Jane Heller

New York Times and USA Today Bestselling Author

What Happened to Chris Sale???

(AP Photo/Charles Krupa)

It’s not that I didn’t thoroughly enjoy the Yankees’ 8-0 beatdown of the Red Sox last night, but watching Sale look utterly lost on the mound was puzzling. He’s 0-4 this season and the Sox’s “ace” hasn’t been very ace-like. He says he doesn’t know why. Usually, players are hurt when they suddenly forget how to pitch and don’t want to say anything or they get paid a ton of money and start feeling the pressure of their big contracts. But Sale always seemed immune to all that. Oh well. Not my problem.

On our end, James Paxton pitched like….the former Chris Sale! He was brilliant and whatever nerves he felt going into his first Yankees-Red Sox contest must have settled down. No longer tipping his pitches, he owned their offense. I’d love to see him maintain that kind of dominance throughout the season.

The hitters feasted on Red Sox pitching, even guys like Tauchman, and it was fun.

I was sorry to read about Greg Bird yesterday and his latest malady, but as talented as he is, he’s just too injury prone and I’m afraid we’ve seen the last of him in pinstripes.

Also sad – and this has nothing to do with baseball – my local hockey team, the Tampa Bay Lightning, had the best record in hockey by far this season and yet they were swept last night in the playoffs by the Columbus Blue Jackets, whoever they are. I honestly don’t know how these things happen but I’ve seen it time and time again: teams suddenly go cold. Weird.

Welcome Back, Matt Holliday!

Just having a little fun with the name, but did the Yankees ever miss the bat of Matt Holliday. He came back not a moment too soon – contributing mightily to the crucial series win over the Red Sox. Now we have a true DH or even a first baseman, if necessary.

Chase Headley’s hot streak at the plate also comes at the perfect time. And how about Severino’s pitching in this series? Inning for inning, he bested the great and powerful Chris Sale. Good for him and good for the Yanks. CC is showing what a crafty pitcher he’s become too. His spat with Nunez over the bunt on Friday night was comical – as was Jim Rice’s retort to him – but it doesn’t matter now since we won’t play the Sox again (thankfully). I was happy for Judge’s homer last night, but he really has fizzled out. Which is, again, why Holliday’s offense is so important.

Too bad Hicks is now gone with an oblique strain. He had cooled off lately, but he’s had his share of injuries this season.

So now? We have the always-difficult Orioles to deal with. I hope there’s no letdown and the Yanks keep playing great baseball. I want the division, not the Wild Card!

Tanaka Vs. Sale. We Win.

(AP Photo/Elise Amendola) (THE ASSOCIATED PRESS)

Last night’s finale in the rain-shortened series at Fenway was so satisfying. I wasn’t optimistic going up against Sale, who’s always murdered the Yankee offense, and it wasn’t as if he had an off night. It was just that he was bested by Tanaka, who not only blanked the Red Sox but pitched a complete game. (I would not have been happy if Girardi had pulled him for Layne, a Red Sox castoff, or Chapman, who’d thrown a million pitches the night before.) He was brilliant, and the Yankee hitters scratched out just enough runs to make me exhale between innings.

And then there was Wednesday night’s game. Severino was brilliant too. He seems to have shaken off last season when he was so mediocre and come back strong. And enough can’t be said about Judge. Even when he strikes out or grounds out, he’s such a badass presence at the plate, not to mention when he’s diving over a wall to make a catch. I’m still waiting for Bird to get hot. And with Didi coming back for this weekend’s series against the O’s, I hope he’s not rusty. With Gary Sanchez waiting in the wings to return off the DL (it was nice to see him join the others in the dugout last night), we’re slowly settling into a picture of what this team will look like and how it will perform. I’m encouraged. I really am.

400 Homers Is a Big Deal

beltran 400 homer

Carlos Beltran has joined the 400 club and an elite one it is. I don’t know how much gas he’ll have in the tank as the season progresses, but for now he’s delivered power when we’ve needed it and made a case for himself as a Hall of Famer. He’s also supposed to be a really nice guy. Bravo, Carlos.

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Oh, and – no small thing – the Yankees took the series from the White Sox despite having lost to arguably the sport’s best pitcher, Chris Sale. Chase Headley of all people had a big hit today, and Chapman continued to throw heat in save situations. All in all, a good weekend for the Yankees.

As we move into the second half of May, I’d love to see them bust out of last place in the division. I’m not even asking for first place. Just please let them get out of the cellar. I’d say that maybe the warmer weather will help them, but it got colder again today and the coming week doesn’t look much better. Isn’t it supposed to be spring or am I just disoriented from living in California so long?

 

Nunie Gets The Gatorade Shower

gatorade-shower-head-wall-mounted-2013-dave-delisle-davesgeekyideas

There’s nothing like a comeback win. What a great game it turned out to be. I was all mopey before the Yankees scored their five big runs in the eighth. Chris Sale is a really good pitcher (Can we please get him, Cashman?), and things were looking bleak for the boys. I was taking a walk during the first couple of innings, listening on my iPhone, and a black cat ran across my path right before Jeter got hit on the ankle. I thought, Pleeeease no. So glad he was fine. At least he seemed fine.

When Cano knocked Sale out of the game, my mood brightened and I knew there was a chance for us. And then it was single, single single, single, single, single. (OK, I don’t know how many singles there were, but they were all huge.) I love homers – who doesn’t – but seeing the offense hit the ball up the middle and use the whole field was a lot of fun and something this team hasn’t always been able to do.

Yes, the White Sox are terrible defenders. I’ve never seen such sloppiness. But beating Sale and some hard throwers in their pen was an accomplishment. Every game is so crucial right now – every at bat, every chance in the field, every pitch. I think I was holding my breath for the past three hours. But I’m exhaling now. If the Rays lose again to the Angels over on this coast, I’ll be even happier.

I’m not unhappy that Huff will start in Hughes’ place on Saturday against the Red Sox. I just hope he doesn’t fold under the pressure.

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