Mon AM BRB (4-12-21): Yankees Week One Review
This Day in Music (4-12-1983)
R.E.M. releases their debut album, Murmur, still considered by many as the group’s best.
Photo Credit: Chris O’Meara (AP b/w NY Daily News)
The weekend offered uneven results for the New York Yankees, who still find themselves step behind the Tampa Bay Rays. Dropping two out of three games to their eternal pests, the Yankees continue to look disjointed at the season’s onset, though they were able to salvage the final game of the series in an 8-4, 10-inning victory on Sunday. The Yankees broke through in the 10th inning thanks to their newest acquisition, former Texas Rangers second baseman and Jose Bautista’s worst nightmare, Rougned Odor. With runners on the corners and two outs in the top of the 10th, Odor blooped a single into center field giving the Yankees the lead and earning his pinstripes for the afternoon. It remains to be seen if the Yankees can truly salvage Odor’s career (or what that player would even look like), but it’s certainly a welcomed change to see the club try some different things. The Yankees were able to build on the lead given to them by their newest teammate, as Gary Sanchez and Gio Urshela followed Odor’s RBI single with two more to put the game out of reach. Though Gary Sanchez rarely does anything quietly, the Yankees catcher has been one of the team’s most consistent offensive threats thus far. Currently simmering just four percentage points below a .300 batting average, “El Gary", we’ve seen in 2021 has been a far cry from his lost-in-the-woods, 2020 variant. Gio Urshela has also found his stroke at the plate, sporting a .323 average and reminding everyone in the third inning that when Gio hits a HR, he’s liable to hit a bomb.
As a whole, the Yankees offense is still struggling to recall the art of timely hitting, and against Tampa Bay the starting pitching and (once again) the defense left a lot to be desired. Corey Kluber was once again unable to pitch deep into the game on Friday, and Domingo German pitched poorly enough in his second start to be optioned to the Alternate Site until a fifth starter is needed. Jordan Montgomery was serviceable Sunday, but was bitten twice by the long ball in five innings of work. The constant bright spot of the Yankees first full week was the bullpen, which combed for five more shutout innings to secure Sunday’s victory. It’s hard to recall an April where Aroldis Chapman has looked more dominant, and the likes of Chad Green, Darren O’Day and co. who set the table for him have all done the job to this point. Starting tonight, the Yankees open up a three game series against the Toronto Blue Jays, with staff ace Gerrit Cole facing off against Jays lefty Robbie Ray.
Stars of the Week
Five Stars: Gerrit Cole | RHP - 0.00 ERA / 13 K / 1-0 W-L
Four Stars: Chad Green | RHP - 0.00 ERA / 0.43 WHIP / 4 K
Three Stars: Aroldis Chapman | LHP - 0.00 ERA / 0.67 WHIP / 9 K
Two Stars: Gio Urshela | 3B - .400 AVG / 3 XBH / 4 RBI
One Star: Gary Sanchez | C - .313 AVG / 1 2B / 3 BB
Stats representative of the last seven days