About Last Night: The Yankees Edge the Cubs 2-1 in 13 Innings

by Tim Kabel

June 11, 2012

***

The Yankees opened a three-game series against the Cubs last night with the best record in baseball. They led the Tampa Bay Rays by seven games and were twenty-five games over .500. They had just won eight of their last nine games.

I ate a quick dinner and settled down to watch the game that I was going to write about. Then, I remembered, it was Friday night. Last night’s game was another one that was streamed on Amazon Prime. I have Amazon Prime. I also have a fancy 12-speed bicycle in my basement, Considering I have to use a cane these days, the bike is not much use to me. Neither is Amazon Prime. The video froze every five minutes, although interestingly, the commercials were unaffected. I turned to my old friends, John and Suzyn. Unfortunately, my internet began working sporadically, and my phone stopped receiving the broadcast. I had to run back and forth like the proverbial Dutch boy, plugging first one dike, then the other. I couldn’t believe how much I missed John and Suzyn. I suppose I will have to get used to it,

Earlier this week, it was announced that John Sterling will be reducing his broadcast schedule significantly after the All-Star break. He will only call home games and select road games. He will be replaced by Rickie Ricardo on some of those games. I wonder if Mr. Ricardo will introduce his partner’s scoreboard segments by saying, “ Suzyn, you’ve got a lot of ‘splainin to do,” If he says something to which Suzyn objects, I can imagine her saying, “Oh, Rickie!” Perhaps Fred Mertz will do the on-field interviews. I was looking forward to spending quality time with John and Suzyn every Friday night. That bubble has been burst.

Quick Stats:

• Gleyber Torres hit his 11th home run of the season. He had 12 total in the last two seasons combined.

• Clint Frazier’s return to the Bronx was spoiled, as the Cubs designated him for assignment before the game. His uniform was hanging in his locker but, he never wore it.

• Jose Trevino’s RBI single in the bottom of the 13th inning was the only hit with runners in scoring position by either team all night. It was Trevino’s second walk-off hit this season.

• The Cubs have players on their team named Wick and Wisdom. It doesn’t hold a candle to Wit and Wisdom but it’s not bad. If the Cubs’ third baseman gives an interview after the game, he is truly uttering words of Wisdom.

Big Story:

On Thursday, the Yankees won a come-from-behind slugfest against the Twins 10-7. Last night, they won 2-1 in 13 innings against the Cubs, This Yankees’ team is like a Swiss Army knife. It can adapt to any situation. They are now 26 games over.500 and have won nine of their last ten games. It is early but, this team looks to be championship caliber. This year’s team finds ways to win that recent teams never did. If this team went .500 the rest of the way, they would still win 94 games. (John Sterling lent me his abacus for that one)

Players of the Game:

The pitchers gave up one run over 13 innings.

Notable Performances:

Jose Trevino continues to be a clutch performer for this team. Who would have believed it?

Better to Forget:

Aaron Hicks went 0-5. His offensive explosion on Thursday seems more like Punxsutawney Phil emerging from his burrow to look for his shadow, before returning to his hibernation rather than a renaissance.

My Take:

The Yankees have seven walk-off victories this season. As noted above, if they played .500 ball for the rest of the season, they would still win 94 games. I don’t believe they will simply play .500 ball the rest of the way. This could be a historic season for the Yankees. We need to appreciate this season. This team is not only dominant but, they are also fun to watch. Could this team be improved? Yes, it could.

I believe that Brian Cashman will make moves before the August 2nd trading deadline. They might acquire an outfielder, possibly by swapping out Aaron Hicks or Joey Gallo. They may also trade for another bullpen arm or two. That would fine tune the team heading into the playoffs. It would be very smart to do that and would strengthen the team for the postseason. However, they are not desperate for a move. They would most likely make the playoffs even if they did nothing. The only thing is that just making the playoffs is not sufficient this year. This team needs to win the World Series.

The important thing for us, as fans.is to not become so obsessed with the destination that we don’t enjoy the journey. This team has already provided us with a boatload of excitement and many unforgettable moments. We need to recognize, appreciate and enjoy that in and of itself. That would be like Joe Average dating a charming, witty and selfless supermodel, and obsessing so much over wanting to marry her, that he didn’t relish the fact that he was dating her in the first place. We have to learn to want what we have, instead of always trying to have what we want. What we have right now is pretty amazing.

Next Up:

Tonight, the Yankees continue the series at home against the Cubs at 7:15 PM. Chicago's Matt Swarmer (1-0 1.50 ERA) will face Jordan Montgomery (1-1 3.02 ERA).