Connery’s Views from a recliner

Normally, 4 and 2/3 innings pitched in a 9 inning baseball game is, kinda ehh, meh, mediocre, one might say. 4 and 2/3 innings was what Nestor Cortes was able to give last night. Fortunately, for the New York Yankees, it was exactly what they needed.

After the game, Yankee Manager, Aaron Boone recapped the outing. ‘He was terrific. He gave us more than we could have hoped as we continue to build him up.’ High praise from the much maligned Yankee skipper, and a skipper the writer of this blog has been killing as of late.

Over the 4 and 2/3 innings, Cortes yielded only 2 hits, allowed 2 walks, and 0 earned runs, and the bullpen held up for 3 hits over 9 innings. Huge. Huge when you consider, this was against a powerful Astros lineup, in Houston, in front of a very pro Houston crowd.

Then there’s that little matter of the Yankees being within 3.5 games of the wild card. But shhhhhhhhh we won’t mention that for any non Yankee fan checking out the blog.

Tonight is the marquee game of the set. Cole v. Grienke. Here’s hoping Gerrit pitches well and the bats show up. Go Yanks.

Back tomorrow with more.

For my blog today, rather than the usual review and rant, or is it rant and review….? Anyways.

I’d thought I’d do a preview of the Yankees Astros weekend series in Houston. This is a big one, because the Yankees need to start winning, and because it’s the Astros.

The Astros should win this series if, they continue to do what they have been doing. They score a lot of runs and win at home, to the tune of 28 wins at home this year.

The Yankees will win this series if, well if they are, there’s that word again, consistent. They need to play all three phases, they need to hit, they need to pitch and field. Scoring 7 runs doesn’t mean much when you give up 9, usually by the manager not knowing when to pull his starter, or the inexperienced bullpen shows they are an inexperienced bullpen.

One thing I’d like to see if the Yankees work some counts. Don’t be concerned with the home run as much. Hit and run, steal bases, BUNT. Play team baseball. Quality team baseball. The Yankees of the late 90s and early 2000s had stars, but they also had guys who just played hard. The team needs to get back to that Rather than out slugging teams, grind out some wins by using that team baseball formula I discussed earlier.

Finally, the Series X Factor: Gerrit Cole. Cole pitches Saturday night against Zach Grienke. It’s Prime Tome, its Fox, Cole needs to step up. Relax, Gerrit, do the things that you do well. Mix your pitches, go after guys, don’t be tenative. In other words, earn your money. Prove why the Yankees signed you.

Prediction: Yankees take 2 of 3.

It’s going to be a fun weekend, enjoy it.

The story of the 2021 Yankees has had once central them, inconsistency. If you would have told me over the last three games, the Yankees would score a combined 17 Runs, where do I sign, I’d be ecstatic! But, if I knew the 17 runs would be over the first two games, and no runs today, I’d say (shrug) ‘yeah well, ughhhhh.’

Okay, so let’s break it down this way.

The Good: 17 runs in 2 games, 3 game win streak, Sunday, a win in the night cap against the Mets. Monday, the bats woke up, Taillon pitched and it was great. Tuesday, they again jumped out early and hung up for a 5-4 win. So Yay!

The Bad: Today’s game. To quote one of my favorite movies, Major League, ‘let’s see….one hit. That’s all we got?!? One God Damn hit?!?’ Today, the offense went dormant. Ugh.

The Ugly: The same red flags that have plagued the Yankees all year, they happened again. Today, Jordan Montgomery gave up 2 home runs, only 3 runs, but when you do nothing offensively, the 3 runs feels like 100.

The Hope: They have won 3 out of 4 and took the series 2 games to 1 against Seattle.They need to win series to have any shot of playing in the playoffs. Again, there’s that word, consistency. They need to be consistent with very little room for error. Here’s hoping they can be.

What’s next: A trip to Houston, hopefully a motivated Gerrit Cole, the All Star Break and 4 against Boston. These next 7 games are Massive.

Go Yankees.

And lastly, congrats to the Tampa Bay Lightning and winning their 2nd straight Stanley Cup.

Back hopefully tomorrow with some NBA.

Coming off a dismal Homestand, the New York Yankees hit the road and treked west to Seattle. As it turns out, the change of scenery might have been just what the team from the Manager to the Starting Nine 9 needed.

The offense erupted for 12 runs, including 5 hits from Luke Voit and an absolute blast from Giancarlo Stanton. The pitchng also held up with Jameson Taillon throwing 7 strong innings.

Too often, this year, the Yankees have been hurt by a lack of overall consistency. One night, they pitch but can’t hit, the next they hit but then the bullpen implodes. Last night, however, I’d say it was their most complete team game of the year.

They had a great game last night and it feelw good right now. However, if the three biggest wins words in Real Estate are, location, location, location, for the Yankees, especially over their next 15 games, it’s consistent, consistent, consistent. Consistency is vital over the next 15 for their playoffs hopes and the fanbase’s mental health.

Let’s see how it plays out. Go Yankees.

4 plus inning from Mr. Cole isn’t exactly stepping up. And Chapman? He for whatever reason has been awful.

Where do we place blame? First and foremost, Aaron Boone for a myriad of reasons. First, Aaron, know your pitchers! If Cole was gassed or laboring, know that. Cole’s a gamer, he hsn’t gonna ask to be taken out, unless his arm is about to fall off. Second, Chad Green threw 2 pitches, 2! And oh by the way, he pitched GREAT in game 2, a game they won…but who cares, they lost the series.

Im just sick of it. Boone’s here because he ‘knows today’s players’, bullshit. If he knew what he was doing, he wouldn’t be 0 for 6 against Boston and 1 for 3 against the Mets.

Now to Brian Cashman. Brian, thank you for all you’ve done and being one of the cogs in the Yankees most recent dynasty, we’ll get your Monument, but it’s time. Stanton was a horrible trade, and waiting for things to happen, rather than just taking what you wanted, it stinks. The fanbase won’t accept this gor much longer.

Things need to be done. Maybe a change of scenery will help.

On to Seattle. Go Yankees.

Back tomorrow or Wednesday.

The Yankees have become just that. Anybody who reads this will understand the analogy.

The cut begins, usually outside, usually while doing a chore, or sometimes at work. For me. it’s usually, a skin tab, I’ve mistaken for a bite bug, usually on my left forearm, the arm and I type with. Of course I pick it and it starts a slow, yet somewhat annoying bleed. ‘Oh, son of a…God’, is ususlly my internal monologue followed by some choice words involving God and his sick sense of humor. So, I grab a tissue or napkin and blot and pressure the blood dot, hoping beyond hope, it air dries and any crisis or mess is averted.

My point in telling that anecdote is directly related to the current state of the 2021 New York Yankees. Take yesterday’s game for instance.

The cut started immediately in the Top of 1st, with the Mets getting two runners on via a leadoff single and a walk. The pressure on the cut and the air drying came in the form of Yankee Starter, Jordan Montgomery, who, for 4.1 innings, wasn’t good or great by any stretch, but he at least battled.

Montgomery was relieved by Lucas Luetge, who gave up a hit, but by getting the final 2 outs in the 4th you thought ‘okay, lets air dry, move on, focus on what we have to do and make today a success’.

Unfortunately, from the bottom of the fourth to the top of the fifth, Justin Wilson happened. In an inning where he didn’t record an out, he allowed, a walk, 4 hits and 5 runs, all of which were earned! By this time, the cut has become a stream, your hands are soaked and stained, and you’re actually contemplating using your beloved black cherry rum on the cut to stop the bleeding. Thankfully, you slap yourself back into reality after quickly realizing, you probably need two hands to do this, and secondly, its damn good rum, get your priorities straight!

The only saving grace is when your loving wife comes in with peroxide.

The Yankees have Gerit Cole today. Will he apply relief and salvage something, at the very least, their dignity? Or will the cut just remain?

Since the inception of Interleague Play, ‘The Subway Series’, has always had a different feel. For 6 games a year, it truly feels like a battle for New York baseball dominance.

What makes it so special is both teams really play well during the games. The Yankees win some, the Mets win some, it’s really a captivating feeling watching it all unfold. Unfortunately, most of the Met wins comes at Citi Field, often in comeback fashion, which as a Yankee fan, hurts my soul because Met fans are jnsufferable, but more on that in a bit.

Throughout the Subway Series games, there have been a lot of great moments that have just added to the hate between the fanbases.

Thinking about these moments, a few come to mind. Personally, my favorite recent memories of Yankees and Mets revolves around the 2000 World Series. I was 18 at the time, and a freshman at Rider University, in Lawrenceville New Jersey, just down the road was that college, Princeton.

Anyways, the weekend of games 1 and 2, I was ready. I had done all studying and chores. I had my favorite pizza, plenty of soda, I was set.

Game 1 was a back and forth affait, that the Mets, they should have won, if it weren’t for a game saving play that involved, who else by Derek Jeter. Todd Zeile lined a shot to left for a near homerun, luckily for Yankee fans, it scrapped the top of the wall. Timo Perez of the Mets had singled to start the rally, after Zeile’s line drive, poor Timo had relaxed thinking it was a home run, so his normal stride was a trot. The cameras caught the blunder perfectly. You saw Zeile’s liner, David Justice’s relay, then cut to Timo, and he’s hustling around third, you can see it on his face, the relay from Jeter to Posada was near perfect, Timo was out, and the Yankees survived a scare.

The Yankees would go on to win the game 4-3 in 12 innings. Game 2 was another close battle, highlighted by a splintered, broken bat of Mike Piazza’s, which was pitched up by Yankee pitcher Roger Clemens and thrown back in the direction of Piazza. Irinically, earlier in the year, at a game in Yankee Stadium, Clemens had throw an up and in fastball that connected with Piazza’s head, so at first glance, Met fans wanted Clemens dead, and as a Yankee fan, I thought ‘why, why do that? You’re a Yankee be classy. Be better’. Both benches would clear, cooler heads prevail. The Yankees would take Game 2, 6-5, and ultimately the 2000 World Series, 4 games to 1.

Since 2000, the rivalry has continued with the two teams playing each other 6 times a year, and other than a 2009 Yankee world title, and a 2015 Series appearance by the Mets, the teams have been successful, but not as successful as fans on both sides would like, and the games haven’t been nearly as compelling as the 2000 games.

Recently, the rivalry has seen a rebirth with mega billionaire Steven Cohen buying the Mets. The Mets, always wanting to be like their Big Brother from the Bronx, they have money now and are spending big, namely acquiring Francisco Lindor and signing him to a huge contract.

So, this is a big weekend. The Mets can prove they deserve the hype, and the Yankees can remind the Mets and Yankee fans that they are the Yankees and to not give up hope just yet.

My hope is the Yankees take 2 out of 3. The Yankees need to start winning series to get back in the race for the Wild Card. Plus, it’s always good beating the Mets.

Back tomorrow with recaps of it all.

So, there I was following the Yankees on the YES App. Shohei Ohtani wasn’t sharp, and the Yankees had him. The Yankees bats woke up for a 7 run first inning, chasing the Japanese phenom after 2/3 of an inning, which included a bases clearing double by D.J. LeMahieu. At the time, it was a big hit, and in a season where the big hits have been few and far between, at the time, it felt GREAT being a Yankee fan.

And I, stupidly thought the Yanks had this won, so I, along with my wife and dog, went to bed. I woke up this morning, again under the impressio, the Yankees won, grabbed my phone, I’m thinking internally, ‘how did German hold up? Did they add runs on?’

The following is an exact verbatim interaction between my wife and I. I grabbed my phone, saw ‘Angels 11, Yankees 8’. ‘Aw God damnit’ (sigh) toss my phone away. My wife goes ‘whats wrong?’, thinking something was wrong. ‘Nah, the Yankees lost’. ‘Oh I thought something was WRONG’. (Adjusting my CPAP Mask with a disbelieving chuckle) ‘Sorry babe’. My head hit the pillow not thinking ‘hey I can sleep in a bit today’ but ‘Boone’s gonna get canned….this sucks….7 runs in the first…..’

Unfortunately, the feelings wouldn’t last. Up 8-4 in the 9th, the bullpen imploded and gave up 7 RUNS, including a nail in the coffin grand slam in the top of the ninth, Yanks lose 11-8.

This year just feels different. The Brian Cashman Era appears to be headed for a long painful sunset. And Aaron Boone? He couldn’t find his way out of a paper bag without guided instruction and constant reassurance.

Good God.

At least the Mets got smoked and the Clippers lost.

And oh look, Jacob DeGrom gave up three runs so far tonight, all is not right in Metsville.

Smile slowly returning. (Thinking in my head in my best Mr. Burns voice ‘Excellent!’)

Back tomorrow with more MLB, and, some hockey talk finally, which I have been neglecting.

The Yankees won 11-5 last night. The bats woke up temporarily and it was a good team win. Jameson Taillon bent, but didn’t break, and the bullpen held up. Like I said, a good team win.

Tonight, they face Shohei Ohtani, the pitcher. It most certainly has to be a unique situation for the Yankee hitters seeing pitches from a guy that’s homered against you as a DH, 3 times in the past 2 games. If Ohtani the pitcher, pitches like he hits….yikes.

Hoping for a Yankee win, but watching Ohtani pitch will be fascinating. Does he throw hard? Can he spot his off speed pitches? Will he get rattled pitching in Yankee Stadium? It’s gonna be fun to watch.

In other Views, good night for the rest of the locals, Mets and Red Sox both winning tight one run games. The best news of the night from the diamond, with Tampa losing, the Yankees made up some ground. Slowly, but surey, slow and steady I guess.

On to the NBA. The Hawks beat the Bucks 110-88, even their best of seven Eastern Conference Finals series at two a piece. The story though wasn’t the Hawks win, Bucks star, Giannis Antetokounmpo went down with a hyper-extended left knee.

The implications of this are massive, for the teams playing, for fans, and especially the tv ratings, you got the Skip Bayless dream matchup of ‘his’ Clippers versus Giannis, the quiet, yet somehow ratings machine, and the Bucks hanging in the balance and hinging on Giannis’s left knee. Hell, even the betting public is affected by this. As a fan, you hope he is okay. You want the best players to play their best moments in their biggest games, and few are bigger than this.

Back, hopefully tomorrow with Ohtani’s outing agaist the Yankees, and some hockey.

Stay safe, stay cool, care for your pets in these hot conditions.

Dropping 4 straight is not a good look, especially dropping 3 basically non-competitive games to Boston.

Damnit.

Then they played the Angles last night, and of course, it didn’t go well. Shohei Ohtani happened. And no, the ball still hasn’t landed yet. God, it was crushed.

Damnit.

This needs to turn around, and quickly. Plus, the Mets and Red Sox are just better right now, better constructed, better game plan, just better. It blows!

Aaron bleeping Boone needs to remember he was a gritty, gamer. He needs to remember that in his managing. Play small ball, hit and run, steal, do something different.

These ‘savages’ of last year are anything but. Injuries can only be an excuse for so long.

Something has to change or Boone will be the newest analyst at Fox Sports during their playoff coverage.

As I said, damnit!