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July 27, 2019

Schadenfreude 256 (A Continuing Series)



George A. King III, Post (early edition):
In the past seven games, the Yankees' rotation has gone from terrific to terrible, and based on how the Red Sox have punished Aaron Boone's starters, the savagery might not be winding down.

"It's obviously been a rough week for us," Boone said after the Red Sox handed the Yankees their heads for a second straight night with a 10-5 beating ...

In that [seven-game] stretch, Masahiro Tanaka, James Paxton, CC Sabathia, Domingo German and J.A. Happ are a collective 1-4 with a 15.61 ERA. In 27.2 innings, they have given up 54 hits and 13 walks. ...

Friday night, it was Paxton pitching for the second time in that seven-game stretch, and he gave up seven runs and nine hits in four innings ... For the third straight outing, the lefty gave up a home run to the first batter he faced. ...

In the past six games, the Yankees' have given up 64 runs. That is the most in franchise history.






Kevin Kernan, Post:
Mookie Betts and the Red Sox gave the Yankees and Brian Cashman a booming message Friday night at Fenway Park: You had better trade for another starting pitcher.

Betts slammed three home runs off James Paxton in his first three at-bats as the Red Sox cruised to a 10-5 victory. If you're counting, that's 29 runs against the Yankees in two nights and Betts is rolling with six hits in those two games.

The Yankees came here with the idea of burying the Red Sox in the AL East, but after these two slaughters, the Red Sox are gaining life in the division. ...

This was Paxton's first performance at Fenway and he was terrible right from the start with Betts' leadoff home run. ...

Before the game, he took the time to take a 10-year-old from the Make-A-Wish Foundation around. There was one report that the child asked him to hit a home run. Turns out, Mookie hit three. ...

Asked if the Red Sox could still be a playoff factor, Betts smiled and said: "Yes, it's just a matter of time. Now is the time. ..."

Betts is finally on a tear and this marks the third time in his career he had a three-homer game. He has reached safely in each of his past 23 games. Betts makes the Red Sox's offense go, and they are going strong now. ...

They are defending world champions and they are beginning to play like it.


Kristie Ackert, Daily News:
It's not just a hiccup anymore. The Yankees starting pitching is a real problem.

Before the Yankees played the Red Sox Friday night, Brian Cashman was not panicking. ... But the bad stretch has now extended into a second turn through the rotation. Paxton was pounded as the Red Sox beat the Yankees 10-5 at Fenway.

In his second straight start of four-innings or less, Paxton allowed seven runs ... Mookie Betts alone burned him three times over, crushing three homers over the Green Monster in the first, third and fourth innings.

"He had really good stuff ..." Aaron Boone said of Paxton. ...

This was a stretch for the Yankees to gauge themselves against what they may face in October. And, let's just say they didn't exactly measure up. ...

In the last six games, starting with Paxton against the Rockies, the Yankees starters have allowed 43 earned runs in 21.5 innings pitched. They gave up 16 homers and none have thrown a pitch in the fifth inning.


Joel Sherman, Post:
The Yankees became the first team in the live-ball era (since 1920) to have a starter permit at least six runs and not exceed four innings in six consecutive games, according to STATS. The six-game starting total is 47 runs in 21.2 innings. All five starters have worked at least once in that stretch, and James Paxton has gone twice, including allowing seven runs (and four homers) in four innings Friday at Fenway Park, meaning the Yankees' staff has surrendered at least three homers in a record-tying five straight games.

Before the latest debacle, general manager Brian Cashman insisted the Yankees were aggressive in the market, but that no failure by the rotation would motivate what he would consider rash, overpaying action. ... [H]aving their rotation permit its most runs over six games since 1912 only will embolden sellers — and that the Yankees might have ignited the Red Sox in the meantime makes it all the worse for them. ...

[T]he Yankees risk further wearing out one of the game's most overused bullpens if they do not get longer, more productive starts ...
Ken Davidoff, Post:
Even if Brian Cashman registers the best week of his long career, he still won't land the Yankees five new starting pitchers by Wednesday's trade deadline.

Therefore ... a few guys currently working in the Yankees' rotation must wake up and deliver. And no slumber is hurting the American League East leaders as much, arguably, as that of the new guy, James Paxton.

The Big Maple got pummeled again Friday night, his Fenway Park debut as a Yankee going about as well as Jackie Mason's debut as a sitcom star. ...

In their past seven outings, the Yankees' starters have combined to allow 48 earned runs in 27.2 innings pitched, a 15.61 ERA and 16 homers. ... Yeesh. ...

It gets ugly early in these Paxton outings. Amazingly, when Betts started the bottom of the first with a blast over the Green Monster, Paxton notched his third straight start in which he had surrendered a leadoff homer. Rafael Devers followed with a base hit and, one out later, J.D. Martinez crushed a two-run homer to left-center field. Paxton's 11.00 first-inning ERA ranks as the worst among all pitchers who have recorded 10 or more starts, per YES Network statistician James Smyth. ...

If the Yankees' most important pitching acquisition of last offseason doesn't find higher ground soon, he'll be drawing comparisons to his New York-phobic predecessor Sonny Gray. And because Paxton has disappointed, Cashman must work harder to find more arm reinforcements and hope they don't turn into Sonny Sequels. ...

Who will lift the Yankees out of their pitching funk?
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2 comments:

  1. GKJuly 27, 2019 at 9:28 AM

    This has been the most enjoyable two-game stretch of the season. With a crappy home record, this is very much needed. I hope they keep it going for atleast two more.

    ReplyDelete
  2. allanJuly 27, 2019 at 5:35 PM

    I was thinking of dating the various references, but I forgot.

    ReplyDelete