The Yankees ALCS battle with the Astros pits the two elite teams in baseball at war. We knew we would see all of these things, though, didn’t we?
Didn’t we know that Yankees starter, James Paxton, wasn’t quite ready for prime time, despite winning his last 76 decisions during the regular season? Aaron Boone knew, and that’s why he selected Masahiro Tanaka over Paxton in Game One. The Big Maple still has some growing (up) to do in the Big City.
Didn’t we know that Giancarlo Stanton was an injury waiting to happen? And that it wouldn’t be a broken arm or leg but a strained this or a pulled that. Bless his heart, but Stanton has to be the most unreliable player on the Yankees roster.
Do you want the awful news? The Yankees are obligated to Stanton for the next nine years, over which they will sign checks worth $234 million. (Baseball-Reference)
Triple-Guessing Aaron Boone
We knew, too, that anticipating today’s off-day Aaron Boone would empty out his bullpen last night. What we didn’t know, however, is how sparingly he would use each reliever.
Didn’t Chad Green throw two of the most threatening and decisive innings you’ve ever seen, minus Mariano Rivera in the postseason? So, why was he removed from the game?
Boone did not use Green in the Game One rout, meaning he hadn’t pitched in a week. Twenty-six pitches, twenty-one of which were strikes, are all he gets?
The same goes for Aroldis Chapman, who threw only 25 pitches for the first time a gazillion days.
Didn’t we also know that Jonathan Loaisiga was the next best thing since sliced bread? This is why he was called on for the second consecutive night to walk two batters while finding the plate only twice in ten pitches.
Let’s just say this wasn’t one of Aaron Boone’s best games. Let’s also add that the bullpen did not lose the game last night. A check of the box score quickly reveals the truth. The Yankees hitters did. Six hits over 11 innings, with twice as many punchouts?
We can’t even say the team failed in the clutch since they batted only three times during the game with runners in scoring position (1-3 with RISP).
And didn’t we know that DJ LeMahieu, all six-feet four-inches and 215 lbs of him, would have crashed into the catcher knocking the ball loose if they hadn’t made that sissy rule about “protecting” the catcher, who is all suited up in knight’s armor? Well, okay, maybe that’s being nit-picky.
Yankees/Astros – An All-Out War
My friends, this is an all-out war against a team as strong as we are. The good news is we are destined to see a game seven. Either the Astros or Yankees will win two of the three played at Yankee Stadium.
Then, it’s back to Minute Maid for the final two, where the team behind will even it up in Game Six. That’s the way this thing is seemingly going.
It’s too bad, though, that one of the two best teams will be eliminated from playing in the World Series.
I keep telling myself Gary Sanchez is going to hit one 550 ft. to ice a game for the Yankees. But time is running out on that theory.
The swing game in the series is tomorrow in the Yankee’s home ballpark. The Astros will get a taste of Yankees fans, and they won’t like it. Gerrit Cole doesn’t give a hoot about anything, though, and he will have a monster presence that supersedes even that of Justin Verlander.
Luis Severino is a monster as well. His blood runs cold when he is pitching, especially at the Stadium.
We knew it would be this way, didn’t we? One helluva platform for baseball and one heck of a struggle to move on to the World Series. We’re supposed to say may the best team win. Baloney. Go Yankees…
Baseball, it is said, is only a game. True. And the Grand Canyon is only a hole in Arizona. Not all holes, or games, are created equal.
