They did, but phrased it as "Was that just because he was gonna come in for defense?" and he gave a quick yes.
April Game Thread
- Thread starter EvilEmpire
- Start date
Ben Rice is going so well that I swear that Lugo pitched around him with two outs and no one on and Judge on deck in the seventh. He threw Rice six pitches, the only one that was close was the 3-0 one he took.
Then Lugo got pulled before Judge, which confuses my thesis, but I don't think Lugo knew he was going to be pulled and he had had more success going after Judge (!) tonight.
Then Lugo got pulled before Judge, which confuses my thesis, but I don't think Lugo knew he was going to be pulled and he had had more success going after Judge (!) tonight.
The thing with Dominguez...if his future is a platoon outfielder, that's a pretty big downgrade from what we were hoping for. They shouldn't just give up on him being able to hit lefties.
It's possible they're also considering having him hit lefty all the time or most of the time, like they did with Cabrera, but anyway I'm guessing they're more on top of the specifics than us.
Also Grisham continuing to rake is confusing things, you can't sit him or Rice much right now.
Fernando Cruz's stuff continues to be ridiculous, he made Witt Jr. look silly as the first of 3 straight Ks of the 2/3/4 hitters, waving at a splitter wildly and then badly missing the next one right in the zone. Then to close the inning, he thought he had Pasquantino on a check swing (he did not, good call), so he just threw another that Pasquantino flailed at in vain, now the inning's over.
View: https://twitter.com/PitchingNinja/status/1911944062342476003
Fernando Cruz's stuff continues to be ridiculous, he made Witt Jr. look silly as the first of 3 straight Ks of the 2/3/4 hitters, waving at a splitter wildly and then badly missing the next one right in the zone. Then to close the inning, he thought he had Pasquantino on a check swing (he did not, good call), so he just threw another that Pasquantino flailed at in vain, now the inning's over.
View: https://twitter.com/PitchingNinja/status/1911944062342476003
Also for the ongoing OF puzzle, Spencer Jones is (hopefully) pushing his way up from below, two HRs in his last AA game, in the 7th and 9th innings of a one run game.
View: https://twitter.com/RyanGarciaESM/status/1911786763451851238
View: https://twitter.com/RyanGarciaESM/status/1911786763451851238
I enjoyed seeing Dominguez make some good plays in LF, but I don't hate the idea of Bellinger coming in for him defensively (whether that was part of the reason or not) late in a still competitive game. He left the game on a really good note. It was a great confidence builder and he needed it. But he's still a work in progress and it would have sucked if he made a mistake late and maybe ruined a promising defensive effort. Even so, I don't think it was necessary unless they also really wanted to see Bellinger move around a little in a game situation to see if his back is actually good to go for tomorrow.
This includes a ALDS start last year:
View: https://twitter.com/conorfoleyyes/status/1911939626383692206?s=46&t=0GHHaPVUX26Io0V2HIcS0g
View: https://twitter.com/conorfoleyyes/status/1911939626383692206?s=46&t=0GHHaPVUX26Io0V2HIcS0g
Jasson 3-for-3 tonight including a sixth—inning double hit from the right side. Cleared the bases. 4-2 Yanks.
Very impressive outing for Weaver. Comes in with two on and two out and needs two pitches to get out of it, then nine more to go through 2/3/4 in the order.
Good win! NY needs to win the Fried games and it looked like they wouldn't be able to score without a HR before they strung together that two out, four run rally. Dominguez''s hit was on a 1-2 pitch, 96 on the inside corner that he ripped down the line, really impressive. He turned 22 in February.
Presumably no Weaver and Williams tomorrow, but Yarbrough and Gomez are back on full rest behind Schmidt's season debut.
Presumably no Weaver and Williams tomorrow, but Yarbrough and Gomez are back on full rest behind Schmidt's season debut.
When Boone made that defensive switch, Grisham ran down a deep drive to the track in right-center. Bellinger likely would have made the catch, too, but it’s nice to see that kind of depth in center. Dominguez is getting better every week in left. And at the plate. He was smiling a lot last night and applauded Grisham’s catch.
I don't think anyone following the Yankees would believe this, but they have hit lefty pitching (.884 OPS) decidedly better than righty pitching (.794 OPS). Interestingly every manager they face continues to throw every possible lefty reliever at them.
Anyway, NY faces another lefty in Bubic tonight.
Anyway, NY faces another lefty in Bubic tonight.
EE talked a few days ago about Peraza subbing for Volpe occasionally, I think NY is still afraid to try this in case it starts messing with Volpe's head. I hope I'm wrong, but time continues to prove me right on this one.
View: https://twitter.com/yankeesapple/status/1912502498419482859
View: https://twitter.com/yankeesapple/status/1912502498419482859
Bases loaded in bottom of first, one out. Volpe strikes out against a soft-tossing lefty. Still knows nothing about situational hitting.
Goldschmidt is showing everyone that defense at 1B matters. Lays out for one play. Handles a bad throw from not-as-gold-Schmidt. Good stuff.
And that isn't to say that Schmidt is pitching poorly. He's not. But more silvery than gold in his first start.
And that isn't to say that Schmidt is pitching poorly. He's not. But more silvery than gold in his first start.
I was ready to talk shit about Volpe with men on base, but he just smashed a double to score two. He hasn't looked comfortable lately, but he sure squared that one up.
Yep. I must have pissed him off. Crushed a liner to deep left, down the line. 15 RBI now. In 18 games.
Feeble ABs from Wells are sad. I know it was lefty on lefty, but even when he's struggling, I don't expect him to look like that.
I'm ok with Bellinger scuffling a little at the plate if he keeps making fielding plays like that. But I know he's going to hit too.
Yes, he is 35 but under control through 2028. I was talking about him here after his previous appearance and you can see the Yankees were as impressed as me, leaving him in for the final six outs with a one run lead.
The Yankees were leading MLB in defensive runs saved so far coming into tonight, no surprise the LF saved a run in the first and the RF saved another run in the ninth, in a one run win.
https://archive.fieldingbible.com/TeamDefensiveRunsSaved
https://archive.fieldingbible.com/TeamDefensiveRunsSaved
I don't usually find April baseball very entertaining because I just kinda feel like it's too early to care about anything while the teams all sort themselves out a bit. However, despite the warts, I'm finding this iteration of the Yankees very entertaining. Kids, vets, talent all over the place...I'm not reading too much into it except to say this is finally kinda the team I was hoping we would have for the last few years instead of dumping all our resources into consolidated WAR players like Soto.
Taj Bradley is a righty but he’s been much tougher on lefties. NY still has six lefties in there, but Goldschmidt leading off as he would against a LHP.
1 1B Paul Goldschmidt
2 DH Ben Rice
3 RF Aaron Judge
4 CF Cody Bellinger
5 SS Anthony Volpe
6 2B Jazz Chisholm Jr.
7 C J.C. Escarra
8 LF Jasson Dominguez
9 3B Oswaldo Cabrera
1 1B Paul Goldschmidt
2 DH Ben Rice
3 RF Aaron Judge
4 CF Cody Bellinger
5 SS Anthony Volpe
6 2B Jazz Chisholm Jr.
7 C J.C. Escarra
8 LF Jasson Dominguez
9 3B Oswaldo Cabrera
