As I write from my perch at the computer desk, also doubling as my wife’s desk in the room formerly home to our son and reconverted into our office (much to his chagrin), I have a horrendous cold which has led to my being on three medications to control a raging cough and post-nasal drip. This cold is the courtesy of our children, who happily returned from a visit to South Africa. Just like when I had COVID, I am seemingly the one who suffers the most.
It’s a joy to be in a house where three people are displaying varying degrees of illness. So entertaining.
Speaking of entertaining, since I was sequestered in the den, I actually watched the entire Twins-Yankees doubleheader on Wednesday, split between Amazon Prime for Game 1 and the second game telecast on the YES Network. And I wasn’t disappointed despite hacking up my guts all too frequently.
There is something medicinal about the Yankees playing the Twins. The Yankees lately have a 98-37 winning advantage over the boys from Minnesota. New York has won 22 of the past 24 games at Yankee Stadium, making the Twins 1-17 there since 2017. Since 2002, the Yankees are 53-13 at home versus the Twins. That may not include a 16-2 record in the post-season.
Maybe this dominance over the Twins is rooted in the past, when the Twins were the original Washington Senators, perennial doormats in the American League, compared to the continually winning Bronx Bombers. I don’t know how accurate this is, but New York leads in the all-time series by a count of 1136-770.
So when the Yankees fell behind early in both games, there was still this feeling that the games weren’t going to end in a Twins victory. Even though the Yankees’ playing had been pitiful and their lineup was so decimated that all five of the minor league call ups played, including three in both contests. Their presence proved to be important.
Sure, Aaron Judge homered again in Game 1. That made 4 in 4 games for the Yankees slugger. His blast made him the all-time right-handed single season home run king for the Yankees (Lefty swingers Babe Ruth and Roger Maris benefitted from the short-porch in right field at the old Yankee Stadium). His home run also made him the Yankees player with the most home runs at the new Stadium, passing Mark Texieira with his 114th shot into the seats.
I know that the season Shohei Ohtani is having will forever be etched into history. He is having a truly great season. But when Aaron Judge takes his short-handed team to the playoffs; when he scores ALL of the runs the Yankees accumulated in St. Petersburg in losing two out of the three to the hard-charging Rays; when he breaks Maris’ record in possibly 154 games, which was the controversy when Roger beat Ruth with his 61st home run in game number 162 sixty-one years ago, and he leads the league in homers, R.B.I. and runs scored, and hits around .300, c’mom already. Stop the nonsense. He’s the A.L M.V.P.
When Judge failed to hit a home run in the second game, I was majorly disappointed. His 0-2 included 3 bases on balls. And it included his 16th stolen base, a theft of third base.
The trend is to pitch around Judge, lest he swats one into the seats. The raising of four fingers by an opposing manager to intentionally walk the Yankees best three will occur more often.
Which makes his accomplishments down the stretch that much more startling—in limited chances to swing the bat, his productivity is absolutely amazing. With sluggers Anthony Rizzo, Giancarlo Stanton, D.J LeMahieu, Matt Carpenter sidelined and recently-acquired Anthony Benintendi facing hand surgery, there is little support in the lineup.
Against the Twins, two players mired in slumps—Gleyber Torres and Aaron Hicks came through. Then there was the much-maligned shortstop, Isiah Kiner-Falefa, who has ben aware of the social media comments about his recent poor fielding and lack of power. Playing third base, where he has won a Gold Glove, IK-F slammed a grand slam into the left field seats to erase a 1-0 deficit in the second game. He now has 3 homers after going homerless in his first 120 games. His bat flip showed his true emotions.
Yet it was the play of the rookies which stood out the most. I cannot get over Oswaldo Cabrera. He has been forced into playing the outfield after being an infielder for almost the entirety of his minor league career. He threw out a Twins runner at home in the tense 12 inning first game—he has an astounding 5 outfield assists in 13 games in addition to many other spectacular defensive gems.
And he delivered the game-winning single, breaking an 0-24 slide at the plate. The desperate Yankees slotted him in the cleanup spot because the think so highly of a guy batting .192. Although he strained four runners, Cabrera went 1 for 4 at the dish. Do you think that GM Brian Cashman may have lucked into something great out of necessity?
Oswald Peraza played admirably at shortstop, collecting his first major league hit in the first game, ending with a 3-5 line score and 4-8 for the doubleheader. Estevan Florial made up for a bad play in center field which led to a Minnesota score by going 2-3 in Game 2. Miguel Andujar played in the first game and Ronald Guzman looked over-matched at the plate but was steady at first base.
Let me heap some praise on the Yankees pitchers. The six pitchers in Game 1 held the Twins to three earned runs. Another rookie, Greg Wiessert, was the winning pitcher when New York overcame a one run Minnesota lead by scoring two runs in the bottom of the 12th.
The second game belonged to ace Gerrit Cole. While he surrendered a double and home run to his former Houston teammate Carlos Correa, who heard it loudly from the Bronx crowd regarding hi role in the Astros cheating scandal, Cole was outstanding. He struck out 14 while walking 2 in 6.2 innings, throwing nearly 120 pitches. Lucas Luetge threw 30 more pitches in sitting down the Twins for the victory.
Suddenly, there is an air of confidence in the Bronx, where the Yankees are more formidable. Sure, we can excuse this as taking advantage of the Twins. Yet Minnesota is only trailing Cleveland by 2 games in the AL Central—a 68-66 record is meaningful. Plus, staring on Friday, the Twins and Guardians meet 8 times in 11 days, which could decide which team wins the division.
Meanwhile, those Rays are in town for three contests over the weekend. Friday night the Yankees are honoring Derek Jeter for his Hall of Fame induction. The Yankees captain will be in the house. The place may be raucous.
The Yankees will need all the help they can get. Losing two of three to the Rays won’t be disastrous. Tampa Bay has to contend with surging Toronto, six behind New York, for eight games, with six more against league leader Houston and three at Cleveland. If The Rays can navigate that schedule and pass the Yankees, then they will have deserved to win the AL East.
It is sure going to be exciting baseball down the stretch. Both here and in Queens, where the Mets and the defending World Series champion Atlanta Braves are neck and neck for the NL East title.
It’s going to be tough for me on Thursday night. Yankees facing the Twins once more. Plus the NFL season begins with a blockbuster game—Buffalo at the LA Rams. No Mets game to contend with as they are off until Friday in Miami.
Yeah, I will be spitting out gunk all day and into the evening. Again stuck in my den recliner. Watching sports on TV while sick.
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