About Last Night: Yanks Win Again

by Paul Semendinger

May 17, 2023

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Well, they say you're not as bad as you look when you're playing bad... and for a good while this season, the Yankees were playing bad baseball.

But, over the last period of time, dating back to May 2, the Yankees have looked a lot better. It's been a very good two weeks. In that span, the Yankees are 10-4. (I just hope the other part of that adage also doesn't come true and that the Yankees really are this good.)

Last night, in a wild and interesting and bizarre game, the Yankees defeated the Blue Jays 6-3.

Quick Stats:

• Domingo German: 3 perfect innings, 1 ejection, 1 suspension (to be announced later)

• Ian Hamilton: .2 innings, 1 hit, 2 walks, 2 strikeouts, 1 injury

• Aaron Judge: 1 monster homer

• Harrison Bader: 0-for-4, rbi

• Gleyber Torres, 2 hits, 2 RBI's

• Yanks Bullpen (after Hamilton): 5.1 ip, 3 runs

• Yanks Bullpen (after Marinaccio): 4.1 ip, 0 runs

• IKF hit a home run

The Big Story:

The Yankees are playing excellent baseball. It's been two very good weeks of games. They just might have righted the ship. Things are going very well... for the most part.

Domingo German looked great on the mound. He was perfect through three innings. But then he was ejected from the game for having a sticky substance on his hands. A few weeks ago, he had been warned about this, but allowed to remain in the game. Last night that wasn't the case. He was ejected. Along with the ejection will be a ten game suspension - one in which the Yankees are not permitted to replace his spot on the roster. That could be a big problem. On the YES broadcast, David Cone noted that the Yankees pitchers had to now be very careful. I thought, "No, the Yankees pitchers just have to refrain from cheating." If you're doing the right thing, there is no worry.

Ian Hamilton replaced German, looked shaky, and then was removed with an injury.

The rest of the Yankees bullpen held it together. sort of. Ron Marinaccio did not look good, he's been pitching poorly of late, and he gave up the Yankees' lead, but Ryan Weber, Clay Holmes, and Wandy Peralta held the Jays scoreless.

The Yankees went up 3-0. The Jays tied the game at 3-3 which is where the score stayed until the top of the 8th when Aaron Judge hit a towering home run to centerfield to give the Yankees a two run lead. The Yanks tacked on an insurance run in the ninth inning.

Also of note in the game was the fact that the coaches and managers seemed to argue over the coaches staying in the coach's boxes. I have been watching baseball for over 45 years. I remember Phil Rizzuto noting that the coaches don't stay in the box. How this became a story is somewhat confounding, but it stems from a ridiculous notion that because Aaron Judge looked away from a pitch just before homering on Monday night that the Yankees were somehow cheating by stealing signs. I found this whole sub-plot bizarre.

Player(s) of the Game:

• Ryan Weber - stooped the bleeding when Ron Marinaccio didn't have it. He pitched 2.1 scoreless innings.

• Gleyber Torres - two runs batted in

• Aaron Judge - his homerun broke part of a sign in centerfield, but, more importantly, it gave the Yankees the lead they'd never relinquish.

Better to Forget:

Ron Marinaccio was not effective. His line: 1 inning, 4 hits, 3 runs, 1 HR

Keeping it Real:

Over his first 29 at bats, Harrison Bader was batting .429. Many wanted to give him the key to the city. Some wanted to immediately elect him to the Hall of Fame. Had this been 2024, he might have been elected President. It is certain that he would have at least caried New York. But, over his last 18 at bats, he has two hits and is batting .111. None of this means anything. His initial fast start was remarkable, but he isn't that good of a player, nor is he a .111 batter. All of this comes from extremely small sample sizes. I point this out just because the world went so crazy for Bader in those first few games. He looks good. He brings energy. He plays great defense. His arrival has coincided with the Yankees getting (and staying) hot. He just might be the difference maker. He could be that. But, before we put him in Monument Park, let's give it some time. He has played in a grand total of 14 games this year.

My Take:

Facts are facts. The Yankees could have folded these last two weeks. They played the Rays and the Jays who are two tough division rivals. The Yankees have battled, but not just battled, they're winning games. That's what matters. The Yankees have won more games in 2023 than the Toronto Blue Jays. These last two weeks have brought some hope that maybe, just maybe, the Yankees can put together a season to be remembered.

I have not been confident about the 2023 Yankees. I see a lot of flaws on the team. I've documented my concerns numerous times. I'm not sold on the 2023 Yankees. Not yet. We've seen this all before. They're terrible, then they're great. The next terrible streak could come at any moment. Does that mean it will? No. It might not come. It is possible that the Yankees turned the corner. It is possible that the Yankees of the last two weeks are the Yankees we will see (for the most part) the rest of the way. If so, that would be great.

It seems that Tommy Kahnle will be back soon. It seem Luis Severino might pitch for the Yanks as soon as Sunday. These are good signs. Will they stay healthy? Who knows.

As long as they keep winning... that's what matters. Let's Go Yankees.

Next Up :

The Yankees and the Jays play again tonight. Gerrit Cole gets the start. The game will begin at 7:07.