GAR-E MISCUE
Today’s critical game is reason Bombers went out and got Cole Sanchez error opens the floodgates in Cleveland rout
This is why Gerrit Cole is here. The Yankees gave the right-hander a record-setting contract for a pitcher in December 2019 for the games he will start down the stretch. The ace will take the ball on Sunday against Cleveland looking to get the Yankees back on track after a bad 11-3 loss Saturday. He will likely have two more starts in the final 12 games as the Bombers chase a playoff spot — but there is a possibility of three.
It’s why Cole wanted to be here, too.
“I kind of think it’s fun. Like, if you get into October, games are going to be the same way. The mentality is going to be the same way. So, it’s just you can challenge yourself to rise to the occasion,” Cole said Saturday before the Yankees faced Cleveland at the Stadium. “Again, that’s not trying to do too much, that’s just trying to find a sweet spot. But we all owe it to ourselves to just take it one game at a time and not get ahead of ourselves.
“We’d like to be in a better position than we are, but we put in a lot of work to be in this position with the opportunity that we have. And if we continue to play the way that we should, we should be pretty satisfied with how it all plays out getting into the postseason.”
With two off delays remaining in the final two weeks, depending on their playoff picture and how Cole feels, he could potentially pick up another start on short rest if the Yankees need it.
That seems to be a last resort with Cole having come out of a start a week ago with left hamstring tightness. He was pitching with a wrap on the hamstring last time.
So Aaron Boone and the Yankees will be cautious and lean more toward lining him up for a playoff game unless they are in a win-or-go-home situation. Cole could line up to pitch Friday in Boston, again in Toronto and that would line him up for a potential Game 163 or Wild Card game on regular or extra rest. Or he could pitch the season finale against the Rays on short rest.
“I don’t necessarily see short, short rest, but we’ll look at it and see if, pitching every fifth day, for the rest of the way makes sense and the short rest comes into play at the very end by a need, we’ll see,” the Yankees manager said. “But I think the biggest thing is what do his outings look like? And how does he come out of them? And we’ll be honest in our assessment, and Gerrit’s usually very honest and direct and we have good conversations about that.
“And we’ll try and, you know, put ourselves in the best position to get where we want to go.”
That’s why every one of these games down the stretch is important for the Yankees if they want to not only reach the playoffs, but to line it up to give them their best chances.
READY OR NOT?
Jameson Taillon was itching to get back into the rotation. The right-hander, who suffered a partially torn tendon in his right ankle, threw his second bullpen on Saturday, but still had things to prove to come off the IL.
“We’ll see,” Boone said when asked what Taillon’s next step was. “I know he’s moving around some, probably doing some [pitcher fielding practice] stuff. And so we’ll just kind of see how he comes out of that,” Boone said. “We’ll see how he looks moving around on the mound and then kind of talk through that as well.”
Luis Severino told reporters he is “ready to go,” on Saturday morning, meaning he was feeling good after having faced hitters for the first time on Friday since he was shut down from a rehab assignment with shoulder tightness.
Severino pitched two simulated innings on Friday and has not pitched in any game situation since early August. The Yankees still say they see a path for Severino, who has not pitched in a big league game since October 2019, to pitch for them this season. It would have to be in the bullpen since there is not enough time to build up his pitch count to start.
Jonathan Loaisiga, who was shut down from throwing for 10 days with a shoulder strain, was back out throwing on Saturday morning. That’s a good sign for a Yankees bullpen that has been heavily taxed this past month.
GALLO AILING
With just two weeks left, the Yankees continue to take hits. Joey Gallo left Saturday’s game against Cleveland with what the team said was “neck tightness.”
Aaron Boone said that Gallo had received treatment for it after Friday night’s game and they are hopeful he can play soon.
“I think after his first at bat it was just barking too much on him,” the Yankees manager said. “So we’ll see. He got some more treatment obviously during the game so we’ll see where we’re at for tomorrow.”
The slugger was just getting comfortable at the plate again after coming to the Yankees in a deadline deal from the Rangers. He had hit home runs in four straight games in which he had an at-bat and was coming off a two-home run, three hit night.
The YES broadcast showed Gallo stretching and rubbing his neck on Friday night and a swing on Saturday where he looked uncomfortable.
Gallo has started to really heat up over the last week. In seven games, five starts, Gallo has hit .278/.300/.944 with a 1.244 OPS with four home runs, five RBI and seven strikeouts. In that span, Gallo’s batting stance has quieted down a bit, according to one talent evaluator in the ballpark Friday night.
Oscar Mercado was already heading back to the visitors dugout at Yankee Stadium. But Gary Sanchez lost the high pop-up behind home plate in the fifth inning and that kept the door open for Cleveland. They cashed in on that error and beat up the Yankees in a devastating loss 11-3 on Saturday at the Stadium.
“He just missed it,” Yankees manager Aaron Boone said. “Obviously, anytime you have a pop up to the catcher right behind home plate, it has that backspin, so it comes back, but catchers are usually prepared for that. Gary’s actually usually really good with pop ups. I think he probably got a little too upright and didn’t move enough as it kind of worked its way back to the field. “But, you gotta make that play.” This is the second costly loss in a week for the Yankees, who were one strike away from sweeping the Orioles on Thursday when a wild pitch got past Sanchez as they went on to lose to the worst team in baseball. It’s a missed opportunity for the Yankees (83-66), who dropped behind the Red Sox and Blue Jays in the race for the two Wild Card spots in the American League. As the Yankees push for the playoffs, some lineup decision may be made in deference to Kyle Higashioka’s defense.
“Look, they’re both gonna play. Higgy’s obviously earned more playing time here over the last couple of years with his outstanding play and obviously what he brings behind the plate,” Boone said. “I mean, it’ll be a day-to-day situation and we’ll try and play the guy that gives us the best chance to win that night.”
Sanchez lost his starting job last season and ended up with just nine at-bats in six playoff games. He said he will be ready whenever the Yankees need him down the stretch.
“I’m here to play every day, and that’s the way I see it and I’m here to help this team play every day,” Sanchez said through Yankees interpreter Marlon Abreu. “I don’t make those decisions. They do, and they make the best decision possible. For me it’s just being ready to play every day.”
Luis Gil, who had been so stellar in his first three big league starts, wasn’t able to get out of the fifth inning. He gave up a solo home run to Yu Chang and then got in trouble in that fifth inning.
He had gotten one out and looked like he had Mercado too when the foul pop up dropped off Sanchez’s glove.
“Definitely a play there that I’m used to making, especially this year, I’ve been very good, catching those flies, I think is the first one I missed this year,” Sanchez said. “Just a bad read with a fly ball, I think I got under too much and when the ball’s coming down it has backspin, and I wasn’t in a good position to catch it there.”
Gil, who allowed three runs (two earned) on three hits and four walks and struck out six, said that did not affect him.
“We need to understand we’re humans and we’re going to make mistakes from time to time. It was a difficult foul ball there for Gary. Following that I was trying to execute a good fastball in, and unfortunately I ended up hitting the batter,” Gil said. “But I can tell you that that did not affect me.”
After hitting Mercado, Gil walked Jose Ramirez to end his day and the wheels came off.
Fellow rookie Albert Abreu gave up an RBI-double to Franmil Reyes and then hit Harold Ramirez before giving up a two-run double to Chang. Owen Miller singled in another run before former Mets’ prospect Andres Gimenez crushed a three-run home run before the home team got out of the inning.
Saturday, Sanchez made the mistake that opened the door, but more concerning is the Yankees’ erratic offense. After crushing five home runs in a laugher over Cleveland on Friday night, they were held to a solo home run by Giancarlo Stanton, his 30th of the season, and a two-run homer from Luke Voit.
“It happens, we have to move on in our mentalities, and we need to win tomorrow, so we got to go in tomorrow, do our homework and prepare and get ready,” Voit said. “You know we got to forget, we gotta (be) goldfish and have a 10-second memory.”