3/30: Stroman vs. Brown

[jon abbey]

Game 3 of 4 in Houston, this one is on Fox at 7:15 EST.

HOU has only scored one run in the last 16 innings, Marcus Stroman will try to continue that drought today in his Yankee debut. Stroman has only faced Altuve, Abreu and Bregman among HOU hitters, Bregman is 0-11. Most of the Yankees have just faced Hunter Brown once or twice, Judge has a homer against him.

Presumably Gleyber will sit and they have to give Grisham a game:

Berti 3B
Soto DH
Judge RF
Rizzo 1B
Volpe SS
Verdugo LF
Cabrera 2B
Trevino C
Grisham CF

That would probably be the best defensive team NY has started in quite some time, I think better than their MLB-leading defense in 2022.

 

[jon abbey]

Gleyber doesn’t sit, Berti still not in there, but Grisham gets his first start and Stanton sits. Wells in there again is nice to see also, six LHH against the righty!


1 2B Gleyber Torres
2 RF Juan Soto
3 DH Aaron Judge
4 1B Anthony Rizzo
5 LF Alex Verdugo
6 SS Anthony Volpe
7 C Austin Wells
8 3B Oswaldo Cabrera
9 CF Trent Grisham

 

[DeadlySplitter]

View: https://twitter.com/BryanHoch/status/1774179381805478326

 

[jon abbey]

A bit worse than we knew, but not really a big deal with Cabrera red-hot and Berti still waiting for a shot. Hopefully Peraza will be back and available before too long also.

Beeter down and Tanner Tully up, NY is playing more games with the back of their roster. Tully is not good and will presumably be DFAd in the next few days, but not sure what the plan is then.

 

[jon abbey]

Gonna guess the corresponding 40 man move is McKinley Moore to the 60 day IL, then they can use that spot for someone useful after they DFA Tully in a few days.

 

[cromulence]

Don't love that the fracture was missed at first. Seems like that kind of thing happens more than it should, but what do I know?

 

[DeadlySplitter]

Gonna guess the corresponding 40 man move is McKinley Moore to the 60 day IL, then they can use that spot for someone useful after they DFA Tully in a few days.

Nick Ramirez DFA

View: https://twitter.com/YankeesPR/status/1774203660198629859

 

[jarules1185]

umpball, never gets old. at least he got a chance to put on a show for the crowd

 

[jarules1185]

umpcam also never gets old, Fox is really committed to using it every 5th pitch or so. Still waiting to hear from the first person that likes it

 

[jarules1185]

Umps have literally given the astros 2 runs and counting now.

Incidentally i've always disliked how they call the swing-on-a-hit-by-pitch rule. If you're even offering at the ball at all, like a check swing, and it hits you in the hands, you caused the HBP and it 100% should not be called. i dont even think it's a difficult call.

 

[simplicio]

umpcam also never gets old, Fox is really committed to using it every 5th pitch or so. Still waiting to hear from the first person that likes it

Calls of Duty

 

[jon abbey]

I am still behind, but another example in the 4th of Austin Wells, surprisingly good baserunner. He was stranded at 3rd but many runners wouldn't have made it past 1st, he took second on a ball that got maybe 25 feet away from the catcher and then tagged up on a fly ball for the second out and went to third.

Also great job pushing pitch counts collectively from the lineup so far, Brown I think ended the 4th at 87 pitches and is presumably done despite having impressive stuff. But HOU can push hard for this one if they want, Abreu in the 6th to Pressly to Hader in the 9th.

 

[Wingack]

Man, the Astros have been a really sloppy baseball team early in the year.

 

[cromulence]

Oswaldo is making his case.

 

[Wingack]

Again!

 

[simplicio]

Tough night to be an Abreu in Houston

 

[ThePrideofShiner]

Still my goddamn third baseman.

 

[jon abbey]

7th inning again!!

 

[jon abbey]

Also that was Austin Wells scoring ahead of Cabrera there, after another well-earned walk on a 3-2 count.

 

[cromulence]

Ugh, should've challenged that maybe. And now it hurts more. But Soto!!

 

[Wingack]

I like this.

 

[cromulence]

I'm guessing that's not a homer anywhere else. Don't care.

 

[Wingack]

So when do we give Soto the blank check lifetime deal

 

[cromulence]

Thanks for the bad call ump!

 

[jon abbey]

I'm guessing that's not a homer anywhere else. Don't care.

So nice to be the team hitting the cheap home runs here for once.

 

[cromulence]

Wow, thought that was easily gone.

 

[cromulence]

Great stuff from Hamilton. Thought asking him to go two might be pushing it.

 

[Wingack]

Cabrera hitting lefty against Hader.

 

[cromulence]

Cabrera hitting lefty against Hader.

I think he's hitting lefty fulltime now?

Now that I Google it, maybe not. Just certain guys.

 

[Murderer's Crow]

Great time to be a NY sports fan. The Knicks, Rangers, and Yankees are all just murdering shit right now. Knicks nearly at full health is a sight to behold again, Yankees taking 3 of 4 (so far) in Houston to open the season, Rangers are a top team in the league, arguably the best.

Story for the Yankees today should be Stroman and Soto.

 

[cromulence]

Been a fun season so far. Just imagine if Judge starts hitting.

 

[Wingack]

Oh this is satisfying.

 

[jon abbey]

Scoring by inning, the three games combined:

HOU 4 3 0 0 1 0 0 0 0

NYY 0 0 1 0 3 1 6 5 1

 

[jon abbey]

Or to split it differently:

First 3 innings: HOU 7-1
Middle 3 innings: NYY 4-1
Final 3 innings: NYY 12-0

 

[jon abbey]

HOU had to throw 177 pitches to NYY's 132 tonight, bullpen 89 to 31. Nice job by Stroman (all three runs unearned), always battling and he is so athletic at fielding his position, that will be fun to watch.

 

[EvilEmpire]

I liked the Stroman signing when it first came up. I like it even better now. Fun to root for a guy who you know really wants to wear pinstripes. And who gets ground balls. And who has a good defense behind him.

He fits.