Jane Heller

New York Times and USA Today Bestselling Author

On a Roll

The Yankees dropped the opener in this weekend’s series against the A’s, but they came roaring back in games 2 and 3. Game 2, especially, was a thrilling affair with Walker’s walk-off single in the 11th inning and all the drama that led up to it. (Chapman’s inning was especially nerve-wracking.) Today was more of a long, drawn-out contest because of the rain delay. With the Yanks scoring early and Severino on the mound, the game had an air of inevitability about it; I felt the win was likely. But Stanton’s 4-for-4 day was a nice touch. I’ve been waiting for him to heat up and maybe today was the beginning.

After tomorrow’s off-day, the boys will play the Nationals in D.C. Oh, the irony. I haven’t been to D.C. in years, but will be there on Tuesday and Wednesday for business – the same days they’ll be in town. I hope my mere presence in the vicinity will bring them luck.

They Weren’t Celebrating in Houston This Time

What a great road trip the Yankees had. First they took on the Angels – or, should I say, took down the Angels – and then came the Astros. I admit, I had my doubts about how they would do against the World Champs who have managed to beat them consistently, but wow. How about the way they kept coming back from the jaws of defeat to notch those wins?

Severino was a star. Tanaka, CC pitched well. German filled in admirably for the ailing Montgomery. (I do think Cashman will need to go out and get a seasoned arm; there’s nobody outstanding in Scranton to save the day.) Gleybar Torres has made his presence felt. Sanchez’s home run power can’t be denied (didn’t love the passed ball yesterday though). Stanton awakened. It’s all good, and the Yankees are now a very good team, give or take a few weak spots. Oh, I forgot to mention that Chapman got save after save, firing fastballs at full velocity.

So bring on Cleveland. It’s supposed to rain tonight, but hopefully the game will be played. Go Yanks.

Weird series

It was just a two-game series against the Marlins, a team the Yankees should have swept easily. Instead, we blew them away in Game 1, thanks to a stellar outing by Severino and a barrage of hitting, and then were blown away in Game 2, thanks to a disastrous outing by Tanaka and a paucity of hitting. How to explain this dichotomy?

The most concerning issue is Tanaka. He’s always been prone to the home run ball, but last night was ridiculous. Obviously, he had nothing on his pitches and the Marlins took advantage. Or is his problem something deeper, as in injury? I see Kaenle is suddenly on the DL with arm tendinitis, not that he was that integral to the team’s success, but arm trouble at this time of the year never bodes well. Maybe Tanaka just had an “off” night as did the offense.

Either way, the Yanks seem to be unable to get on a roll. It’s early. It’s cold. I understand all that. But unless we start reeling off some back-to-back wins, we’ll be in the hole in the division and it’ll be tough to gain ground.

(Sorry to be the voice of doom this morning. I’ll feel better after a few wins in a row.)

Mt. Crushmore!

Ok, Greg Bird is out of the picture for now, but how about the murderer’s row on display in today’s finale against the Rays? Stanton, Judge and Sanchez all hit bombs and Didi put on a HR show yesterday. Good job, guys.

Severino was impressive even if the Rays are notorious underachievers at the plate.

The important points were that Stanton rebounded from the booing he earned yesterday, Sanchez woke up from his slumbering start to the season and Judge continued to flex his muscles. If I were an opposing pitcher, I would have nightmares thinking about facing this lineup even if they do go into slumps now and then.

Speaking of offense, the O’s come to the Bronx for our first matchup with them this year. They can hit, but can they pitch? We shall see.

Oh – I forgot to mention – I’ve been spending the winter in St. Petersburg, FL (actually I did mention it in a previous post about going to the first spring training game at Steinbrenner Field in Tampa), and now I’ll be living here full time starting in June. So whenever the Yanks come into town to play the Rays, I hope to be at the Trop. I also hope to catch a glimpse of the players while they’re coming and going at their hotel. Recently, I snapped this pic at the Vinoy while the Red Sox were in town.

Do you honestly think I’m NOT going to take a photo of our heroes? Not a chance.

Party On!

Yes, it’s another old picture, but last night’s game ended too late for me to pop champagne. Suffice it to say I was celebrating in my mind. The Yankees are going to the ALDS!!!!

The game was such a bummer in the beginning. Severino was clearly overawed/nervous/too pumped, not to mention too inexperienced to start a one-game wild card playoff with everything on the line. He’s a kid. Too much pressure on him, as good as he’s been this season. He got knocked around in the first, couldn’t locate, couldn’t get outs – until he was out, and thank God. I kept yelling, “Pull him, Joe!”

And Joe listened. Chad Green was superb in early relief, truly. His strikeouts were huge, setting up a chance for the Yanks to come back in the bottom of the first (bless you, Didi; Gardner too). Of course, Judge had a homer as well in his first postseason game, because Judge has destiny on his side. Everyone in the Stadium crowd seemed to be wearing #99 on their backs. I loved that the pitch before the homer was up and in by Santana, and Judge glared at him – just as Gardner did – before taking him deep.

And then there was D-Rob. I hope his arm doesn’t fall off. He was a trooper, pitching so well for so long when he’s used to one or maybe two innings, no more. He got us through to the other relievers, who held the Twins scoreless the rest of the way. Sure, we burned the bullpen, which doesn’t bode well for the future, but that’s how it goes when you’re fighting for a spot in the ALDS.

I would love to have seen the Yankees do more scoring after the flurry early, just to give myself some breathing room and to let Joe use the mop-up guys in the pen, but I’m not complaining. I’ve been tough on Joe this season, but he made all the right moves last night.

Well, I am complaining, but it’s ESPN I’m mad at. Number one: why must the games start at 8pm and drag on forever thanks to their zillion commercials? And the commentary is mind-numbing; the trio in the booth never shut up.

But now it’s on to Cleveland and the start time on Thursday night is 7:30 on FS1. My Tribe fan friend tells me it’s supposed to pour that night. She also said she’s hoping for midges; it’s that time of year. The Yankees’ path to victory against the Indians won’t be easy (ugh- Cory Kluber), but we’ll see. We know how to deal with midges now, and it’s not bug spray.

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!

A Series Split

After the miserable first two games in Cleveland, I was afraid we’d get swept by the World Series aspirant Indians. But – hoorah – we squeaked out the win on Saturday (thank you Headley for hitting that go-ahead homer and Chapman for notching the save despite making me sweat). Today’s game wasn’t a squeaker but rather a good old-fashioned bashing. Severino was brilliant against a great offensive team, and Ellsbury – the poor, maligned Ellsbury, who is constantly being grouped with the Yankees’ worst free agent signings – had a clutch triple. I’ll bet the boys feel good about themselves at least for the moment.

On the troubling side is the Gary Sanchez story. As I’ve been writing, his defense has been suspect for awhile – from passed balls to errant throws – but Girardi finally saw enough in Cleveland. He benched Sanchez today in favor of Romine and said he intends to use him sporadically as DH until he can work through his catching problems. Cashman offered the theory that muscle weight gain has made Sanchez less agile behind the plate. Girardi seemed to question Sanchez’s work ethic. It must be tough for the kid who burst into the majors late last season, slugged his way to being a fan favorite and now must take a step backward. But that’s the reality if he wants to succeed in pinstripes.

Also of note is Holliday going on the DL for back trouble. He hasn’t been right since the virus that was never diagnosed, but he was giving us a big offensive lift early in the season. I hope he comes back healthy and ready to contribute.

In the meantime, all hail Severino for a stellar pitching performance today.

Aborted End to Yanks-Royals

Credit: Anthony Gruppuso-USA TODAY Sports

The finale in the four-game series was postponed, but there’s still lots to talk about regarding the past few days – primarily the starting pitching. Wow. It was great throughout. Pineda, Montgomery and Severino were spectacular with Severino going his deepest – into the eighth inning. Bravo to all. If the bullpen hadn’t blow Game 2, Montgomery would have had the win, but that’s an area the Yankees will have to address: middle relief. It’s shaky. Betances, on the other hand, has been terrific filling in for Chapman as our closer. (Take that, Randy Levine!)

There was just enough offense (Gardner and Didi have been hot and Sanchez seems to be coming around), and the defense was superb for the most part. The bad news was losing Ellsbury. I didn’t see his collision with the wall in real time, only the replays, but I winced each time. Big-time ouch. And now he’s out with a concussion. I wish him a speedy recovery and in the meantime we have Hicks…and Refsnyder, who will get another chance to prove he’s Major League worthy.

Next up is Oakland this weekend. More rain is forecast on and off, so we’ll see how much baseball we’ll get in. Ditto for the Memorial Day matchup at Camden Yards against the O’s. I’m sure the players don’t mind getting a rest. Some of them are pretty banged up. And Tanaka could really use the extra time to figure out how to pitch like an ace.

 

Record Shattering!

Full disclosure: there was no way I was staying up to see the end of last night’s game at Wrigley. I hate ESPN games, as I’m sure the players do, and I went to bed before Chapman blew the save. I thought the Yankees had things under control. I thought we were bound for the broom.

And then – surprise! – we did need the broom for the sweep but it took 18 innings to get there. Wow. I mean wow. Six hours. A record number of strikeouts. More than 500 pitches from 15 pitchers. What didn’t surprise me when I woke up was that Aaron Hicks was in the thick of things. A-Rod compared him to Bernie on Fox on Saturday, and I agree. He’s got the speed and the bat, and he can field his position too.

What shouldn’t get lost is that Severino went toe to toe with Lester, no easy feat, rebounding from a poor pitching performance last time out. And almost all the relievers (they really should DFA Tommy Layne) have been great. Also of note, every game, with a few exceptions, is exciting, has a spark, makes me want to keep watching. This team is flat-out entertaining the way they keep coming back.

I can’t imagine they’ll be feeling perky against the Reds tonight, so if they lose I’ll let them off the hook. But they could surprise me again and play out of their minds. What fun!

 

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.

First Sweep of the Season!

And the “Babe Ruth” in last night’s game wasn’t Aaron Judge but Aaron Hicks with two homers against the Rays. Joining him in heroics was Luis Severino, who hadn’t won a game in forever, but had 11 Ks to dominate. And Chapman got another chance to be lights out. Well, not quite lights out – he did give up a hit and some of the at bats took awhile – but the man does bring the heat.

Brett Gardner got shook up in a collision at first base the other day so he’s shaky, but Greg Bird is back. Now if he could start hitting maybe we’d be in business.

It’s too early to tell what to make of this version of the Yankees, but when they win, they’re as much fun to watch as any Yankee team. What continues to trouble me is the number of empty seats behind home plate – the expensive seats. They’re practically bare in the early innings and gradually fill in during the game, after the Legends Suite holders finish dinner, I guess. But there’s a wide shot from the centerfield camera that shows just how embarrassing the situation is – at least to me. Yes, it’s April and the cold nights aren’t for everybody. Here’s hoping it warms up and either the Yankees drop their prices or fans decide to pony up.

Post Subway Series, Now What?

subway-series-tickets

We saw Gary Sanchez get his first major league hit and serve as DH. We saw the successful return of Luis Severino out of the bullpen. But the Yankees held fast to their tendency to play .500 baseball with a series split against the Mets. They’re a different team but their results are the same. And so be it.

The big question everyone’s asking going forward – and Girardi is getting peeved about being asked day after day, can’t blame him – is what’s to be done with A-Rod? He gets no playing time. He’s just….there. I read an article in the NYT the other day about what a great mentor he’s been to the younger players and how baseball-smart he is (we could see that from watching his commentary on the TV playoff coverage). So what happens to him?

My guess is the Yankees organization will retain him for the duration of this season and then release him (unless the Marlins are willing to take him). And then he’ll either play for another year (again, for the Marlins most likely) to reach his milestones, or settle into the broadcast booth. As I said, he’s good in front of the camera when talking about the game as opposed to himself.

Meanwhile, the Yanks take on the now-powerhouse Cleveland Indians this weekend and that means facing Andrew Miller. It’ll make me sad to see him in their uniform.

Why Even Pitch to Ortiz?

AP Photo/Kathy Willens
AP Photo/Kathy Willens

I’ve never understood the Yankees’ strategy against David Ortiz, who hits homers at Yankee Stadium the way I hit this computer to write about it, which is to say: a lot. Last night’s two homers in the series finale against Boston was a case in point. Severino, who hasn’t exactly been Cy Young this year and will probably be sent back to the minors, is over-matched when facing a guy like Ortiz. So why not walk him?

Moreover, why not walk the guy every time he’s up? He kills the Yankees – particularly at the Stadium, as I said – so isn’t it a waste of everybody’s time to sit there and watch him go deep?

Ok, rant over.

Now I’ll start on the Yankees’ inability to hit knuckleballers. Aside from Tim Wakefield in his later years, knuckleball pitchers baffle Yankees hitters and Steven Wright, last night’s starter for Boston, was no exception. We managed – what – a measly three hits? I’m not saying it’s easy to hit a ball that’s dancing all over the place, but there must be videotape to watch, tips from the hitting coach, something. Having said that, why don’t the Yanks have a knuckleballer of their own?

And what’s up with all the injuries? Last night’s casualty was Darlin’ Starlin with an oblique. Sigh.

On a brighter note, the first two games of this series ended in victory for the Yankees, and it seemed as if they were finally getting on track. Maybe whoever’s healthy will be inspired against the Royals in the series that starts tonight. KC is a really good team, obviously. Sometimes the Yankees play up to the competition. I’m hoping this series will be one of those times since I’ll be at the Stadium on Wednesday night and don’t really want to shiver in the cold and see them lose.

So Much For Joy in Blue Jaysville

Photo: ROB FOLDY/GETTY IMAGES
Photo: ROB FOLDY/GETTY IMAGES

After winning the first game in the series in Toronto, I thought…Eh, maybe this’ll work out. But then came Games 2 and 3 and a lost series.

Eovaldi wasn’t shelled but he didn’t inspire a lot of confidence. And while Pineda was encouraging the previous night, Nova in relief was anything but. The starting pitching is and will probably continue to be a problem for the Yankees, but I hope I’m wrong.

What’s up with A-Rod? Is it really what Girardi says – that old guys take longer to get hot at the plate? If that were true, how come Beltran has done ok? And how come A-Rod started off last season, after being away from the game for so long, with a torrid offense? If he continues not to hit, he’ll be a liability in the lineup and retirement will loom large. But it’s early. At least that’s what I tell myself.

I’m really rooting for Severino to have a good start tonight in the Bronx and give everybody a lift.

News & Notes from Tampa and Elsewhere

Obama and Jeter

As the spring training season winds down, there’s actually stuff going on! For starters, our President went to Cuba as everyone knows, and among his esteemed delegation was our own Jeets. I love the above photo. You can just hear them ribbing each other about their golf games. Jeter did an interview with ESPN that day and reiterated his desire to buy a baseball team. Are the Tampa Rays be on his radar? I would think so unless MLB is planning to move the team to a bigger market and more hospitable stadium.

Meanwhile, in Tampa, A-Rod told ESPN’s Andrew Marchand today that he would retire after his contract is up in 2017. Not exactly a shocker, unless he planned on playing for another team, but at least he put a finite end to his career, which allows him to have some version of a victory tour in ’17. Of course injuries could derail his plans, but if he’s still productive for the next couple of years and conducting himself as he did last year, good for him.

Starlin Castro has created a buzz at camp, so I’m eager to see him play in the Bronx. And Luis Severino continues to impress. CC, on the other hand, has been having his problems on the mound. Will he end up in the bullpen? Stranger things have happened.

In the feel-good department, there was a terrific story today in Tampa! If anyone needs a lift – and given the horrors in the world this week, who doesn’t – just read this.

Not Happy About This

david price sox

I figured the Yankees wouldn’t touch Price, given how much money he’d command. I just hoped he’d wind up in the other league. Or even another division in our league. But no. The Red Sox needed an ace and they got one, and paid dearly. (“The seven-year, $217 million deal is the richest awarded to a major league pitcher and the largest in Red Sox history,” said Peter Abraham in the Boston Globe.) So now we’ll face Price a zillion times. Swell.

Where does that leave the Yankees in terms of a starting rotation? In the same place we were in last year. We’ll have Tanaka (arm trouble), Evo (doesn’t go deep in games), Nova (inconsistent), Pineda (inconsistent), Severino (prodigy or fluke), Warren (so-so) and CC (who knows). Is there an ace in that group? If healthy, Tanaka’s still my go-to guy, and I’m betting Severino will only get better. The others are question marks for me, but they’re ours for better or worse.

I’m wondering if Cashman intends to make any deals to strengthen this team. I get that he’s hamstrung by bloated salaries that are still on the books, but this is the Yankees we’re talking about. It’s not in our DNA to stand pat and do nothing. Or is it? Will Cashman really wait a few years to spend on Bryce Harper, etc? Doesn’t he have a Stadium to fill in the meantime?

I wouldn’t mind a shiny new player under my Christmas tree. Just saying.

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