Bronx, N.Y., September 25, 2017; Yankees 11, Kansas City 3 — In a sudden rash of power hitting, Aaron Judge has recaptured the attention of all of baseball, as his two home runs in an 11-3 win over Kansas City Monday afternoon, and four long balls in two days, have vaulted him to the all-time rookie season record of 50. The mark seemed out of reach a few weeks ago, but the young slugger has rediscovered his mojo. And he was not alone in his super shenanigans, as fellow young’uns Gary Sanchez and Greg Bird went yard as well. Continue reading →

September 20, 2017, Bronx, N.Y.; Yankees 11, Minnesota 3 — The Yankees stormed back from being down 3-0 in the third inning against Minnesota Wednesday afternoon, eventually winning 11-3 going away. With a six-game cushion against the Twins in the Wild Card race, things never appeared desperate, but the three spot the visitors fashioned against Yankee ace Luis Severino through a 45-pitch top of the third did have many in the Bronx feeling a little edgy. The Yankee Youth movement to the rescue, however, and Greg Bird, Aaron Judge, and Gary Sanchez (double, home run, home run) quickly restored order; the team cruised (and continued to threaten) the rest of the way. Continue reading →

September 3, 2017, Bronx, N.Y.; Yankees 9, Boston 2 — The much anticipated showdown of aces pitting Boston’s Chris Sale against young Luis Severino in Yankee Stadium Sunday was pretty much a rout, even before the home team broke it open with a six-run sixth. Into the fifth inning, when Sale was lifted with one down, the Yankees had outhomered Boston 3-0, and outhit them, 7-2. But even more telling was that it took Sale 109 pitches to navigate 13 outs, while Severino used all of 52 tosses to zip through four frames. Continue reading →

September 2, 2017, Bronx, N.Y.; Yankees 5, Boston 1 — Masahiro Tanaka conducted a clinic on how to pitch (as many as) nine games against your opponent in a 5-1 Yankee victory over visiting Boston Saturday afternoon. The name of the game was win each inning, and six of seven times he did just that. Continue reading →

Bronx, N.Y., July 26, 2017; Yankees 9, Cincinnati 5 — Had a fan, or any observer, at Wednesday afternoon’s Yankee game hosting the Cincinnati Reds in the Stadium, somehow divined what would be the announced attendance, it might have given them a hint as to how this one would go. Just think of the number that graced the back of the best Yankee pitcher — starter or reliever — of the last two decades, then visualize that number again, and then what rank Luis Severino holds in this year’s starting rotation: 42,421, or, 42 42 1. Continue reading →

Bronx, N.Y., July 9, 2017; Milwaukee 5, Yankees 3 — Major League Baseball embarrassed and made fun of 44,000 fans in New York Sunday, and probably countless others in various cities. The Yankee Stadium crowd leaped to their collective feet in joy (OK, a few thousand in despair) when in the sixth inning Chase Headley turned a 3-5 Yankee deficit into a 6-5 home team lead with a home run near the right field foul pole. People danced with glee and hugged one another, with high fives all around. Continue reading →

Bronx, N.Y., July 8, 2017; Yankees 5, Milwaukee 3 — It seemed that young Yankee starter, and new All Star, Luis Severino would be saddled with a loss for a shaky start on Saturday afternoon on a hot, sunny day in the Bronx. Which would have been too bad, because from innings two through seven, he was not only dominant, he pitched with a confidence rarely seen in one so new to pitching on the major league level. Continue reading →

Bronx, N.Y., July 5, 2017; Toronto 7, Yankees 6 — The Yankees dropped another heartbreaker Wednesday afternoon, and in so doing lost yet another series, this one two games to one, to the visiting last-place Toronto Blue Jays. Setup man Dellin Betances had another disastrous outing, walking four in the eighth inning to turn a 6-6 tie into a 7-6 loss. Betances’ control problems have been much in evidence the last few weeks, and this was doubly troubling today, as they yet again let what could have been an inspiring come-from-behind win fall into a distressing and disappointing loss. Down early 5-0 in this contest, the Bombers came storming back, and took a 6-5 lead into the sixth inning. Continue reading →

Bronx, N.Y., June 25, 2017; Texas 7, Yankees 6 — A group of 43 ex-players, an ex-trainer, and four beloved Yankee widows treated a growing crowd of fans to a delightful ceremony and a four-inning Old Timers’ Game on a pleasant afternoon in the Bronx Sunday. The Clippers edged the Bombers in a one-run contest that disappointed absolutely no one. The one-run loss to Texas in the game that followed was another matter. Continue reading →

Bronx, N.Y., June 11, 2017; Yankees 14, Baltimore 3 — On the day after Adam West, the actor most famed for playing the character Batman, died, the Yankees battered Baltimore pitching yet again, 14-3, outscoring their AL East rivals 38-8 in a three-game sweep in which the home team blasted 11 home runs. On a gorgeous 90-degree-plus day in the Bronx, the third straight over-45,000-strong crowd delighted in audio Batman references, once their team was up big on a first-inning explosion. Continue reading →