Reds Archives - Jane Heller

Well, That Was Easy

July 27, 2017

How nice to have a quick two-game sweep of the Reds back home at the Stadium. It wasn’t a 10-game winning streak, but I’ll take it.

Random observations….Montgomery pitched a gem on Tuesday night and Severino was superb yesterday. Kudos to them. I know nothing about the Cincinnati Reds and their offense, but our two starters looked really tough…….Clint Frazier is proving to be a nice addition to the team, both offensively and defensively. Which creates a dilemma for the Yankees when Aaron Hicks comes off the DL. Too many outfielders? Does one of them get traded for a starter? Can we keep both, along with Gardner and Ellsbury? (Judge is untouchable, obviously.)….As for the other Frazier, Todd (or as John Sterling called him “The Toddfather”) hit into a triple play in his first at-bat on home turf Tuesday night, but the Toms River, NJ native smacked his first homer yesterday. How cool would it be if he provided real offensive pop at third base after coming over from the Cubs… I’m still worried about Betances. He’s been so shaky that I find myself wincing every time he’s on the mound. At least Chapman seems to have straightened out his mechanics. But Cessa needs to go. He’s not helping, not even for mop-up duties….With the trade deadline getting closer, I’m eager to see if Cashman pulls off a trade for a starter. There’s no longer a question whether this Yankees team is a contender. They are, and another strong arm in the rotation would only solidify our position. But the immediate goal is to trample the Rays during this next series. They’re our pesky rivals, so it’s essential that we don’t lose ground to them.

It Was Fun While It Lasted

May 10, 2017

Not much to say except the Yankees’ winning streak was snapped last night against the Reds. I fully expected our resilient hitters to come back from the hole CC dug for them (it wasn’t that insurmountable), but maybe their fatigue caught up with them. I do wonder about CC though. Were his last couple of starts an indication that he’s dealing with his own fatigue or will he make adjustments?

Anyway, on to the series at the Stadium against the Astros. Get a good night’s sleep, Yankees. We need you rested and ready to start a new winning streak.

The Sweep Was Sweet

July 21, 2014

And unexpected. The Reds came into the Stadium having played well, so I hoped for the best from the Yankees but…well, I certainly was surprised by the sweep. Dare I say that Phelps has grown into the job and is looking less like a mere fill-in and more like a guy who can stay in the rotation for awhile? And dare I say that McCarthy may have been a good pickup after all, though two starts aren’t much of a sample size? And dare I say that Kuroda has gas left in the tank despite not getting the win?

The Yankees’ infield defense (I’m looking at you, Brian Roberts) is still suspect and needs tightening up. But maybe, just maybe, the offense is coming around. It’ll never be a Bronx Bombers type offense and I miss that, but Ellsbury continues to impress and Jeter seems renewed and Beltran and McCann have been contributing more.

Bottom line: it’s more fun to watch games when the Yankees win than when they lose so I hope they keep this trend up. Whether they have a legitimate shot to make it into the postseason, as opposed to turning 2014 simply into a farewell tour for Jeter, is still an open question.

This One Hurt

May 20, 2012

pain-woman-intestinal__crop-landscape-534x0 — Photo: Media Bakery

CC was coasting along, looking like he would carry the Yankees on his considerable back to an honest-to-goodness victory, in spite of the ineptitude of the offense, and then boom. He lost it, just couldn’t throw strikes, and turned the seventh inning into a big opportunity for the Reds.

What I’d like to know is how does an ace like CC suddenly and inexplicably forget how to pitch? Or, more accurately, lose the ability to throw the ball over the plate? Odd.

I really thought the Yanks should have had this one, but now the whole team is slumping. I know it’s early and they’re prone to slow starts. It’s just way more fun to win games than lose them, especially when they’re within reach.

Is it time to break out the superstitious stuff? Lucky caps, T-shirts, food, something? During the playoffs a couple of years ago, I was keeping score with that magic pen, remember?

It worked for awhile and then we lost, so I buried it in the backyard. Maybe I should dig it up.

Close But No Cigar

May 19, 2012

At least the Yanks had a rally in their bones and made the ninth inning exciting. Unfortunately, it was too little too late and our one-game “winning streak” came to an end.

I only saw the end of the game (I got a new computer yesterday and spent hours on the phone with an Apple technician trying to sort out assorted glitches), so I can’t make any observations except to say that Nova wasn’t exactly lights out. Right now I’d love to have a rotation of CC and Andy, period. Since that won’t happen, I hope Nova can figure out why his sinker isn’t sinking or whatever the problem is.

I’m glad Tex is “resting,” although he shouldn’t even be at the ballpark. He’s got a bronchial infection that’s hung on far too long and he should be home. Girardi made the point that it’s easier to “rest” away from the family, especially if you have young kids, but sitting around a clubhouse/dugout for hours can’t be a good idea. Oh well. They don’t ask for my opinion.

Fingers crossed for tomorrow’s rubber game. And woohoo, NY Rangers, for the big win today.

Seems Like Old Times

May 18, 2012

Andy Pettitte was the guy we could always count on after a losing streak, remember? He was our rock, the one who pulled us out of the doldrums, the pitcher who carried us on his back and turned things around.

And tonight he did it again – in spite of the fact that it was only his second start of the season. I hoped he’d be good, but eight shutout innings?

I just didn’t expect it. I don’t know a thing about the Reds other than Dusty Baker is their manager; I pay very little attention to the National League. But their offense rolled over for our Andy.

Speaking of offense, I kept wondering, as the score remained at 1-0 for entirely too long, if the Yankees would ever break out the bats. They did, but their failures with RISP continued.

Still, I’m on a high after this victory. Andy was better than this for me, and that’s saying something.

Can We Just Forget The Second Game Happened?

June 22, 2011

The Reds were bound to win tonight’s finale with Cueto on the mound. Does he wind up like Luis Tiant or what? (I’m talking about the way he turns his back on the hitters.) I was less perturbed about our lack of offense than I was about our pathetic pitching. Gordon threw a few too many meatballs and Noesi blew the game open.

Oh, well.

I’d rather gush about Garcia’s performance in Game 1 of the doubleheader. Now which starter do we want in the pen when Hughes comes back, huh?

All in all, it was a very good road trip for the Yanks. It would have been better if we’d been able to take advantage of the Red Sox’s loss today, but whatever. It’s still June. Despite all the injuries, we’re hanging in there.

The Absolute Best Nova

June 20, 2011

nova.russ&daughters — (courtesy: Russ and Daughters)

Raise your hand if you expected Ivan Nova to a) go eight innings b) not walk a single batter c) baffle the NL Central’s best offensive team.

I didn’t think so.

He was fabulous tonight against the Reds and I didn’t expect it – not after the first inning when it looked as if he might give back our comfy four-run lead.

My stomach turned over when Ayala and Logan forced Mo to take off his jacket in the ninth. I got even more queasy when it seemed that Mo wasn’t particularly sharp. But all was well and we put the series opener in the win column.

There was a lot of pre-game buzz about Phil Hughes – how he threw 95 mph, how he’s nearing a return to the rotation, how he’s about to bump somebody into the pen. My question to anybody reading this is WHO WILL GET BUMPED? Assuming Colon will be healthy and return to form, which guy will be voted off the island? Will it be:

Colon?
Garcia?
Nova?

I’d have to guess it will be Colon, to give him a chance to get strong. But having just typed those words, I’m changing my mind and saying it’ll be Garcia. On the other hand, Hughes will have to prove himself. Maybe he’s the one going to the pen, despite what Girardi and Cashman say.

Oh, the mysteries of baseball.