Game of the Week: June 28: NYY @ TEX

[Commissioner Erick]

New York Yankees (44-30) @ Texas Rangers (46-30)


NYY: Nate Eovaldi (5-4, 3.07)
TEX: Adonis Medina (3-3, 4.00)


The month of June should have been a chance for the New York Yankees to go on a run and really take command of the AL East. Instead of continuing a hot May against easier competition, the Yankees went a middling 12-11.

Their competition before the All Star Game will only get harder, starting with a team that would be in the Wild Card Game if the playoffs started today.

The New York Yankees kick off a difficult stretch of games when they take on the Texas Rangers in the Game of the Week.

The Rangers series begins a stretch of four series against teams that would currently be in the playoffs right now. The Yankees will host Texas for four days, but they'll immediately fly to San Diego for a weekend series with the Padres. Following that, they'll travel to Chicago face the White Sox for three, before continuing to Cleveland for four with the Indians before a much-needed Wild Card Break.

It's a tough slate of games, especially considering the Yankees have already been swept in Texas.

On April 26th, on the Game of the Week, Giancarlo Stanton crushed a Grand Slam that enabled the Rangers to knock off the Yankees 8-4. The next day Stanton hit two more home runs, Rick Porcello pitched 7 shutout innings, and Alex Claudio struck out Esteban Robles and got Ji-man Choi to fly out with the tying runs in scoring position to preserve the middle game with a 6-4 Rangers victory.

The finale was humiliating for the Yankees. Staked to a 10-1 lead, Texas battled all the way back, tying the game on a pinch-hit Stanton home run in the ninth inning. Paul Goldschmidt walked it off with a home run off Chapman in the tenth and the Rangers had completed one of the most incredible, and exciting comebacks in PBA history.

Texas has used moments like those to get off to an excellent 46-30 start. As the Yankees are well aware, Stanton has been at the focal point of that success. Stanton was released last offseason despite never having fewer than 39 home runs in a season. He already has 31 this year and 77 RBIs, nine of those coming in nine plate appearances against the Yankees. He leads the league in home runs and runs scored, and his clutch heroics give him the second highest WPA in the American League.

He's been a monster and he's back to terrorize the Yankees one more time.


Questions for the GM's:


For Clayton Piper, you lost Mitch Keller for the season. How will that impact your pitching staff?

Kyle Lewis was the nominal starter coming into the season before he was hurt. Ryan O'Hearn hit well while Lewis was out, but Lewis was inserted back into left field. Is there any possibility of O'Hearn getting a starting nod again?

You didn't have a lot of picks early in the draft, but how do you feel your draft turned out?

For Greg Masceri, Giancarlo Stanton really terrorized you earlier in the year. Will you try to limit his success at all costs?

Your team has had very balanced production, with eight starters with double digits in home runs. However, only two starters have an average over .254. Do you feel like you need to add a player who can hit for average?

You drafted Frazer McWhir out of a Minnesota High School. What did you like about him?



TRIVIA: Giancarlo Stanton has five at bats off Aroldis Chapman. How many home runs has he hit in those five at bats?

[gmyankees]

Giancarlo Stanton represents a big challenege for us as he does everyone the Rangers play, maybe more so the Yankees. The only way to limit Stanton's production at the plate is to try to make him uncomfortable in our approach to him. We need to keep the ball on the corners and if we miss we walk him if he misses we win the battle at the plate. We are batting below average again this year and we need to improve there for sure we will look to make a deal for an elite contact hitter sooner rather than later. As far as drafting Frazer McWhir out of high school, he's a talent that we think can develop into a solid major league ballplayer. His above average contact, power and eye all make him a great prospect.

[Commissioner Erick]

Rangers 5 - Yankees 4


WP: B. Rondon (3-4)
LP: A. DeCarr (1-1)
SV: A. Claudio (20)


Giancarlo Stanton had terrorized the New York Yankees when they faced him in April.

He didn't stop terrorizing them in July.

Giancarlo had a huge game-tying eighth inning home run, David Peralta had a go-ahead single, and the Texas Rangers came back to beat the Yankees 5-4.

The Yankees had a 4-3 lead in the eighth inning with two outs. Nick Rumbelow got to 1-2 on Stanton, but his changeup caught too much of the plate. Stanton was out in front, but still pulled it 395 feet to make the score 4-4.

Rumbelow was pulled for Austin DeCarr, who was awful. DeCarr walked Francisco Mejia, Kyle Seager, and Eugenio Suarez in a row to load the bases. David Peralta ripped a single to center to plate Mejia to give Texas the lead. Only a strong throw from Clint Frazier to nail Seager at the plate kept the lead from being 6-4.

Seager, perhaps still thinking about making the final out at home threw away a grounder to begin the eighth. Despite the immediate threat, Texas' bullpen hung tough. Matt Bush struck out Frazier, and Josh Staumont flew out to center to for the second out. Frazier scampered to third on the throw, but was stranded their when Staumont struck out Mikey White to end the inning.

The ninth inning brought more intensity. Alex Claudio came on and allowed a ground single to pinch hitting Gary Sanchez to begin the frame. Esteban Robles walked with one out, and a balk by Claudio put two men in scoring position with one out.

Claudio showed why he's one of the most effective closers in the league though. He struck out Greg Bird to get the huge second out. He walked Gleybar Torres intentionally to load the bases, choosing instead to go after Dustin Fowler. Fowler weakly slapped a grounder to Suarez for a force play to save the game.

The Rangers bullpen went 3.1 scoreless innings to secure the game.

Freicer Perez worked around three hits and three walks in 2.2 scoreless innings, coming in for Nate Eovaldi after a stiff back rendered him ineffective.


Questions for the GM's:


For Clayton Piper, your bullpen was terrific, as it usually is. Considering his track record, do you feel Claudio is the best closer in baseball?

Eugenio Suarez had his 13th double, to go along with 13 home runs. He was awful with the White Sox and not much better with the Padres. What gave you the insight to sign him in the offseason?

Your team drew 10 walks. Do you feel like you're more patient then in years past?

For Greg Masceri, Austin DeCarr looked awful. Why wasn't he pulled after three walks?

You moved Fowler up to the five-spot yesterday. Why have him in that spot in the lineup?

Speaking of Fowler, he was left in to face Claudio in the ninth. Would you have liked to see him pinch hit for a righty there?



TRIVIA: The most home runs Stanton has hit off a pitcher is five. Which two pitchers has he done that against?

[Commissioner Erick]

TRIVIA 1: Stanton had 2 home runs in 5 at bats.

TRIVIA 2: Stanton has 5 home runs off Jose Berrios and Carlos Rodon