The Fat Man Carsten Charles Sabathia Helps the Yankees Shutout the Nats
The fat man Carsten Charles Sabathia was on his game tonight. CC faced a very loaded Washington Nationals lineup tonight and kept them off-balanced all game long. I really can’t think of one ball that was hit with any sort of ferocity. After a pretty brutal month of May, the big fella has rebounded with two excellent June starts, with his last one coming in Toronto where he went 7 strong allowing just two runs. Tonight CC twirled 5.2 innings of shutout baseball, allowing just four harmless singles. Unlike Toronto, the Nats lineup is not a bunch of nobodies. We had Eaton, Turner, Harper, Rendon, Muphy and Reynolds to deal with, and no one had an answer for the 37 year old southpaw. Tonight CC tailed his 1,500th strikeout during his tenure with the Yankees. Tommy and I discussed this on The Short Porch on Sunday how CC might get a plaque and his number retired when he hangs up his pinstripes. This obviously would all be contingent on the Yankees winning #28 in his final year.
Offensively we got a visit from a man of the past tonight. That would be April Didi Gregorius who blasted not one, but two homers over the right field wall.
Didi become the first Yankees shortstop ever to have three multi-homer games in a single season even though it’s only June 12th. He’s definitely looked more comfortable at the plate since the Houston home series at the end of May, as he’s hitting now over .300 since that point. This however, was the first real sign of his power returning which is obviously encouraging. Didi and Gleyber both made excellent over-the-shoulder grabs in the outfield during the game, but MLB hasn’t posted the video yet so sorry I can’t throw them in here.
The bullpen was again spotless this evening, with Chad Green, Dellin Betances, and Aroldis Chapman combining for the game’s final 13 outs. The pen collectively has not surrendered a run since June 5th. Is that good? I think it is.
One negative thing I have to bring up is Greg Bird’s continued struggles at the plate. Tonight he went 0-4 with two strikeouts, including a first pitch pop out with the bases load. He’s now hitting .176 since coming off the DL and I know it hasn’t been the biggest sample size, but I continue to not see what all the hype is about with the Bird Man. Yes, he hit a massive playoff home run off of Andrew Miller in an elimination game last postseason. You know who also hit a big playoff home run in their? Conor Gillaspie. There are a ton of Greg Bird apologists out there that come up with excuse after excuse for why he isn’t producing like the “best pure hitter in the organization” he’s hyped up to be. I’m not giving up on Bird, but Jesus Christ let’s see a little something please!
I wondered yesterday why Brandon Drury wasn’t trying to play first base in AAA. The reason being obviously that his normal position, 3rd base, is locked up by Miggy Andujar. Well, what do you know? Drury played first tonight and actually made a nice snag near the dugout. He also roped a two run triple in the game, continuing his torrid stretch where he’s set the club record for reaching base safely in consecutive games.
I think it’s only a matter of time before he’s called up to replace Tyler Austin on this roster, and maybe in the process put a little heat on Bird. I think Drury is a dangerous hitter waiting to be unleashed in the majors. If you still hit .270 despite having blurred vision, and you then cure said blurred vision I would imagine you’re a way better hitter now then you were then? That’s just my medical expertise churning away.
As for Bryce Harper’s appearance at Yankee Stadium, well it wasn’t the best night for ole Brycey. Harper was walked by CC in his first two at bats. He was then plunked on the elbow in his third at bat and on the foot in his fourth, forcing him to call it a night and come out of the game. Not great!
Tomorrow Sonny Gray gets the ball against someone named Eric Fedde who has made four major league starts in his two seasons with Washington. Granted this is Sonny at home where he owns an ERA above seven so this could be a fireworks night in the Bronx. I’d advise you to take the over.
Check out the latest episode of The Short Porch for a Subway Series recap as well as a breakdown of Dellin Betances’ resurgence and Gary Sanchez’s slump along with much, much, more.