Actually, SU thinks a better name for the Red Sox sweep of the Yankees would be from the Naked Gun movie: The Final Insult.  Full transparency: SU stayed up through the end of 9 innings – the full 4 and a half hours of a regulation game – but then when I saw Jonathan Holder warming up to pitch the 10th, I knew it was all over.  I had watched – and listened –  enough.  SU is an A-Rod fan but listening to him and the rest of the ESPN crew for 4+ hours is painful.  And no discussion about pace of play?  David Price makes Steve Traschel look like Jim Kaat.  He literally takes over 30 seconds between pitches.  This game had minimal action and it wasn’t so tense that you were on the edge of your seat.  Face it: baseball has a pace of play problem and many games, like this one, are unwatchable even if you are a big fan like SU.

SU did not see every inning of every game this weekend but that doesn’t stop me from having an opinion based on nothing:

• No doubt Aaron Boone is a good communicator and commands the clubhouse.  But can we once in a while put a runner in motion?  When you are not hitting home runs in bunches, you have to find other ways to win.  Bunt against the shift?  Nada.  And I don’t mean sacrificing.  The Red Sox ran wild on the Yankees all series long.
• The absence of both Judge and Sanchez in this series was not a factor.  OK, maybe one of them hits a solo home run somewhere along the way but they are just more stirkeouts in the line up.  Not a factor.  And keep in mind that Boston was missing Sale and another starter, Rodriguez.
• Chapman’s meltdown is really another of several bad outings for him of late.  This time they no longer had Chasen Shreve to bail him out like he did in the Met game a couple of weeks ago.  He also threw almost 40 pitches and really, most of them were not close to the strike zone.  SU says watch for the DL stint coming up.
• Red Sox manager Alex Cora is a baby.  Needs to get over himself and not crave the camera so much.  The bean balls between these two teams are not done yet.  More fireworks to come.
• It looked like the Yankees lacked fire this series.  Maybe.  When you don’t hit, that’s how it looks.  A bigger issue is that for this team, a 5-inning start would be considered a “quality start.”  This is a season long problem and the bullpen is showing signs of wear and tear now having to account for so many innings every game.
• The Yankees have won a lot of games late this year and their bullpen until recently, was lights out.  You can say that’s not sustainable over a full season and it’s showing up now with late game meltdowns and losses.  Britton and Betances were both not sharp and threw so many balls to get through their innings.

It’s all about the wild card now, getting home field and then hoping you can be competitive against the Red Sox in the Division Series.  SU would have to say that if that happens, the season was not a success but acceptable.  The A’s are only 4 games behind Houston and even closer to the Yankees.  As SU has said many times, this is a young team and that youth showed over the weekend.  Boone loves to bat Torres clean-up – really?  Is he ready for that?  Andujar had a couple of miscues in the field but he will get better over time with that.  Bird continues to disappoint; have to hope he learns to hit to left field.  Stanton hit the ball hard – not his fault this weekend.

Bottom line: time to level set your expectations for the rest of the season.  SU refuses to go negative; won’t go over to the dark side.  But I am also not going to watch 4-hour games.

So, Yankee fans, what say you?

SU says too much is being made about the Yankees recent ups and downs, and getting destroyed in Boston last night.  The reality is that the team has one of the youngest rosters in baseball.  Consider:

• The infield has Bird, Torres, Didi and Andujar.  Didi is the wily veteran of this group.  Last night, Bird made a mis-read on a grounder late in the game and Andujar was slowing throwing on two plays.  It’s something he needs to work on and SU is sure he will figure it out – it just may not be in 2018.
• Holder, who got lit up, is basically a rookie as well.  Of course, Boone left him in the game way too long.
• Sanchez is young as are Judge and Severino.

This all means that you will have dumb plays, losses of focus and bad outings from a young roster.  It doesn’t mean that they won’t be a factor in October.  It does mean that they are not necessarily built to win in 2018.

SU won’t panic.  Last night was tough to watch and the Red Sox had so many extra base hits.  Credit to them – tip your hat and move on.  The Yankees need Severino to be good tonight which I am thinking is a big ask given his recent performances.  Chance Adams will likely get the start tomorrow.  Gray’s implosion on Wednesday really screwed up the pitching for this series now.  It’s interesting how “unclose” these games have been with the Red Sox.  They all seem to be blowouts for one side or the other.

SU is hoping for a clean game tonight – win or lose.  Let’s see how Boone gets the train back on track and how he uses those exceptional communication skills with the youngsters.  Stanton hit a home run when the game was out of hand but not his fault.

Any chance for the division title needs a win tonight.  Otherwise, full speed ahead for the wild card.

Let the Lance Lynn Era begin.  SU predicts this will last for one start.  Lynn will get rocked and Gray will come in and will pitch lights out.   You just know it and then you are back to square one.  OR with Happ on the DL with his disease, both Lynn and Gray will be in the rotation.

When you stack up this rotation against Houston or Cleveland, it doesn’t give you the warm fuzzies.  As Joe Girardi likes to say, “It’s not what you want.”  Nope.

Sonny Gray is taking a beating this morning from all sides following yesterday’s bad outing.  The fans are demanding that Lance Lynn be put into the rotation and Gray sent packing.  Even Aaron Boone seemed to be hinting that a change was coming in his post-game remarks.  SU is not on board with the move:

• OK, Gray was bad yesterday but he was decent in his last few starts.  Plus what else are you going to do with this guy?  He does not pitch out of the bullpen – has always been a starter.  SU says keep him in the rotation but with a short leash.
• I am telling you that Lance Lynn is not the answer.  He was good yesterday but he has not been good for several years.  SU says have both Gray and Lynn both warm up for the next start and have one of them on call throughout the first part of the game.  The reality is that neither of these guys is the answer or can be trusted.
• Gleyber Torres made two mental errors yesterday.  His head was not in the game.  But he is still only 21 and these things happen.  He also hit 2 home runs and is probably your best hitter right now.  Give him a pep talk but do not discipline him.
• The injuries call out for Stanton to do something, anything.  He struck out with the bases loaded early and then struck out on 3 pitches in the 9th inning.  Clearly, not feeling generational in the heat yesterday.  SU says let’s see what he’s got this weekend.  But they should move him down to clean-up.  What’s the point of him batting 2nd when your 8th and 9th hitters are Romine and Robinson?  And tell me why Robinson is playing again?  Better off having Walker as the DH and putting Stanton in the field.

Things do not look great heading into Boston but baseball is not a momentum type sport.  Anything can happen here.  Look for Bird to hit at least two home runs over the Green Monster – he seems to be finding a left field stroke.  Sale is out and the Red Sox are not putting out any Hall of Famers this weekend.  SU will take a series split and move on.

Will Urban Meyer have to step down?  SU says no way.  Ohio State has no track record of doing the right thing (see Republican Rep. Jim Jordan and his history as an assistant wrestling coach at Ohio State).  SU says winning trumps all else.  He will be suspended the first two games of the season against bad teams and will then return in all his glory.  But perhaps, perhaps, it puts him one step closer to the NFL for his next move.

Wait a minute, the Nationals just scored again vs. the Mets.  The score is now 500 – 4.  What an embarrassment.  They need to show some pride.  This is a big moment for Callaway who does not want to be a one and done manager.

But moving on.  SU has been monitoring the Yankees’ moves over the past week.  My thoughts:

• Lance Lynn: SU is not a fan.  He hasn’t been good for several years.  Hard thrower but his fastball is very straight.  He reminds me of Joba Chamberlain.  And not in a good way.  But… maybe he will be like Phil Hughes and when used out of the bullpen, his speed goes up into the high 90s.  Can’t see him as a starter.  I guess he is the Tommy Kahnle replacement.  And what happened to him?  SU suspects his pitch speed never returned this year and that is why he is languishing in the minor leagues.
• JA Happ: they gave up nothing basically other than Drury who also didn’t have a position.  No downside here – even if he’s a rental which is likely the case.  Andujar is the future and SU is glad they kept him.  If Happ can produce, good move given what you gave up.
• Adam Warren: He’s a nice guy and a good soldier.  His stats seemed to look better than he actually pitched this year.  I think the Yankees think he is brittle and can’t stay healthy.  SU does not have a problem moving him out.  It clears room for Justus Sheffield to be brought up.
• Zach Britton:  Good move.  He will settle in and be a factor down the stretch and in October.  SU predicts he will get more prime time activity late in games and very soon – starting this weekend.
• Loss of Tyler Austin: let’s face it: he was never going to get a real shot as he didn’t have a position.  This should be good for his career and SU hopes he can take advantage of it.

OK, big series on tap now in Boston.  No Judge, no Sanchez.  This is the time your true generational players step up and show everyone that they are the man and need to be feared.  Will Giancarlo Stanton do that?  SU says it’s highly doubtful but is ready to be proven wrong.  Let’s speak plainly: when you are paid $30 million a year, these are the games when you are expected to produce.  A-Rod often struggled in these games – especially in October.  Stanton likely has little experience with this given that the Marlins rarely contended.  Of course, I would love to see him come through.  Just not feeling it.

Will he?

Given the injuries, SU says a 2-2 split would be a victory this weekend in Boston.  You really can’t hope for more than that.  Actually, a couple of early inning rain delays would work in the Yankees’ favor where the starter can’t return.  That would be ideal with the new bullpen which is loaded.  Also worried Severino will get lit up again.  His slider has disappeared and he can’t win with his fastball alone.

The really good teams don’t make a big deal about injuries – they play through it and view the situation as an opportunity for a bench player to make his mark.  SU says that over the years, the Yankees have adopted that approach.  There is no hysteria, no gnashing of the teeth.  The Red Sox usually do it the opposite way and focus on their bad luck.

The injury to Aaron Judge is bad but could have been worse.  It sounds like a minimum of 3 weeks but likely longer as he will need time to to rehab a bit.  So, what are the options for the Yankees?

• Timing is everything.  Clint Frazier is the obvious choice but he is in another concussion protocol.  Bad luck for this dude.  Not sure how long he is out for but he just started this latest one last week.
• Next up would be Billy McKinney but they just traded him for Happ yesterday afternoon.  Can you believe that?
• Then there is Jacoby Ellsbury who has still not resumed baseball activities down in Tampa.  SU suspects that they have him mowing the practice fields down there and putting the baselines down each morning.  He is not an option.
• Tyler Wade can play the outfield but he is still over-powered by Major League pitching.
• They added this guy Shane Robinson to the roster yesterday.  He will probably get some at bats.

Bottom line: with both Judge and Sanchez out now, this is no longer a home run hitting machine.  They need to hit and run, move runners along and hit against the shifts.  It will be interesting to see how they adjust.

SU liked the Happ trade.  Drury will likely become an every day player in Toronto but he was blocked in NY.  McKinney has a lot of power but doesn’t hit for average and he never would have made it up here.  Happ is a rental and has good career numbers against the Red Sox.  SU doesn’t love him but you didn’t give up anything so worth the risk.  Clearly better than Cole Hamels.  That would have been a disaster.

We will see if the Yankees’ generational player, Stanton, now rises to the occasion and becomes “the man.”  SU will be curious on that front.  Sonny Gray was good again and you have to hope his thumb is ok.  He is emerging now as hoped for when they got him last year.  Btw, German was taken out of his minor league start yesterday and was holding the same spot on his arm where he had surgery previously.  That’s too bad.  But as they say, “next man up.”

SU liked the trade for Zach Britton.  It accomplished two goals:

1. First, he is probably the best pitcher that is truly available to the Yankees right now.  Ideally, they would have acquired a starter but other than deGrom, no one out there is worth the prospects it would take.  None of the guys included in this deal are considered to be top prospects and let’s face it, the Yankees are not great at developing their own pitching prospects who will become starters.  True, Severino is a stud but Sheffield came via Cleveland and the others are not sure things.
2. Equally important, the trade for Britton prevented the Red Sox and Houston from getting him.  They both need a top line reliever and the Yankees have taken Britton off the market.

It also provides some insurance for Chapman whose knee has to be a concern down the stretch.

Now, consider this: if Tommy Kahnle can somehow regain his form, would the Yankees ever consider doing a Tampa Bay and lining up all of their relievers in a key playoff game?  They almost have enough of them now to throw out a top group of pitchers.  The reality is that they are likely better than most of their starters.  Just a thought for October.

Look for Cashman to pick up a catcher in the coming week as well.  Romine is certainly serviceable but Sanchez is supposed to be out “several weeks” and there is no way they bring him back too soon again.  If Romine gets hurt, they are really short at this position right now.

The return of Torres is huge.  He can actually put the ball in play.  What a concept.  Big game today – cannot lose another series to the Rays.

OK, the Yankees just announced that Sanchez re-aggravated his groin injury and was placed back on the DL.  It’s not clear if he re-injured himself not hustling after the passed ball in the 1st inning, not hustling down to 1st base in the top of the 9th or having Severino chase after him around the clubhouse after game.  Either way, you won’t have Gary Sanchez to kick around for a number of weeks.

Too bad.  It’s good to have some controversy in a feel good season.  We will never know what would have happened here with Aaron Boone.  Clearly, he came back too soon.  The question is how did the Mets’ medical team get involved for that to happen?

SU just stumbled across this trade rumor on http://www.mlb.com:

Proposal No. 4 (via @lou_sigillo)
Yankees get: Right-hander Lance Lynn
Twins get: Right-hander Sonny Gray

This is an interesting thought for both teams to consider and one that could make sense if the Yankees think Lynn gives them a better chance than Gray to win a World Series title this season. Gray is under control through 2019, making him more attractive to the Twins than Lynn, who is set to become a free agent in a few months. Both pitchers’ numbers seem similar at first glance, but Lynn has looked much better over his past 10 starts (4.30 ERA).

Who says no? The Yankees. While Lynn has pitched better of late, the difference between him and Gray isn’t significant enough for New York to give up Gray’s remaining year of control. The Yanks can always trade Gray in the offseason if things don’t turn around, and they should be able to find a team that thinks Gray can rebound if he gets away from Yankee Stadium, where he has posted a lifetime 6.55 ERA in 15 starts.

SU says absolutely not!!  Lance Lynn is over the hill – on the downside of his career.  And as SU has said before, Sonny Gray is your game #2 starter come October.  Get over it and get used to it.  I do not like the Sonny Gray rumors.  He is definitely coming around now.  The bottom line is that the trade deadline market for starters is really mediocre.  Cashman should not deal just to make a deal.  SU says hold tight and focus on having your catcher run to first base.  Btw, no love for Sanchez on the comments today.  No way is he getting sent down to Scranton.

SU commented about Gary Sanchez yesterday and clearly this must have had some impact on him in last night’s game.  In the first inning, he doesn’t hustle after a passed ball which was really a mix-up in signs with Severino.  Literally does a slow jog after the ball and the runner scores from 2nd base.

Then in the 9th inning, he doesn’t run hard to 1st base with the bases loaded and 2 outs and cost the team another run that would have tied the game.  SU says good to see that he learned from the incident in the 1st inning.  If you saw his post-game comments, he felt badly and said he would learn from this.  Aaron Boone said he hadn’t looked at the video of either play as of yet.  Hmmm.

Here is what you need to know:

1. Joe Girardi got fired, in part, for not being able to get through to Sanchez.  Lacked the communication and motivation skills to take him to the next level (or block balls behind the plate).
2. Sanchez has a history of not hustling and bad behavior going back to his minor league days with the Yankees.  He was suspended for some games and talked to on several occasions during his minor league career.
3. He is hitting .187 this year and is clearly frustrated at the plate.  He leads the major with 10 passed balls
4. When you say, “I will learn from this” SU says that is what you say in 3rd grade when you didn’t hustle down to 1st base.  Sanchez is a major leaguer who clearly knows better.  But no doubt he is a graduate of the Robinson Cano school that teaches players that it’s really too much effort to run hard to 1st base 4 times a game.

He needs to watch tape of Derek Jeter running hard to 1st base for 20 years.  So, what’s going to happen now?  Boone is supposed to be the great communicator and with a record that has been stellar for much of the season, not much to communicate about except “keep it up!”  He did try his hand at actually game managing last night and had Didi bunt in the 9th with runners on 1st and 2nd and no one out.  Bad move as you knew the Rays would walk Stanton, the Yankees’ hottest hitter right now (gulp, ok, I said it).  Hicks, who is from the Brett Gardner school of being red hot or ice cold, is in the cold phase and he grounded out which left it up to Sanchez.  It was just a bad managerial decision.

Last year, Sanchez would hit to right field with power.  He is strictly a pull hitter right now.  Teams over-shift and thus his average is .187.

Who will talk to Sanchez?  CC could but pitchers tend not to be the ones who play that role.  SU says A-Rod needs to get on a plane and have lunch with him today.  Bring J-Lo too.  They seem to have a relationship.  Boone should sit him tonight; no catching and no DH.  SU says he won’t do it though which is a mistake.

All of a sudden, the Yankees’ wild card lead is 7 games.  Severino has had a few bad starts in a row and as SU said recently, they need to watch his innings and give him longer periods between starts.  It’s no time to panic but there is no way you win the division if you can’t win in Tampa.  Time for Aaron Boone to earn his keep.  Let’s see how he does.