About Last Night: The Yankees Tame the Tigers 13-0

by Tim Kabel

June 4, 2022

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Well, it was another Friday night special. The game was broadcast on Apple TV, which was clearly part of a plan to frustrate as much of the fan base as possible. Once again, I spent the evening with my old friends, John and Suzyn.

In the top of the second inning, something happened on the final out when Anthony Rizzo tossed the ball to Gerrit Cole. No one who was listening to the game has any idea what it was, because John was looking down at his scorecard, and so was Suzyn. Apparently, each of them was trusting the other to actually watch what was happening on the field. Later in the game, John made a reference to an actor who was so obscure that even Suzyn had not heard of him. It turns out that he was a bit player in the Martin and Lewis comedies. Suzyn gently pointed out to John that not only would most of the audience members not know who this person was, but most of them wouldn't also know who Martin and Lewis were either. These are the moments you would miss if you were watching the game on a TV network that was accessible to more than three people. I am now accepting that this is how I will spend my summer. I don't have Apple TV. I don't even have any apples. Apples are for the fall, anyway. I prefer to spend my summers eating peaches while watching little kids blow bubbles as they run around in the yard. I will now complete that nostalgic picture by listening to every Friday game on the radio.

The game itself can best be summed up in two words: ho and hum. I'm not implying that it was boring or tedious in any way. Rather, it was what is now routine for this year's team. They dispatched the Tigers easily and so thoroughly that the Tigers brought in a position player, Harold Castro, to finish pitching the game. Gerrit Cole pitched a perfect game for six and 2/3 innings, before giving up a single to Jonathan Schoop. The offense pounded out fifteen hits including four home runs and scored a baker's dozen worth of runs. For those of you who don't know, a baker's dozen is when you buy 12 cupcakes but, the baker gives you 13. My goodness, I have been spending too much time with John and Suzyn.

Quick Stats -

• Aaron Judge hit his MLB leading 20th home tun last night. My prediction of 54 for the season doesn’t look so outlandish now, does it?

• This was the Yankees’ seventh shutout win this year.

• Matt Carpenter hit his fourth home run in seven games as a Yankees. He as six RBI. Aaron Hicks has one home run and eight RBI. Joey Gallo has five home runs and seven RBI.

• Jose Trevino hit his first career triple last night and is one home run shy of his career best of five.

• The Yankees are now 22 games over .500. After the game, the Yankees sent Miguel Andujar to the minors to make room on the roster for Giancarlo Stanton. It doesn’t seem fair that Andujar leaves while Gallo and Hicks stay but, Andujar still has minor league options.

Big Story -

The Yankees continue to win on an almost daily basis. As our own Fuster stated in a recent comment, “We play today, we win today.” ESPN may have Buster, but SSTN has Fuster.

The Yankees now lead the Rays by 6 games and are 22 games over .500. As John Sterling says, they need to “Keep on keeping on.” Good gravy, what’s next, Broadway musical references? John is getting into my head. I’m going to wash that man right out of my hair. Oh, no.

Player of the Games -

Gerrit Cole pitched seven innings of shutout ball, giving up two hits, and no walks, while striking out nine, His record is now 5-1. The starting rotation continues to be dominant every day,

Notable Performances -

Aaron Judge had four hits, including the aforementioned home run.

Better to Forget-

Although Aaron Hicks had a hit, he still only has two extra-base hits this season. Jose Trevino and Isiah Kiner-Falefa each had that many last night

My Take -

The Yankees are having an amazing season. They have the best record in baseball. They are 22 games over .500 and have a 6-game lead over the Tampa Bay Rays, the team that won the division last year. As fans, we need to enjoy it. This sort of season does not happen often. There is no way to tell if it will last, or if the Yankees will morph into something more like last year's team. I don't believe they will, and I think we are in for a very pleasant summer.

As I have noted in previous articles, the team is not without flaws. Although the catching position and shortstop are not perfect, they are certainly more on the positive side of the ledger than the negative. However, Joey Gallo and Aaron Hicks are problems who do not seem to be going away. At the very least, they should not both be in the lineup at the same time. If Hicks plays, Gallo should sit and if Gallo plays, Hicks should ride the pine. Brian Cashman should be scouring the other teams’ rosters to see what options are available. If anyone makes him any type of an offer for Gallo, he should pounce on it. I doubt any team will offer him anything for Hicks but, you never know. Most likely, they will have to trade him for a low-level minor leaguer. Or, if they pay his salary, maybe they could get a veteran who could contribute in some fashion.

We need to have confidence in Brian Cashman because, after all, he is the architect of this team Besides, who among us saw Matt Carpenter coming. Matt Carpenter has five hits as a Yankee, four home runs and a bunt single. He reminds me of the late actor John Cazale, who only made five pictures in his entire career before he died. All five of those pictures were nominated for the Academy Award for best film. In another John Sterling moment, for those of you who don't know, John Cazale played Fredo in the Godfather. Carpenter was an All-Star when he was with the Cardinals in the past. Carpenter has remodeled his swing and seems to be constructed perfectly for Yankee Stadium. I don't know if this will last but, he looks like a promising contributor for this season.

The Yankees do need to address the two albatrosses they have in the outfield but, it is not an imminent issue. It can be done a little later in the season, when teams may be more willing to trade players when they see they do not have a chance to contend. This isn't something we need to dwell on. We can certainly keep it on the back burner as we enjoy what is shaping up to be a wonderful summer. As I said earlier, I may not have apples or Apple TV but, I have my radio, my peaches and kids blowing bubbles. I'm going to have a very enjoyable summer, I think.

Next Up -

Today, the Yankees play the second of a three-game series at home against the Tigers at 1:05 PM. Detroit's Beau Brieske (0-4 5,25 ERA) will face Luis Severino (3-1 3.38 ERA).