First Series in the Books!

Starting against the defending Champs and taking 2 out of 3 in their park is a success.

My thoughts on the last two games:

• We were down 3-0 early as Paxton was not able to put away the Washington batter.  While the stat line was bad, the Nationals batters did a good job of laying off pitches and Paxton's stuff was not as good as it usually is which led to 5 hits and 3 runs.  
• It could have been worse if King didn't come in and get out of a bases loaded nobody out jam by only allowing a sac fly and then got a DP.
• After clawing back with 2 runs King allowed a 2 run HR off the fair pole and that ended the night for us.
• Voit allowed a hard hit ball to go right through his legs in a key spot that I think should have been an error because he lifted up his glove and it went under his glove and through his legs.  He also failed to catch a pickoff throw from King that could have been caught
• While on defense, I worry about Gleyber making a lot of errors and he has started already.  He will get more solid, but he has to have a higher sense of urgency than at 2nd base.  LeMahieu also stretched too soon at 1B on one play and couldn't reach it and then on another play could have stretched and caught a low throw for an out.  He caught it as an in between hop but was not able to stretch for it and it was a bang bang play, we reviewed and lost.  It would have been an advanced play to stretch and still get the in between hop so being critical is a little rough...but hey, we want close to perfection, right?
• We also reviewed a play at 1B where Voit was ruled as coming off the bag and he immediately asked to review the play.  It was hard to overturn the safe call, but the way I saw it was he stretched and he did barely come off the bag, but then reached back and made contact with the bag again before the runners foot touched the bag.  I don;t have an issue leaving the call, but I think he retouched the bag.
• Stanton hit an absolutely rocket HR.  The distance was changed and I am not exactly sure where it ended up but it was one of the hardest balls I have seen hit; a bullet!  (Update: They said it was 121.3 MPH which is the 2nd hardest hit ball that has been tracked (He holds the record at 21.7)
• Loaisiga has a live arm and I have said I like this guy.  He pitched well but allowed a HR in 3 innings.  His stuff is good.
• Being down 3-0 with Corbin getting us out with what appeared to be fairly normal stuff was looking like like triouble.  We only had 2 base runners in 6+ innings.  He must hide his pitches very well, as his stuff isn't great.  he does spot his pitches well and didn't walk a batter so he doesn't hurt himself.  He does mix speeds and planes well.  Torres finally got to him to make it 3-1.  After Voit hit a HR later in the same 7th inning we were back in the game.
• The Nats bullpen is not good and having Doolittle go against our righties seemed like we had a great opportunity.  Hicks walked,Sanchez struck out, DJ hit a single and then Judge hit a bullet  to the LF.  Torres finished off his good day at the plate with a single bringing in Hicks who had walked.  Voit ended up striking out with the bases loaded and a chance to blow the game open.
• With a 3-2 lead, Kahnle came in to hold the lead.  Torres had a throwing error that made Kahnle work harder.  The Nats loaded up the bases as well, but Tommy got out of it striking out Thames to end the threat in the 8th.
• Britton's stuff was good, but Sanchez poor receiving skills hurt us as he allowed a PB (coudln't move to his left because his knee was down) to move the leadoff batter to 2nd (who got on because Torres was a little slow getting his feet under him after fielding a ball).  We got a huge break when a pinch runner tried to steal 3rd and safely made it but overslid the bag.  Good job by Gio to keep his glove in him.  Britton them closed out a very satisfying win (feel like we stole won a little)
• BTW, the batter walked when we threw out the runner at 3rd base, but it was a strike and he should have been struck out.
• Gardner misplayed a ball in LF that he would have easily grabbed when younger.  He is not the same elite player out there.

Cone is our best announcer!

Every team in baseball has won and lost a game this year.

And Here We Go!

I would like to first with the best of health during these chaotic times to all of you!  I know everyone has been hit in some way, shape or form and I hope that everyone is either in or gets themselves to a better place!

Now lets get into some baseball!

That feels good to write and I have to say I was ready to watch after only watching a few AB's in the preseason.  I won't give predictions yet or go into an analysis of positions, but I will soon.  That being said, we have a great team and if we stay healthy, we should win the division.  In fact, not winning the division would be an upset.

My thoughts on the game:

• It is very odd to not have a crowd; I am surprised the mic isn't more pronounced so that you here the crack of the bat better or the pop of the glove
• There was discussion from ARod about the new setup for Sanchez behind the plate.  He is now on one knee.  ARod said there were positives and negatives as it is supposed to allow him to frame pitches easier and catch the ball easier.  There is a little truth to making it easier to catch but you clearly have much less movement and setting up like that with men on base doesn't make sense to me.  You are already down which is good for blocking but you will not have left/right mobility.  ARod says the negative is that throwing will be hard, but Sanchez will probably throw from his knee anyway.  That being said, the game didn't tell me enough on whether Sanchez will setup that way with men on base.  One other point that was not brought up is that his thigh is exposed and you know how much I hate hands being exposed, but he takes a few on the open thigh and he may change his tune a little.
• It was good to see Stanton punish the fastball for the HR and then he hit a fastball that was outside for another hit.
• Judge ripped two fastballs for hits and not unexpectedly, he saw breaking balls in his third AB and somehow he was fooled on a slider that ended up over the inner middle of the plate.  Scherzer was not going to throw him another fastball and I am not sure Judge thought he would get a another fastball...he didn't and he took a hittable breaking ball strike 3.
• The same philosophy was against Sanchez and when he was waiving at sliders so far outside why throw the him fastballs?  It is only game 1, but the Yanks may need to sit on sliders sometimes.  Sanchez was behind the fastball and waiving at sliders.
• Wade's first AB he tried to get a  bunt down 3rd as they shifted him but he was not able to get it down.  All he needed to do was get it anywhere down toward 3rd and it was a hit.  His next AB he bunted to the right side and got it past Scherzer for a hit.
• Voit looked 15-20 pounds lighter.  Not sure how it will play out but he looks significantly different.
• It was great to see Cole out there and look pretty good for game 1.  He wasn't crazy sharp but walked only one batter and his stuff is good enough to get away with mistakes.  I am a fan of giving him the money they did.  He is the type of player and age the Yankees should invest in.  I have said many times, that the Yankees should get the studs at key positions, but not pay the good players the higher salaries as the value is not there.  In other words, getting a stud at $25M and a rookie (or $1M player) is better than having two $13M mil dollar players.  Especially, when the Yankees have the luxury to get more of the $25M players.
• I have always been a fan of the DH.  My argument is that the batter/pitcher confrontation is what is so interesting and when a pitcher is in the game it is not as exciting.  This stat might be the reason why the DH rule is in effect for the NL teams...I hope it stays.  Pitchers were 1-60 in the postseason last year.  That is pathetic and uninteresting.
• I think listening to music while watching may be better than listening to announcers with no crowd
• 1-0!