About Yesterday Afternoon: The Yankees Were Shut Out by the Blue Jays 3-0

About Yesterday Afternoon: The Yankees Were Shut Out by the Blue Jays 3-0

By Tim Kabel

April 6, 2024

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The Yankees opened the 2024 season at Yankee Stadium yesterday with a whimper. What started out as pomp and circumstance eventually became pomp and unfortunate circumstances. The offense was AWOL except for Anthony Volpe, who had two more hits. The bullpen was ineffective on a day when Jonathan Loaisiga went down with an injury once again.

The team came off a triumphant road trip to falter in their home opener. They appeared to not be ready for the event. It is only one game, and they still have a 6-2 record. It's just that the day ended with all the excitement of watching a leaking balloon slowly sputter its way to the ground.

Quick Stats – 

·       The Yankees were shut out in a home opener for the first time since 1967. I was two years old at the time. However, I suspect that the answers Aaron Boone provided in the post-game press conference would have made as much sense to me then as they did now.

·       Giancarlo Stanton has struck out 13 times in 24 at bats so far this season. He has one RBI. It's still early but he doesn't have as much early as other people do, based on what he has done in the past few years. At the very least, he should be dropped a bit in the lineup. Batting 10th would seem to be about the best way to go.

·       Marcus Stroman has pitched 12 shutout innings in his two starts.

·       There should be a ban on allowing analysts or announcers to use the phrase “all season long” during the eighth game of the year. That would be like going to the movies and ten minutes in saying “this whole movie has been horrible.”

Big Story – 

Opening day is supposed to be special. This one was not. The Yankees were shut out in a home opener for the first time in 57 years. In other words, it doesn't happen very often. I know the eclipse is supposed to come on Monday, but the Yankees were eclipsed yesterday. They wanted to avoid the rush. 

There were a few good signs. The Yankees did rally in the 9th inning but came up short.

There were also some concerns. The bullpen struggled, giving up all three runs. Nick Burdi was wild in the 9th inning, throwing two wild pitches and walking two batters. I'm sure he was nervous, but another issue is that Jose Trevino, he of the platinum glove, was the catcher. Another point: this was Burdi’s fourth appearance in the first eight games. I know he was impressive in Spring Training, but we don't want to burn him out in April, do we?

It is just the beginning of the season. The Yankees have not even played ten games yet. They did a tremendous job in that first road trip and there is no reason to believe they can't bounce back and win this series against the Blue Jays. There are just a few things that make Yankees' fans worry. 

Giancarlo Stanton’s awful start wouldn't be such a concern if we hadn't seen what happened last year. It looks like more of the same. The problem with that is that Aaron Boone is very slow to make changes. If you don't believe me, ask Isiah Kiner-Falefa. I believe Boone was going to use him as a pinch hitter in the 9th inning but realized he was on the Blue Jays now.

Player of the Game – 

Marcus Stroman put forth another solid effort. He seems as if he will be a consistently reliable pitcher for the Yankees. Although he was not the star of the free agent pitching class, he was a very good acquisition by the Yankees.

Notable Performance – 

Anthony Volpe had two more hits and is now batting .423 for the season. His improvement from last season seems to be legitimate. I wouldn't be surprised if he becomes the leadoff hitter before too long, especially if DJ LeMahieu remains sidelined.

Better to Forget – 

That I was excited to watch this game. It was like checking my Powerball numbers and finding out I won $2.00 instead of $1.3 billion.

My Take – 

If you own a restaurant that has been slipping over the past few years, there are a few things you could do to improve. You could redecorate the place. You could feature new and exciting ingredients. You could update the menu. However, none of that would matter if you kept the same old cook. You'll notice I use the word cook and not chef. Aaron Boone is a cook, not a chef. He can make filet mignon and lobster tails taste like a Big Mac and a Filet-o-Fish sandwich. 

After the game, when Meredith Markovitz dared to ask him if he considered pinch hitting for Jon Berti in the 7th inning and Jose Trevino in the 8th inning, he dismissed the question out of hand as if it was the silliest thing he'd ever been asked. It was a legitimate question, and it deserved a legitimate answer. That is a big part of the problem with Aaron Boone. He always thinks he's the smartest man in the room. Unfortunately, that is rarely the case. I won't say never because if he were alone in a room, then by default, he would be the smartest man in the room. 

During the post-game press conference, when asked how he thought Opening Day went, he said that it was great, until he remembered that the Yankees lost. He then prattled on about how during the earthquake, he and YES broadcaster John Flaherty were talking about Bob Tewksbury and the earthquake occurred in Tewksbury, NJ. I'm not sure of the point that he was trying to make, but if he were clairvoyant, he would have known better than to bring in Caleb Ferguson in the 7th inning.

I have long advocated “Boone-proofing” but I don't know that there is a sufficient amount of Boone-proofing that can be done to allow the Yankees to win a World Series with him as the manager. The fact that this is his 7th year as the Yankees manager without winning anything is disgraceful. Yet he wears it as if it were a badge of honor. I resolved for the New Year to wait a while before advocating that Boone be replaced with Brad Ausmus. I will stick with that.

What the Yankee should have done was swap Boone out for Don Mattingly after the first-pitch ceremony.

Oh well, it was only one game. Perhaps Boone will serve up something better in the next game. Otherwise, we are destined for a season of Filet-o-Fish sandwiches.

Next Up – 

Tonight, The Yankees play the second game of a three-game series against the Blue Jays at 7:05 PM at Yankee Stadium.  Clarke Schmidt, (0-0, 5.06 ERA) will face Toronto’s Kevin Gausman, (0-0, 2.08 ERA).