and you’re not as bad as you look when you are losing.” That is the old adage in sports and SU is a big believer in that. The Yankees won 13 games in a row after a lackluster first half of the season, and all of a sudden they were world beaters that were threatening the Rays for the Division title. Now, they have lost 3 close games and are 7 games back and the Division title is no longer in play. What to think?

1. The Yankees have a great record in 2021 in 1- and 2-run games. It’s not sustainable and this losing streak is all close games.
2. The Yankees have players who run hot and cold. Yes, there are some who have been very consistent like Judge (and Joey Gallo, of course) but more of the players are like Stanton and Voit. The problem with Voit is that Boone sat him so many games in the last week that he has now cooled (good job there).
3. Boone is a great communicator but he seems to have no feel for in-game decisions. Kluber sailed through the first 3 innings last night although he seemed to hang a number of curve balls. In the 4th, it was hit after hit and you could see that he had lost it. Maybe after the long layoff, he had hit his limit at 45 – 50 pitches? Take him out? Nah. Better to give up the grand slam. Going forward, do you risk pitching him again when it will take some time for him to potentially regain his form from earlier in the season? Or do you go with the guys who have been very consistent for a month? As the division is now out of reach, maybe you can keep rolling him out there now but if German returns with any effectiveness, we will see.
4. One thing is for sure: Heaney should never pitch. And in a close game last night?
5. Gallo now .105 with RISP for the Yankees. SU gets the analytics and his on-base percentage but the reality is that in a rally, the best you can hope for is a walk. The guy strikes out 40%+ of the time. Please bat him 7th and while you are at it, put Sanchez 8th.

Here is my fear: a wild card game against the Red Sox and Chris Sale starts for Boston followed by Eovaldi. Season over.

Did you see Andy Murray’s comments yesterday after losing to Tsitsipas in 5 sets? Tsitsipas took a 20-minute bathroom break to change his clothes after the 4th set (and to potentially get some coaching from his dad) and Murray was hot happy. Murray is also a big advocate of the players getting vaccinated and Tsitsipas is not vaccinated and will not do so (SU comment: he’s an idiot). However, apparently, about half the men’s players are not vaccinated at the US Open – amazing. Of course, all of the workers there are required to be vaccinated as are the fans. Anyway, Murray was very blunt with the media after the match and said he had lost respect for Tsitsipas. SU has never been a big Murray fan as he is always grousing on the court and yelling at his box, but he plays hard and cares. He’s a good guy off the court and speaks his mind. Apparently, the other men’s players don’t like Tsitsipas either. It’s good for the sport as you need less hugging and kissing and more edginess here and there.

Zverev is the hottest player coming into the tournament and he is the subject of sexual abuse charges from his former girlfriend that the ATP Tour has not addressed. SU is rooting for Djokovic but he has a tough draw. The cooler weather will help him and he may even get some love from the NY fans with Federer and Nadal out of the tournament.

Finally, what’s going on with the Mets and the “thumbs down” signs led by Javy Baez? Sandy Alderson will not stand for it and the fans won’t be happy either. SU says in New York, you can get the money but you have to perform or you will be booed. If you don’t want that, take less money and play in Baltimore or some other city. SU always thought the Met fans were not quite as tough as Yankee fans but apparently not the case? Let’s see if this rallies the team to make a late season run. They have a favorable schedule.

If you watched last night’s Yankees – Oakland game, you saw what was a dreadful game for the home plate umpire. For both teams. Aaron Boone was actually ejected after watching Judge and then Gallo get called out on pitches that were each a few inches off the plate in the first 2 innings.

SU asks this question: does the home plate umpire go back and review the electronic record of his game after-the-fact and make adjustments? He missed almost every close call all game long – especially on the corners and on the low pitches. Look, everyone has a bad game – I suppose even umpires. The question is do they make an adjustment the next time they are calling balls and strikes? Or are they stubborn and keep to what they know?

The solution is simple: electronic umpiring. The ump would still be there to call any close plays at home plate during the game. And, by the way, SU’s theory, backed up by no data, is that umpires on any base are well below 50% in calling the close plays correctly. Not their fault – so many things to look at and now at 2nd base, you have the issue of the runner losing contact with the base for a milli-second and being called out as the fielder has his glove on the player throughout. It’s frustrating and not the reason for replay but it is what it is for now.

We have the review process and while that may take too long at times, it is a good system to get the close calls correct. Look at tennis now. In the majors, they are going to 100% electronic line calling and there is no room for questioning by the players. So much better. Plus how can a linesperson call a 135 mph serve down to the millimeter from 50 feet away? Baseball needs to change the system as soon as the technology is good enough.

The Yankees stole a win last night. Up 6-0 early, the game was tied up quickly and SU says these are the type of games that winning streaks usually end on. SU was not happy to see Voit on the bench again as he is the hottest hitter right now on the team – and in the AL. Rizzo broke a 2 for 31 slump with a double but Voit needs to play every day while he is hot. The reality in baseball is that players don’t stay hot for that long. Voit hasn’t started since last Saturday. Is the goal to cool him off? Is it more important to get Rizzo going at the expense of cooling off Voit? SU knows Oakland is a massive outfield and they don’t want to tire Stanton out. Fine. Then sit Rizzo once in a while as well. You play the hot hand until he’s no longer hot. You don’t freeze the player to cool him.

Kluber starting on Monday and Heaney goes to the bullpen. Kluber will be on a pitch count so that’s fine. Heaney can come in for him. Getting Kluber right for a post-season run is a good move. Gleyber Torres is starting a rehab assignment and that is a tougher choice for SU. He has really not been good for 2 seasons now and Velazquez is a major upgrade defensively at shortstop. Plus they are winning big with Velazquez. I would give Velazquez the starts as he is hitting and certainly bring him in for defense late in games if they go with Gleyber. But Boone will put Torres in and let him have his 50 at bats to try and get going. You don’t mess with karma – think this one through, Aaron.

Going into last night’s game, the Yankees had lost 21 of the last 28 games in Oakland. These games will not be easy. SU says they must go all out to win the division as a Wild Card game vs. Boston will be too stressful.

Finally, SU took in a Met game this week with long-time subscriber, E. Steele. I think Citi Field is a better venue than Yankee Stadium. Better food offerings/court, more open and a better setting. Yankee Stadium has good leg room at the seats (every important for SU) but the seats slope away from the field and the noise drifts upwards. The Mets have lost so many low scoring games by 1 run the last few weeks. 24,000 fans for a Giants game – not what you want. Clearly, the faithful are throwing in the towel. But they have a favorable schedule coming up and the NL East is not good. Make your run now and put some pressure on the Braves.

Yankee fans are used to it by now. The relievers in the 5th through 8th innings are generally good but whoever is in the 9th, it’s time to buckle up and strap in. And it doesn’t seem to matter who that guy is.

One thing became clear last night – “crystal” clear as Jack Nicholson said in A Few Good Men. Aroldis Chapman is no sure thing right now, and cannot locate his fastball for a strike. Last night, his confidence in the fastball seemed to decrease with every pitch. Paul O’Neill was all over it. SU says it doesn’t help that Chapman takes about 2 minutes between each pitch – not sure if that is his issue or the inability of Sanchez to clearly flash the signs. My guess is that Sanchez kept calling for the fastball and Chapman was shaking him off.

In the final at bat, O’Neill’s call was spot on with Freddy Freeman up. Peralta kept throwing change ups and O’Neill basically said that Freeman would have to look to hit to left field as he had to protect against the fastball. Sure enough, Freeman hit a long fly to left field for the final out – which by the way took a long time for Gallo to get to it.

The question for Yankee fans is this: can you trust Chapman anymore in the 9th inning for this season? SU may be criticized for looking at the glass half empty with an 11-game winning streak. But Boston is right there and Oakland and now Seattle are in striking distance for the wild card. Tampa Bay is equally hot these days and a 4.5 game lead will not be easy to overcome. If the Yankees are the wild card and play Boston, as a fan, if the game is close in the 9th inning, can you live with Chapman potentially ending the season for a 3rd straight year?

SU says the answer is no – we will not let that happen. The answer for Boone is to start grooming Loaisiga to be the closer in September and use Chapman in low stress situations (not sure what that is to be honest as he creates stress but you get my drift). No closer is perfect but he seems to be the best choice for the 9th inning right now.

Also, Joey Gallo may indeed hit a hot streak in September – I suppose it’s possible – but why do you have him sandwiched between Judge and Stanton now – your 2 hottest hitters? As a fan, you only hope for a walk from him. Put Rizzo in there and move Gallo down to 7th or 8th in the line up.

It looks like Urshela is close to returning. I am done with Odor. He does hit the occasional home run and I give him credit for learning to play 3rd base but no way does anyone leg out a routine grounder to 3rd base last night against any other 3rd baseman.

Four in Oakland and then 3 in Anaheim. The Yankees do not play great in either of those parks historically. The starters have been really good for a long time now. Love the meaningful games in September and October. SU was certainly not expecting this just a month ago. Enjoy the ride.

SU asks: how do you explain Stanton, the Generational One? He, literally, went most of the month of July hitting off balance, swinging at balls low and away in the dirt (you know what I mean here) and being almost an automatic out. Lots of strike outs with men on base (a right-handed Joey Gallo who does this the entire season) and looking lost at the plate. But then, he gets red hot – which he is now – and is balanced, sees the sliders coming – and carries the team for a week or two.

He has been this way his entire time with the Yankees. SU says it must be incredibly frustrating for his managers who have to endure the cold periods with the hope of a hot streak on the horizon. From what we can tell, Stanton is a hard worker all the time and cares about his performance. SU finds it interesting that over the course of a long career, he hasn’t been able to figure out how to be a more consistent hitter. Of late, he seems to have responded to playing the outfield more regularly and perhaps that will help him extend the hot streak. Something to watch for.

Luke Voit needs to start tonight’s game. Rizzo seems a bit out of sorts since coming back from his bout with COVID and may need some time to get back in the groove. The Yankees don’t have enough hot hitters to not have Voit in there. Btw, I must say it’s amazing how hot and cold their hitters run. Odor is now slumping and he may be pressing with Urshela ready to come back. SU feels that is an upgrade for the team and Odor can fill in here and there. The bigger issue is going to be when Gleyber Torres returns as Velazquez brings energy, good feelings and great fielding at shortstop. He has made a number of big plays that Torres would never make, and Gleyber’s offense this year has not been missed. SU notes that the team’s most recent hot streak has occurred with him out.

Things are going the Yankees’ way right now. Great catch by Gallo in left last night (apparently, he views himself as a defensive player first and a hitter next – SU agrees 100%!) and Sanchez powered a hit through the shift for insurance runs. But we know the baseball gods are fickle and there is a reason that teams don’t play at a .750 clip for months and months. SU will take it one game at a time.

Big decision this week for Aaron Boone on his starting line-up in a National League ballpark. No DH and he will have to decide between Rizzo and Voit at 1st base. About a week ago, it was a no-brainer decision as Rizzo has been great at the plate and in the field in his short time with the Yankees. However, Voit has gone off and is likely the hottest hitter in baseball for the past week. Rizzo is a gold glover at 1st base while Voit has a glove. The Braves are starting 2 right-handed pitchers which makes Rizzo the better choice if that is your criteria. SU says go with Voit one of the games to stay sharp and hot. But I also predict Boone will go with Rizzo and use Voit as a pinch hitter.

The other choice is who to play in the outfield? Gardner was nailed on a pitch last Friday night and may still be a bit banged up. Stanton should be out there with Judge for both games and you can do what you want with Gallo who sat last Saturday. SU would sit Gallo and put him in for defense late in the game. Time to earn his at bats and you don’t get rewarded for striking out 3 times a game day after day (after day).

The Braves are one of baseball’s hottest teams. A good test for the Yankees on the road. Get ready for some mindless Boone double switches just to show that he can do them. Strap in. SU says a split is fine but the big series is in Oakland in a ballpark where the Yankees do not play well. Every game counts – Boston, Tampa Bay and and Oakland are all here for the duration.

What a difference a month makes! Check out the comments from yesterday’s SU. SU subscribers are excited about the Yankees and are (finally) enjoying the 2021 season. Of course, SU is as well but there are still 6 weeks to go and this will go right down to the last series in September.

A few challenges for Aaron Boone to navigate:

1. What do you do when the injured players return? Now, truth be told, so many guys have gone down with injuries and COVID this year that they may never be fully healthy and that will make this go more smoothly. But Urshela will come back soon and so will Gleyber Torres. Odor is now a fan (and SU subscribers’) favorite and he may actually be the odd man out of the line-up. Velazquez has injected energy into the line-up and is a great story. He is also a better fielder than Gleyber and a switch-hitter. Luke Voit wants in and has earned his at bats. But as we saw last night, the contact hitters make the team perform better – amazing how putting the ball in play allows good things to happen? Do not underestimate Boone’s ability to screw up the line-ups and just put in all big boppers.
2. For SU, Joey Gallo can only thrive in a line up like this one. He is not a guy that you can count on. I mean, does he ever hit a single? He can bunt against the shift and should do that more often. But he seems to strike out 3 times a game. Great arm though. Bat him 7th and expect nothing. Do not put him in the 3 or 4 hole – makes no sense to SU.
3. SU checked the upcoming schedules for the Rays, Red Sox and the Yankees (you see? We do it all for you). The Red Sox have the easiest schedule down the stretch, and the Rays have some tough games and finish in Houston. The Mets are going to be factors – they play both the Yankees and the Red Sox. The Yankees are done with the Rays – did not know that. Everyone plays Baltimore and the Yankees have not done as well as they need to against them this year. Yankees finish on the road in Toronto and Boston. Not at all easy here.
4. The bullpen will continue to be a daily unknown, and Boone will have to push the right buttons. SU says the most important thing is to not let Chapman work out of trouble in the 9th. Don’t hesitate to pull him.
5. Next week will be interesting for the Yankees. On the road against the red hot Braves and then 4 in Oakland where they usually do not play well.

Bottom line: love the meaningful games, love the energy on the field and in the dugout and love the balanced line-up (who would have thought that might be a problem this year?). I will enjoy the ride but they are not a lock.

SU subscriber, M. Susser, had this comment yesterday and wants to hear from you:

“Regarding Torres- I think similarly to many of the slumping Yankees who are now excelling (see Judge, Stanton, DJ, and even Torres right before his IL stint)- he was pressing because everyone around him was slumping and the stress mounts to carry the load. The post-July 6 Yankees are doing it together (and even stealing bases in the process- leading the league since the All Star break) and no one single player has to carry the burden of hitting one out every at bat. This version of the Yankees will be highly beneficial and play to Torres’ strengths (see 2018 Yankees when Torres thrived and was just ‘one of the guys’).”

Is Torres still part of the solution? Can he regain his form from a few years ago? Do you go with Velazquez and take the defense over offense?

OK, SU must admit it: the Yankees have exceeded expectations by sweeping the Red Sox. I would have been happy with winning 1 out of 3 games. The team is playing with renewed energy and enthusiasm. Both have been lacking for most of the season until the acquisitions of Rizzo and Gallo.

Now, given all of that success – and they are on quite a roll – the Yankees have to know that they need to continue playing at a high level the rest of the way. The goal needs to be winning the Division and catching Tampa Bay. SU does not feel like they are cut out to win a Wild Card game. No doubt, they will need to pitch Cole down the stretch and he most likely won’t be available for that game. The bullpen is too terrifying to watch in a 1-game playoff. Half of Boston’s games are against sub-.500 teams and the Yankees probably have a tougher schedule including 4 games with Oakland next weekend on the road.

SU must admit I was surprised by Luke Voit’s comments to the media that he was equally deserving of playing time as Rizzo. He cited his numbers from last season and his votes in the MVP voting. Now, the reality is that the only reason Rizzo is here is that Voit can’t stay healthy. Rizzo needs to play every day – period. Boone will most likely rotate every player down the stretch for the occasional day off – see LeMahieu sitting today. SU says watch out for the Oakland series though with a big outfield to cover. Gardner will start all of those games and that means you will see Voit sitting most of that series. For me, Rizzo is clearly the better player and has to play every day at 1st base for his glove. Time will tell if Voit takes his benching quietly. His comments were very, very un-Yankee-like.

The one player that no one is missing right now is Gleyber Torres. He just hasn’t done enough the last 2 seasons to really make you wonder/care about when he will return. Velazquez is a great story and a much better fielder. No way Gleyber makes that play in the 9th inning last night. Britton looked like Britton last night for the first time in weeks. He can be a key guy – especially if Chapman can’t regain his form. But time will tell – that was just one game.

Bottom line: job well done vs. Boston. But there cannot be any let-up as this team cruised to mediocrity for so long that every game down the stretch will be important. Be prepared to buckle up in the 9th inning with this bullpen.

It’s still only mid-August and there are another 40 – 45 games left to be played in the baseball season. The Yankees are the odd team out right now in the wild card chase and ultimately will need to beat out either Oakland or Boston to be in the post-season.

That makes today’s doubleheader with the Red Sox very, very important, as well as the whole 3-game series. Boston has owned the Yankees this year – and the last series in Fenway was especially painful as the Yankees blew 2 of those games late. SU says today we will see which players are able to rise to the moment and be accountable, and which ones shrink. Some things to look for today and tomorrow:

1. Will Aaron Boone deploy the Clay Bellinger line-up of subs and minor league players in one of the two games today? “It’s a long season and we need to rest our best players” is a favorite line. SU says the team has been resting for most of the season, and it’s OK to be a little sore tomorrow. Enough of the Jonathan Davis in centerfield line-ups and remind me again why he is on the roster over Greg Allen who is in Scranton?
2. Will Stanton look at the shift and decide to try and hit the ball towards the part of the field where there are hundreds of feet of green? Will he see a low and away slider and say to himself, “Hmmm, I have seen that pitch 787 times this year and have swung and missed 786 times. Maybe don’t swing?” SU prediction: No and No.
3. The absence of Rizzo is a killer for the line up against the better teams. He is a difference maker and allows Boone to insert a left-handed bat in between Stanton and Voit. Check out Voit and where he is standing in the batter’s box now. He is so far off the plate. Hope this works.
4. Tyler Wade needs to play both games today (can’t believe I am even writing that). He does something good every game (again, what am I saying?).
5. SU read that Odor said that he has played great for the Yankees this year. It’s an interesting self-assessment and speaks volumes about what baseball has become in 2021. It means that a .220 hitter with about 40 rbis who plays pretty much every game and swings for the fences with limited success feels he is killing it. True, some of his few hits have been big but please keep it in perspective.
6. Boone’s handling of the relievers is basically terrifying right now. It’s not all his fault as they are all so erratic. Britton has no idea where his pitches are going (aside from to the backstop and to the batter’s legs) and he can no longer be trusted. Green’s curveball is a home run waiting to happen. Loaisiga is the closest thing that they have to a sure thing but not every game. You can say they miss Chapman but he is right in there with the rest of the group. What is incredible is that the Yankees could have almost gone undefeated the last 30 games if the relievers were more consistent in these close games. Their record in 1- and 2-run games is incredible. Today would be a good day for some offense but SU can’t picture it happening.

SU’s prediction: Judge can be counted on now but the Red Sox will pitch around him all series. There is no one to back him up in the line up. Sure, Gallo will hit the occasional home run but is more likely to strike out. Sanchez will be back for one of the games today and it will take him time to regain his timing. I want to be optimistic but there have been too many meltdowns this season. Taking 1 of 3 games this series will be acceptable for SU and then hope for the best against Oakland. Of course, I want more but be honest – no lead in the 9th inning is big enough in any game, and just scoring runs is challenging when you hit .220 with RISP.

But SU will be watching to see who rises to the occasion and sets the tone. Am I being too pessimistic Yankee fans?

It’s official now. When the Yankees lose another close game in the 9th inning as the result of a bullpen meltdown, you can no longer call it “bone-crushing.” SU says that when it happens on a weekly basis, even when the team is generally playing well, you almost expect it.

Last night’s loss in the Field of Dreams game – which by the way was a great success for MLB on so many levels – was, unfortunately for Yankee fans, something we saw coming. SU’s take:

1. First of all, what planet has John Smoltz been on for the past several weeks? His comments “I fully expect the Yankees to be in the post-season” and “I knew it was just a matter of time before they started hitting” make no sense. They are still playing mostly low scoring close games, and they are winning them at a pace that is hard to sustain. Also, they have to pass either Boston or Oakland to get a wild card spot and that is no easy feat.
2. Aroldis Chapman is out so Boone is managing the closer spot by committee. Now, truth be told, Chapman is no sure thing in 2021. Not even close. Zach Britton has allowed runs in 9 of his last 16 outings. Um, not exactly your lockdown closer. Last night, the White Sox had all right handed hitters coming up in the 9th inning. SU has run the numbers: right handed hitters do better against left-handed pitchers than they do vs. righties. Maybe, just maybe, you bring in Loaisiga there? But Aaron Boone has proven all year that he is just not a good in-game manager. SU acknowledges that Loaisiga could have also blown the lead in the 9th inning but don’t the analytics say he should have been in there?
3. Britton has had a great career but he has no idea where his pitches are going this year. He almost always walks the lead-off hitter or hits him (last night, he waited until the 2nd batter – 9th place hitter – with an 0-2 count and by the way, almost hit him as well) to walk him and then Smoltz basically called the home run right before it happened. Britton can no longer be trusted – sorry. SU says no lead is big enough for any of the Yankee closers now and that is the problem when you play low scoring, close games. No margin for error.
4. The silver lining is that the Yankees have endured so many of these killer losses that the players – and the fans – can move on more quickly. The trick is to assume the worst while it is happening and then if you get a positive outcome, it’s a nice surprise. Much better for mental health.
5. The bad news is when you are battling teams for that final wild card spot, you have less room for error and all of these blown save games in the last month will surely come back to bite them.

Judge really showed up big time in the spotlight – good for him. He needs to go on a hot streak now. Even Stanton, and admit it – no way you see that coming – hit a home run in the 9th for the lead. So unlikely – SU is sure even he was surprised. The key to that inning was clearing Joey Gallo who walked. I do not understand how this is the Yankees’ type of hitter, and why he would bat higher than 7th in the line up. He really is Dave Kingman from the left side for you old timers. Swing for the fences every time up with no regard for the situation, who is on base, how many outs, etc. Of course, he has plenty of company on this team. SU says the Yankees are an incredibly low-IQ baseball team. Hit into the shifts, get thrown out on the base paths, poor fielding (looking at you, Odor) and worst in the AL with RISP (.222). That means you need to put more guys on base in order to score runs as you will fail more often to get a hit (SU has run the numbers and this is true).

Loving Tyler Wade right now. He is – finally – taking advantage of his opportunities. The key is whether Boone will keep him in the line-up every game – somewhere – as he is playing great. No guarantee of that as Boone has to play Stanton every minute and Gallo will get the nod over Wade because…. (actually don’t know the answer to that).

Help is on the way for the starting pitchers. Cole, Montgomery, and maybe Severino and German. The great Heaney experiment can continue on some other planet with heavier air so the ball won’t clear the fences so easily.

SU sees the Yankees as a long shot for the wild card. Oakland is better and probably has an easier schedule and the Red Sox are getting Sale back soon and just kill the Yankees this year. But happy to be proven wrong.

SU stayed up until 1 am last night watching the Yankees – Royals game so you wouldn’t have to. It was actually quite a game – not exactly the poster child for great relief outings – but it went down to the final pitch in the bottom of the 11th inning. It’s only one game out of 162 but SU has a few observations to share:

1. Luke Voit is on a mission. I mean, the dude swings too hard all the time but he cares. The Yankees traded for Rizzo who started red hot both at the plate and in the field, and apparently Voit was almost traded right before the deadline. He would still be in Scranton today if it wasn’t for Rizzo testing positive for COVID (he is not vaccinated btw). Voit looked terrible on Sunday in big situations and owned it in his post-game comments. He acknowledged that he is aware of almost being traded and that Rizzo is there to play first base. So, last night, after striking out with a man on 3rd and only 1 out early, he knocks in a run with a single, hits a home run in the top of the 9th to give them the lead, and then lines out to deep left in his last at bat. SU says good for him and he has put Boone on notice that he is deserving of playing time. He is a streaky hitter (like most of the Yankee sluggers) and SU says he needs to be out there somewhere every day – and that should continue once Rizzo returns.
2. And that brings us to Stanton. He has been better of late but not hitting for power really. Under Boone, Stanton doesn’t have to earn the at bats. He just has to stay healthy. The question is once Rizzo returns, who plays? The best line up has Voit at DH, Gallo in center field and Stanton in left field. If you don’t want to do that, and you want to play Gardner in center field or Allen (oh wait, we sent him down to the minors so this guy Davis can play???? That is called “over-GMing”), then who sits? SU says you sit the guy who is not producing and if that is Stanton, check your ego at the door and do better. Play the hot hitters. Do it.
3. Rizzo has to play. He is a gold glove first baseman and a left-handed hitter. So does Gallo although SU is not sold on him as of yet. So many strikeouts and while no one cares about that anymore, SU does.
4. Tyler Wade was huge last night and the new shortstop, Velazquez, looked good in the field and is a switch hitter. Torres is out a few weeks now and let some of the young guys play.

Let’s be clear: the Yankees are not a lock to make the Wild Card. Oakland, Boston and Toronto are not going away. The hot hitters need to play and others need to earn their at bats. Let’s see how Boone manages this.