ALDS: Yankees vs. Astros

Game 1:

Twice, the Yankees’ offense provided the Yankees’ pitching with leads. Both times, the leads were blown. Miguel Andujar’s two-run homer against Justin Verlander in the third inning provided Luis Severino with a 2-0 advantage, but Houston leveled the score an inning later. Carlos Correa drilled a solo shot to tie it, Yuli Gurriel reached on an error, and Josh Reddick drove in Gurriel with a single. In the top of the fifth, Didi Gregorius launched a solo homer against Verlander to regain the lead, 3-2. Severino pitched a clean fifth, handing it off to the bullpen to finish the game. The plan was to go from Tommy Kahnle to Brad Hand to David Robertson to Aroldis Chapman. Kahnle pitched a clean sixth but ran into trouble in the seventh. After back-to-back walks to start the inning, Brad Hand was summoned to face Brian McCann for the left-on-left matchup. Unfortunately, McCann drilled a game-tying double, leaving runners on second and third with still no one out. Hand luckily escaped with the game tied, but the damage was done. Meanwhile, the Yankees had no answer for the Houston bullpen, leading to Robertson entering the game with it still tied at three in the eighth. It only took three batters for Houston to take a 4-3 lead: Correa doubled, Gurriel singled, and Josh Reddick hit a sacrifice fly. Robertson didn’t allow anything else. In the ninth, Greg Bird’s one-out single was the only action for the Bombers; a combination of Ken Giles and Brad Ziegler finished the game to give the Astros a 1-0 series advantage.

Game 2:

When a game’s starters are Madison Bumgarner and Dallas Keuchel, one doesn’t expect eight home runs to be hit between the two teams. Yet, this one turned out to be a seesaw slugfest that went down to the wire. The Yankees jumped ahead early, 2-0, thanks to a bases-loaded walk by Aaron Hicks and a solo home run by Gary Sanchez. Bumgarner was cruising through three innings, but ran into trouble in the fourth, though it wasn’t all his doing. Miguel Andujar booted a grounder that let Yuli Gurriel reach base with one out. Bumgarner fanned the next batter, Josh Reddick, but extended the inning by walking Marwin Gonzalez. Up came Brian McCann, and out went the baseball for a three-run jack, putting Houston on top, 3-2. That lead was short-lived, as Sanchez went yard again in the fifth to tie it up. Did I mention that there were eight homers hit in this game? In the bottom of the fifth, George Springer broke the tie with a solo dinger of his own. In the Yankees next turn at bat, the seesaw swung back in their favor for good: Didi Gregorius launched a two-run home run against Joe Smith to put the Yankees in the lead, 5-4. Bumgarner finished a clean sixth inning, setting up the bullpen to hold this one down. Giancarlo Stanton added an insurance run with a solo homer against Chris Devenski in the seventh. After that, it was Dellin Betances for a clean seventh inning before handing the ball to Aroldis Chapman for a two-inning save. Fortunately, Aaron Judge added one more insurance run with a solo shot in the top of the ninth, because Chapman started running out of gas. Marwin Gonzalez led off the ninth with a single, and two batters later, Alex Bregman blasted a two-run bomb to cut the Yankees lead to one. Carlos Correa then flew out to the warning track – exhale – and George Springer grounded out to end the game. Series level, 1-1. Back to the Bronx we go.

Game 3:

The story of game three was the battle of the bullpens. Masahiro Tanaka was pulled with nobody out in the third, with the Yankees down 3-2, forcing Jonathan Holder to escape from a jam unscathed. On the other side, Lance McCullers got off to a rough start, settled down for a few innings, but then fell apart in the fifth. Giancarlo Stanton’s two-run homer in the first was the early damage, and Gary Sanchez’s three-run dinger in the fifth was the knockout blow. At that time, it was 5-4 Yankees with a fresh bullpen after a day off to hold things down. Later, Aaron Hicks made it 6-4 in seventh on a solo home run, giving the bullpen more cushion. Tommy Kahnle threw a scoreless seventh, setting it up for David Robertson and Aroldis Chapman to close it out. Robertson wasn’t up to the task; he ceded the ball to Brad Hand after three batters, exiting with runners on first and second with no one out. Hand entered against Derek Fisher and struck him out. Two down. Up came Carlos Correa, who singled to load the bases. Yuli Gurriel walked on four pitches to make the score 6-5. Josh Reddick drove in two more runs on a single to give the Astros a one-run lead, which knocked Hand out of the game. Dellin Betances cleaned up the mess, but the damage was done. Ken Giles blanked the Yankees in the eighth and Brad Ziegler shut the door in the ninth to put the Astros at a 2-1 series advantage.

Game 4:

For the second straight season, the Yankees were eliminated by the Astros. Justin Verlander was the team’s kryptonite as the bats went silent, scoring just one run. Meanwhile, Sonny Gray lasted just one inning and allowed two runs, which was all Houston needed. Luis Severino came on in relief and kept the Yankees in the game, throwing four and two-thirds innings of two-run ball. After Verlander, Ken Giles delivered a two-inning save, striking out four and allowing just one baserunner. And that is how the OOTP Yankees’ season ends.

—

A disappointing ending to the season for sure, but there’s not much shame in losing to a team as good as the Astros. Before we get to the playoff results, here are the regular season statistics:

https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/e/2PACX-1vQQb_NQZz4qeDj6PIEbBe0KyQhH1jnKYx7Q7gaBrbiuEafw5I5sDVYULHefA_EElgikVoWHEiiS_9bX/pubhtml

Playoff Bracket:

Your world champions, the Los Angeles Dodgers…

[Insert screenshot here]

End of Season Awards:

Here are the players who took home virtual hardware, including one Yankees pitcher…

• AL Rookie of the Year: Austin Hays, Orioles
• NL Rookie of the Year: Ronald Acuna, Braves
• AL Manager of the Year: Terry Francona, Indians
• NL Manager of the Year: Dave Roberts, Dodgers
• AL Cy Young Award: Luis Severino, Yankees
• NL Cy Young Award: Noah Syndergaard, Mets
• AL MVP: Mookie Betts, Red Sox
• NL MVP: Paul Goldschmidt, Diamondbacks

Four games in Tampa Bay

It took extra innings, but the virtual Yanks started off the week with a win in Tampa Bay, beating the Rays 4-3 in extras. Tyler Austin was the offensive hero, blasting the go-ahead homer against Brian Miller. Extra inning affairs are always tough on the bullpen – but this one was especially so. Sonny Gray only recorded eleven outs, forcing the ‘pen into action early. Adam Warren, Dellin Betances, David Robertson, Tommy Kahnle, Brad Hand, Jonathan Holder, and Aroldis Chapman all pitched. On the bright side, Boston lost to the Orioles, putting the Yankees even closer to clinching. With a four game edge in the loss column and six games remaining, the Yankees could clinch before going to Fenway at the end of the week.

Just a day after reaching deep into the bullpen, Jordan Montgomery pitched deep into the game. He was excellent in seven and two-thirds; he didn’t allow a run and struck out six. Meanwhile, the offense was dormant, getting only two hits and one run all game, but it was enough. Aroldis Chapman notched the save for a 1-0 victory. The Red Sox fell to Baltimore yet again, dropping the Yankees’ magic number to one. Doesn’t look like the season finale series in Boston will mean anything.

Pop the champagne! The only better way to clinch would have been in Boston, but who can complain as division champs? An easy 7-0 win with a dominant Madison Bumgarner on the hill sealed the AL East’s fate. Bumgarner contributed eight shutout frames and the offense delivered a stellar all-around performance.

The fourth and final game featured the Yankees’ hangover lineup: Curtis Granderson, David Freese, Greg Bird, Tyler Austin, Austin Romine, Billy McKinney, Ronald Torreyes, Tyler Wade, and Thairo Estrada. Perhaps unsurprisingly, it mustered just one run. Yet, thanks to a brilliant complete game shutout thrown by Masahiro Tanaka, not much hitting was necessary. The Yankees completed the four-game sweep without really trying.

A chance to spoil Boston’s season

The only thing the Yankees had to play for was the American League’s second-best record, which though important for home-field advantage in the division series, it’s not quite as much as what Boston had on the line. Entering the series, here’s what the Wild Card race looks like:

1. Red Sox: 88-71
2. Mariners: 87-72
3. Twins: 87-72
4. Athletics: 85-74

Four teams, two playoff spots, and only three games separating them. All but Oakland were guaranteed to still be alive by game 161. If the Yankees could beat up on Boston, there was a chance to eliminate them from postseason play entirely.

To start, things looked good. The Yankees scored four runs in the first inning, including a three-run homer by Giancarlo Stanton (his 55th). Plus, CC Sabathia was great until the sixth inning, which was when the wheels came off. Up 4-0 at the time, Sabathia gave up five runs in the inning, though he was an out away from finishing up 4-2 when Jackie Bradley Jr. hit a three-run homer. Boston never looked back and eventually won, 7-5. Seattle and Minnesota won to keep pace, while Oakland lost and was eliminated from Wild Card contention.

Game two also was looking good, but the bullpen blew it in this one. Luis Severino pitched well into the seventh inning and exited up 3-2. Brad Hand finished that inning and started the eighth, which is when the trouble began. Hand coughed up two runs, one of them inherited by David Robertson. Up 4-3, Craig Kimbrel came in to close it out and notch Boston a playoff spot. The win guaranteed Boston at least a tie for a Wild Card spot, as Seattle and Minnesota won again. In fact, there’s a chance for there to be a three-way tie for the two available Wild Card spots!

Boston was determined to avoid a three-way tie, as they clobbered the Yankees in the season finale. Sonny Gray threw a stinker, giving up six runs in three innings, and Domingo German was no good to boot. He surrendered four more runs and Boston was victorious, 10-2. Minnesota won and Seattle lost, so we don’t even get a tie for the second Wild Card spot.

—

Here’s a summary of all things parallel universe Yankees:

Postseason bracket

I’ll provide final season stats, awards, et. al. once the World Series is complete. For now, here is the postseason bracket:

ALDS1: Cleveland vs. winner of Wild Card game

ALDS2: Yankees vs. Astros

ALWC: Boston vs. Minnesota

NLDS1: Mets vs. winner of Wild Card game

NLDS2: Diamondbacks vs. Cubs

NLWC: Dodgers vs. Rockies

TL;DR

So much for a nail biting finish to the season. Though it had once appeared that the Red Sox and Yankees could have been fighting for the division title through the season’s finale series at Fenway, the Yankees didn’t oblige. Instead, they swept a four game set against the Rays, and in the process, knocked out the Red Sox from AL East contention. Even though some of the spice was removed from the final series of the season, the Yankees did have a chance to knock out Boston from the playoffs entirely given the tight Wild Card race. Unfortunately, Boston swept the Yanks to seal their postseason berth.

Division on the line

The opener’s pitching matchup was a doozy: Luis Severino vs. Chris Sale. Well, it was supposed to be a doozy. Instead, the Yankees bats took it to Sale while Severino pitched well. Boston’s ace gave up four homers: one to Aaron Judge, one to Tyler Austin, one to Didi Gregorius, and one to Aaron Hicks. They tallied six runs in total against Sale and added three more against Boston’s bullpen, which was plenty of run support for Severino. One of those runs was a Gary Sanchez home run, his 43rd, which set the single-season record for catchers. The Yankees’ ace gave up two runs in six innings and struck out nine batters. A nice way to set the tone and boost the division lead to two and a half games.

Game two featured the Sonny Gray we’re accustomed to witnessing in real life. Instead of his usual excellent virtual self, Gray got knocked around in this one. He put the Yankees down early, as the Red Sox rallied for four runs in the first en route to scoring seven total against him. Nonetheless, the Yankees bats fought back against Steven Wright and Boston’s bullpen. Down 7-1 late in the game, they tallied four runs in the seventh behind Greg Bird and Aaron Hicks long balls. Unfortunately, it was too little too late, as Boston was able to make it with a lead until the ninth when stalwart Craig Kimbrel shut the door on a 7-5 Boston victory.

The rubber game’s pitching matchup, Madison Bumgarner vs. Brian Johnson, clearly put the Yankees at an advantage. The game doesn’t always go the way it looks on paper, but in this instance, it sure did. Bumgarner dominated in seven innings of work, stifling the Red Sox to just one run. Meanwhile, Johnson was knocked out of the game in the third inning. There were home runs aplenty, including Giancarlo’s 51st and Sanchez’s 44th and 45th. In the end, the Yankees’ mop up relievers (Chance Adams and Gio Gallegos) gave up three runs, but with such a large cushion, there wasn’t much concern. The Yankees came out on top, 8-4. All told, the Yankees added a game to their division lead and closed the series up two and a half games.

One piece of injury news to report: in the final game of the series, Chance Adams was pulled because of an injury. Before the next series against Baltimore, he was diagnosed with a torn labrum, which will sideline him for a year.

Baltimore

The series opener was rained out, meaning a doubleheader was set for Saturday. Boston won a game in the meantime against Cleveland, which cut the Yankees lead to two games. Shouldn’t be a concern though, right? With Baltimore in town, the Yankees should have no issue taking care of business. Sometimes, though, you run into a great pitcher like Chris Tillman. Over seven innings, he allowed just one run to lower his sky-high ERA to 5.97. Masahiro Tanaka did not pitch well in the loss, though Justus Sheffield made his big league debut and threw three scoreless innings in long relief. The final score was 5-3, though it never felt quite that close as the Yankees were down 5-1 to open the ninth.

The nightcap was much better. The Yankees absolutely destroyed Baltimore’s pitching, scoring 20 runs. That’s right, 20. But it was more than just an offensive display, as CC Sabathia was absolutely brilliant in perhaps the final start of his virtual career. He threw a complete game and allowed just one run. He struck out seven Orioles. Boston lost its Saturday game, bringing the Yankees advantage back up to two and a half games. One final piece of housekeeping: Greg Bird was suspended for four games as a result of a benches-clearing brawl in this game. He charged the mound after Branden Kline drilled him.

To close out the series and the week, the Yanks turned to their ace, Luis Severino. This one wasn’t Sevy’s finest outing, but he battled through five innings and allowed three runs. In relief, the bullpen was excellent, and the offense finally broke through the 3-3 tie in the eighth inning. Aroldis Chapman got the save chance, his first outing of the week, but didn’t show any rust while pitching a 1-2-3 inning to seal the victory. The Red Sox maintained the pace by beating Cleveland.

—

Real Universe Yankees: 95-60 (Eliminated from the division race, 1,5 games ahead of Oakland for Wild Card #1)

Alternate Universe Yankees: 89-66 (first place, 2.5 games ahead of Boston)

And here’s a snapshot of all things alternate universe Yankees:

 TL;DR

Boston came to the Bronx to open this week for perhaps the biggest series of the season. Only a game and a half separated the two squads to start the week, but by the time it ended, the Yankees increased their division lead to two and a half games. The Yanks and Sox exchanged wins in the first two games of the week, but in the rubber game, Madison Bumgarner and the offense lifted the team to victory and come away with a series win. Against the Orioles, it also took until the third game to win the series, but the Yanks did just that while Boston did the very same against Cleveland. All told a successful week given that they added space in the small separation the team has from Boston.

Division lead swept away in Minnesota

The Twins are normally a doormat for the Yankees, but with Jose Berrios on the hill for Minnesota to start this series, all bets were off. The Twins’ ace didn’t go deep, but he was dominant: he struck out eleven batters in five innings and only allowed one run. The Twins led 2-1 at the time of Berrios’s departure, but his bullpen was rock solid. In four innings, they allowed only one run, while Miguel Sano blasted a solo shot for some insurance, making the final 3-2. The Red Sox were off, so the Yankees’ division lead fell to two games.

Game two didn’t go much better for the Yankees. Jake Odorizzi was good (six innings, two runs) and the Twins’ bullpen was dominant. Yet, the Yankees carried a 2-1 lead into the eighth with trusted relievers David Robertson and Aroldis Chapman set to shut the door. Unfortunately, Robertson coughed up the lead and forced the game into extra innings. Both bullpens matched zeroes until the 12th inning when Joe Mauer delivered a walk-off single against Ben Heller to win it. Meanwhile, in Boston, the Red Sox topped the Blue Jays 1-0 which shrunk the division lead to one.

Luis Severino started game three in hope to avoid a sweep, but no luck. Despite him pitching well, the bats were a no-show once again. This game also went into extra innings, level at two. Lance Lynn and the Twins’ bullpen stymied the Bronx Bombers and managed to outlast them by walking it off again, this time in the eleventh. Tommy Kahnle took the loss, though Adam Warren gave up the walk-off sacrifice fly hit by Byron Buxton. And just like that, the division lead was gone. Boston defeated Toronto, improving their record to 82-64, equal to the Yanks.

The very next day, with the Yankees not in action, the Sox won yet again to take a half-game lead in the East. Where does that leave the Yankees in the Wild Card? In the second spot, one game behind Minnesota and three games ahead of Seattle.

Another sweep, but this time the good kind

Home sweet home? The Yankees began its final homestand of the season against the Blue Jays and it didn’t look good for most of the game. Madison Bumgarner allowed five runs and was knocked out in the seventh inning with the Yankees behind 5-2. Finally, though, the bats came to life. Gary Sanchez’s eighth-inning homer (his 39th) cut the deficit to 5-4. Then, in the ninth, the Yankees rallied against Aaron Loup and Ryan Tepera. Aaron Judge capped it off with a game-winning two-run single to get the Yanks back into the win column. Boston won, Minnesota lost, and Seattle lost, meaning the Yankees division standing remained the same but its Wild Card position was a tad better. They were even with the Twins and now four games ahead of the Mariners.

The Yankees won game two thanks to a stellar pitching performance and just enough offense. Masahiro Tanaka blanked Toronto through seven innings and the Yankees tacked on four runs, leading to a 4-1 final score. Even better news was that the Yankees got help from their crosstown rivals, who beat their division rivals. The Mets 6-3 win over the Red Sox put the Yankees back on top in the AL East, by a half game.

Home sweep home. It wasn’t pretty, but the Yankees closed the week on a high note, defeating the Blue Jays 10-9. CC Sabathia started and allowed three runs in four innings, and the bullpen wasn’t much help either. Every reliever who entered after him gave up at least one run, which kept the Jays in the game. The Yankees never relinquished the lead, but the bullpen sure did come close. Good thing Gary Sanchez decided to belt three homers (up to 42 on the year, tying the single-season catcher record held by Javy Lopez) en route to a ten run game. Giancarlo Stanton hit his 50th bomb, while Miguel Andujar also delivered a long ball. Fortunately, in the ninth up one, Aroldis Chapman became the only Yankees pitcher not to allow a run in this game, notching the save. For the second straight day, the Mets did the Yankees a favor by winning against the Red Sox, bringing the Yankees’ division lead back to a game and a half.

—

Real Universe Yankees: 91-58 (second place, 11.5 games behind Boston)

Alternate Universe Yankees: 85-64 (first place, 1.5 games ahead of Boston)

And here’s a snapshot of all things alternate universe Yankees:

 TL;DR

This week couldn’t have gotten off to a worse start. In a matter of a few days, the Yankees division lead was wiped away, which was two and a half games opening the week. The Twins swept the Yankees in three games, and the Red Sox were up a half-game in the division as the Yankees headed back home to New York. Fortunately, things turned on a dime back in the Bronx. The Yankees swept the Blue Jays while the Mets handled the Red Sox in order to put the Yankees back ahead in the division by a game and a half. Phew. On an individual note, Gary Sanchez had a three-homer game against the Blue Jays that gave him 42 on the season, tying him with Javy Lopez for the most home runs in a single season by a catcher. With a couple of weeks to play, he should have no issue setting the new record.

Photo credit: Kim Klement / USA Today

Happy travels in Oakland

As we’ve seen earlier in this season, the OOTP universe likes to schedule home-and-away doubleheaders located at the same stadium to accommodate rainouts. So, to start the series in Oakland, the Yankees were the home team for the afternoon game and the road team in the nightcap. The A’s are in the playoff hunt, just two games behind the Red Sox and Twins for a Wild Card spot (both Boston and Minnesota hold the two spots), meaning that they also aren’t far behind the Yankees. Pretty pivotal series for the Yankees to fend off another team on its heels. Oh, and here comes a weird doubleheader to make it even more interesting.

Bizarre home game notwithstanding, game one was a pretty simple and ho-hum victory thanks to solid pitching. Masahiro Tanaka pitched deep into the game, falling one out short of finishing seven frames while holding Oakland scoreless. Tanaka handed the ball to Tommy Kahnle with a 3-0 lead, which Kahnle maintained when he exited in the middle of the eighth. Kahnle did leave a couple of runners on, both of which came in to score against David Robertson. Brad Hand had to bail out Robertson, but the Yanks managed to escape and tack on an insurance run in the bottom half of the frame. In the ninth, Aroldis Chapman struck out the side to seal the 4-2 win.

The second game of the doubleheader was a piece of cake. CC Sabathia followed up Tanaka’s brilliance with a strong outing of his own. Over seven innings, CC allowed two runs and exited up 6-2. The offense did most of its damage in the fifth, scoring five runs, capped by a Gleyber Torres RBI triple. Dellin Betances relieved Sabathia and pitched two scoreless innings to finish the game. Giancarlo Stanton hit his 42nd homer to tack on an insurance run, making the final score 7-2. With the sweep of the doubleheader, the Yanks gained one game on the Red Sox, who split a doubleheader against the Braves.

Sonny Gray kept the line moving in game three. He allowed two runs in six and a third before giving way to the bullpen. The Yankees scored six runs, all but one coming via a homer. Both Aaron Judge (38, 39) and Giancarlo Stanton (43, 44) hit two homers apiece to lead the way. With a 6-2 lead, the Yankees took a chance by using Luis Cessa in the ninth in order to save the bullpen (Adam Warren covered the previous inning and two thirds), but Cessa struggled. He gave way to Chapman, who shut the door, though he did allow two of Cessa’s baserunners to score, making it a 6-4 final. Boston won again, so no ground was gained.

Get the brooms out! The Yankees took care of business in the fourth and final game of the series, winning by the same score as the previous day: 6-4. Aaron Judge blasted his 40th bomb and Miguel Andujar hit his 12th (he’s also hitting .289/.332/.485). Jordan Montgomery was decent, giving up three over five innings, but the bullpen was stellar. Jonathan Holder pitched two scoreless innings, David Robertson allowed one run in the eighth, and Tommy Kahnle closed it out to give the tired Chapman a breather. Boston won as well, taking down Atlanta to maintain pace with the Yankees.

Fending off Seattle

Before starting the next series in Seattle, the Yankees received a much deserved day off after playing four games in three days in Oakland. Thanks to the Yankees’ dominance against the A’s, the Mariners were able to ascend the standings and creep within two and a half games of a Wild Card spot (still held by both the Red Sox and Twins). Again, this makes it a pretty important series for the Yankees.

Maybe the off day threw off the team’s momentum because Seattle shut down the Yankees in the opener. The offense mustered just one unearned run against Erasmo Ramirez and nothing against the bullpen. Luis Severino was solid, but solid wasn’t enough without some run support. He allowed three runs in six and a third, and the Yanks eventually lost 4-1. In lockstep, Boston fell to the Astros, so no harm no foul.

Game two brought the return of Madison Bumgarner from the disabled list, finally. He was triumphant, throwing seven easy innings, with his only blemish a two-run homer hit by Kyle Seager in the first inning. MadBum was probably just shaking off the rust. The bats gave plenty of run support, scoring eight times in the 8-4 win. Giancarlo Stanton delivered two more dingers, bringing his season total up to 46. Only Matt Olson, with 47, has more. What’s better is that Boston lost again, giving the Yankees a two and a half game division lead.

The rubber game was a laugher and a great way to finish the week. The game was pretty much over after three innings because of a six-spot the offense hung on Andrew Moore. That inning included a two-run Greg Bird homer (his 20th) and a three-run Gary Sanchez homer (his 38th). Masahiro Tanaka threw seven shutout innings and Domingo German delivered two perfect frames to finish a 10-0 win. With Boston beating Houston, the division lead remained at two and a half to close the week.

—

Real Universe Yankees: 89-54 (second place, 8.5 games behind Boston)

Alternate Universe Yankees: 82-61 (first place, 2.5 games ahead of Boston)

And here’s a snapshot of all things alternate universe Yankees:

TL;DR

There’s nothing like a west coast trip to turn things around, right? Apparently yes in this universe, though those road trips late in the season aren’t usually a welcome thing after a long year. The Yankees persevered to win six of seven games this week and gain two in the standings on Boston in the process. To start the week, the Yankees swept four games in Oakland while the offense 23 runs. Over the weekend, they took two of three from Seattle, with the middle game including Madison Bumgarner’s return. He was excellent in seven innings, which is promising for the final couple of weeks in order to hang on to the division.

Photo credit: Joe Nicholson / USA TODAY Sports

Worst team in baseball comes to the Bronx

At 45-86, the White Sox are the worst team in baseball in this universe, making it of the utmost importance for the Yankees to take care of business. In game one, they did just that. Starter Jordan Montgomery wasn’t great, but the offense and bullpen did an excellent job. The bats plated six runs against Lucas Giolito and the south siders’ bullpen, including home runs hit by Aaron Judge, Greg Bird, and Brett Gardner. On the mound, Montgomery just fell short of completing five innings, allowing two runs while striking out nine. The bullpen pitched four and a third clean frames, though Aroldis Chapman did have to bail out Jonathan Holder with runners on first and second and one out in the ninth. The final score: 6-2. Boston had an off day, so the win increased the Yanks’ division lead to one and a half games.

Luis Severino pitched game two of the series, and though his final line wasn’t good, he did give distance. He threw eight innings and allowed five runs (including three long balls). The offense had his back though, scoring nine runs on twelve hits and six walks. No homers were needed in this one, as instead a well-balanced approach toppled Chicago. All starters reached base, though Gary Sanchez was the only one who went hitless. Boston beat Miami to maintain the pace.

Game three went according to plan and the Yankees completed the sweep. Masahiro Tanaka was brilliant; he struck out eleven in eight innings while allowing just two runs. The offense had a home run derby, blasting seven dingers en route to a 13-2 win. The home run hitters: Aaron Judge (twice, up to 36 on the year), Gary Sanchez (also his 36th), Didi Gregorius (twice, 17 on the season), Miguel Andujar (his 10th), and Brett Gardner (his 11th). Once again, the Red Sox were victorious over the Marlins.

Detroit Downer

The win streak was upped to four after the series opener against the Tigers. Though CC Sabathia struggled once again, raising his season ERA to 6.47, the bullpen and offense bailed him out. Adam Warren, Tommy Kahnle, David Robertson, and Jonathan Holder threw five shutout frames and the offense scored ten times in the 10-6 win. No home runs for the offense, but they did get on base eighteen times against Daniel Norris and the Tigers’ bullpen. Of course, just like the Yankees had no problem against the White Sox to start the week, Boston had no issue beating Chicago to remain on the Yankees’ tails.

The week’s hot start came to an end in the second game of the Detroit series, despite having a 4-2 lead in the sixth. Sonny Gray, who was pitching well just like he has all season, gave up three runs in the inning, all with two outs. The Yankees clawed back to tie it on a Greg Bird solo homer in the eighth (his second of the game), but couldn’t keep momentum. David Robertson allowed two runs in the ninth inning, pushing the Tigers ahead 7-5. The offense had a last gasp in the ninth when Gary Sanchez led off with a double and Bird walked with two outs, but nothing came across. Fortunately, Boston was blown out by the White Sox.

Jordan Montgomery was left in a bit too long in Saturday’s affair. In trying to get him through the sixth inning with a quality start under his belt, the lefty gave up a three-run homer to Christin Stewart which put the Yankees behind 6-1. The offense — Greg Bird to be precise — valiantly tried to get back into this game. Bird hit a two-run homer in the sixth inning and did the same in the eighth, but without any help, the Yanks fell short 6-5. The good news: Boston lost again.

Luis Severino to the rescue and to salvage a split, right? Wrong. Sevy didn’t have it and was knocked out before he could finish the fifth frame. Though he struck out nine, he also allowed six runs on ten hits. The offense picked him up with a barrage of home runs, including one by Aaron Judge (37) and two by Giancarlo Stanton (40, 41), which helped give the Yankees a 7-6 lead entering the eighth inning. With the bullpen a bit worn out, Jonathan Holder was tasked with handling the inning before going to Aroldis Chapman. Holder only recorded one out and exited with runners on second and third. In came Chapman for a five out save, but he struggled too. James McCann drilled a two-run single to take an 8-7 lead, and the Tigers tacked on one more before it was all said and done to win 9-7. It was just Chapman’s second blown save in 33 opportunities. Over in Chicago, it was only a matter of time until the Red Sox would break through for a win. With a victory, they cut the Yankees division lead to a half-game (one in the loss column) to end the week.

—

Real Universe Yankees: 86-51 (second place, 7.5 games behind Boston)

Alternate Universe Yankees: 76-60 (first place, 0.5 games ahead of Boston)

And here’s a snapshot of all things alternate universe Yankees:

TL;DR

It seems like every time this team is about to go on a run, things grind to a halt. That happened again this week, when the Yankees swept a three game series against the White Sox and were set up to do damage against a poor Tigers team over a four game weekend set. The first game of the Detroit series went well with a victory, but that’s where the good times came to an end. The Tigers won each of the last three games to close out the week. From a glass half full perspective: another week has gone by with the division lead in tact. Even though the Red Sox went 4-2, they split against the terrible White Sox club that the Yankees had just swept. Truth be told, it was a blown opportunity for them to get a leg up.

Giancarlo’s return to Miami

Safe to say that going hitless in four at-bats wasn’t how Giancarlo Stanton envisioned his return to Miami. His game was a microcosm of the team’s performance as the Marlins embarrassed the Yankees, 7-0. Jordan Montgomery struggled throughout the game, giving up five runs before being pulled with one out in the sixth inning. Meanwhile, Jose Urena was excellent for the fish. He shut down the Yankees lineup, which without Aaron Judge (suspended for two games), mustered just five hits against him. Bad timing for the Yankees to drop one against an inferior team, as Boston topped Cleveland to pull within a game and a half of the division lead.

Fortunately, the Yankees pulled themselves together in the second game of the short series down south. The team can mostly thank Luis Severino for that because he was dominant. In eight innings, he allowed only three hits, one run, and struck out eight. On the offensive side, Stanton blasted his 39th home run of the season, perhaps a sweet feeling against his former club, off Wei-Yin Chen. Gleyber Torres also took Chen deep. Overall, the Yankees scored six runs, with every player but Gary Sanchez having a hit against the Marlins’ pitching. A split was not ideal against Miami, but after losing the first game, taking game two was essential. Even more helpful was the Boston lost to Cleveland 2-1, which moved the division lead back to two and a half games.

Bats go from hot to cold in Baltimore

Before the series against the Orioles, the Yankees had an off day. The Red Sox didn’t; they won against the Indians to shrink their deficit to two games, though they’re three back in the loss column.

The final score of the series opener at Camden Yards isn’t indicative of the type of game this was. Though the Yanks came out on top 11-6, they squandered an early 3-0 lead and were only ahead 7-6 entering the final frame. Masahiro Tanaka was responsible for allowing five of those runs, including three homers. However, the Yankees played the long ball game too: Gary Sanchez, Aaron Judge (in his return from the suspension), and Miguel Andujar all went deep. But in the ninth, it was a rally that gave the Yankees four insurance runs, thanks to three walks and three singles to get the job done. Boston kept pace by beating Tampa Bay, 8-3.

Maybe the Yankees should have saved the previous day’s ninth-inning outburst for the second game because the offense didn’t muster a run in a 2-0 loss. CC Sabathia’s strong effort was wasted as Jose Mesa Jr. and Baltimore’s bullpen left the Bombers without an answer. As luck would have it, though, the Red Sox dropped their second game against the Rays.

The lack of hitting carried over into the series’s rubber game, where it only took Baltimore one run to eek out a win. That’s right, the Yankees were shut out again, this time at the hands of Kevin Gausman. Sonny Gray threw a complete game but was the loser because of Manny Machado’s first-inning solo home run. Over seven and a third, Gausman surrendered just two hits and struck out eight. In relief, Ryan Meisinger recorded the final five outs to notch the save. Though not as putrid as they are in real life, the Orioles were 54-74 entering this series, so losing two of three was simply inexcusable. By the end of the day, Boston finished off their series against the Rays with a tight 3-2 win to bring themselves within one game of the Yankees for the top of the division.

—

Real Universe Yankees: 83-47 (second place, six games behind Boston)

Alternate Universe Yankees: 72-57 (first place, one game ahead of Boston)

And here’s a snapshot of all things alternate universe Yankees:

[Insert screenshot here]

TL;DR

This should have been a week to feast on some of the league’s worst teams: the Marlins and Orioles. Instead, the virtual Yankees split two games in Miami and dropped two out of three in Baltimore, which allowed the Red Sox to claw to merely one game behind in the division race. All things considered, perhaps the Yankees were fortunate to still be in first place, as the Red Sox had an up and down week. That said, the biggest issue this week was the offense, which was shut out once against the Marlins and twice against the Orioles. In the game that the Marlins blanked them, Jordan Montgomery didn’t pitch well so it wasn’t the biggest deal. But to go scoreless for eighteen innings against the Orioles and only allow three runs behind stellar performances from CC Sabathia and Sonny Gray was a horrific way to close the week.

Sweeping away the Rays

After a day off on Monday, the Yankees welcomed the Rays to Yankee Stadium. Though, it wasn’t such an inviting welcome because of Sonny Gray’s brilliance. The righty threw seven and two-thirds shutout innings, striking out ten while allowing just three baserunners. His ERA is now down to 3.19, a long ways away from what he’s done in real life. Oh well. Aaron Judge did most of the damage on offense, driving in three runs, two coming on a home run off Matt Andriese in the fifth. The Yankees scored one more run earlier in the game on a Miguel Andujar solo shot. The final: 4-0 Yanks. It was an important win considering Boston blew the doors off the Phillies to remain a half-game behind the Bombers.

The Yankees found themselves in an uphill battle in game two, down 2-0 to Chris Archer after three innings and 3-1 before their turn to hit in the fifth. Jordan Montgomery wasn’t great, throwing five innings and allowing all three of those runs, but at least he kept the game close. Greg Bird broke through for a solo shot in the fifth and Didi Gregorius tied it with one of his four base hits in the sixth. With Archer out of the game following six frames, this one became a battle of the bullpens, though it proved to be Tampa Bay’s defense that was its undoing. With two outs and runners on first and second in the eighth, Miguel Andujar hit what should have been an inning-ending groundout to short. However, Brad Miller dropped the throw from Hechavarria at second, and Didi Gregorius scurried home to take a 4-3 lead. Aroldis Chapman shut the door with a clean ninth. Boston once again beat Philly to maintain the thin gap at the top of the division.

In game three, the Yankees were in an early hole once again. Luis Severino allowed a two-run home run to Denard Span in the first inning, but that was all he allowed. He didn’t allow another run for the rest of his outing, allowing the Bombers to get back in this one. Giancarlo Stanton hit a solo home run off Anthony Banda, Stanton’s 36th, to cut the lead to 2-1 in the fourth. In the seventh, Gary Sanchez’s 33rd dinger (also against Banda) gave the Yanks a 3-2 lead. Severino gave the ball to Brad Hand for the eighth, but Hand coughed up the lead as the Rays rallied to tie the game. After holding the Yankees scoreless in the eighth, the Rays had no answer for Aroldis Chapman in the ninth, setting up potential extra innings if the Yankees couldn’t score in the bottom half. The Yankees wound up not needing the tenth inning because Miguel Andujar blasted a two-run walk-off homer against Alex Colome to win it and complete the sweep. With Boston off, the win put the Yankees up one game in the division.

Taking on Toronto

Masahiro Tanaka struggled mightily in the series opener vs. Toronto, but Tommy Kahnle bailed him out from a really ugly final pitching line. Tanaka was pulled in the fifth inning with the bases loaded and nobody out with the Bombers ahead 5-3, but Kahnle managed to strikeout Randall Grichuk and induced an inning-ending double play from Russell Martin. Despite the escape, this one was far from over. Adam Warren wound up blowing the lead in the seventh when Troy Tulowitzki hit a two-run dinger to level the score. Then, when the Yankees pushed two runs across to regain the lead in the bottom half, Dellin Betances coughed it up in the eighth, making it 7-7. Giancarlo Stanton finally put the Yankees ahead for good, hitting his second home run of the game in the eighth against Brett Cecil, putting the Yankees ahead 8-7. With a rather tired bullpen, Jonathan Holder was given the call to close this one out, and he did just that. And what did Boston do? They won, of course.

Ultimately, the Yankees weren’t going to win out. They finally fell in the second game of the series as Toronto blasted four home runs against CC Sabathia and Adam Warren. There’s not much more to add about this one, as the Yanks fell 11-6. At least Boston lost! They can’t win them all either, you know.

The week ended much like the week began: another Sonny Gray gem. To take the rubber game, Gray dealt seven innings, struck out eight, and gave up only one run. Aaron Hicks and Greg Bird supplied the offense, with a solo dinger and two-run shot, respectively. David Robertson and Aroldis Chapman nailed down the final six outs, making the final score 3-1. One other note of significance from this one: Aaron Judge was ejected for arguing balls and strikes in the fifth inning. Apparently, his antics were so inappropriate that the league suspended him for two games. Virtual Aaron Judge certainly doesn’t seem like the calm guy we’re accustomed to in reality. On the plus side, Boston lost again to Tampa Bay, meaning that the Yankees finished the week two games ahead of Boston. Finally, some ground regained.

—

Real Universe Yankees: 78-46 (second place, nine and a half games behind Boston)

Alternate Universe Yankees: 70-54 (first place, two games ahead of Boston)

And here’s a snapshot of all things alternate universe Yankees:

TL;DR

As needed, the virtual Yankees took care of business against lesser opponents this week. They swept Tampa Bay and took two out of three from Toronto, all the while increasing their division lead over Boston from a half game to two games. The Red Sox finally cooled down a bit, dropping two games at the end of the week to the Rays. Though the division lead certainly isn’t as cushy as the six-game advantage that was held just a couple of weeks ago, it certainly feels much better to have a couple of games of distance between the two clubs. One other highlight of the week to note: Aaron Judge was suspended for two games because of his conduct when arguing balls and strikes in the last game of the Toronto series.

A good start to the week against the White Sox

The series opener in the south side was over pretty early. After a three-run rally in the second inning to give Masahiro Tanaka an early lead, Aaron Hicks blew this game open with a three-run homer in the fourth to make it 6-0. The offense tacked on a couple of more runs while Tanaka pitched seven strong innings (three runs allowed) for the victory. The final was 8-3 in favor of New York.

Following the game, CC Sabathia was activated from the disabled list and Domingo German was optioned. Sabathia, set to start the second game, owns an ugly 6.12 ERA (mainly because of a brutal April) and appears to be the odd man out of the rotation once Bumgarner returns. CC’s return wasn’t great; he left the game with the bases loaded and one out in the fifth, though with a 4-2 lead intact. Tommy Kahnle escaped that jam by allowing just one inherited runner to score. From there, the bullpen did the job. In addition to Kahnle, Brad Hand, David Robertson, and Aroldis Chapman combined to throw four and two-thirds innings of one-run ball. The final score was 6-4 Yankees. One minor injury note: Aaron Hicks left the game with back spasms and is day-to-day. Curtis Granderson filled in for him and hit his first home run back in pinstripes.

There wouldn’t be a sweep, as James Shields decided to turn back the clock and twirl a vintage performance. Over six and a third he allowed just one run and fanned nine batters. Sonny Gray was brilliant himself, striking out ten in seven innings of work, though he allowed three runs (one earned). The offense just couldn’t get it going against Shields and the ChiSox bullpen, falling short 3-2.

A terrible finish to the week against the Rangers

It didn’t feel like home sweet home when the Yankees returned to the Bronx to play the Rangers. Texas trampled the Yankees 10-2 in the first of a four-game series. Jordan Montgomery got knocked around, allowing seven runs, which raised his ERA above 5. Meanwhile, Curtis Granderson, who’s stepping in for Aaron Hicks for a couple of days, had to exit after being hit by a pitch in the ankle. Fortunately, it was deemed nothing more than a bruise so he should return shortly.

Luis Severino was lined up for game two, and he did not disappoint. Though he allowed a first-inning run, he didn’t look back once Giancarlo Stanton gave the Yanks a 3-1 lead in the third thanks to his 35th dinger (this one a three-run blast) of the year. Severino finished with eight strikeouts in six and two-thirds, with the one aforementioned run allowed. After Sevy, Tommy Kahnle and Adam Warren held down the 6-1 win.

In Saturday’s third game of the set, Masahiro Tanaka struggled. He allowed seven runs, including Yoenis Cespedes’s three-run homer, across seven innings. Dellin Betances and Adam Warren chipped in three more runs to the Rangers’ effort. The offense didn’t have much of an answer for Texas’s pitching and lost 10-3.

Salvaging a series split wasn’t in the cards. Much like his first start of the week, CC Sabathia failed to provide distance and struggled. He exited in the fourth with nobody out and the score in the Rangers favor, 6-2. On the other side, Mike Minor was stellar and stifled the Yankees’ bats in six innings. Curtis Granderson was responsible for the only two runs of the game for the Bombers when he hit a two-run shot against Minor in the third. John Fasola and Alex Claudio held down the Yankees’ offense in relief to take the game 7-2 and the series 3-1.

In a week where the virtual Yanks went 3-4, the Red Sox went 6-0. That cushy division lead of six games from two weeks ago is no more, with the Yankees just a half-game ahead of the surging Red Sox.

—

Real Universe Yankees: 74-43 (second place, nine and a half games behind Boston)

Alternate Universe Yankees: 65-53 (first place, half-game ahead of Boston)

And here’s a snapshot of all things alternate universe Yankees:

TL;DR

After being four games up to start the week and six games ahead two weeks ago, the Red Sox made up almost all of that ground this week. Despite the Yankees taking two of three from the White Sox, they dropped three of four at home against the Rangers to close a poor weak. Meanwhile, Boston’s undefeated week brought them to within a half game of the Yankees. The pitching, namely CC Sabathia, Jordan Montgomery, and Masahiro Tanaka, all had lousy pitching performances which cost the team games. With only Luis Severino and Sonny Gray pitching well, and Madison Bumgarner injured, the bats might need to carry the team for the next few weeks. It didn’t appear we would get to this point, but now the division race is officially on.

Another ace and two bats

1. Acquired Madison Bumgarner for Jacoby Ellsbury (Yankees absorb 75 percent of remaining contract), Neil Walker, Clint Frazier, Albert Abreu, and Domingo Acevedo.
2. Acquired David Freese (Pirates absorb all of the contract) for Chasen Shreve.
3. Acquired Curtis Granderson for Cody Carroll and Carlos Vidal.

Along with the acquisition of Brad Hand in last week’s edition, this was a flurry of activity that unquestionably improved the team. Bumgarner will pair with Luis Severino at the top of the rotation to make for a fearsome duo. Those two can run it back in 2019 too, as Bumgarner has a very affordable $12 million team option. David Freese is an insurance policy for Miguel Andujar, who hasn’t hit much (92 OPS+) and replaces Neil Walker on the roster. Curtis Granderson was brought aboard to take over for the departed Ellsbury.

Though it was costly, Ellsbury is finally out the door. He’ll still be partially on the books for some time, but to shoehorn that into a deal for Bumgarner was a no-brainer. Dealing Frazier was a little painful but had to be done. Abreu and Acevedo are good prospects but certainly not dealbreakers. Dumping Walker was purely for salary relief.

The others on the out – Shreve, Carroll, and Vidal – weren’t of much importance. Shreve no longer had much of a role with the addition of Hand. Carroll didn’t appear to have a place in this bullpen anytime soon. Vidal is a low-level prospect.

The deadline was mostly a dud otherwise, with no big names dealt. The most significant trades happened in this post a couple weeks back.

Now, on to the games.

Swept in Baltimore, but that’s not the worst of it

With the Bumgarner deal official on July 30th, the lefty was on schedule to start the 31st – and start he did. As hinted in the headline, though, things went sour. After two innings, he was forced to exit because of elbow soreness. After the game, elbow inflammation was revealed which is expected to sideline him for six weeks. Speaking of the game, it didn’t go well either, though that was the least of the team’s concerns. The bullpen was rocked, allowing eight runs in a 9-1 defeat. These kinds of losses happen, but this sort of injury is a big blow especially after just adding Bumgarner to the roster. Fortunately, the Yankees have a cushy division lead and he should be back for the playoffs. Domingo German was called up to take his place.

Brush it off and salvage a series split, right? Wrong. Who knows what it is about the 2018 Orioles, but it seems like they have the Yankees number in this universe too. Masahiro Tanaka struggled through five frames, allowing three runs including a solo shot to Manny Machado who surprisingly stayed put at the deadline. Machado also went deep against David Robertson later in the game. As for the offense, well, there wasn’t much. The team mustered six hits against Alex Cobb and five Baltimore relievers, pushing just two runs across in the 6-2 loss.

Not as bad as real life, but still not good in Beantown

Oh, how things are different in this universe. Entering the series, the Yankees (61-46) sat six games ahead of the Red Sox (56-53). Pretty much the opposite of reality. Like real life, though, the first game went Boston’s way. It was shaping up to be a nice win for the Yankees, too. Gary Sanchez hit a three-run homer off Drew Pomeranz early, who was pulled with just one out in the fourth inning after allowing four runs. Sonny Gray couldn’t maintain that early 4-0 lead, though he nearly escaped up 4-2 through six. Instead, Brock Holt delivered a clutch two-run single to tie it and knock Gray out of the game. Meanwhile, Boston’s bullpen was lights out and didn’t allow another run. The Yankees’ relief corps caved when Jonathan Holder gave up two in the eighth, which was plenty of wiggle room for Craig Kimbrel to nail down the 6-4 Boston win.

In the first three games of the week, the Yankees scored seven runs. They did not add to that total in game two of the four-game set in Boston, losing 3-0. Eduardo Rodriguez, Tyler Thornburg, Joe Kelly, and Craig Kimbrel spun a five-hit shutout, with all five hits being singles. Talk about a struggling offense. On the mound for the Yankees was Jordan Montgomery, who was mediocre in five innings of work. He surrendered three runs and took the loss.

Finally, in game three, the bats came to life. Gleyber Torres stole the show with two home runs, and his batting line now stands at a remarkable .342/.407/.586. One of those two dingers was a grand slam in the fourth inning against Rick Porcello, which was part of a six-run rally. The Yankees tacked on one more in the ninth inning, which fortunately was enough because Luis Severino didn’t have his A game. Sevy allowed five runs in five and a third, though only three were earned. The bullpen held on for the 7-5 win.

In what would have been Bumgarner’s second start in pinstripes, Domingo German began the game in his place. Things went about as bad as you’d expect, though it’s not like the Yanks had much of a chance with Chris Sale starting for Boston. German allowed six runs and Adam Warren surrendered one more, which was more than plenty for Sale. Boston won handily, 7-2, and took the series three games to one. Better than what happened in real life, but still, not good. Boston cut the division lead from six to four games with plenty of games left. It was a missed chance to bury the Red Sox, similar to what Boston just did to the Yankees in reality.

—

Real Universe Yankees: 68-42 (second place, nine and a half games behind Boston)

Alternate Universe Yankees: 62-49 (first place, four games ahead of Boston)

And here’s a snapshot of all things alternate universe Yankees:

TL;DR

The Yankees acquired Madison Bumgarner (!), David Freese, and Curtis Granderson in the final 48 hours leading up to the deadline. They dumped Jacoby Ellsbury (!), though retaining 75 percent of his contract, as part of the deal with San Francisco. Neil Walker also was sent packing to the city by the bay, along with Clint Frazier who was the headliner of the package. Prospects Albert Abreu and Domingo Acevedo were included too. To get Freese, the Yanks dealt Chasen Shreve; and to get Granderson, Cody Carroll and Carlos Vidal were traded. Oddly, there were no significant trades around the league in the first two days of the week as the deadline came and went.

Game action for the week wasn’t pretty. Bumgarner made his first start against the Orioles but promptly left with elbow soreness. On a positive note, he’s expected to return in mid-September, so he should be good for the postseason if all goes well. Though the Bumgarner injury was certainly the worst news of the week, there were plenty of losses too. Baltimore swept the Yankees in a short two game set and the Red Sox snagged three of four from the Bombers at Fenway Park. Fortunately, even after the brutal 1-5 week, the Yankees still hold a four game edge over Boston for the division title.