By Andy Singer
July 21st, 2024
The Big Story
One day after the Yankees looked rejuvenated coming out of the All-Star break, the team got absolutely dominated by the Rays. Nestor Cortes just didn't have enough in his arsenal to put hitters away, achieving just 5 swings and misses on 92 pitches. While his stuff looked good in the first two innings to the naked eye, batters' reactions to his pitches said otherwise. It all fell apart in innings 3-5, as Nestor Cortes allowed 6 runs on 3 homers, all on cutters or sweepers to his arm side. The Rays' hitters appeared to just sit on those pitches when they could get their arms extended. There's not much good to say about Nestor's outing.
If there's not much good to say about Nestor's outing, there's even less to say about the Yankee offense. Ben Rice led off the game with hard double off of a 96 MPH fastball that didn't get elevated enough. Soto moved Rice over to third with a groundout to the right side of the infield, but that was the last of the offense in the 1st inning; Judge and Wells followed with swinging strikeouts to end the threat.
That was the last real offense that the Yankees would produce until the 8th inning. Credit needs to be given to Taj Bradley, who was excellent for 7 innings. He's having an outstanding year, and his stuff looked really nasty yesterday. The Yanks didn't get their second hit until Volpe's double in the 8th inning off of the Rays' bullpen, but the Rays had the game well in-hand by that point. The Yanks added a meaningless run in the 9th inning, as Soto led off with a triple and Jahmai Jones grounded out to bring Soto home.
Overall, it was just one of those games.
Notable Performances
Rice: 1-4, 2B
Soto: 1-4, 3B, 1 R
Volpe: 1-3, 2B
Better To Forget
Everything?
Nestor: 4.1 IP, 6 ER, 8 H, 2 BB, 2 K, 3 HR
The Offense: 5-30, 2 BB, 7 K, 0-7 RISP
My Take
This was one of those games that every team has throughout a season. The problem for the Yankees is that they've had a lot of "those games" in recent weeks. Taj Bradley really was good, and the team did put some offense together the second he left the game, but it was too little, too late.
I have been surprised all season by Nestor's road and home splits. He lives and dies by fly balls, so it makes more sense that Yankee Stadium would hurt him on days when he doesn't have great stuff, but it's largely been the road that's gotten to him this season. Well, the law of averages caught up to Nestor, and he got burned by multiple "Yankee Stadium homers." That's not the whole story, though. Nestor's fastball velocity was down by almost a full MPH, and it looked like all of his stuff played down off of his diminished fastball. Of particular concern, Nestor looked like he ran out of gas in the 5th inning, as his fastball struggled to break 90 MPH in that inning. I still think Nestor can be a key member of a championship rotation, but I can't help but wonder if his first half workload is getting to him.
Ben Rice continues to look like he belongs. I've reached the point where I'm firmly in the camp that feels like we don't need a 1B-type bat at the Trade Deadline.
It didn't work on Saturday, but I liked Boone's decision to put Wells in the cleanup spot. Wells has been the best hitter in the lineup not named Judge or Soto for the last few weeks, and he deserves the shot. Boone gave Verdugo far too much time batting behind Judge and Soto.
DJ LeMahieu looks beyond cooked. It's sad, but the team also needs to be realistic and relegate him to the bench. I don't think he's coming out of this slump.
Looking To Tomorrow
Marcus Stroman will look to give the Yanks a series win today at 1:35 PM at Yankee Stadium. I believe this will be 3 straight games on the YES Network. They call that a streak; it has happened before.
The thing to remember is that Nestor Cortes Jr is a converted "low leverage" reliever, a journeyman low leverage reliever, who did an amazingly fine job as an "opener" reliever when called on to do so in those "bullpen games" the Yankees used to do. That was how he became a starter in the first place, so he was never programed as a pitcher coming up to be a starter and to pitch the number of innings that a starter generally pitches when he is effective. That's why he starts seasons now pretty decent, but the high quantity of pitches catches up with him after the first month or two, and in some cases in past seasons, put him …
Andy, I have ZERO doubt that you are WAY better at predicting trade value than I am. could you give your best guesses on what would be needed for the Yankees to get one of the truly difference maker players who are, or might be, available?
Skubal
M Miller
L Robert
Arozarena
Crochet
B Rooker
Guererro
I listed them in the order that I would probably value them. I believe in Crochet. he is lower here, because I do believe there is a question if he can start for the rest of this year, but I do believe that even if he needs to be protected this year. he would still be a great bullpen addition, with 2 more ye…
what was the word they used yesterday for Yandy Diaz? what type of leave? and they said the time is indefinite. Can we use that with DJ? what could it possibly hurt to give Vivas a shot or Cowles?
they keep acting completely positive that DJ is healthy and at the same time completely stumped why he cannot hit. at WHAT point, when you are supposedly doing everything possible to win THIS year, do you realize that what you see is what you get?
it is beginning to feel similar with Verdugo. is he going to come out of this? i mean with Boston he was good in the Covid year (basically everything from that year is taken with…
I would agree with you. it seems that Rice has earned that the team does not purposely look for a 1b at the deadline. BUT they just need one GOOD bat regardless of position. if that happens to be 1b, I would say you find a way to make it work
Boone on DJLM: “We got to keep running him out there,” Boone said. “He’s earned that."
Longer Boone: "We owe the guy nearly $40 million for the rest of the season plus the next two. Our hope is that by mid-season 2026 DJ will figure it out. It's right in front of him. Our backup plan is to build a time machine and transport him back to 2019 or 2020 and hope we can return hi in that form to the present,