SU says keep an eye on Aroldis Chapman now. He has been virtually perfect all season and the best closer in baseball for the mediocre Yankees. For a team that is just above .500, he has been a difference maker. Of course, Yankee fans know that he always goes on the IL for some period of time each year and that time may have now come. He was lit up for 4 runs last night and his fastball was around 95 mph. That is usually the warning sign for Chapman. The drop in velocity is usually related to some type of shoulder or arm issue.

OR, there may be another theory at work here. Could Chapman be one of the high spin rate pitchers who puts something on his hands to make the ball spin faster? Is he no longer doing that and was last night the result?

OR, is he just human and everyone has a bad day – even the great Mariano?

The reality is that the Yankees have no margin for error with their pitching given their offense is so weak. Sure, they had a good series against the lowly Twins but let’s see if that carries forward. They could have added runs on last night but they continue to struggle with RISP. A sweep would have been nice but even though the Twins have struggled “bigly” this year, the Yankees are not head and shoulders better to expect a sweep.

Today is a monster day for men’s tennis for the 27 people who watch the Tennis Channel globally. Djokovic vs. Nadal and Tsitsipas vs. Zverev. SU says that Djokovic has a decent shot today but he will need to sustain a high level for 4 hours which is the challenge vs. Nadal in best of 5 set matches. He is a relentless competitor. What’s interesting is that if Tsitsipas can win in straight sets, he will have an advantage on Sunday as Nadal is 35 and Djokovic 34, and a tough match today will put them at a disadvantage Sunday vs the younger Tsitsipas. He has had a great 2 months on the clay in Europe and is ready to break through.

OK, I know most of you don’t care but hey, I get to write whatever I feel like so live with it.