Boone made a puzzling move

I recently have been praising manager Aaron Boone for many of his moves and decisions that have led to winning games. But last night in the eighth inning, with two on and two outs, Rougie Odor was ready to hit, and Boone held him back, instead choosing pinch hitter Luke Voit. Voit struck out, ending the inning. I was somewhat shocked that with righty Petricka on the mound that Boone would choose Voit over the lefty Odor that has had some big hits for the Yankees.

Not all is bad news

Things are not looking all that good for the New York Yankees after losing 4 straight games, but there is some good news. Corey Kluber, who pitched a no-hitter early in the season, is back with the team. Although his first start wasn’t very good, he is expected to return to form.

Gary Sanchez has been playing better this season than in his last two but has been on a one mouth dought hitting home runs. Last night he hit his 18th home run of the season, signaling he may be back to hitting with power. Anthony Rizzo also hit a homer in the game, his first since August 4th.

This final item goes under the category of this it is good or bad. Friday Gleyber Torres is projected to return to the Yankees. Torres fans will say great; detractors will say, oh no. Torres will be replacing Andrew Velazquez, an excellent defender and has ignited the Yankees with his play. With the return of Voit and Torres, it, for the most part, removes the two sparks (Odor) that have energized the team as they both get less playing time. Are the Yankees returning to that lackluster team of the first half?

New York Yankee Player Profiles: Andrew Velazquez, a real spark (videos)

August 22, 2021 by William Parlee

Today, we follow Velazquez’s path to the Yankees. On January 5, 2021, the New York Yankees signed Bronx native Andrew Velazquez to a minor league contract. However, in the Morris Park section of The Bronx, the young man is determined to make it to Yankee Stadium this season. He recently said: “I’ll bust my ass to get on the Yankee roster.”

Velazquez says he was a Yankee fan ever since he was a baby. He attended Fordham Prep, where he was a star player. He was a seventh-round pick of the Diamondbacks in 2012. He committed to Virginia tech but went pro right out of high school. When he was in the minor leagues, he said:

“I always made sure I got to Yankee Stadium for a game,” Velazquez said. “I was a fan since I was a baby and I also used it as motivation. I never really envisioned having the opportunity to play for the Yankees at a young age, but this is part of my journey now.”

The infielder and third baseman made the Major Leagues with the Tampa Bay Rays in 2018. In 2020 he got to play in 40 games in the shortened season with the Baltimore Orioles before signing with the New York Yankees during the offseason. Being a Yankees was a childhood dream for the 26-year-old, but he never thought it would come true.

“My trainer lives right next to Yankee Stadium, so I’m picturing myself there when I drive by every day, trying to manifest it and think about what it would be like to play for them there,’’ Valazquez said.

During 2019 with the Rays, he got to play three games at Yankee Stadium; he said he had so many ticket requests from family and friends that he ended up playing those games for free. He said his favorite player with the New York Yankees was Derek Jeter, but not for the reasons you may think.

“It was by chance,” Velazquez said. “I wore No. 2 in tee-ball and I was watching a Yankee game with my Dad and saw someone wearing that number, so I decided he’d be my favorite player.”

As he approached his teen years, he saw more and more games at Yankee Stadium. Finally, when he was ten, his family had his birthday party there. Recently he was asked why he chose to play with the Yankees.

“It seemed like the right fit,” Velazquez said. “One thing that steered me to them was what happened with [Gio] Urshela. Every player is different, but he was kind of in the same position as me before he got there. He’d been designated for assignment and got an opportunity with the Yankees. I don’t know if they changed his swing, but you could see how he took off after he got there.”

Andrew Velazquez is a talented young player. He’s an outstanding defender, but he will have to improve his hitting if he hopes to play in the majors with the Yankees. Last year for the Rays, he hit only .159 for Baltimore. However, if the Yankees coaching can get him back to how he hit for the Tampa Bay Rays (.300) in 2018, he might have a chance to play for the Yankees at some point during the 2021 season.

As I said earlier, the New York Yankees signed Velazquez to a minor league contract on January 5, 2021. As the 2021 minor league season began, Velazquez did nothing less than impress, not so much for his hitting but his agility and excellent defense as a shortstop. When shortstop Gleyber Torres jammed his thumb and went on the IL, the Yankees gave the now 27 years old a short at the Major leagues.

He played his first game at short on August 9th, making a few excellent plays. The very next day, he scored his first run on a wild pitch. While being up with the team, he has been a spark in every way, with some timely hitting and excellent defense. Some say he is better than Gleyber Torres, although it may be a little early to make that determination.

As said earlier, Andrew is a Bronx native-born and brought up just a few miles from the Stadium. Now with the big team, he is staying with his parents and sleeping in his childhood bed every night. Some have called him a local hero, with broadcasters called him “The Bronx Kid,” although his real nickname is “Squid.” Whatever the case, he cemented himself as a Yankee in the 3 game series against the Red Sox.

He got three run-scoring hits in seven at-bats with 4 RBIs (one run of his own and a stolen base). After closing out the final game with a diving catch at shortstop and a difficult throw to first base from deep in the hole, his teammates awarded him the well-deserved “game belt” for his performance. Yesterday in a game against the Minnesota Twins, he scored his first Major League home run with his family in the stands.

When shortstop Gleyber Torres returns from the IL, it is unknown what will happen to Velazquez, he will probably be sent back down to Scranton, but it will not be because of his lack of trying. Whatever the case, this young man has a great baseball career ahead of him.

EmpireSportsMedia.com’s Columnist William Parlee is a member of the Society for American Baseball Research. You can follow him on Twitter @parleewilliam.

New York Yankees: 3 Major takeaways from Yankees 9th win in a row

August 22, 2021 by William Parlee

The New York Yankees won their 9th game in a row yesterday and their 8th series in a row. The final score was the New York Yankees 7 and the Minnesota Twins 1. The Tampa Bay Rays also won their game yesterday, so the Yankees did not advance in the AL, still being 4 games out of first place. The Red Sox lost their game, so the Yankees are now 2.5 games ahead of the Sox and have a stronghold on the first wild card slot.

This is a very different team that is winning games for the Yankees than before the All-Star break. Earlier than they seemed to be a team that was going through the motions and were 10 1/2 games out of first place in the East. Since then, they have picked up a few players at the trade deadline. They are playing like a team with a mission. That mission is to win the AL East.

They are playing with a spark that has seen key players come up from the minors and where new additions are making a difference. They have not only gone 25-8, being the winningest team in the sport but are playing better defense. Before the All-star break, they had 20 stolen bases over 92 games. Since then, they have had 30 stolen bases leading all of baseball.

Gerrit Cole gets his 12th win of the season

Yesterday was Gerrit Cole’s second start since coming off the Covid list. Apparently, he still has some rust, struggling at times, but he made the pitches he needed to get the win. He went 6 innings while getting six strikeouts while scattering only five hits and allowing no runs.

Bullpen gets the job done

After Gerrit Cole pitched six scoreless innings, Lucas Luetge came in and pitched the seventh and eighth allow just one hit, a homer to second baseman Jorge Polanco. Then, in the merry-go-round closer situation, manager Boone sent Albert Abreu to close out the game. Abreu allowed no hits while striking out one Twin. All tolled the Yankee pitchers only allowed 6 Twins hits.

Dreamer Andrew Velazquez gets his first Major League home run

Since being called up, every game has been a dream realized for shortstop Andrew Velazquez who, being a Bronx boy, always dreamed of being a Yankee. Since being brought up with his timely hitting and excellent defense of his position, he has added a spark to the team. But yesterday, he topped it all, getting his first career major league home run. The Yankees secured the ball for him. To add to his delight, his emotional family was in the stands to see his feat.

Velazquez got the only Yankee home run in the game yesterday, but Giancarlo Stanton, Luke Voit, and Tyler Wade all got extra-base hits in the winning effort.

Note: Hurricane Henri has forced the postponement of today’s Yankee game, the final of the four-game set at the Stadium. It will be made up on September 13th.

New York Yankees Recap: Cole rules the Twins for Yankees 9th win in a row

August 21, 2021 by William Parlee

The New York Yankees have moved closer to the AL East lead just four games behind the Tampa Bay Rays, winning seven series in a row and 8 games in a row. Today they will go for their 9th win in a row with Yankee ace Gerrit Cole on the mound for the Yankees and Kenta Maeda for the Minnesota Twins. Today they can win the series after winning the first two games from the Twins. Today they got the series win and the Yankees won their 9th game in a row 7-1.

It was a beautiful hot, humid, and mostly cloudy day at the Stadium in the Bronx. Cole took the mound in the first inning and faced Max Kepler, who lined out on the first pitch he saw. Jorge Polanco ground out back to the mound. Josh Donaldson struck out looking for a 1-2-3 for Cole. At the bottom, DJ LeMahieu struck out for the first out of the inning. Anthony Rizzo reached on a bobbled ball to short. Aaron Judge flew out to center. Rizzo stole second. Giancarlo Stanton struck out for a scoreless inning for both teams.

At the second, Luis Arraez faced Cole and flew out to Judge in center. Rob Refsynder also flew out to Judge. Ryan Jeffers singled to right. Nick Gordon singled to right. Willans Astudillo popped out to Rizzo in the infield. At the bottom, Rougie Odor, hit by a pitch, took first. Luke Voit singled. Velazquez lined out. Kyle Higashioka singled. With men on the corners and two outs, Tyler Wade singled to left as the Yankees struck first, scoring Odor. LeMahieu flew out to left. New York Yankees 1 Minnesota Twins 0.

Andrelton Simmons led off the third inning by grounding out to Rizzo, who flipped to Cole at first. Kepler popped out to Rizzo. Polanco ground out to Odor to end the half. Rizzo led off the bottom by popping out to shallow center. Aaron Judge went down swinging. Stanton popped out to the infield. Yankees 1 Twins 0.

The fourth inning was led off by Donaldson, who ground out to third. Arraez singled off Cole’s glove. Arraez stole second. Refsnyder ground out, but Arraez went to third. Jeffers struck out looking. Odor led off the bottom of the fourth by striking out. Voit went down swinging. Velazquez flew out to center to end the inning. Yankees 1 Twins 0.

Nick Gordon led off the fifth by striking out swinging. Astudillo reached on a single. Simmons singled through the hole in left, moving Astudillo to second. Kepler walked the bases loaded. Polanco struck out swinging. Donaldson struck out with the bases loaded and two outs, looking to get Cole out of a bases-loaded jam.

Higashioka led off the bottom and flew out to the warning track in left-center. Wade hit a standup double to left field. LeMahieu singled to right, moving Wade to third. Rizzo walked to load the bases. Judge with the bases loaded and only one out stood back and watched Wade score on a wild pitch. Judge walked to reload the bases. That was the game for Kenta Maeda. Stanton faced the new Twins pitcher Edgar Garcia and doubled to left, driving in LeMahieu and Rizzo as Judge moved to third base. Odor still with one out singled, but Judge was called out at home plate for the second out. Voit doubled down the left-field line driving in both Stanton and Odor. Velazquez struck out swinging, but the Yankees picked up five runs in the inning. New York Yankees 6 Twins 0.

At the top of the sixth inning, Arraez flew out to Judge in center. Refsynder struck out for Cole’s sixth strikeout of the game. Jeffers ground out to third to end the half. At the bottom, Higashioka flew out to left field. Wade struck out. LeMahieu flew out to left-center to end the quick inning for both pitchers. Yankees 6 Twins 0.

Nick Gordon led the seventh inning, who faced new Yankee pitcher Lucas Luetge and ground out to second. Astudillo flew out to Judge in center. Simmons ground out Velazquez at short for the final out of the half. At the bottom, Rizzo faced the new Twins pitcher Ralph Garza and walked on four pitches. Judge flew out to left. Stanton singled, moving Rizzo to third. Florial pinch ran for Stanton. Odor hit a homer into the bullpen, but a last-second time-out was called, negating the home run. He ended up striking out with some unhappy words for the home plate umpire. Voit with men on the corners and two outs flew out to center to end the inning. Yankees 6 Twins 0.

Max Kepler led off the eighth inning by popping out on the first pitch he saw. Then, Polanco homered to left field. Donaldson flew out to Wade in left. Arraez struck out swinging to end the half, but the Twins got on the board. At the bottom, Andrew Velazquez, who has been sleeping in his childhood bed since coming to the Bronx, hit his first major league home run for the Yankees. Higashioka struck out swinging. Wade ground out softly. LeMahieu ground out to second, but the Yankees tacked on another run. New York Yankees 7 Twins 1.

With last licks on the line for the Twins and closer Albert Abreu on the mound, Rob Refsynder led off the ninth by flying out to left on an excellent running catch by Wade. Jeffers struck out. Nick Gordon popped out to second. The final score was the New York Yankees 7 and the Minnesota Twins 1. The winning pitcher was Gerrit Cole, and the loser was Kenta Maeda. With the win, the Yankees were 20 games above .500 and got their ninth win in a row.

New York Yankees: 4 Major takeaways from Yankee win over the Twins

August 20, 2021 by William Parlee

New York Yankees, Aaron Boone, jameson taillon

Last night after sweeping the Boston Red Sox, the New York Yankees started game one of a four-game series at Yankee Stadium against the Minnesota Twins. They won game one 7-5 on their way to another series win. The win last night was the Yankees’ seventh in a row.

Jameson Taillon okay in Yankee win

Jameson Taillon, who has been the best Yankee pitcher over the past six weeks, sailed through the first five innings last night, putting away 15 Twins hitters. But then came the sixth inning when a Cave home run ended his night. He struck out five without issuing a walk. Even though he gave up three runs, he kept the Yankees in the game.

Wandy Peralta came in and pitched 1.2 perfect innings. He was replaced by Zack Britton and Chad Green, who both gave up a run. The Yankee offense held up the pitching giving those pitchers seven runs to work with. Taillon got the win, and Green got the save.

Velazquez emerging as a Yankee spark

Since Andrew Velazquez was brought up from the Rail Riders in recent games, he seems to be involved in a Yankees win with either offense or defense or both. He has been providing a spark that has been missing a good part of the year. Just like the addition of Rougie Odor earlier in the season, he seems to have helped change the culture of the Yankees. adding more excitement to games. Last night the young shortstop had a standup triple, stole a base, and went two for three on the night.

Home runs remain king for the Yankees

The new and improved New York Yankees have recently found ways to win games where they don’t hit home runs. But make no mistake about it, the home run is still king for a team built around those long balls. Last night in the fourth inning, backup catcher Kyle Higasioka hit a homer. In the eighth inning, Giancarlo Stanton hit a cheap one into the short porch in right. The Yankees won the game by two runs.

Severino: Good and bad news

First, the bad former ace pitcher Luis Severino may not pitch in the big leagues this season. The good news is that his recent setback may not be as big of a problem as it could have been. Severino was removed from a rehab start with shoulder tightness. He was sent for an MRI and showed there was no structural damage. Nonetheless, he was sent for a second opinion which confirmed that there indeed were no structural problems.

He will probably not throw this week as they go slow with Severino; also, he will travel with the team and may see a specialist there on the west coast tour.

On brighter news, reliever Clay Holmes that has been so good for the New York Yankees is nearing a return from the Covid list; he could rejoin the team during this series.

New York Yankees Recap: Higashioka and Velazquez power the Yankees to win over the Twins

August 19, 2021 by William Parlee

After sweeping the Boston Red Sox and going 8-2 in their last ten games and overtaking the Boston Red Sox in the AL East, the New York Yankees took on the Minnesota Twins in the first game of a four-game set at Yankee Stadium in the Bronx. Jameson Taillon was on the mound for the Yankees and John Gant for the Twins. The Yankees won the game 7-5.

In the first, Max Kepler led off for the Twins and ground out to Odor at second. Jorge Polanco dunked in for a base hit to no man’s land in center. Josh Donaldson flew out to Stanton in right. Polanco tried to steal second, but Higashioka threw a lazer to second for the final out. At the bottom, Luke Voit leadoff for the Yankees and flew out to center. Rizzo ground out for the second out. Aaron Judge tapped out to the mound for the final out of the inning. No score.

At the second, Luis Arraez flew out to Stanton in right. Miguel Sano went down on strikes. Nick Gordon flew out to Judge in center for a 1-2-3 inning for Taillon. At the bottom, Joey Gallo struck out swinging. Giancarlo Stanton ground out to center. Rougie Odor went down on strikes to end the scoreless inning. No score.

The third inning was led off by Ryans Jeffers, who went down on strikes. Jake Cave tapped out to first. Andelton Simmons ground out to Wade at third. At the bottom, Andrew Velazquez had a leadoff triple. Higashioka got an RBI double scoring Velazquez who was alble to walk home. Tyler Wade worked a walk. Luke Voit hit to far left to get double scoring both Wade and Wade. Anthony Rizzo sac flew out to center with Voit scoring. Aaron Judge, with one out, struck out swinging. Gallo hit into the catcher’s glove. New York Yankees 4 Twins 0.

Max Kepler led off the fourth inning by striking out looking. Polanco struck out. Donaldson ground out to short. At the bottom, Giancarlo Stanton chopped out to third. Rougie Odor faced the new Twins pitcher Danny Coulombe and flew out to right. Velazquez singled to short. Velazquez stole seond. Kyle Higashioka hit a two-run bomb just inside the left-field foul pole driving in two. Wade ground out. New York Yankees 6 Twins 0.

The fifth inning was scoreless for both teams. The top of the sixth was not good for Taillon or the Yankees as the Minnesota twins racked up 3 runs in the inning. Kepler doubled. Polanco doubled, and Cave homered. The bottom of the sixth was led off by Odor, who ground out. Velazquez went down looking. Higashioka flew out to the right to end the inning. New York Yankees 6 Minnesota 3. What looked like it was going to be a laugher had turned into another close game for the Yankees.

The seventh inning was led off by Sano, who ground out. Gordon struck out swinging. Jeffers popped out at the end of the half. At the bottom, Wade struck out swinging. Voit flew out to right field. Rizzo ground out for a very fast inning for Peralta and Albers. New York Yankees 6 Minnesota Twins 3. Wandy Peralta had an excellent 1.2 innings.

The top of the eight with new Yankee pitcher Zack Britton on the mound, Cave ground out. Simmons reached for a single. Simmons reached second on a wild pitch. Kepler struck out swinging for the second out of the inning. Then, Polanco got a line-drive single to center, and the Twins picked up another run. It was Polanco’s third hit of the game. Donaldson went down swinging, but the Twin nibbled closer, tacking on another run.

Aaron Judge led the bottom of the eight, who hit it hard but directly to second for the first out of the inning. Gallo struck out for the third time in the game. Stanton homered to the short porch in right field to get an insurance run for the Yankees. Odor went down on strikes. New York Yankees 7 Minnesota Twins 4.

At the top of the ninth, with the last licks on the line for the Twins, Luis Arraez against the new Yankee pitcher and closer Chad Green flew out to left field. Miguel Sano hit a homer just inside the left-field foul pole. Brent Rooker pinch-hitting for Nick Gordon struck out looking. Ryan Jeffers stuck out swinging for the New York Yankees seventh straight win, a season-high.

The final score was the New York Yankees 7 and the Minnesota Twins 5. The winning pitcher was Jameson Taillon; the loser was John Gant. The save went to Chad Green (6).

New York Yankees: Takeaways as the Yankees advance in the East (video)

August 19, 2021 by William Parlee

Last night the New York Yankees won another game without hitting a home run. It was an important game because they swept their rival Boston Red Sox, went ahead in the AL East standings, won their eighth series in a row, and Andrew Heaney finally proved to Yankees fans that he could pitch.

After taking the Tuesday doubleheader from the Red Sox, they entered last night’s game with the hope of sweeping the Red Sox for the first time this season. They did that, winning the game 5-2.

Yankees move ahead of the Red Sox

The New York Yankees team that pulled out another nail bitting gutsy win last night is a different team than the one that last faced the Boston Red Sox in mid-July when they were 9 1/2 games out in the AL East. It’s a team that wins games whether they hit home runs or not. It is a team that is no longer riddled with massive injuries and Covid stints.

The New York Yankees matched a season-best six-game winning streak and have now passed both Boston and Oakland for the top spot in the AL wild-card race. They are also now in second place in the AL East, a game ahead of the Boston Red Sox. But the Yankees are not yet satisfied; they are no longer focused on winning a wild card berth; they have their sites on winning the East. But make no mistake about it the first-place Tampa Bay Rays must cooperate by losing more games than the Yankees. The Yankees are 8-2 in their last ten, and the Rays are 7-3.

Good night for Andrew Heaney

Before the trade deadline, the Yankees picked up Andrew Heaney from the Los Angeles Angels. He wasn’t expected to be an ace-type pitcher but a quality middle-of-the-pack guy. Since then, he hasn’t been able to do that, giving up 15 earned runs in his first 3 starts for the Yankees.

But that all changed last night when Heaney pitched seven innings of quality ball, only giving up one run, a homer, walking two, and striking out 4 Red Sox. He had good control, although at times still had trouble finding that put-out pitch. His performance last night gives the Yankees just one more option as the rotation returns to full force.

Chapman still doesn’t have it

Last night the Yankee closer Aroldis Chapman returned to the bullpen after a stint on the IL with a sore elbow. Chapman that was lights out at the beginning of the season, strangely turned into a totally undependable closer that at one point was so bad that manager Boone wouldn’t use him. The Yankees, without a true closer, were hoping that Chapman had turned the page when they let him pitch with a four-run lead in the ninth.

That was not the case; the still tentative Chapman gave up a home run, give up two hits, and walked one, as Boone pulled him in favor of Lucas Luetge, who got his first save in nine years. Going forward, the Yankees hope that Chapman can regain control over his fastball as they will need him in their run for the East and beyond. The home run was his seventh of the season, a career-high.

Andrew Velazquez: A dream realized

The kid from the Bronx is living his dream. Growing up in the Morris Park section of the Bronx, a young boy, Andrew Velazquez, walked by Yankee Stadium, dreaming of someday playing on that storied field as a New York Yankee.

The now 27-year-old Velazquez, after kicking around 3 major league clubs on December 16, 2020, was signed to a minor league contract with the Yankees. Then, on August 9th, without shortstop Gleyber Torres, Velazquez was called up to the big time at Yankee Stadium, and his dream had finally come true. Since then, he has made the most of his family and friends in the stands with some timely hitting and making amazing plays on the field.

Last night with the agility and ease of a housefly, Velazquez slid as the ball got past diving third baseman Rougned Odor, then hurried to his feet and fired a one-hop bullet across the infield, retiring Kevin Plawecki and securing the Yankee win.

“It’s what you dream about,” Velazquez said. “You come here and you want to be a part of something — not only doing good on the field, but earning the respect of the guys in the locker room.”

Last night Velazquez’s dream became even better when the guys awarded him the Yankee MVP of the game belt.

New York Yankees Recap: Andrew Heaney sweeps the Red Sox

August 18, 2021 by William Parlee

Tonight after sweeping the doubleheader yesterday, the New York Yankees took on the Boston Red Sox with the hope of sweeping the series and going even further ahead of the Sox. They were even in the AL East at five games back in the AL East at the beginning of the game. Andrew Heaney faced Nick Pivetta. The Yankees got the 5-2 win and took over the first wild card slot.

In the first inning, Kiki Hernandez flew out to Judge in right for the first out of the game. Hunter Renfroe tapped out to first. Xander Bogaerts hit an opposite-field home run to put the Red Sox up one. Rafael Devers struck out to end the half. DJ LeMahieu went down, looking at the bottom. In his first night back after being on the Covid list, Anthony Rizzo flew out to left-center. Aaron Judge walked. Joey Gallo flew out to left. Boston Red Sox 1 Yankees 0.

The second inning was led off by JT Martinez, who struck out on a foul tip. Then, Keven Palwecki flew out to Judge in right. Finally, Alex Verdugo popped out to short to end the half for a 1-2-3 inning for Heaney.

At the bottom, Giancarlo Stanton led off by hitting a base hit to left field. Rougie Odor walked. Gary Sanchez singled to right, Stanton moved to third, but Odor was called out at second. On review, Odor was safe. Brett Gardner, with the bases loaded and no outs, got a sac fly scoring Stanton. Andrew Velazquez got an RBI single-scoring Odor. Velazquez stole second. LeMahieu lined out to third. Anthony Rizzo singled beyond first, driving in two runs. Judge walked, knocking Pivetta out of the game. Gallo faced the new Sox pitcher Garrett Richards and ground out to second to end the inning, but the Yankees picked up four runs in the inning. New York Yankees 4 Red Sox 1.

The third inning was led off by Bobby Dalbec, who flew out to Judge in right. Christian Vazquez ground out to third. Hernandez struck out to end the half. Stanton, at the bottom, walked. Odor went down on strikes. Sanchez went down swinging. Gardner ground out to second to end the inning. Yankees 4 Sox 1.

Hunter Renfroe led off the fourth by walking. Bogaerts hit into a force out at second. Bogaerts went to second on a wild pitch. Devers ground out with Bogaerts going to third. Martinez ground out to Odor. At the bottom of the inning, it was Velazquez at the plate; he struck out. LeMahieu flew out. Rizzo struck out. Yankees 4 Sox 1.

Kevin Palwecki led off the fifth with a single to left field. Verdugo popped out to Gallo in left. Dalbec was robbed for hit by a jumping LeMahieu. Vazquez popped out to the infield for the final out. Judge led off the bottom by grounding out to first. Gallo struck out, and Stanton gave it a ride but out in the far center. Yankees 4 Sox 1.

The sixth was led off by Hernandez, who walked. Renfroe flew out to right. Bogaerts hit into a double play to end the half. At the bottom, Odor led off by grounding out to first. Sanchez flew out to center. Gardner faced the new Sox pitcher Martin Perez and got an infield single. With two outs and one on, Velazquez went down looking for the final out of the inning. New York Yankees 4 and the Red Sox 1.

Rafael Devers led off the seventh inning and struck out. Martinez flew out to Gallo in left. Kevin Palwecki flew out to center. At the bottom against new Red Sox pitcher, Adam Ottavino ground out in the infield. Rizzo flew out to second. Judge walked. Judge stole second without a throw. Gallo was walked intentionally. Stanton, with two on and two outs, ground out to third, got end another scoreless inning.

At the eight with Zack Britton on the mound, Verdugo struck out looking. Verdugo ground out to short. Vazquez ground out to second. At the bottom, Odor flew out to shallow center. Sanchez got a stand-up double to center. Gardner ground out to first, with Sanchez going to third. Velazquez singled to left with Sanchez scoring. LeMahieu ground out to second to end the inning. New York Yankees 5 Red Sox 1.

The top of the ninth saw the return from the Covid list of closer Aroldis Chapman. Hernandez went down on strikes. Renfroe homered to the left-field stands. Bogaerts walked. Devers ground out directly to Rizzo at first, Bogaerts moved to second. Martinez singled to center, moving Bogaerts to third, and that was it for Chapman. Lucas Luetge trying to nail down his first save in nine years, came in to face Palwecki, who ground out to Velazquez, who fired to Rizzo for the last out that was upheld by review. Yankees swept the Red Sox.

The final score was the New York Yankees 5 and the Red Sox 2. The winning pitcher was Andrew Heaney, and the loser was Nick Pivetta, with Lucas Luetge getting his first save in nine years.

New York Yankees Recap: Yankees pull out a win in first game of a doubleheader (video)

August 17, 2021 by William Parlee

After a series win over the Chicago White Sox and a win in a makeup game with the Los Angeles Angels last night today, the New York Yankees entered what could be a pivotal three-game series. The three-game series could go a long way to who will secure a wild card berth. Today will be a day-night doubleheader; if the Yankees win both, they will be even with the Red Sox in the race. Game one had Jordan Montgomery on the mound in his first game returning from the Covid list. He faced Tanner Houck. The Yankees won it 5-3.

Leading off for the Red Sox was Kiki Hernandez, who ground out on the first pitch. Then, Hunter Renfroe got a base hit to left. Next, Xander Bogaerts went down on strikes. Next, Rafael Devers singled, but Renfroe was tagged out by Velaquez trying to reach third to end the inning. At the bottom, with Tanner Houck on the mound, DJ LeMahieu ground out to third. Brett Gardner also ground out to third, as did Aaron Judge to end the inning with no score.

At the top of the second, JT Martinez went down on strikes. Kyle Schwarber was called out on strikes, but a wild pitch allowed him to get to first, where he was called safe, but on review, he was out. Christian Vázquez flew out to right field. At the bottom, Joey Gallo led off by flying out to center field. Luke Voit was hit by the first pitch he saw. Rougie Odor hit a single to center, moving Voit to second. In his return from the Covid list, Gary Sanchez lined directly to third, holding the runners. Now with two outs, Tyler Wade singled, loading the bases. Andrew Velazquez got two-run single driving in Voit and Odor. LeMahieu popped out to end the inning, but the kid from the Bronx, Velaquez, created his own field of dreams with his family in the stands. New York Yankees 2 Boston Red Sox 0. Velazquez got hugs from third base coach Phil Nevin.

Alex Verdugo led off the third inning by grounding out to second. Bobby Dalbec singled beyond short. Hernandez walked. Renfroe tapped to Monty for the second out as the runners moved up. Bogaerts got a two-run single, but Bogaerts was out at first as Sanchez fired. New York Yankees 2 Red Sox 2.

At the bottom of the third, Gardner tapped back to Houck. Judge struck out swinging. Gallo flew out to center, keeping the game tied at 2.

Devers led off the fourth inning popped out to Sanchez. Martinez went down on strikes. Schwarber struck out as the Red Sox went down 1-2-3. At the bottom, Luke Voit struck out. Rougie Odor singled. Sanchez ground out. Tyler Wade singled, and Velaquez flew out to center to end the inning.

Vazquez led the fifth inning, who homed to the left-field stands for a solo shot, putting the Sox up by a run. Verdugo hit a line drive out to Odor. Dalbec struck out. Hernandez walked, and that was the day for Montgomery, as Aaron Boone called in Albert Abreu to face Renfroe, who flew out to Judge to end the half.

At the bottom, with Garrett Whitlock on the mound, LeMahieu struck out. Gardner walked. Judge walked. With Gallo coming up, Cora went with Josh Taylor; Gallo walked the bases loaded. With the bases loaded and one out, Voit got a bloop single to center, scoring Gardner and Judge as the Yankees took the lead in the game. Giancarlo Stanton pinch-hitting for Odor with men on the corners and one out singled to center, driving in Gallo. Jonathan Davis was brought in to pinch-run for Stanton. Cora again went to the bullpen for Hansel Robles to face Gary Sanchez, who struck out. Tyler Wade, with two on and two outs, walked. Velaquez struck out to finally end the inning, but the Yankees picked up 3 runs in the half to go ahead in the game. New York Yankees 5 Red Sox 3.

In the sixth inning, with Jonathan Loaisiga on the mound, Bogaerts struck out. Devers ground out to short, and Martinez lined out to Velaquez at short. At the bottom, it was the top of the order for the Yankees. LeMahieu against Robles singled to left. Gardner walked with LeMahieu taking second. Judge struck out. Again Cora went to the bullpen to have lefty Austin Davis face lefty Joey Gallo. Gallo struck out for the second out of the inning. Then the lefty had to face the righty Luke Voit who walked to load the bases for the Yankees again. Jonathan Davis brought in as a pinch-runner struck out, leaving the bases loaded. Yankees 5 Red Sox 3.

Schwarber led off the seventh and final inning of the game with Jonathan Loaisgia in for the close and singled to short. Vazquez singled to Judge in right, with Schwarber stopping at second. Arauz pinch ran for Vazquez. Verdugo singled, loading the bases with no outs in the seventh. Travis Shaw pinch-hitting flew out to Gardner, but Gardner’s arm held the runners. Hernandez struck out. Renfroe struck out to get Loaisiga out of the inning unscathed. The Yankees win!!!

Nothing comes easy for the New York Yankees, but they get the win. The final score was New York Yankees 5 and the Boston Red Sox 3. The winning pitcher was Albert Abreu, the loser was Whitlock, and the save went to Jonathan Loaisiga (5). The video below is Velazquez’s two-run shot in the second.