The good news is that the Yankees lost to the White Sox young ace Lucas Giolito who is now 9-1 2.28 (75 IP 47 H 89 K’s). The way Giolito has been pitching, there was a good chance the Yanks were going to lose this one no matter how CC Sabathia pitched; so if he was to throw out a stinker in trying to get his form back after the recent gel injections in his knee, this would be a good sacrificial game. And CC did exactly that — sacrificed this game to the point where it didn’t look like he’d get out of the 1st inning.
More good news: CC reached back for grit and pitched into the 5th inning, saving the ballpen.
Then Luis Cessa came in with Yanks down 5-1, and got HAMMERED again for 5 hits and 4 runs in 1 inning and the game was gone.
Voit to Detroit
In another lifetime, Luke Voit hit one to Detroit off Giolito in the 1st giving the Yanks a 1-0 lead and happiness. His next time up, Giolito threw one high and inside, causing Voit to yell “Come on, bro” and make “a gesture”. Voit walked. He finished 2 for 2 with 2 walks on the day and now splashes a 17-45- .264 (.383 OBP) for the year and is heading to the All Star Homer derby. According to Katie Sharp, he leads the American League in homeruns with 31 since becoming a Yankee starter last August 24.
Luke on Lucas crime. pic.twitter.com/fu1hlnRTcB
— New York Yankees (@Yankees) June 15, 2019
Fascinating Decisions Upcoming
Red hot Clint Frazier also got 2 hits to raise his average to .291. With Giancarlo Stanton and Aaron Judge due back this week, Aaron Boone is going to have some ‘fascinating’ (words used by Yankee post-game analyst Jack Curry) decisions to make. Already, DJ LeMahieu their gold-glove 2nd baseman is playing 1st base to allow Gleyber Torres to play 2nd with Didi Gregorius back at shortstop. That makes Voit the DH which means if Clint Frazier plays it has to be … centerfield but Aaron Hicks is there (and Clint has had enough trouble in right).
Gio Urshela went 0-4 to lower his average to .303. Despite his great D and terrific bat so far this year, there’s always a chance he goes into a slump which would open up 3rd base to — DJ LeMahieu?
There’s the strong possibility Brian Cashman will trade for an elite starting pitcher, but who? Max Scherzer? Elite starters aren’t available on trees, and the Yanks wouldn’t want to give up a boatload for another Sonny Gray ‘ok’ starter.
On this night Yankee twitter was watching Giancarlo Stanton with a rehab game in Trenton hit a Monster homerun, and Aaron Judge with a rehab game in Tampa so the clock is ticking.
Out of 1st
With the loss the Yanks fell out of 1st place by a half game to Tampa. Boston is 6 games back (5.5 behind the Yanks).
PS on Giolito
Washington Nationals drafted Lucas Giolito 16th overall in the 1st round in 2012 — he supposedly would have gone higher if not for concerns about his elbow. According to fangraphs, He had Tommy John surgery, and then cruised thru the minors — rising to the #5 prospect in all of baseball at one point. But after an unsuccessful 21 major league innings as a 21-year old rookie, Washington traded him to the White Sox in 2016 with Reynaldo Lopez for Adam Eaton. He supposedly has 4 good pitches: fastball, changeup, slider, and curveball.
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