Yankees still have an outside chance just because Boston couldn't possibly keep winning at that clip. Of course that means the Yankees have to pick it up but so many injuries at this point they need to get guys back and for the manager to grow a pair
The past few pages are a great example of why people roll their eyes (at best) at Yankee fans. Only Yankee fans could honestly bitch about their team having the second-best record in baseball. Especially when they have no business having this good of a record given the injuries they've had this season. A third of their starting lineup (and the heart of the order with Judge, Sanchez, Didi) all currently out, with Sanchez basically out since mid-June. Closer on the DL. Torres missed a good stint, too. The Yankees have had enough depth of talent to absorb those losses (and more). They're on pace for 103 wins, which would be their highest win total since 2009. And only the third time they would have won that many games since 1998. Tied for seventh-most team wins all-time! (Fourth-most in entire post-war era, too.) But, yes, please do tell us all about how they are clearly are lacking fire/passion. Good lord.
It's easy to lose sight of the big picture when the team plays .500 baseball for over a month. We'd be comfortably ahead in almost any other division, but happen to play in one where a team is having a borderline historic season. Overall, it's been a good season even with the injury bug hitting hard this year. Just sucks that we could win 100+ and be forced into a do or die WC game. The A's are no pushovers.
It wouldn't suck as much as 1954, when the Yankees wan 103 games (out of 154) but went home because Cleveland won 111. No wild-card games back then.
Code: Split W L RS RA W-L% March 2 1 13 8 .667 April 16 9 151 110 .640 May 17 8 135 111 .680 June 18 9 107 76 .667 July 15 10 140 102 .600 August 16 11 140 124 .593 Split W L RS RA W-L% First Half 62 33 493 362 .653 Second Half 22 15 193 169 .595 It’s not even .500 ball, though! It was just not the .650 ball they averaged the first half of the season.
Just hunker down and get ready for the wild-card game. The first priority is to get Severino going. Whether he's tired or tipping his pitches, he hasn't been the same pitcher he was earlier in the season. They need him in top form for the wild-card game and, hopefully, the playoff series. I'm afraid we may not see Judge back this year. Cashman really downplayed the injury when he predicted a three-week recovery period, although I understand why he did so. Sanchez should be back soon. If he returns as the 2017 Sanchez, that's great. I'll be curious to see if Cashman makes any moves today or tomorrow, before the deadline for post-season eligibility.
Catching Boston was never gonna be easy after the sweep at Fenway. The problem in the last series was the offense scoring 3 runs in the losses and playing sloppy defense at times. Getting Didi and a motivated Sanchez should help the lineup. Voit should be starting at first with Bird unable to hit anything lately. And I know it was unintentional, but I want to strangle Junis for taking our best player out for over a month.
I'm starting to get worried for the Wild Card game. The A's are pretty good. The Yankees can win of course, but it won't be easy nor a surprise if they don't.
CC cost himself a half mill retaliating for a bean ball. I might start him in the WC game. Dude is a horse in big games.
I'd have to go with Happ, who's been their most consistent starter down the stretch. Severino is a tempting option but he's been erratic. I'm still not sure he isn't tipping his pitches. Tanaka has lost something off his fastball and has been erratic. CC is a battler and was a good big-game pitcher, but his stuff is only a shadow of what it used to be. To beat a really good team, he has to be on, and if he's not, he'll get hit hard. CC also has a couple of weaknesses: he can't hold runners on and he can't field bunts. During the regular season, those aren't a big deal because few teams run aggressively or bunt. In a one-and-done game, however, I could see Oakland trying to exploit those weaknesses.
