by Paul Semendinger
August 8, 2022
***
When the Yankees were doing great, many knew that they were not that great. A team is never as good as it seems when everything is going well.
Right now, the Yankees are doing poorly. They are 6-11 since the All-Star Break. They lost yesterday to get swept by the St. Louis Cardinals. The Yankees have lost five games in a row for the first time this year. The Yankees aren't this bad. But right now, things look dire. Still, a team is never as bad as it seems when things are going poorly.
About Yesterday - Yesterday's game brought about Frankie Montas' debut as a Yankee. It didn't go well. Montas gave up six earned runs in three innings. But, because the Yankees bats kept them battling back, and because the relief pitching, at times, did well enough, he did not earn the loss.
Want to talk scoring? How's this?
The Yankees went up 1-0.
The Cardinals tied the game at 1-1.
The Yankees went up 4-1.
The Cardinals went up 6-4.
The Yankees tied the game at 6-6.
The Cardinals went up 9-6.
The Yankees came right back to make it 9-8.
The Cardinals made it 12-8.
The Yankees scored once more to make it 12-9, the way the game ended.
Quick Stats:
The Dodgers have the best record in the MLB
The Yankees are tied for the second best record in baseball... with the NY Mets.
Remember all the talk last year that Francisco Lindor of the Mets was "done." He is hitting .270 with 19 homers.
DJ LeMahieu had three hits including a homer
Aaron Judge had 2 hits and 4 RBI's. He's batting over .300 for the year.
Aaron Hicks had three hits.
Gleyber Torres had three hits.
Andrew Benintendi had two hits.
Scott Effross gave up three runs in one inning of work. That sunk the Yankees.
The Big Story: The big story is that the Yankees are in a funk - a bad funk. They haven't won since the trade deadline saw them send long-time pitcher Jordan Montgomery to the St. Louis Cardinals. Is that why they're losing? Probably not. But when a long-time teammate gets shipped out, a guy who was performing, it does reverberate in the clubhouse. This is especially true when that player immediately pitches against your team and he defeats you. It's things like this that can wreck a team's chemistry and cohesion.
The Houston Astros are just a half-game back of the Yankees for the best record in the American League. This is important because the Astros shape us the team the Yankees will likely battle for the AL Championship. The team with the best record will get the critical Game 7 at home. The Astros have had the chance to catch and pass the Yankees, but they have lost their last two games. Better to Forget: The Yankees traded away a quality starting pitching at a time when their pitching doesn't look all that good right now. It's not a good look. My Take: The Yankees are in a slump. They haven't played well since June. This is the time of year when a team's true character shows. Are they a championship team or was the first half of the season a mirage? We will find out soon enough. Right now, it isn't looking good. But, maybe the bats have woken up. A number of players who had been slumping had good days yesterday. If the Yankees can get a few well-pitched games, they could be okay.
Next Up: The Yankees play tonight in Seattle at 10:10 p.m. Jameson Taillon takes the hill for the Yankees. They need a quality start. Will he deliver?
Lets see if Yankees can rebound in Seattle..... nervous times for Bronx Bombers?
So far, Montas is no Monty.
And Effross is more like an Effup.
The paradox of rooting for the Yanks.... On one hand, Yankees have the best record in the league so why are we complaining? On the other hand, they have a horrible record since the All Star break so why isn't everyone complaining?
it was only because they traded Montgomery that they were able to win any games
had they retained him, they would have lost every game until the end of the season.