Post Mothers Day Post!

Been a little bit since I posted, but I have watched almost every game.

Without getting into each game, I want to make a few comments about the Tampa series and then some stats.

German allowed 2 HR's but held it together long enough to get the win (now 7-1) with one scoreless inning each from 4 different relievers.  Kahnle, continued looking excellent and only Ottavino struggled but pitched his way out of 2 walks and a hit to not allow a run.  The Yanks held onto a 4-3 win.

The second game is what happens a lot in baseball.   A 2-2 game going into the bottom of the 6th, turned a close game into a blowout as we used our "lesser" pitchers.  Holder, did not live up to his name as he allowed 2 runs in his inning and Nestor Cortes Jr, allowed 3 runs in 2 innings as we let the game get away from us.  While this is still early in the season, Tampa is a team to take serious and with a tie game, I would have either stuck with CC (he had only 76 pitches and had gotten out of the previous 2 innings without a run even if his control was awful all game) or I would have used my better pitchers.  Getting into a teams weaker bullpen pitchers is very key these days and thus why I like to work pitchers and get their pitch count high.

Game 3 saw a good pitchers dual between Snell and Tanaka.  Each of them was dominant.  Snell struck out 12 in 5.2 innings and showed a very live 96 MPH fastball that he spotted well to go along with a moving changeup.  Tanaka matched him by throwing really good strikes and having better movement on his splitter (which has floated a lot this year).  Tanaka went 7 innings allowing only a HR on a low pitch (probably a ball) that was over the heart of the plate.  He threw only 73 pitches and I thought he would come out for the 8th inning, especially after we scored another run to go up 3-1, but Boone went with Britton.  Brittion had good stuff but allowed a single in a good AB and then an inside out single to make it 1st and 3rd with 1 out.  After a pitch got far enough away from Romine they had 2nd and 3rd with 1 out, but Britton struck out Choi and Diaz to get out of the inning.  The Yankees then returned the favor beating up on weaker pitching by adding 4 more runs in the 9th including putting the game out of reach with a 2 run double from Urhsela, who had struck out in his previous 4 AB's.

Some observations/stats:

In game 2 Voit got hit after a HR and then Sanchez was hit a few batters later on a breaking ball.  While the Voit's HBP was eye raising right after the HR and it was a fastball, their pitcher was wild and the game was too close to be throwing at someone there.  I didn't think it was intentional

In Game 3, the Yankees were up 3-1 in the 9th when Estrada led off with his 2nd HR of his career.  Then, after 2 singles, Boone had LeMahieu sacrifice to move 2 runners up.  Noting was said by the announcers, but then after they intentionally walked Voit, Michael Kay said that this was not a good move as you lose Voits bat and the sac is not used much.  While in some cases that is correct, Michael wasn't taking the situation into account.  Up 4-1, you want to give yourself the best chance to score 1 more run as that should be enough.  Further, bases loaded with 1 out has a higher run expectancy than 1st and 2nd with nobody out.  Therefore, it is a better move normally to do that and with the goal to just get one more across, I thought it was a good move.  I do agree that if we were down by 2 or so I probably would not do that as I would want Voit's stick to get an AB there.  All that being said, when you can move 2 runners up on a sac it is twice as worthwhile as one runner.

Also, in game, 2, LeMahieu had his worst game defensively.  He didn't get any errors, but he got one for Sanchez when he didn't field a low throw form Sanchez that was really right where he could have caught it and tagged at the same time, but he was late to cover.  He also missed a play that the scorer gave a hit to.  DJ has been great two way player so far so no complaints at all, but he did not have a good game there.

Gardner has a .694 OPS as he is in a slump

Andujar has been awful so far.  His OPS is under .300...that is his OPS!  47 AB's is not just a few either.  They need to give him more time as he will hit, but the shoulder is probably bothering him and I would find some days off for him.

Torres has his OPS up to .779!

Sanchez is leading us with a .960 OPS thanks to his HR's, Urshela is next at .918 and then DJ and Voit at .831 and .830 respectively

We have won 7 out of last 8 Series'

The Red Sox have started their winning ways (on a 8-1 run).  I think we all expected that as they do have a solid team.  Tampa is competitive as well, but I don't see as good of a team as The Red Sox and of course the Yankees.  Tampa did win 90 games last year and many people forget that.