The 51st installment of Jake Schoeneberger’s opinions on the Yankees
After sweeping a 2-game series over the Bucs in Pittsburgh, the Yanks headed home for a 4-game series against their old rivals, the Red Sox. While the Sox are having a down season, they’re always dangerous and probably looking to play spoiler in this series.
Here are some thoughts in random order on the series of Yankees baseball from Jacob Schoeneberger:
Yanks Win a Walk-Off
Taillon got the start in the 1st game of the series and was solid. He turned in 6 innings of scoreless ball, allowing just 4 hits and striking out 8. Need him in this kind of form as this race for the AL East and the playoffs gets hot.
But Schmidt came in to relieve him and had a rough time, allowing 4 runs in the 7th inning, including 2 homers. Chappy came on in the 8th and was ineffective, walking 2 guys. The Yanks trailed 4-3 but tied it in the 8th. Trivino and Holmes held the Sox down after that and Donaldson singled home the winning run in the 10th. A nice win for the team as they held it together throughout, but no record-tying homer from Judge.
If there’s a single Jacob Schoeneberger Baseball Nugget of Wisdom it’s this: Getting that 1st win in a 4-game series is huge. The Yanks maintain their lead in the AL East as every game that passes makes it tougher on the Jays to catch them when they don’t gain ground in the standings.
Yanks Win a Tight One
Cole got the start in the 2nd game and while he wasn’t bad, once again the long ball plagued him. He went 6 innings, allowing 4 runs on 5 hits with 8 Ks. He gave up a solo shot in the 1st inning to Pham, but the big blow came with 2 outs in the 6th when Verdugo took him deep for a 3-run shot after Cole thought he had him struck out. That tied the game 4-4, and both Cole and Boone got tossed for arguing with the ump between innings. I dunno, I think Boone argues way too much with the umps for my liking. Don’t get me wrong, there are times to go after the ump, but he does it all the time and it loses its meaning when you’re constantly complaining.
Trevino laced a go-ahead single in the 8th, Marinaccio turned in a scoreless 7th, and Loaisiga turned in 2 scoreless innings for the win. Another solid team effort all around.
If there’s a single Jacob Schoeneberger Baseball Nugget of Wisdom it’s this: Getting the first 2 wins of a 4-game series is even huger! The Yanks have set themselves up nicely to win this series. No homer from Judge but the team inches ever closer to winning the AL East.
Yanks Win Another
German got the start in the 3rd game of the series, and while he allowed two dingers, he was able to limit the damage. He turned in 5 innings, allowing 3 runs on 3 hits. Not a bad day of work as he struck out 5 and proves he can be of value to this team in the playoffs.
The lineup came alive, with Gleyber, Cabrera, and Rizzo cranking homers in the 7-5 win. The bullpen got in on the action as Britton (back from TJ surgery), Trivino, Luetge, Schmidt (who rebounded from his last outing with a scoreless 8th) and Effross all pitching in. While Judge didn’t homer, it was another solid team effort.
If there’s a single Jacob Schoeneberger Baseball Nugget of Wisdom it’s this: Winning another series is just what you need to do as the playoff chase heats up. The Yanks have guaranteed a series win and the outlook gets brighter by the day.
Sweep the Sox
The Yanks took the rain-shortened final game of the series 2-0. Nasty Nestor got the start and continues to impress. He gave the team 6 scoreless innings, allowing just 1 hit and striking out 5. Boone has already said that Cole would start the 1st game of any playoff series the team makes, but Nestor has made a solid case for that honor. Either way, he’ll be a solid 2 starter.
The umps called the game after 6 innings due to rain, and that worked out mighty nicely for the Yanks. They got to rest their bullpen before the upcoming Jays series, and they got themselves a convenient little win.
If there’s a single Jacob Schoeneberger Baseball Nugget of Wisdom it’s this: Rain-shortened wins are always a welcome feat for the winners, and a dismal pill to swallow for the losers. The Sox lost out on 9 outs to try to rally, and Judge didn’t get more chances to tie the record, but the Yanks will take a big win and a sweep of their rivals.
The Jake Schoeneberger Random Yankees Thought of the Day
If there’s a single Jacob Schoeneberger Baseball Nugget of Wisdom it’s this: If you want a division title, beat the 2nd-place team when you play them. The Yanks now head to Toronto for a 3-game set with the Jays. If they win, they will walk out of Canada with the AL East title. Lose and they keep the Jays’ slim hopes alive. Jacob Schoeneberger hopes they deliver.