July 21, 2018

Schadenfreude 225 (A Continuing Series)


George A. King III, Post:
Aaron Boone says his job is to keep his players' eyes on what is on their plates at the moment. Nervous fans can point to the Red Sox holding a [5.5]-game lead and a Yankees' rotation ... needing an upgrade. ...

For all of Boone's "Today is the most important game" mantra, it's impossible to ignore the Yankees standing in second place in the AL East ...

[T]he math can't be ignored. ...

Even if the Yankees improve on a 62-33 record, it might not be enough if the Red Sox don't slow down. ..

"If you asked all the guys in the room they would say they could do better," Brett Gardner said.

[That] "could" needs to be changed to "have to" if the Yankees are going to avoid becoming small in the Red Sox rearview mirror.
That 62-33 record is now 62-34.

Fred Kerber, Post:
The initial Domingo German Rotation Participation era for the Yankees has ended.

"We just optioned him," manager Aaron Boone said.

That'll do it.

The Mets made German — in his 13th major league start — the losing pitcher in their 7-5 Subway Series-opening victory over the Yankees on Friday ...

German had a dreadful start. The Mets slapped him around in the first inning, parlaying three doubles and a walk into three runs. Yoenis Cespedes, in his first game back since going on the disabled list on May 16, homered leading off the third. ...

German acknowledged some "minor adjustments" he feels are necessary ...
Larry Brooks, Post:
The matchup was a pretty skeevy one to begin with, the Yankees out of the All-Star break opting to go with Domingo German against Noah Syndergaard in Friday's opener of the three-game Subway Series against the Mets.

And that skeevy turned ugly when German was driven from the box in the fourth inning ... It was a development that doesn't exactly set up the rest of the series for the Yankees, who will send Sonny Gray to the mound Saturday ...

It is not all that often a team on pace to win more than 100 games seems to be on the wrong side of all three matchups against a club already contemplating its tragic number. That, however, is the reality the Yankees are facing, and it is one just as stark as the 5.5-game distance between them and the first-place Red Sox. ...

Aaron Boone could have thrown Sabathia in this one and then gone with Severino ... But the manager chose to take the long view and give his top two extra rest. ...

The long view now seems to include a nine-inning wild-card knockout round. ... [T]he Yankees have gone just 12-12 since June 22 and have lost 7.5 games in the standings, while the Sox have rolled at 19-4.
Dan Martin, Post:
Before the first game of the Subway Series, Aaron Boone warned that the Mets were a more dangerous team than their record said. ...

Boone was right to be concerned ...

Though [Noah] Syndergaard was solid, giving up one run in five innings, the Yankees were done in more by their own failure to capitalize on scoring chances.

They left the bases loaded in the seventh and didn't score in the inning.

An inning later ... they left the tying run at third when Gary Sanchez struck out to end the inning. ...

It was an uphill battle from the start for the Yankees, who fell 5.5 games behind the Red Sox in the AL East after Boston's win over Detroit.
John Healy, Daily News (early edition):
The Yankees' cries for starting pitching help continued on Friday.

Domingo German struggled in his second consecutive start — this time against an anemic Mets lineup — lasting just 3.2 innings and allowing four runs ...

The Mets jumped on German with a three-run first inning started by a RBI double from Asdrubal Cabrera. Two batters later, Michael Conforto doubled to score Cabrera, and Jose Bautista followed with yet another double to plate Conforto and put the Yankees in an early 3-0 hole against Noah Syndergaard. ...

The Yankees appeared poised to rally against the Mets bullpen, though. ... [Trailing 6-5 in the eighth inning] Gary Sanchez, in his first game back from the disabled list, struck out with runners on the corners to end the threat.

Sanchez left six men on base while the Yankees went 2-for-13 with runners in scoring position.
Christian Red, Daily News:
Rookie Yankees manager Aaron Boone said Friday at the Stadium that he expects his club to "go out and be great" in the second half of the 2018 season, and that there is the potential for Aaron Judge, Giancarlo Stanton, CC Sabathia and Co. "to have a special season." ...

[U]nless Brian Cashman and the front office makes a splash and acquire at least one more starting pitcher, catching the American League East-leading Red Sox may prove unrealistic and World Series dreams may be only that. ...

[I]n addition to Boston's winning ways, the defending World Series champion Astros are cruising toward another postseason berth. ...

[Boone expects to] get his club to the mountaintop. But [without] a Boss-esque trade splash by the end of this month, the climb up the mountain may turn into a greased hill.

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