About Last Night - Yankees WIN!

by Paul Semendinger

October 11, 2024

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About Last Night:

In a game that was closer than it should have been, the Yankees defeated the Kansas City Royals 3-1 to close out the ALDS and head to the American League Championship Series.

It wasn't pretty, but, in the end, it didn't have to be. The Yankees are heading to the ALCS. They have scaled each mountain.

AL East - check

Best Record in AL - check

ALDS - check

 Onward and upward!

The Game Story:

The Yankees scored first to start the game. It seemed the strategy was to swing at the first good pitch - and that plan worked for two batters. Gleyber Torres doubled. Juan Soto drove him home with a single. But then, Aaron Judge hit into a double play. His slump was a huge problem in the series. (But, in another way, the Yankees took the series with Judge's bat basically being absent for most of it.) Austin Wells then flew out to end the inning.

Gerrit Cole retired the Royals in order with two strikeouts in their half of the first inning.

The Yankees' second inning began with Giancarlo Stanton going the other way and hitting a stand-up double. (I am continually amazed.) Jazz Chisholm then struck out (swinging at some bad pitches). Anthony Volpe lined out to right. Alex Verdugo grounded out to first. Again, the Yankees failed to capitalize and get clutch hits. This was a problem all series and all season.

Cole retired the side in the second...

The third was a quiet innings on both sides.

In the fourth inning, Aaron Judge led off the inning with a walk. He was quickly erased on an Austin Wells double play. The weak hitting for the Yankees is a continual problem.

Cole then retired the side in order...

The Yankees scored again in the fifth inning. With one out, Anthony Volpe singled. After an Alex Verdugo fielder's choice ground out (on a beautiful defensive play by Michael Massey at second base), Jon Berti singled Verdugo to third. Gleyber Torres singled him home. Was a big inning coming? Nope, the Royals went to their closer Lucas Erceg who got Juan Soto to fly out to end the inning. At inning's end, it was 2-0 Yankees, but the sense was it should have been more.

Cole then gave up a long fly and a single but overall the fifth was another good inning for him.

In the sixth inning, Aaron Judge led off with a double! Austin Wells advanced Judge to third on a ground out in a quality at bat. Giancarlo Stanton then came up and the Royals brought the infield in. (If I played infield and they expected me to play in with Stanton up, I'd walk off the field. "You want me to play where against who? No thanks!" Even when Stanton isn't hitting, he hits rockets.) Stanton singled Judge home. Jazz Chisholm then walked. Anthony Volpe followed by lining into a double play. Again the Yankees couldn't put the game out of reach.

In the Royals' half of the inning, the Yankees' failure to put the game away made the game much too interesting. Maikel Garcia singled. Michael Massey then hit into a 3-6-3 double play, brilliantly turned by Jon Berti at first base. On the play, Garcia slid late, Anthony Volpe's elbow caught his neck, all seemed okay until some words were exchanged, presumably by Jazz Chisholm. The benches emptied but nothing happened otherwise. But then Bobby Witt singled and quickly scored on Vinnie Pasquantino's double. Sal Perez poped out to end the inning, but it seemed that Cole was done. I would have lifted him.

The Yankees went down in order in the seventh...

The Yankees stuck with Cole for the seventh. He retired the first two batters before Tommy Pham singled. Kyle Isbel then hit a ball as far as one can to right field in Kansas City without it going out and the Yankees escaped the seventh with a 3-1 lead. That was much too close for comfort. At that point it was clear that Cole was running on fumes.

In the 8th, the Yankees again threatened and did not score. Judge walked with one out. He stole second. An out later, he went to third on a wild pitch. Giancarlo Stanton was then walked intentionally (after working a 3-1 count). Duke Ellis pinch ran for Stanton. (I would not have taken Stanton out in that spot.) Jazz Chisholm then grounded out.

Clay Holmes came in for the Yankees for the bottom of the eighth. He pitched a perfect inning.

The Yankees went quietly in the ninth.

Luke Weaver came in to close it out. Two strikeouts and a fly to center later and...

THE YANKEES WON!!!!!!!!

Players of the Game:

• Gerrit Cole: 7 ip, 6 hits, 1 run - WIN

• Giancarlo Stanton: 2-for-3, RBI, walk

Notable Performances:

• Clay Holmes: 1 ip, 1 strikeout

• Luke Weaver: 1 ip, 2 strikeouts - SAVE

• Gleyber Torres: 2-for-5, run, rbi

• Aaron Judge: 1-for-2, run, 2 walks

Better to Forget:

• The Yankees were 3-for-10 with runners in scoring position

• Jazz Chisholm had a terrible series with the bat (if you're going to talk a big game, you need to back it up.)

My Other Takes:

On Wednesday night, Giancarlo Stanton was the big hero.  As I have shared, many times, with the Kit Kat story from years ago, I'm a fan of Giancarlo Stanton.  I want him to do well.  (I want all the Yankees to do well.) But, that being said, most often he looks washed-up.  The man can't run.  A baseball player shouldn't be playing playoff games if he can't run.  Well, that's what I thought until Stanton propelled the Yankees to victory.  Sometimes crazy things happen in sports.

Stanton has now assured himself a starting spot in the lineup throughout the playoffs. He's earned it.  But, even if he slumps and gets no more hits the rest of the way, the Yankees have always favored veterans so there's no way he doesn't start.  I don't think that's necessarily a good thing.  I hope Stanton continues to prove me wrong.  

One has to wonder, if Stanton has a huge postseason, if that would that make him seem like an attractive player for another team to acquire.  Might a great Stanton postseason help the Yankees win a World Series, and, at the same time, help them rid themselves of his contract?  Crazier things have happened.  Players with great postseasons don't always return to the team.  Hideki Matsui won the World Series MVP in 2009 and was not a Yankee the next year.  The same was true of John Wetteland in 1996.  

I was glad to see the Mets win over the Phillies.  I don't watch many Mets games (being a Yankee fan and running this site is a huge time commitment in and of itself and with everything else I do, I don't have time for other baseball games), but I've been rooting for them from afar.  This team is just the latest in a long line that finds success the moment Buck Showalter leaves.  I always liked Buck.  I wanted him back as the manager of the Yankees, but that ship has sailed.  A few years ago I wrote that the Mets would reach the World Series before the Yankees did.  Maybe they'll both make it this year.  How fun would that be?

Both managers in the Phillies/Mets series were former Yankees bench coaches.  I knew the Mets would win when I saw Robbie Thompson of the Phillies in the dugout... blowing a bubble.  And to think, he actually never coached with Aaron Boone.  

Longtime readers will remember that I wanted the Yankees to get Francisco Lindor.  His first year with the Mets wasn't great, but he's been a plus plus player since.  His WAR has increased every season in New York (2021 (3.0), 2022 (5.6). 2023 (6.0), 2024 (7.0)).  Impressive.  He's now 30-years-old.  It'll be interesting how the last seven years of his contract play out.  I'm rooting for Lindor to stay great.  

I do not buy the nonsense that as a Yankees fan I have to root against the Mets.  A fan can root for whomever he or she wants to.  There have been years I have disliked the Mets greatly.  In 1986, I couldn't stand them.  At all.  (I realize now, years later, that I was jealous of their success.)  I rooted for the Red Sox in the 1986 World Series.  (My dad is a huge Red Sox fan and has been since 1946.)  None of that makes me any less of a Yankees fan. 

The Yankees offense reminds me of a boxer who pounds his opponent to the point where it seems like a knockout is coming and then backs off. Too often, they just cannot seem to put a game away. And, in too many games, the opponent who should have been knocked out, knocks out the Yankees.

The Yankees are going to the American League Championship Series! They are four wins away from the World Series. The Yankees are a better team than the Guardians or the Tigers. They should win the next series. My goodness, it's so close!!!

Aaron Boone manged well this series. I didn't see many moves where I disagreed with him. And, even when I did, his moves worked out, so all was good. Might he finally be becoming a big game manager? I sure hope so.

Imagine if the Yankees and the Mets make the World Series and Juan Soto says, "I'm going to sign with the team that wins it all." How crazy would that be? (I know that won't happen, but, just for fun...)

I wish they'd start the next series tomorrow.

Let's Go Yankees!!!!!

Next Up:

The American League Championship Series.

Game One - Monday, October 14, 7:37 p.m.