Jane Heller

New York Times and USA Today Bestselling Author

Bad News in the Morning Makes Me Grumpy All Day

I really hate waking up, checking the Yankees score from the west coast game the night before, and discovering that they lost. I especially hate it when the Yankees play the A’s. Doesn’t it seem as if Oakland always gets hot toward the end of the season just in time for the playoffs? And doesn’t it seem as if they always have a starting pitcher who baffles the Yankees offense just enough to beat us? And doesn’t it seem as if we get beaten, as in swept, by the best teams (say, Houston)?

This morning, my first order of business was to reach for my laptop and check the score from last night, hoping the Yankees would win at lease ONE game in the A’s series. But NO. We got swept. Apparently, we didn’t have a single starter who could contain what does NOT amount to the most offensive club in the majors. I’m so angry in case it isn’t obvious.

Now we play the Dodgers for three games and that won’t be easy either, particularly with Paxton on the mound given his inconsistency. It’s this west coast swing that worried me the most when Cashman didn’t land a starter before the trade deadline. I knew we’d need one (or two) who could truly be stoppers.

On the plus side – and there’s always a plus side too – Gleyber continues to be a beast at the plate and thank God for that.

 

Someone Is Celebrating and It’s Not the Yankees

The Yankees tried to sweep the Red Sox and avoid letting them clinch the AL East on our soil, but they couldn’t manage a win in the finale. So be it.

There were some positives to take away from this series.

Severino pitched well – better than he has in ages. Happ continues to dominate the Red Sox and provide an overall consistent arm in the rotation. Luke Voit continues to mash and infuse the team with tons of energy, making Bird a distant memory. Andujar may have his shortcomings on defense, but he can hit, really hit. Stanton’s grand slam last night broke him out of his slump. And, of course, Judge is back in the lineup; he may not have found his stroke yet, but he’s getting there.

On the negative side, Gary Sanchez. Period. Please can we trade him? What good is he to this team? If he were hitting a ton, I’d say OK, maybe he can DH now and then. But he hasn’t hit for real, not in a long time. And his defense is atrocious. As Kaat said last night on MLB Network, pitchers don’t want to throw to a guy they can’t trust and Boone would be well served to use Romine in a one-game playoff. Another negative? Tanaka. I would not use him to start a one-game playoff at Yankee Stadium. He gives up too many early runs. The shaky bullpen. Honestly, every time Betances takes the mound, I worry. Ditto: Chad Green. Chapman is back but let’s see how he does after the layoff. And Sheffield may or may not play a role in important situations.

With the A’s freaky 21-run win over the Angels yesterday, we’re only a whisper in front of them in the WC standings. This thing could go down to the wire.

I’ll be at the Monday night game when they open the series against the Rays – Section 1, Row Q at the Trop. I’ll try to will them to victory, but this race is on them.

Only One Game!

That’s all that separates the Yankees from the Oakland A’s right now in the Wild Card race. Why? Because the Yankees dropped the last two games to the Twins – the Twins! – and nearly got no-hit in the process.

This situation is making me very nervous. Oakland always has a way of getting hot late in the season and the Yankees? I honestly don’t know what to say. Severino pitched well last night, so that was a positive. But to use Sonny Gray as a spot starter the night before and Tommy Kaenle in relief were disastrous decisions.

The return of Gary Sanchez hasn’t exactly turned the team’s offense around, and at this point the absence of Judge, while it looms large, isn’t the reason for the team’s inability to win games. The problem is a combination of flaws. They’re just not playing well and it’s the wrong time for a collapse.

What’s especially disheartening is that they began the season so gloriously, giving us so much hope, providing such great entertainment. It was fun to win games, remember?

I think Boone needs to find a way to rally the troops….before it’s too late.

Who Is Masquerading as Severino and Bring Back the Real Guy

OK, this has gotten scary. Severino had another meltdown last night in Oakland as the Yankees dropped the series finale. Clearly, he is not the same pitcher who won all those games and was considered our ace. Is he hurt? Is it late-season fatigue? Is it mechanical?

What’s scary is that it doesn’t matter what the reason is, because in a one-game Wild Card winner-take-all playoff game, he is NOT the guy to pitch. So the Yankees are left to figure out which starter would pitch. Right now, I’d consider Happ of all people our ace. Tanaka gives up too many home run balls and CC is inconsistent and only gives us a few innings and Lynn has been pretty awful overall.

The point is I would have thought Larry Rothschild and the Yankees brain trust would have figured out what’s ailing Severino by now, and they haven’t. Very, very disappointing.

P.S. Gary Sanchez is still a terrible catcher. No change there.

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.

Tied

First, let me say that although we didn’t sweep the Red Sox and ended the series tied with them for first place, having briefly overtaken them on Wednesday night, the games in this series at Yankee Stadium were great games. I enjoyed each one, even though they weren’t blowouts (my favorite, when we win, of course). Even in last night’s loss, there was always a sense that the Yanks would stage a comeback and they did. It just wasn’t enough after the homer off Betances.

CC didn’t have his best stuff last night and didn’t last long. And the truth is, he’s never been very good against the Red Sox – at least not in my memory. But aside from Severino’s great start, this series was all about the bullpen. They kept the Yankees in every game just long enough to give them a chance to score runs, and Chapman locked down save after save.

Everybody contributed in some way. I wish Hicks would get his bat going and I’m not sure Tyler Austin is ready for prime time and I do wish Gary Sanchez would cut down on the passed balls, but Gardner finally got hot. The lineup, top to bottom, is capable of doing damage at any time, especially late in games.

All in all, while last night’s finale was disappointing, the series was nail-biting fun with high energy in the crowd and among the players. You could feel it.

Now, I hope there’s no letdown for the series against the A’s. That can happen after a charged Red Sox series, but maybe this team of young players will keep the adrenaline flowing.

Swept by the A’s. The Indignity!

What a miserable, miserable road trip. The Yanks won one measly game – the opener out West against the Angels – and after that? Nothing but losses. What’s more, CC landed on the DL with a strained hamstring, Sanchez and Hicks got banged up with what are being called “day to day” injuries and Holliday was down yesterday with some sort of allergic reaction. (Yes, he rebounded nicely today with a homer, but still.) Even Torres, the phenom in the minors, got hurt.

And then there’s Tanaka. He was back to “bad Tanaka” – giving up the long ball despite striking out batters. What a head scratcher he is this season. Nobody’s pitching really well at the moment.

Will a little home cooking do the trick and reverse the skid? Or was this team due for a wakeup call? Baseball is a long haul and I didn’t think the Yanks would win every game (despite my fantasy). I just didn’t expect an actual losing streak of this length.

I blame myself. I bought and wore my Judge jersey and ate Audrey’s Judge cookies. It’s all my fault.

A Sweep – For Our Side!

(courtesy: olaughingpress.com)

It’s been a long time since I posted the laughing lady, but it seemed appropriate after the Yankees finished off the A’s with a four-game sweep. I wish we could play at the Oakland Coliseum everyday.

Just about everybody contributed to the four wins, even Teixeira, who finally looked like he wasn’t toast. Ditto: CC. But the resurgence of Beltran, the old war horse, has been a sight to behold. He was meant to be a DH at his age and has thrived in the role. I don’t understand Girardi’s thinking when he insists to the media that he’ll slot A-Rod in as DH when he’s off the DL because “A-Rod is our DH, period.” Whatever happened to going with the hot hand?

Ellsbury, too, is proving that when healthy he can be an effective player. He can go on a tear and be a real catalyst for us. And then there’s McCann. When he’s hitting homers and doubles and driving in runs, he’s dangerous.

I was glad to see Pineda have a good game yesterday. I feared for him in the first inning. I worried he’d get shelled. He didn’t. He hung in and pitched better than he has all season. Was it a fluke or a sign of things to come? We’ll have to wait and see.

And, of course, our bullpen is just crazy good.

It goes without saying that I really like when the Yankees win consistently, not just every now and then, and this weekend in Oakland made me a laughing lady.

Swept Away

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Is anything working for the Yankees right now? They looked awful against the A’s over the past three games at the Stadium. Just awful. They aren’t getting “the big hit,” as the players put it, aren’t pitching great, aren’t playing smart defense or remembering how to run the bases. Aside from a few newbies, weren’t they supposed to be the Experienced Yankees? The team with crafty, if creaky, veterans mixed in with the sharp young talent?

From what I can tell, nobody’s performing at a level worth talking about. I was with a Red Sox fan yesterday and we were both bemoaning the state of our teams. He said, “I wish David Price could pitch every day.” I was about to come back with something about the Yankees, but I honestly couldn’t think of my one wish. Is there anyone I’d want to pitch everyday? Not right now. Well, except the bullpen team of Betances and Miller.

It’s still April. The Yankees have been slow starters at times. My worry is that we don’t have anyone with the star power to carry the team through the rough patches. Even Girardi, who’s usually so upbeat/in denial, looks peeved. His scowl speaks volumes.

Still, when someone offered me Legends seats the other day, I jumped at the chance to go to a game. The Yankees are my team, for better or worse. I’d just rather it wasn’t “for worse.”

Watching Tex These Days Is a Kick

Tex bomb

In last night’s game against the A’s, he hit a couple of homers, made some great plays at first and generally looked like the exciting player we remember from his first year with the Yankees. I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again: his gluten free diet might really be his magic potion. Whatever he’s doing, I hope he keeps it up because he’s not only winning ballgames for the team but making it a pleasure to watch the games.

Gardner had a big game today in the series finale. I’m glad he’s going to the All-Star game even if it’s as Alex Gordon’s sub. He deserves to be there.

CC was better in this series. Tanaka was really good in this series. Those were pluses. Less “plus” was Chase Headley and his tight whatever body part it is, necessitating a kid playing third. On the other hand, I was heartened by the return of both Ellsbury and Miller (showing some rust but still). Having them both back is like acquiring two big free agents to help out during the second half.

I’m all over the map when it comes to this team. There are times when I think they can’t possibly get to the playoffs and there are other times, like right now, when I think they’re a lock. It all comes down to the starting pitching. I still don’t trust Evo to deliver consistently and CC and his knee are worrisome, and then there’s Tanaka, who makes me hold my breath every time he’s on the mound. One more starter (Cole Hamels, Cole Hamels, Cole Hamels – if I say it three times maybe it’ll come true) would sure work for me.

So Streaky

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Whether the girl in the above photo streaked her hair blue because she’s a Yankee fan I couldn’t tell you. I was just looking around for “streaks” images and there she was. The point is, after the Yanks and A’s finished up their series today, I was thinking that this team is so up and down it’s hard to figure out where they are in the scheme of things. They play the Royals, the best in baseball, and they sweep. They play the A’s, who stink, and they win one measly game. Consistency, boys. It would be nice.

And then there’s Slade. He was just beginning to look promising and – bam – lost to injury. Now the new kid is Ramon Flores. I wish him luck especially if, as reported, he’s taking his cues from Didi.

On the plus side, Beltran seems to have roused himself from his slumber. Adam Warren has established himself as a solid starter. And A-Rod, dear A-Rod, has inched 14 hits closer to the 3,000 hit mark. At some point, the Yankees will have to acknowledge these milestones of his with more than a mention in their game wrap-up press releases, won’t they?

Tomorrow night brings Seattle and King Felix. I’ll be asleep. Wake me if A-Rod has 14 hits.

The Yanks Head Home

Photo: Chris Ratcliffe/Bloomberg
Photo: Chris Ratcliffe/Bloomberg

Actually, the above photo is not the Yankees’ charter. It’s the private plane Tanaka flew to New York a while back. Not too shabby, right?

What was shabby was Vidal Nuno’s performance, if it can be called that, in today’s finale against the A’s. Every pitcher has a bad game here and there, but I just don’t see this guy getting it done over the long haul, and nobody seems inclined to do anything about it.

Still, there were promising developments on this road trip. The offense came to life, albeit not today, with Jeter and Ellsbury making a potent combination. Gardner too. And despite the constant injuries Teixeira comes down with (wrist, hammy, rib/obligue/lat/whatever), he’s still capable of hitting when he’s in the lineup. Beltran too. And the bullpen has been mostly good lately. So it’s not as if this team can’t win ballgames. It’s that they don’t do it consistently. They need to go on a tear now that they’re back in the Bronx, because it’s the division rivals they’ll be facing. I wish Tanaka could pitch every game. I wish….Well, never mind. The point is I’d like to see the 2014 Yankees settle into their own ballpark with its inviting dimensions and knock the ball over that short porch in right field. Early and often.

 

Not Sleepless in Seattle

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Well, that was refreshing – a series sweep against the Mariners that included another spectacular performance by Tanaka, some stress-free closes by Robertson, the resurgence of Jeter both at the plate and on the bases, the continuing brilliant play by Ellsbury and the emergence of Chase Whitley, who went deeper into a game last night and proved he can throw strikes and get guys out. Not bad at all. Even Soriano awoke from his slumber and hit a big double in last night’s game.

Of course I would have preferred that Ellsbury not feel tightness in his hip. Nobody seems too worried about it, but he’s felt it before and I hope it’s not a lingering issue. We need him in the lineup – oh, do we need him. He’s the guy that makes things happen, and while the Yankees offense isn’t exactly reminiscent of the Bronx Bombers, they actually scored six runs last night and he’s always in the mix when we’re talking about scoring runs.

Interesting that Cervelli’s about to return. I’d practically forgotten about him and his great spring. I was happy with Murphy and will be sorry to see him get sent down (or, please no, traded). But if Cervelli can be the spark plug we need, so much the better, I guess. And having Shawn Kelley back soon will give the relievers some rest. What we still need is a long man in the pen to replace Phelps and Nuno now that they’re starters.

On to Oakland, which won’t be easy, and then home to face the sizzling Blue Jays, which definitely won’t be easy.

Meanwhile, the NY Rangers have another elimination game tonight. My stomach’s in a knot already……….

 

Fading, Fading……

fading-away

That’s what the Yankees have been doing for the last ten games or so and that’s what I feel like when I either watch/listen to the games or check the box scores. Depressing.

The defense has been spotty, the pitching unreliable, albeit Kuroda was good today, and the offense practically nonexistent. Remember the days of “too many home runs?” That all seems like a hallucination right now. Thank God for playoff hockey, even though the Rangers are down two to the Kings.

And back in the baseball world, things were much more interesting between the Orioles and A’s than they were between the Yankees and Royals:

http://sports.yahoo.com/blogs/mlb-big-league-stew/manny-machado-ejected-after-bat-toss-incites-benches-clearing-altercation-213609066.html

The Mike Piazza/Roger Clemens bat throwing incident was minor compared to that little dust up!

 

5 Hours & 35 Minutes of Torture

OK, I can’t claim that I sat through the entire ordeal. The game started at 12:30 here in California and I worked until late afternoon. I figured it was long over by the time I went online to check the score and was surprised to see the Yanks and A’s locked in a 2-2 tie in the 8th. I pulled up a chair and settled in to watch. And settled in. And settled in. I could not believe all the scoring opportunities that went nowhere. It was an exercise in futility. When Tex popped up with the bases loaded I went especially mental.

The stats for guys like Wells, Youkilis and Hafner were brutal, but at least Wells made an incredible throw that saved a run and nearly cost Stewart his head in the collision at the plate. The pitching was uniformly great, with essentially two starts by Kuroda  and then Adam Warren. But the second Girardi brought Mo in, I cringed. I didn’t like the fact that it wasn’t a save situation or that he’d gotten up earlier in the game and sat back down. It was just a feeling that he’d blow it. On the other hand, somebody had to be the goat because the Yankees were not about to score any runs. Not this crew.

Here’s what I’d do if I were Cashman. I’d package up Hughes and ship him to a team with a good offensive player and slide Warren into the rotation. But more likely, there will be call ups coming for the rest of this road trip with somebody (perhaps Warren) getting sent down. Maybe Overbay will be DFA-ed too. All I know is that getting swept by the A’s isn’t a terrible thing on the face of it. It’s how we got swept that stings. This team is just not very good right now.

 

5 Hours & 35 Minutes of Torture

OK, I can’t claim that I sat through the entire ordeal. The game started at 12:30 here in California and I worked until late afternoon. I figured it was long over by the time I went online to check the score and was surprised to see the Yanks and A’s locked in a 2-2 tie in the 8th. I pulled up a chair and settled in to watch. And settled in. And settled in. I could not believe all the scoring opportunities that went nowhere. It was an exercise in futility. When Tex popped up with the bases loaded I went especially mental.

The stats for guys like Wells, Youkilis and Hafner were brutal, but at least Wells made an incredible throw that saved a run and nearly cost Stewart his head in the collision at the plate. The pitching was uniformly great, with essentially two starts by Kuroda  and then Adam Warren. But the second Girardi brought Mo in, I cringed. I didn’t like the fact that it wasn’t a save situation or that he’d gotten up earlier in the game and sat back down. It was just a feeling that he’d blow it. On the other hand, somebody had to be the goat because the Yankees were not about to score any runs. Not this crew.

Here’s what I’d do if I were Cashman. I’d package up Hughes and ship him to a team with a good offensive player and slide Warren into the rotation. But more likely, there will be call ups coming for the rest of this road trip with somebody (perhaps Warren) getting sent down. Maybe Overbay will be DFA-ed too. All I know is that getting swept by the A’s isn’t a terrible thing on the face of it. It’s how we got swept that stings. This team is just not very good right now.

 

Road Trip Speed Bumps

No photo with this post. I’m writing it on my phone while my computer is busy doing a download.

If I were going use an image or two, I would probably use pics of both Hughes and Joba, our two free agents who just keep breaking my heart. Hughes said after the game, “I had nothing.” Just what I wanted to hear. Joba? What can he say except he was awful.

Of course, if this team could score some runs, the pitchers might not be so discombobulated. (I love typing that word.) This is not a good stretch for the now hapless Yanks. Not good at all.

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About Jane Heller

Jane Heller is a New York Times and USA Today bestselling author. Her fourteen breezy, witty novels of romantic comedy and suspense are now entertaining millions of readers around the world, along with her two books of nonfiction.