Jonathan Loaisiga

Yankees get good news on key reliever dealing with injury

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New York Yankees, Jonathan Loaisiga

During the 2021 season, the New York Yankees have suffered blow after blow in their bullpen. Darren O’Day and Zack Britton are out for the season with long-term injuries, pitchers like Wandy Peralta and Clay Holmes have been out with COVID-19, Aroldis Chapman hasn’t looked right in months, and Chad Green appears to have hit a wall in recent outings.

The unit is so decimated that Yankees’ manager Aaron Boone opted to leave Holmes for two innings to lock down a save yesterday, a decision that ended up backfiring.

Perhaps the best reliever on the Yankees in 2021 has been Jonathan Loaisiga, and he has been out since early September with a right shoulder strain, an injury that affected his rotator cuff.

The rotator cuff is the single most important body part for a pitcher, and the most feared injury for them, so the Yankees are obviously concerned. Thankfully, tests and imaging showed that the ailment is just a strain.

The Yankees expect Loaisiga back this month

Loaisiga, whose expected return date is sometime in September, will begin a throwing program on Sept. 17, after making progress in his rehab, according to manager Aaron Boone (link to MLB.com article here).

“We’ll see how he does with starting his throwing program,” Boone said, “and how he progresses from there, how his shoulder and everything responds from there.”

A return this week seems out of the question, but if everything goes well and he suffers no setbacks, there is a scenario in which Loaisiga returns to the Yankees in late September to help the team protect crucial advantages in the last few games of the regular campaign.

 

Right now, the Yankees are 82-65, half a game behind the Toronto Blue Jays and the Boston Red Sox for the American League Wild Card. From this point on, every game counts, and for that, the Bombers need a healthy Loaisiga.

Yankees News, 9/6: Bombers lose best relief pitcher, Andrew Heaney implodes to lose series

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New York Yankees, Jonathan Loaisiga

The New York Yankees fell to the Baltimore Orioles 7-8 on Sunday, losing the series 2-3. Against one of the worst teams in baseball, the Yankees can’t afford to be dropping games, and after losing one of their best relief pitchers in Jonathan Loáisiga, the Yankees were forced to plug in Andrew Heaney to help supplement the loss. He gave up four hits, and four earned runs in 0.1 innings, elevating his ERA to 5.81.

Loáisiga, who has pitched 68 innings this year, has a 2.25 ERA and 61.3% ground ball rate. He has been an absolute stud for the bullpen and likely would’ve helped the Yankees secure victory if not for Heaney being his supplement.

“Obviously that’s a tough loss for us, which hopefully is only a couple of weeks but still something we’ll have to navigate,” Boone said.

The Yankees placed Loáisiga on the 10-day injured list with a strained rotator cuff. They are hopeful he will return in time for the postseason, and after receiving a cortisone shot after Saturday’s game, an MRI revealed a slight injury.

“Hopefully this is something that’s a little bit of a timeout and we get him back for the stretch drive,” Boone said.

As stated above, Heaney was the culprit in the Yankees’ loss, and ever since being acquired from the Los Angeles Angels, he has been a liability. Posting a 32.4% ground ball rate this year, he simply doesn’t fit the mold of Yankee Stadium. He gives up too many home runs and is walking far too many batters.

The offense did everything possible to win this game, as Gary Sanchez smacked a grand slam in the second inning to give the team a healthy lead. In fact, Sanchez hit two home runs on the afternoon, including a two-run shot in the sixth inning. Unfortunately, an Orioles team that won three of their last five games is surging despite their pitching issues.

The Yankees will take on the Toronto Blue Jays on Monday afternoon with Jameson Taillon on the mound. Toronto will feature Hyun Jin Ryu, who hosts a 3.92 ERA. Toronto has won four of their last five games, indicating a bit of momentum.

New York Yankees: Yankees blow a 6 run lead but get 12th win in a row

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New York Yankees, Aroldis Chapman

The New York Yankees entered last night’s first game with the Oakland Athletics after winning 11 straight games and looking for their 12th, for the first time since 1961. The Yankees are 10-0 in their last ten games and the Athletic 2-8 in their last ten, losing their last four games in a row. The Yankees could not be complacent as the A’s are a hazardous team at Oakland Coliseum. Jameson Taillon was on the mound for the Yankees and James Kaprielian for the A’s. The final score was the Yankees 7 and the Athletics 6.

In the first inning, DJ LeMahieu faced Kaprielian and went down on three pitches. Next, Anthony Rizzo went down on strikes. Aaron Judge also went down on strikes for a 1-2 -3 inning for Kaprielian. At the bottom, with Taillon on the mound for the Yankees, he faced Mark Canha, who went down on a Taillon hook. Starling Marte flew out to Gardner in center. Then, matt Olsen flew out to left as Taillon put down the A’s in order. No score.

The top of the second saw Joey Gallo at the plate for the Yankees; he struck out on a way outside pitch. Gallo argued, Boone argued, and was thrown out of the game. Giancarlo Stanton answered with a long home run to center. Gary Sanchez was out swinging. Then, Brett Gardner hit a homer to the right-field stands. Gio Urshela ground out, but the Yankees took a two-run lead in the game. At the bottom, Jed Lowrie flew out to Gallo in left. Josh Harrison ground out to Urshela at third. Mitch Moreland flew out to Gardner in deep center to end the inning and give Tailon another 1-2 -3 inning. New York Yankees 2 Athletics 0.

At the top of the third, Andrew Velazquez got a head slide double to center. LeMahieu ground out, but Velazquez moved to third. Rizzo got an RBI double to the center-field warning track scoring Velazquez. Judge walked. Gallo hit a three-run homer as the Yankees poured it on. Stanton went down on strikes. Sanchez flew out to the right-center to end the inning, but the Yankees picked up 4 runs. At the bottom, Matt Chapman led off for the A’s and hit a homer to get the A’s on the board. Sean Murphy hit a back-to-back homer. Elvis Andrus flew out to Gardner. Canha ground out to Urshela. Marte struck out to end the inning. New York Yankees 6 A’s 2.

Brett Gardner led off the fourth and flew out to far center. Urshela singled to center. Velazquez struck out. LeMahieu flew out to center to end the half. Olsen in the bottom walked. Lowrie struck out. Harrison got a base hit, moving Olsen to second. Moreland walked the bases loaded. Chapman walked in a run. Murphy struck out. Andrus got a two-run single to center to get the A’s within one of the Yankees. Those runs knocked Taillon that has been so good, out of the game. Andrus stole second. Albert Abreu came in to face Canha, who walked reloading the bases. Marte ground out to second to end the inning, but the A’s picked up 3 runs in the inning. Yankees 6 A’s 5.

The fifth inning was led off by Rizzo, who popped out to left-field foul territory. Judge went down swinging. Gallo ground out to first to end the half. At the bottom, Olson struck out swinging. Lowrie struck out when he couldn’t hold up. Harrison homered to tie up the game at six apiece. Moreland flew out to Gallo in left to end the inning, but the A’s tied up the game. Yankees 6 Athletics 6.

Giancarlo Stanton led off the sixth inning by popping out to third base. Sanchez singled to the left side. Gardner hit into the force out at second. Then, Urshela went down swinging on a ball way out of the strike zone. At the bottom, Chapman led off with a single to center. Murphy stuck out. Andrus struck out. Canha struck out to end the inning. Yankees 6 Athletics 6.

The seventh inning was led off by Velazquez, who tapped back to the pitcher. LeMahieu ground out to third. Rizzo had a sky-high pop-out to short. Marte in the bottom tapped back to Loaisiga pitching. Olsen ground out to LeMahieu. Lowrie flew out to Gallo to end the inning. Yankees 6 Athletics 6.

Aaron Judge led off the eighth inning and doubled to right field. Gallo walked. Stanton flew out to centerfield. Sanchez walked the bases loaded. Gardner popped out to the infield holding the runners. Urshela just off the IL today, and with the base loaded and two outs ground out to third, leaving the bases loaded with Yankees. At the bottom, Harrison against Loaisiga struck out. Moreland ground out to third for the second out. Chapman walked. Murphy struck out for two scoreless innings for Loaisiga. Yankees 6 A’s 6.

In the ninth inning, Velazquez led off and flew out to left-center. LeMahieu flew out to right. Rizzo walked on four pitches. Tyler Wade in as a pinch-runner. Wade stole second and, on an errant throw, went to third. Judge singled to center, scoring Wade for the one-run lead. Judge tried to steal second, and on review, was out. At the bottom, The Yankees send out Aroldis Chapman to close it out. Andrus flew out to Gardner in center. Canha struck out. Marte singled and stole second. Olsen who had 32 home runs on the season ground out to second for the Yankee’s 12th win in a row the most since 1961.

The final score was New York Yankees 7 the Oakland Athletics 6. The winning pitcher was Jonathan Loaisgia, the loser Lee Trivino, with the save going to Aroldis Chapman (24).

 

 

New York Yankees: Closer Aroldis Chapman continues to be a worry

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New York Yankees, Aroldis Chapman

Despite all the injuries and players on the Covid list, there is no question that the New York Yankees have been excelling, going 28 and 8 since July 17th. Yet, strangely for most of that time, they have gone without a reliable closer. Both setup man Zack Britton and closer Aroldis Chapman haven’t been themselves blowing saves they used to get easily. This presents a big problem for the Yankees; who will close those close games that they have been playing lately?

Last night with the game on the line, Chapman was called in to close the game in the ninth inning; he faltered, giving up a run and loading the bases. Wandy Peralta was called in to clean up his mess. Peralta did his job and got the save.

Chapman started the season with a new weapon to add to his missile fastball, a splitter that he used early in his career and reincarnated. For the first half of the season, he mixed it up for 18 games, not blowing a save and not allowing a run for an 0.00 ERA. Then, on May 23rd, he blew his first save but got the win in the game. He continued to pitch well through June 20th as he racked up 16 saves, then he blew two saves in a row. Since then, things have gone south, only adding on 7 saves through July and August, and most of those weren’t pretty.

It seems as though Chapman has lost control of his fastball and is often afraid to throw it at critical times. He got so bad at one point that manager Aaron Boone was afraid to use him, resorting to others, including setup man Zack Britton. But now, that isn’t an option either, as Britton has gone on the IL and may require surgery.

Recently Boone brought in Chapman in a non save situation to build up his confidence with a four-run lead. Chapman did his job, which was encouraging. But in his first close situation last night, he again faltered. Giving up a run and then loading the bases, that required Peralta to come in and save the game.

The New York Yankees look poised to at least get a wild card berth and are in hot pursuit of the Tampa Bay Rays to take the AL East lead away from them. They are going to need a solid closer to accomplish that. But who will it be? Jonathan Loaisiga has been the most successful, saving 5 games out of 8 tries. Chad Green is next, saving 6 out of 10 tries. Wandy Peralta has gone 3 for 3. Albert Abreu and Lucas Luetge have also gotten a save.

But the bottom line is that the New York Yankees have to find a way to get Chapman right, get his confidence back and get his blazing fastball working again. Chapman has 23 saves in 27 tries, but the record is really not that good as Boone has held him back in several opportunities because he was afraid to use him in one-run games.

If Wandy Peralta saves a couple more games without a blown save, he may become Boone’s go-to guy. Only time will tell. If and when the Yankees get to the postseason, which seems almost a lock, Boone may also be forced to use starters in the postseason to close games. Although I am not a huge Aaron Boone fan, he has been on fire finding the right mixes to win games. One thing is for sure; it’s going to be an exciting last five weeks of the regular season; it just may go down to the final series with the Rays at Yankee Stadium.

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

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New York Yankees, Jonathan Loaisiga

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.

 

 

New York Yankees Recap: Nestor Cortes Jr. brilliant in Yankees series win over the White Sox

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This afternoon was the rubber game with the New York Yankees playing game three against the Chicago White Sox. The Sox won the Field of Dreams game on Thursday night, and the Yankees won last night’s game in the tenth inning. Today, Nestor Cortes Jr. faced the Sox ace Lucas Giolito. The Yankees won the game 5-3 and the series for their 10th in 11 tries.

The top of the first inning saw DJ LeMahieu face Giolito; he flew out to center. Brett Gardner walked on the 13th pitch of the at-bat. Aaron Judge also walked. Joey Gallo went down looking. Giancarlo Stanton struck out swinging on a ball well out of the zone, leaving two on base. At the bottom, Tim Anderson had a comebacker right back to Cortes. Hernandez ground out to Odor, who made a spectacular throw to first. Jose Abreu blooped to center of a single. Eloy Jimenez singled with Abreu going to third, and with the throw going to third, Jimenez took second. Andrew Vaughn hit back to Cortes with the Sox, also leaving two on base. No score.

The top of the second was led off by Luke Voit, who singled to left. Rougie Odor hit a two-run homer to right-center. Kyle Higashioka went down on strikes. Tyler Wade struck out swinging. LeMahieu singled to left. Gardner doubled with LeMahieu going to third. LeMahieu made it home on an errant throw to second. Judge popped out to second. At the bottom, Yoan Moncada tipped back into the glove of Higgy. Luis Robert flew out to Gardner in center. Danny Mendick singled up the middle. Seby Zavala struck out swinging. New York Yankees 3 White Sox 0.

Joey Gallo led off by hitting a push bunt on the first pitch he saw in the third inning. Stanton flew out to the warning track in center. Voit singled to left with Gallo going to second. Odor struck out swinging. Higashioka went down looking. Anderson led off the bottom by grounding out to Wade at short. Hernandez hit a comebacker to Cortes. Abreu walked. Jimenez singled down the right-field line with Abreu going to third, but Vaughn ground out to end the inning. New York Yankees  3 White Sox 0.

Tyler Wade led off the fourth by going down on strikes. LeMahieu flew out at the left-field wall. Gardner walked. Judge reached on an E4. Gallo struck out swinging with a chance to blow the game wide open, leaving Gardner and Judge on base. At the bottom, Moncada singled to Wade on a ball he couldn’t handle. Robert went down looking. Mendick struck out to end the inning. Yankees 3 Sox 0.

Giancarlo Stanton led off the fifth inning by walking against new Sox pitcher Ryan Tepera. Voit flew out to center. Stanton advanced on a passed ball. Odor went down swinging on the 10th pitch. Higashioka struck out but reached on a wild pitch, with Stanton going to third. Wade flew out to the left to end the half. At the bottom, Anderson singled past Odor at third. Hernandez hit into a 5-4-3 double play. Abreu went down, looking to end the inning. Yankees 3 Sox 0.

It was the top of the lineup for the Yankees in the sixth inning. LeMahieu tapped out to third. Gardner flew out to the left-center. Judge walked. Judge stole second. Gallo struck out to end the half.  Jimenez leading off the bottom, struck out. Vaughn homered into the left-field stands to get the Sox on the board. Moncada ground out. Robert went down, looking to end the inning, but the Sox got on the board. New York Yankees 3 White Sox 1. Nestor Cortes Jr. pitched a season-high 98 pitches.

Stanton started the seventh inning with his second walk of the game. Voit went down on strikes. Rougie Odor faced new pitcher Aaron Bummer and went down looking on an awful call. Stanton advanced to third on a wild pitch. Higashioka went down looking stranding Stanton. At the bottom, Jake Lamb pitch hitting for Mendick against Stephen Ridings, walked on four pitches. Collins pinch-hitting for Zavala struck out. Anderson hit into a double play to end the inning.  Yankees 3 Sox 1.

The eight-inning was led off by Wade, who ground out. LeMahieu walked. Gardner ground out. Judge was intentionally walked. Gallo went down on strikes stranding two. At the bottom, Hernandez walked. Abreu faced new pitcher Jonathan Loaisiga and hit into fielder’s choice. Jimenez stuck out. Vaughn popped out to get Loaisiga out of a jam. Yankees 3 White Sox 1.

The ninth inning was led off by Giancarlo Stanton who got a double to right. Jonathan Davis was sent in as a pinch-runner. Voit hit a two-run homer into the left-field stands. Odor singled to right. Higashioka hit into what should be a double play but reached second on an errant throw that Higgy knocked out of Abreu’s glove. Wade struck out, and Lemahieu flew out to end the half.

At the bottom of the ninth, with the last licks on the line for the White Sox Moncada against Lucas Luetge, he walked. Robert singled to left. Lamb popped out at second. Collins doubled to the right-field wall just out of the reach of Aaron Judge as Moncada scored. With Anderson coming up, the Yankees turned to Wandy Peralta to close it out for the Yankees. Anderson singled driving in Collins. Hernandez hit into a double play to end the game.

The final score was the New York Yankees 5 and the Chicago White Sox 3. The winning pitcher was Nestor Cortes Jr., and the loser was Lucas Giolito. The save went to Wandy Peralta.

 

 

 

 

New York Yankees Recap: Yankees win their fifth game advancing in the East

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The New York Yankees entered today’s game with a split of the series with the Seattle Mariners and hoping to take the series with a win. Andrew Heaney who had a rough start for the Yankees in his first game faced Chris Flexen. The Yankees got that win their fifth in a row and now hope to sweep the Mariners tomorrow. The final score was New York 5, Seattle 4.

Heaney started by allowing a double to Abe Toro. Mitch Haniger struck out. Ty France hit sharply to Tyler Wade, who was playing short today for the second out. Kyle Seager got a two-run homer to the right-field porch just beyond Stanton’s reach. Tom Murphy struck out to end the half. DJ LeMahieu led off the bottom by getting a leadoff single to right. Anthony Rizzo hit into 2-5-3 double play. Aaron Judge hit a monster (421′) home run into the left-field stands. Joey Gallo walked. Giancarlo Stanton hit a bullet up the middle for a single, moving Gallo to second. Odor stuck out. Seattle Mariners 2 New York Yankees 1.

At the second, Jake Fraley led off by going down looking. Luis Torrens walked. Jarred Kelenic doubled, moving Torrens to third. Dylan Moore walked. Toro, with the bases loaded and only one out, walked, bringing in a Mariner run. Haniger hit a long one to right, but Stanton snagged it as the wall. Ty France ground out to short, but the Mariners picked up another two runs. At the bottom, Brett Gardner ground out to first. Tyler Wade got a great bunt single. Rob Brantly got hit by a pitch. LeMahieu, with two on and one out, went down looking. Rizzo ground out to first, leaving two on. Seattle 4 Yankees 1.

At the top of the third, Seager ground out to first. Murphy went down on strikes. Fraley struck out for Heaney’s first 1-2-3 inning as a Yankee. At the bottom, Judge ground out to second. Gallo struck out. Stanton flew out to center for a short third inning. Seattle 4 Yankees 1.

The top of the fouth was led off by Torrens, who flew out to Gallo. Kelenice got a hustle double. Moore popped out to Stanton in right. Toro also flew out to Stanton. At the bottom, Odor struck out. Gardner went down swinging. Wade singled to second. Brantly ground out to second for another quick inning. Seattle 4 Yankees 1.

Haniger led off the fifth by flying out to Gardner in center. Ty France advanced on a hit by pitch. Seager hit into a force out. Seager stole second. Murphy went down on strikes. It was the top of the lineup for the Yankees at the bottom. LeMahieu ground out directly to second. Rizzo went down on strikes. Judge doubled to center, splitting the outfielders. Gallo struck out stranding Judge. Seattle 4 Yankees 1.

The sixth inning was led off by Fraley, who struck out. Torrens struck out, and Kelenic struck out for a strikeout of the side for Heaney in his final inning with 109 pitches in the game.

At the bottom, Stanton singled to left for his fifth multihit game in a row. Rougie Odor hit a two-run homer into the short porch knocking Flexen out of the game. Gardner faced the new Mariner pitcher Anthony Misiewicz and flew out in center. Gleyber Torres tripled to right on an E9. Higashioka pinch hit for Brantly and hammered a ground-rule double into the left-field stands to tie up the game at 4. LeMahieu faced new pitcher Casey Sadler with one out and Higgy at second, and he singled to right center, moving Higgy to third. Rizzo hit the ball, but LeMahieu got in a run down as Higgy scored for the Yankee lead in a smart play. New York 5 Seattle 4.

The seventh inning was led off by Moore facing new pitcher Clay Holmes and struck out. Toro went dowl looking. Haniger also struck out as Holmes struck out the side all looking. At the bottom, Aaron Judge went down on strikes against new pitcher Castillo. Gallo went down on strikes. Stanton, with two hits in the game, flew out to right to end the inning. Yankees 5 Mariners 4.

France led off the eighth inning by grounding out. Seager faced new pitcher Joely Rodriguez and struck out. Murphy singled to left. Fraley ground out to first. Odor led off the bottom against Smith and flew out to center. Gardner got a single to left field. Torres flew out to right. Higashioka singled, Torres was called out at second, but upon review, he was safe. LeMahieu ground out. Yankees 5 Mariners 4.

With last licks on the line, Jake Bauers pinch-hit and ground out. Kelenic ground out to second. Cal Raleigh flew out to Gallo in left for the Yankee win.

The winning pitcher was Andrew Heaney. The loser was Anthony Misiewicz , and Jonathan Loaisiga picked up his fourth save of the season. The final score was the New York Yankees 5 and the Seattle Mariners 4.

 

 

 

New York Yankees: 3 Major takeaways from Yankees series win

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New York Yankees, Jonathan Loaisiga

The New York Yankees entered last night’s early evening game after a 3-1 win over the Marlins last night when the Yankees saw their newest hitter Anthony Rizzo hit a 449′ foot home run at LoanDepot Park in Miami. He became an instant Yankee favorite. The Yankees had the same lineup featuring 4 lefty hitters, including another new Yankee, Joey Gallo. Domingo German faced the Marlins Trevor Rogers. Rizzo hit another home run, and the Yankees won it 4-2. Just before the game, Marlins manager Don Mattingly although vaccinated, tested positive for the Covid virus, the bench coach James Rowson managed the game.

Rizzo homers again!

No matter how humble, Anthony Rizzo is doing everything he can to gain the hearts of Yankees fans immediately. He wasted no time last night getting his second home run in as many days as a new Yankees. He hit a 449′ monster home run on Friday night, then last night, he scored the go-ahead run in the fifth inning in Miami. Then, he hit a really sky-high home run into a maintenance area just left of the foul pole for an insurance run for the Yankees in the seventh. Showing how he is a complete player; he was excellent at defense and got on base in all five of his at-bats. In a momentary scare, he was hit by a pitch in the hand in the second inning of the game but was okay. After the game, Aaron Boone had this to say:

“I think the heat of [the playoff] chase definitely invigorated him,’’ manager Aaron Boone said. “I think he is one of those guys who truly does live for that.”

Without really trying, other than his home runs and defense at first, Rizzo is endearing himself to Yankees fans by his demeanor. In interviews, he is humble, and he carries himself, not demanding respect but earning it. It sure looks like he embraces what it means to be a New York Yankee.

Loaisiga slams the door shut

Yankees manager Aaron Boone did not want to use Zack Britton, who had been used heavily this week. He also wanted to keep closer Aroldis Chapman out of the game; he had been feeling some general soreness. He also had been worked four of the last six games. So in the fifth inning, he went to his bullpen. Luetge, Holmes, and Green who combined to allow just one hit. Then he asked Jonathan Loaisiga to hold the game and close out a win in the ninth.

Attempting to hold the two-run lead, Loaisiga allowed a one-out single from Brian Anderson, then induced a ground ball from Lewin Diaz. That could have finished the game, but Gleyber Torres, lacking focus, tagged Brian Anderson at second; the only problem was that he tagged him with his glove, not the ball, and both runners reached.  Loaisiga put the gaff behind him and struck out Alfaro, and induced a ground ball from De La Cruz for his third save of the season. YES analyst Jack Curry said that he sees Loaisiga as a closer before his career ends after the game.

Stanton is comfortable in left

The New York Yankees have been preparing Giancarlo Stanton to play in the outfield at some point. Being in Miami in a National League Park, manager Boone took the opportunity to play Stanton in left field as there was no DH. Last night for the second night in a row, Stanton was out there looking comfortable. Although he really hasn’t had any immensely difficult plays during both nights, he has looked like he hasn’t missed a beat making common plays. Adding to his comfort level has to be playing in LoanDepot Park, where he spent eight years out in left field.

Boone aims to play Stanton in left field one or two games a week, assuming his body holds up. Now that the Yankees have kept Luke Voit, Stanton’s ability to play in the outfield will give Boone the option for the DH slot with Stanton, Voit, Rizzo, and others. Boone said after the game:

“I was really encouraged,’’ Boone said of what he saw from Stanton defensively on Friday. “Not surprised. He’s always been a very good outfielder.”

Note: Today, the New York Yankees will go for the sweep of the Marlins. The Yankees are 4-10 in sweep attempts. Today at 1:10 pm, Jordan Montgomery will start for the Yankees against a yet-to-be-named Marlins starter. With two Yankee wins and two Red Sox losses, the Yankees are 7 games out of first place and just one game out of the second wild-card slot.

New York Yankees: 3 Takeaways from Yankees most heartbreaking loss

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New York Yankees, Jonathan Loaisiga

Yesterday, New York Yankee fans experienced their worst heartbreak of the season. After a late-game win the day before, the Yankees were positioned to split the four-game series with the Boston Red Sox. But that was not to be had. Even with Domingo German pitching a no-hitter into the eighth inning, the Yankees fell apart as they have so many times this season. As a result, the Yankees lost the game 5-4.

Domingo German pitches a gem for naught

In an article previewing the New York Yankees Boston Red Sox series, I said of Sunday’s matchup that you never know what you’re going to get from German. “He could be lights out, or he could struggle mightily.” I had no idea that Domingo German would enter the eighth inning yesterday with his first no-hitter. German was just masterful. All of his pitches were working, and he mystified the Red Sox hitters by mixing them up, so they never knew what was coming.

Previous to last night, German had been a mixed bag, bombing to start the season, and being sent down. He returned a new pitcher with the Yankees winning six of his starts, but then he went south again, with the Yankees losing five of his next seven starts. But yesterday, he pitched the best game the Yankees have seen by any pitcher since Corey Kluber’s complete game no-hitter. Now the Yankees can only hope what German experienced yesterday will carry him through the rest of the season.

Yankees look like a baseball team, but woes continue

On Sunday, Yankee fans for a time experienced the Yankee team they had hoped to have this season. The Yankees played baseball instead of looking dead on their feet, as they have most of the season. Seldom have we seen the Yankees push bunt, steal bases, and even Gary Sanchez achieved the second triple of his career. All this was taking place while Domingo German was pitching the game of his life.

But without a minute’s notice, the Yankee fan’s excitement went crashing down. After pitching 20 more pitches than he had all season, German allowed a double, knocking him out of the game while previously not allowing a hit. The usually dependable Jonathan Loaisiga came in and gave up three runs. Zack Britton replaced him in the ninth inning; he allowed two sac flies scoring two more Boston runs for the late game win for the Red Sox. The Yankees and its fans went from the highest of highs to the lowest of lows in mere minutes. The Red Sox won three games of the four-game series and the Yankees, coming off the previous exciting win, dropped another game in the AL East.

Is Boone’s job on the line?

The New York Yankees are fast approaching the point of no return. Winning the AL East is now out of the question unless a miracle happens and the Red Sox and Rays completely collapse. No, the Yankees at this point are fighting to get a wild card spot. Presently they are four games out with the Rays, Athletics, and Mariners ahead of them.

Manager Aaron Boone is in the last year of his contract. He has brought the Yankees to the postseason in each season of his management, only to see them fail time and time again. Now he is managing an underachieving team that he has been unable to inspire to play good baseball. One has to wonder at this time whether owner Hal Steinbrenner may be reevaluating his previous support of his manager.

It would be explainable if this were a team of bad players, but it’s not. It’s a championship-quality team that is playing badly. Someone should be held accountable. When playing at Fenway, you see the stands packed with standing room only. Even with 100% capacity allowed, Yankee Stadium has yet to fill the 15,000 empty seats. Fans have lost faith in the Yankees and its manager, and it costs Hal money. Stay tuned.

 

New York Yankees: Weekend preview and all you need to know about your Yankees

by
yankees, gerrit cole

With a pivotal weekend matchup with the Boston Red Sox, here are some New York Yankees previews and notes to keep Yankee fans informed.

Yankees announce weekend pitchers

Yankee ace Gerrit Cole will face Nathan Eovaldi in Saturday evening’s game broadcast on the Fox Network. Cole is 9-4 with an ERA of 2.68 and an amazing 147 strikeouts. He is coming off a complete-game win against the Astros. Eovaldi is 9-5  with an ERA of 3.66. He has won both of his starts against the Yankees this season.

Sunday evening’s game broadcast on ESPN will feature Jamison Taillon against the Red Sox Michael Perez. Taillon is 4-4 with a 4.90 ERA and is the Yankees’ most undependable starter. Perez 7-5 with a .4.04 ERA.  Perez is coming off an 11-2 loss against the Phillies, giving up 3 runs in 3.2 innings of work.

Yankees lose six players to the Covid virus

The New York Yankees and the entire sports world got a harsh reminder that the coronavirus is not behind up. This week, the Yankees had to put six players on the covid list showing that they are not fully protected even though they may have been vaccinated. Aaron Judge, Gio Urshela, Nestor Cortes Jr., Jonathan Loaisiga, Wandy Peralta, and catcher Kyle Higashioka all went on the 10 day Covid list. The loss of these players makes a challenging turnaround for the Yankees even more challenging.

Montgomery gets no run support

Jordan Montgomery is a poor boy when it comes to getting run support in this starts. Montgomery lost another game last night, getting zero run support. Montgomery is now tied with 6 other Yankees throughout history for going the most games without any run support.

Domingo German scoreless in relief

After a few rocky starts, Domingo German was scheduled to start Thursday night’s game that ended up being postponed when several Yankees test positive for the coronavirus. Manager Boone decided on Jordan Montgomery to start last night’s game, but German got a chance to pitch. He came in in the 7th inning in relief of Montgomery. He pitched a scoreless inning giving up on hit and no walk, an encouraging sign for manager Boone.

Minor Leaguers make Major League debuts

The New York Yankees’ lack of players caused by the coronavirus allowed Yankee minor leaguers to make their Major League debuts. Outfield Trey Amburgey was called up to replace Aaron Judge in right field, where he played flawlessly but struck out in his first two at-bats. Hoy Jun Park also made his debut pinch-hitting. The Yankees also called up Chris Gittens to replace Luke Voit at first.

Michael King hopeful for return

Starter reliever Micheal King injured his middle finger while working with weights on July 5th and has been away from the team. He said he is feeling better now, throwing and catching. He is hoping to be reactive as early as this weekend, for the Yankees, that will be not too soon as they have lost three relievers to the coronavirus.

Luke Voit is back on the IL

Luke Voit, who has proven he can play through almost anything, must be crushed as he has gone o the IL for the third time this season, this time with a badly bruised knee impeding his running. Voit last season was the baseball’s home run leader, but this year hasn’t played long enough stretches to get his stroke and power back.

The next 11 days will be crucial

The New York Yankees are 9 games back in the AL East behind the Red Sox, Tampa Bay, and the Toronto Blue Jays. They are 5 games out of a second wild card slot. The Yankees must play well in the next 11 days if they have any chance of turning their season around. Unfortunately, they play mostly against teams that they have not been victorious over. They have six games against the Red Sox, three games against the Tampa Bay Rays, with two against the Phillies sandwiched in. So far, they have lost all seven games they have played against the Sox. With so many regular players on the Covid list, a challenging turnaround becomes even more difficult.

Aroldis Chapman still hasn’t got it figured out

The New York Yankees closer Aroldis Chapman and his new splitter went 18 games at the beginning of the season without allowing a run. Since then, his 0.00 ERA has risen to 4.55. Regardless of his splitter, his missile fastball is his put-away pitch, and he has lost control over it. In his last four games, he has given up 9 runs, allowing walks and home runs. In his last two games, his ERA is 13.50. He has pitched so badly that manager Aaron Boone has been afraid to use him, sitting him for ten games.

Last night in a no-pressure situation, Boone decided to send him out in the ninth with the Yankees behind by four runs. Chapman got out of the inning without giving up a run but obviously struggled. He walked one while taking 23 pitches to get out of the inning. Unfortunately, he did not gain any more trust from Aaron Boone. Boone also has fewer options with Nestor Cortes Jr., Wandy Peralta, and his best reliever Jonathan Loaisiga on the Covid list.

Stay with EmpireSportsMedia.com for all the latest Yankees news and updates. ESM’s Columnist William Parlee is a member of the Society for American Baseball Research. Follow him on Twitter @parleewilliam.