About Last Night: Yanks Lose to Rangers 5-2

About Last Night: The Yankees Lost to the Texas Rangers 5-2

By Tim Kabel

April 29, 2023

***

The Yankees are now 15-12 this season. They are simply drifting along, winning slightly more often than they lose. Lately, the Yankees have been very polite; it's as if they say “no offense” to their opponents before every game, because that's what they often have- no offense. Clarke Schmidt demonstrated once again that he is best suited to a relief role, as he just can't cut the mustard as a starting pitcher. Unfortunately, while the Yankees wait for Carlos Rodon and Luis Severino to return, they don't have many other options. The Yankees are not playing very well right now but, they are also not horrible. The thing that works in their favor is that it is a very long season, and it is still quite early. When the regular players return, they should begin to string wins together on a regular and consistent basis. Otherwise, we are in for a long year.

Quick Notes and Stats -

• Aaron Judge missed his first game of the season, due to hip discomfort.

• Franchy Cordero is 1 for his last 28. He has also obviously been taking defensive advice from Aaron Hicks, as he misplayed two balls in right field. He is now officially Franchy toast.

• Clark Schmidt is now 0-3 with a 6.84 era. At this point, I am willing to walk on Carlos Rodon's back, the way that George Jefferson did to Mr. Bentley.

• Aaron Hicks has five hits this season. Remember, Derek Jeter had that many on the day he got his 3,000th hit. The Tokens had more hits than Aaron Hicks. Like the lion, it is as if Hicks plays while he's sleeping.

• On April 28, 1985, The Yankees fired Yogi Berra as manager, and replaced him with Billy Martin. This caused a rift between George Steinbrenner and Yogi Berra and Yogi stayed away from the stadium for 14 years. What would we have to do to get Aaron Boone to stay away from the stadium for 14 years?

Big Story -

The Yankees are not playing consistent baseball in any facet of the game. Their offense is streaky and inconsistent and there are too many automatic outs in the lineup. The only consistent and reliable pitchers in the starting rotation are Gerrit Cole and Nestor Cortes. It is hard to win games with only 40% of your starting rotation being dependable. Domingo German has been good more often than not but, he is not a lock and when the two other starting pitchers are question marks, the overall rotation is a problem.

The good news is this is not likely to last all season. Harrison Bader is on his way back. Aaron Judge will ideally only miss a handful of games. Giancarlo Stanton will be back at some point as will Carlos Rodon, Luis Severino, and Tommy Kahnle. Things may not look great right now but, there is reason to be optimistic about the future of this season.

Player of the Game -

Oswaldo Cabrera had a double, scored the Yankees first run and made a beautiful diving catch in left field.

Notable Performance -

Oswald Peraza also had a double and made some fine plays in the field.

Better to Forget-

Clark Schmidt's difficulties as a starting pitcher and the continued offensive struggles of Aaron Hicks and Franchy Cordero, who was optioned to Scranton Wilkes-Barre after the game.

My Take -

The most beautiful thing about baseball is that the season is long. It starts in April, or in some cases March, and lasts until October before the playoffs even begin. In the NFL, a slow start can destroy a team's chances to make the playoffs. That is not the case with baseball. There is an ebb and flow to the game that allows for improvement and development.

The baseball season is a marathon, not a sprint. Although I am not an expert on marathons like our esteemed editor in chief, I know enough about them to understand that the very length of the race, or in this case the baseball season, reveals which teams are truly excellent and which ones are not

Right now, at the end of April, the Yankees do not appear to be a special team. I feel very confident that will change. Players who are currently on the IL will return. Ideally, the young players on whom the Yankees are relying will continue to develop, mature and contribute in a positive and consistent manner. There is an adjustment process to becoming a Major League Baseball player. I believe that Oswaldo Cabrera, Oswald Peraza, and Anthony Volpe will all be major contributors by the end of the season

Sometimes, it is hard to be patient as a fan. When we watch the games, we would like the Yankees to win every night. That is impossible. However, we would like them to at least win on a very consistent basis. That is possible. Right now, for the Yankees, it is not happening but, there is every reason to believe that it will. This is the type of game that tests the patience of the Yankees fans. However, it is a test that we must pass. I believe this is a team that will go very far into the postseason once all the pieces are in place. It's not as if they are below .500 or in the midst of a dismal losing streak. They are just inconsistent and struggling to find their way. Let's look for the positives and let them get back on the winning track.

Next Up -

Tonight, the Yankees play the third game of a four-game series against the Texas Rangers at 7:05 PM at Globe Life Field. Jhony Brito (2-2, 6.11 ERA) will face Texas' Nathan Eovaldi. {Remember him?} (2-2 5.21 ERA).