E. Santana (2-7, 4.83) vs. M. Pineda (3-7, 5.82) Ellsbury -CF Gardner -LF Beltran -RF Rodriguez -DH McCann -C Teixeira -1B Castro -2B Gregorious -SS Headley -3B
Bottom 6, tie game, 1st and 2nd no out- Castro at bat. I would've called for a SAC bunt looking for 2nd and 3rd with ONE out while also trying to stay away from the double play and having two chances of pushing across the lead run, or a mistake by the Twins. Castro has SAC bunted before. But I'm not Joe the Genius. Castro promptly hits into a rally killing double play. Just one of the "millions" of decisions a MGR makes throughout the season that have a direct effect on his team's chances of winning games......and he doesn't need a FIRST PLACE TEAM in order to do it. Yanks go into last three innings all tied up.
memo to Chapman: mix in a slider or two. He just makes me nervous. Even Nolan Ryan couldn't constantly get away with fastballs over the plate.
Had the Yankees beaten the Cracktown nine, Blue Jays, or the Bostons to crack .500 I'd say accomplishment, the Twinkies not so much.
The teams they really need to beat are coming up soon. If they go on a run I'll buy into the tease again.
Wouldve been nice if they picked up a game or two the past couple of days but unfortunately while the Yanks were beating the Twins, the Orioles are playing the *Rays who could be in the process of fading away into oblivion. * Now lost 9 straight, longest since 2014. They have given up at least five runs in all nine games, are batting well below .200 and have been outscored 52-18. Tiny steps - at least for the time being the Yanks won't be the butt of jokes running neck and neck for last place.✌
Want to return the win? I'm sure the Twins could use it and of course Baltimore wouldn't mind being so far ahead in the standings.
...even though they are closer to last place than they are first place, and no matter what the indicators are, I must defend the almighty Yankees at all costs...I must.
