It was a bad weekend for the Yankees, who got swept by the Blue Jays. Since the trade deadline when the Jays got Tulo and Price, they have not lost. In that time the Yankees have gone 4-7 and their lead has dwindled to 1.5 games. Scott and I discussed the ugly weekend of baseball, some bad decisions by Girardi, and why the offense is struggling. We also talk about Severino, who looked great in his debut and received a voicemail.
The week started off great with a 13-3 win over Boston. Then Severino made his debut on Tuesday. The Yankee Stadium crowd was electric and hanging on every pitch. We saw mid-90s heat, a sharp cutter/slider, and a changeup at about 87mph with movement. Severino’s stuff is major league ready and it’s clear why the organization did not want to trade him. It was a very solid debut and something he can build on going forward.
We also saw a different CC Sabathia this week, who looked his best vs Boston on Thursday. He reached 94 on the gun and was fired up when he struck out Ortiz with the bases loaded. Scott and I still don’t know what to expect from CC the rest of the season but there is no denying this was a step in the right direction.
That is where the good news ends… The Yankees only scored 1 run over the weekend vs Toronto, and were shut out in back to back games for the first time sine 1999. Overall the offense has been struggling since Tuesday night vs Boston, and it can mainly be attributed to the fact Ellsbury and Gardner have been in slumps. Ells is batting .170 in his last 100 plate appearances and Gardy is hitting .206 since the All Star break (he hit .302 in the first half). When those guys don’t get on and set the table, the offense is pretty flat.
It was not just the offense’s fault for the 3 game sweep, Girardi also made some questionable moves. On Friday night he used Pinder in the 10th inning instead of using Miller, who only threw 6 pitches in the 9th, or Warren, who was rested and ready to go. The loss pushed the Yankees to 2-6 in extra innings, which is a direct reflection on the manager.
On Saturday Joe left Nova in to face Smoak with the bases loaded in the 6th inning. Nova was clearly gassed and just walked Encarnacion on 4 pitches. This was a crucial moment in the game, and Girardi left his starter in there to give up a grand slam. Scott and I cannot figure these kinds of moves out because sometimes Girardi makes too many moves (like when he took Wilson out IN THE MIDDLE OF AN AT BAT) and other times he does not make enough.
The Yankees have a big road trip this week; they have 3 in Cleveland before heading to Toronto, where they can hopefully get some payback. There are 2 directions this team can go right now. They can either roll over and die or the sweep this weekend can wake them up and they can start playing good baseball again. The fact is they’re still in first place, and control their own destiny.
If you want to get involved with the show you can submit mailbag questions, comments, rants, etc. HERE. Or call the voice mail line at 646-480-0342. You can also hit us up on @BronxPinstripes, #YankeesChat, and Instagram with questions.
Check us out in iTunes. We would love it if you can give us a rating/review if you enjoy the podcast. Follow @ScottReinen and @Yankees_talk.
