The Yankees will sweep the Red Sox tonight, with Jordan Montgomery adding to his stature among team starters. And Giancarlo Stanton – oh my…
When Yankees DH Giancarlo Stanton blasted that 451 ft. grand slam over the monster to put his team ahead by three runs, the season transformed itself and was depicted well by camera shots in the opposing dugouts.
As Stanton touched home plate with arms raised in triumph, an unusual display of emotion for him, the Yankees not only popped the Red Sox ballon, but they re-filled theirs with air that excused their up and down season.
Fittingly, the game didn’t end there, and Aroldis Chapman had to wiggle out of another self-created jam to earn his 29th save of the season. The Yankees bullpen had to secure 14 outs after Aaron Boone decided to lift Nestor Cortes Jr. in the fifth inning.
Yankees: Saving The Best For Last
But if you believe it’s always best to save the best for last, and you knew the Yankees were 6-10 against the Red Sox entering this series, then you know the team has one more victory in store for themselves after watching the first two games at Fenway.
Jordan Montgomery, tonight’s starter for the Yankees, was made to pitch this game. His poise and presence on the mound is a trademark that was first noticed during Spring Training in 2017 by former Yankees’ manager Joe Girardi.
Expect Boston to get a few hits off Montgomery; teams always do, but he rarely breaks after the bend.
The only remaining question is if the Yankee bats will continue their surge to support him, a feat that has eluded Montgomery throughout his 30 starts in 2021.
Yankees: Those Damn Schedulers
Oh, yes, we also know a Yankees’ win tonight doesn’t settle anything in the AL Wild Card standings, and there will still be six more games to play in the regular season.
We also know that while the Yankees schedule has them ending with three away against Toronto and then three at the Stadium against Tampa Bay, the Red Sox are gifted by the schedule makers with three each with the Nationals and Orioles.
The Yankees have taken us on a wild ride this year, with oddities like a seven-game losing streak almost back-to-back with a 13-game winning romp through the league.
It’s Not Where You Start; It’s Where You Finish
But in baseball, as aptly illustrated by the Cardinals and their 15-game win streak, the only thing that matters is where a team finishes, not where they start (see the Padres, A’s, Mets, and the latest to join the group, the Braves).
While the Yankees are not quite firing on all cylinders, they are pitching well and coming through (finally) with some timely hitting, the last of which we saw in Stanton’s prodigious blast.
Reportedly, DJ LeMahieu, who sat in Saturday against the Red Sox due to a “hip/groin thing,” per manager Aaron Boone, Bryan Hoch of MLB.com reports, will be back if not tonight then during the Toronto series following the Yankees day off Monday.
Luis Severino looks close to being himself again and is not scored on over two relief appearances spanning four innings.
Additionally, Gleyber Torres is playing with newfound confidence, especially with his bat, as noted by a 3-5 night on Friday.
Since he cut down on his swing, Stanton’s recent at-bats have seen blistering line drives to all fields, and Aaron Judge continues to display a consistency unmatched by any of his Yankees’ teammates.
The road ahead will matter more if the Yankees can sweep the Red Sox tonight, enjoy the off-day tomorrow, and then return healthy and strong to complete the job over their final six games.
But first things first…
Here’s What Readers Are Saying…
Freddie Santiago With Boston having the wind knocked out of them yesterday, the Yankees would have to finally Give Montgomery the run support he’s been missing all season. Eduardo Rodriquez who will be on the mound tonight for Boston has an era of 3.00 this season against the Yankees. He pitches for ground balls making it difficult for the Yankees to lift the ball in the air. His era over his last 3 starts is 5.79. The Yankees have an uncanny ability to have struggling pitchers step up and perform. The Yankees would have to make Rodriquez work hard and get to the bullpen. In any case, I love the Yankee’s chances in this match-up. Get the brooms ready!
P. Stuart Cohen With 2 out, 1, and 2 vs. Gardner, Judge on deck, you CANNOT walk Gardner. That was key, and a big Bosox choke. With 3 games coming up between NY and Tor, Boston still should get in. (I would LOVE to see a sweep by Toronto, but that is not the way I am betting!)
Lem Genovese Jordan Montgomery. If he goes 9 innings, it’s the “Full Monty”.
Jean Decker I have the broom ready.
Joe Kepler Who is James Montgomery? We have a guy named Jordan Montgomery. Noted and the link has been fixed. Sorry for the typo.
Ivan Bedford I believe that if Monty can win tonight he will be taking that next step into becoming one of the top lefties in the American League.
Mike Harrington I think you’re right Steve. We’re fortunate that the Red Sox have been similarly inconsistent this season, and our guys woke up at the right moment while there’s floundered again. I wouldn’t count them out towards the end though. They can get have this bad weekend but take care of business against their weak schedule the rest of the way. While we have a much tougher final set of games. Time will tell, but things are looking up for us Yankee fans.
Closing Published Comments And Final Thoughts
This closes published comments due to page length. It’s nice to be right and this is the last call to jump on the Yankee’s bandwagon…
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.
