About Last Night: The Yankees Tamed the Tigers 3-0

About Last Night: The Yankees Tamed the Tigers 3-0

By Tim Kabel

August 17, 2024

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The Yankees shut out the Tigers last night. They did just enough of everything to defeat one of the worst teams in the league. That, combined with the Orioles 12-10 loss to the Red Sox, puts the Yankees one game up in the American League East. It seems as if neither the Yankees nor the Orioles really wants to pull away in the division race. Consequently, wins such as the one last night will be very important for the Yankees if they want to win the division, as they head toward the postseason.

Quick Stats – 

·       Gerrit Cole is now 5-0 against the Tigers as a Yankee.

·       Aaron Judge hit his 44th home run of the season and the 301st of his career.

·       This was the Yankees’ sixth shutout victory this season.

·      Gerrit Cole tied Jim Palmer for 64th place on the career strikeout list. As an aside, Jim Palmer once provided one of my all-time favorite quotes. He said of Earl Weaver, “The only thing Earl knows about pitching is that he couldn’t hit it.”

·       On August 16, 1948, Babe Ruth died at age 53 of cancer.

Big Story –

The Yankees won one of those games they needed to win last night. They had their ace on the mound and the Tigers are not a very good team. Tomorrow, they will send Carlos Rodon up against the Tigers. That is another game they need to win because on Sunday they will face the Tigers’ ace Tarik Skubal, who is one of the toughest pitchers in the league. If the Yankees lose tomorrow, they could very easily lose the series, which is something they cannot afford to do. At his time of the year, every game is important. The Yankees cannot afford to “take a night off” when they play a lesser opponent. They need to take advantage of those matchups. That's what championship teams do. 

Player of the Game – 

Gerrit Cole had a solid outing as he rounds into shape after coming off the IL. He pitched six shutout innings, giving up four hits and two walks while striking out eight.

Notable Performance –

Aaron Judge hit a home run in the second consecutive game and is doing everything he can to drag this team into the playoffs.

Oswald Peraza returned from his exile in Scranton Wilkes-Barre and blasted a home run. Hopefully he gets to play again this month.

Better to Forget 

Giancarlo Stanton, Alex Verdugo, and DJ LeMahieu were all hitless again. Yet, they remain glued permanently in the Yankees’ starting lineup.

My Take –  

A few thoughts on last night's game and the current state of the Yankees:

·       Apparently, Alex Verdugo is allergic to cobalt and chromate, two chemicals that are in his batting gloves and his multiple tattoos. That is suspected to be at least part of the reason he has struggled so mightily lately. I bet Jason Dominguez is not allergic to either Verdugo’s batting gloves or his tattoos. Let's bring him up and see.

·       As predicted, Jose Trevino returned straight from a month-long stint on the IL to the starting lineup. I and many others have written repeatedly that Aaron Boone is not very good at developing young players and seems to have no interest in doing so. After paying lip service to the idea of giving Austin Wells the bulk of the playing time, he sent Trevino out there on his first day back. I don't know if this was at Gerrit Cole’s request or if it was Boone’s idea but, it is something Wells could interpret as a criticism or an insult. He has done nothing but work hard and contribute in many ways and was very effective as the cleanup hitter. I certainly hope Trevino does not become Cole’s personal catcher. Although the effusive comments that Cole made about Trevino after the game seem to indicate that is a possibility. That would undermine all the work Wells put in and the progress he has made.

·       On Wednesday night, Oswaldo Cabrera provided a major spark to this team with his solid play and hustle. He scored from second base on a sacrifice fly, which spurred the Yankees on to a much needed victory. His reward for that performance? An all-expenses paid trip to the bench. He could have played instead of either LeMahieu or Torres. In fact, Cabrera played the bulk of his games last year in left field so he certainly could have played instead of Verdugo. The point is that Cabrera didn't play and neither did Wells. Ben Rice was benched as well and he may never fnd his way back into the lineup.

·       We have seen this time and again from Aaron Boone. He gives deference to veterans even if they are not particularly good or if they have faded significantly. Boone can say as often as he wants that Wells will play the bulk of the time. Actions speak louder than words and for Boone to immediately insert Trevino into the lineup sends a loud message. It is not a message that will instill confidence in Wells.

·       As we head down the stretch and into the playoffs and Trevino, LeMahieu, Verdugo, and Stanton are all regulars in the lineup and the Yankees are quickly eliminated from the playoffs, don't be surprised. Aaron Boone has done it before, and he will do it again.

Next Up – 

Today, the Yankees will play the second game of the three-game series against the Detroit Tigers, at 1:10 PM at Comerica Park. Carlos Rodon, (13-7, 4.18 ERA) will face the Tigers’ Keider Montero, (3-5, 5.76 ERA).