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Series Recap
·7 min read

Series Recap: Yankees busted by Brewers bats

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Hosting the National League Central Division-leading Milwaukee Brewers, the New York Yankees had their fair share of opportunities to capitalize on multiple miscues. On the positive side, the club was able to see what kind of player it has in Clint Frazier and wow is he a player! Yet, after a 2-4 homestand, one can’t help but wonder if the team shouldn’t give some more opportunities to more of its young pitching prospects, namely Chance Adams.

Regardless of how they’ve arrived at their 45-41 record at this juncture, given the injuries and expectations at the beginning of the season, the fact they’re only two games out of first place in the loss column in the AL East and leading the AL Wild Card is quite an accomplishment at the All-Star break.

GAME 1

The series opener had its share of great early vibes. New York’s offense was clicking and Milwaukee’s defense was far from Tom Emanski approved. Yet, after a rain delay and another bullpen meltdown, the Yankees couldn’t capitalize on another Aaron Judge home run and five Brewers’ errors in a 9-4 loss. The victory marked the first for the Brewers in the Bronx in 21 years.

BUMBLING BREWERS

During the early going the Brewers looked so inept, one wondered how they could be in first place in the National League Central. In the second, an error in right field by Domingo Santana enabled Didi Gregorius to go from a single all the way to third base. A Clint Frazier sacrifice fly to right made it 1-0 pinstripes. Santana would make another error on a ball hit by Austin Romine but it wouldn’t cost Milwaukee.

Jonathan Villar’s error in the third wouldn’t cost the Brewers either but his botch in the fourth would.

JI-MAN AND THE MASTERS OF THE YANKEE UNIVERSE

One out after Villar’s error allowed Gregorius to reach first, Ji-Man Choi hit his second home run in as many contests, off Junior Guerra and the Yanks reclaimed the lead at 3-2.

Later in the frame, Romine reached on an error by first baseman Jesus Aguilar. Yet with two on and two down, Chase Headley would strike out against Josh Hader, ending the threat. Why Headley was batting second in the order is beyond me, especially given his 0-for-4 effort at the dish.

JUDGE THROWS THE (RECORD) BOOK AT HIM

In the ensuing inning, Judge would take Hader off the restaurant with a solo bomb. Judge’s No. 31 No. 30 home run on the campaign set a single-season Yankees home run record previously held by Joe DiMaggio in 1936. Yes, folks, it’s only July and it’s not even the All-Star break yet.

GUMBY STRETCHED

Aside from a two-run homer by Aguliar in the second, Jordan Montgomery displayed solid control with zero walks. Yet, a lengthy fourth and a rain delay meant a shortened outing for “Gumby,” even as the team tried to push him back out for the fifth.

It was the beginning of what would lead to a bizarre post-game explanation by manager Joe Girardi. Girardi had no problem pushing a young rookie arm in trying to avoid a shaky bullpen. While Ty Webb picked up Montgomery, Tyler Clippard would not.

GO AWAY CLIPPY

Much like the old pop-up paperclip from Microsoft Word, Clippard is beyond the point of annoyance with Yankees’ fans. After pushing Montgomery, Girardi said he didn’t want to push Luis Cessa (who would pitch the final two frames anyhow) and Chad Green was unavailable. You may disagree with me but seeing as how the Yanks had Thursday off and only have two more games until the All-Star break, why would anyone need rest when you ned to win games?

You may disagree with me but seeing as how the Yanks had Thursday off and only have two more games until the All-Star break, why would anyone need rest when you ned to win games?

Milwaukee would tie the game off Clippard in the sixth and a grand slam by Aguilar would give the Brewers an 8-4 advantage.

GAME 2

There’s still too much baseball left for any one game to be a “must win” at this point but in need of a wake-up call the Yankees received a red alert in the end. A walk-off by Frazier helped the Bronx Bombers to a 5-3 victory.

STRIKING SEVERINO

All-Star Luis Severino bounced back from his outing in Houston. The only instance which seemed to phase Severino is when Travis Shaw was awarded first base on a disputed hit by pitch with two outs in the first frame. With two on, the ensuing batter Santana homered to right and the Brewers jumped out to a 3-0 lead.

Otherwise, Severino, who ranks third in the AL with 124 strikeouts, was on point with 10 K’s in seven innings.

BOUNCE BACK SEVENTH

After being lulled to sleep by Brent Suter and some early base running miscues by Gregorius and Headley, New York would take advantage of some Milwaukee miscues during the seventh.

A Headley ground-rule double to center, followed by a single to center by Jacoby Ellsbury, gave the Yanks runners at the corners. An errant pickoff throw to first by Suter enabled Headley to score and Ellsbury to scamper to third. The ensuing batter Frazier pulled the pinstripes within one run with a booming triple off the plexiglass in left.

BOUNCE BACK B AND C

This is how the club drew it up in March and the backend combination of Dellin Betances and Aroldis Chapman finally pitched a flawless eighth and ninth respectively.

With some help from Choi, inserted at first base and two K’s, Betances worked a clean eighth.

Chapman followed by striking out the side in the ninth.

RED STORM

With two on and one down in the ninth, Frazier showed off his bat speed against Brewers’ All-Star stopper Corey Knebel. The laser by Frazier to left was the knockout blow and his first Yankee Stadium homer was his first walk-off homer. Frazier is the fourth youngest Yankees player to hit a walk-off home run.

GAME 3

As the old baseball cliche goes, momentum is only as good as your next day’s starting pitcher. Such was the case with the Yankees in their 5-3 loss to the Brewers.

MILWAUKEE MASHES MASAHIRO

Masahiro Tanaka had his own personal momentum going for about his past four outings. Yet, he couldn’t contain the Brewers and their major-league high 81 first inning runs. A three-run homer by Travis Shaw in the first frame, followed by a solo shot by Stephen Vogt in the second was all the Brew Crew would need. Tanaka allowed five runs and wouldn’t make it out of the fifth. Along with CC Sabathia and Michael Pineda, another putrid outing by a New York starter this week.

CODE RED

During the fourth, Frazier went yard for the second time in as many games. Frazier’s two-run bomb to right off of Jimmy Nelson pulled the Yanks within one at 4-3. Six of Frazier’s seven hits in his first seven major-league games are for extra bases. I’m telling you, this kid has a bit of Rickey Henderson on the follow through of his swing.

MISSED OPPORTUNITIES

Although it didn’t help to have to climb out of an early hole, the offense was fairly anemic. New York left 10 on base and went a dreadful 1-for-16 with runners in scoring position. A reversal of what was initially ruled a home run by Headley in the sixth was about as close as the Yankees came to staging a comeback. Sanchez also lined out to right with two on and two down in the seventh.

ON DECK

At 45-41 on the campaign, the Yankees head into the All-Star break two games out of first place in the loss column in the AL East and lead the AL Wild Card. When the second half begins, the Bronx Bombers will travel to Boston and face the Boston Red Sox in a four-game series starting Friday night.