“The Falling Knife”: Toronto 12 NY 7 — Sept 7, 2020

This is the way the stock market crashes – stocks are hitting highs and everything is rosy (Yanks’ 16-6 start), then they go down a bit, then down some more, then up a bit (3-game winning streak against Mets), then down, and down some more, and down, and then BAM – one day they CRASH down like a Falling Knife.

This was only one game, but it felt like a Falling Knife. It was the Yanks 4th straight loss, this one to Toronto who they are battling for 2nd place. NY fell to 21-20 after going 5-14 in their last 19. And in this one, they were finally up big in a game – NY 6-2 in the 6th — the offense had done its job.

Then Chad Green and Adam Ottavino came in and allowed Toronto to score 10 runs. In the 6th. The one inning. It was like watching a knife falling, shredding Yankee fans hopes for the season as it fell, with blood all around.

Toronto took a 12-6 lead. There was no comeback.

The Yanks scored a 7th run but many Yank fans turned off the game and went on to do something else, they vowed on Twitter.

What was a simple losing streak in a bizarre Coronavirus season, where the Yanks were going to make the playoffs anyway since 16 teams do, is starting to look like something that may cost them the playoffs and Aaron Boone his job.

Now the tough part – how to ‘catch the falling knife’ – stock market term for buying a stock that is falling, not knowing if it’s finished falling. And market crashes — for the market as a whole or an individual stock — usually have a reprieve up, then a second crash down and hit a second low.

But this isn’t the stock market these are the Yankees. And they have a “very good lineup when they are healthy”. There is a Ford car commercial on WFAN radio these days, where the sports host reads the ad script – and the script says that Ford has a terrific lineup like the Yankees. The host on WFAN this morning had to improvise and alter the script – stating the Yanks had a good lineup when they are healthy. Imagine the money Ford spent and a marketing director somewhere now thinking “what the F” as the radio spot gets wasted.

Yanks Jumped Out to a Big Lead

Earlier, Luke Voit and Aaron Hicks had hit back-to-back homers in the 1st to give the Yanks a 2-0 lead. Toronto tied the score with 2 runs in the 2nd off Yankee starter Jordan Montgomery, but Miguel Andujar hit a homer in the 3rd to put the Yanks back on top, 3-2.

After 3 hits the day before, we tweeted “Andujar can hit hit hit.” And the Yankee offense needs his bat.

Montgomery left after 84 pitches in the 4th. The Yanks added to the lead on a Clint Frazier 2-RBI double in the 5th, and then Hicks walked with bases loaded in the 6th for the 6-2 Yankee lead.

Green Lights Fire; Ottavino Pours Gasoline

Chad Green came in to start the bottom of the 6th, and allowed walk, out, walk, single, error Voit for a run. Adam Ottavino came in with a can of gasoline – single, single, walk, single, walk, Grand Slam homerun by catcher Danny Jansen before Aaron Boone took Ottavino out for Luis Cessa with Yankee fans on twitter screaming all along asking why Ottavino was still in there he had nothing.

Cessa to the Rescue; Too Late

Luis Cessa pitched 1.2 shutout innings, and Clarke Schmidt came in and threw a shutout inning, so there was that.

It was a Labor Day Monday; a 6:30pm start. The Yanks ruined everyone’s day off. The game was played in Buffalo. Coronavirus and all that.

Today at 6:30pm in Buffalo, the Yanks send J.A. Happ (1-1 4.68) to the mound against Toronto’s Taijuan Walker (3-2 3.26).

The Boxscore

https://www.espn.com/mlb/boxscore?gameId=401226301

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