My concern going in was that Brian Cashman's order to Aaron Boone to use as many relievers as possible in the opener of this rain-forced doubleheader -- the only explanation that makes any sense, because it was potentially very stupid, and so is Cashman -- was going to backfire, especially in the nightcap. But that turns out not to be a problem: In the opener, Adam Ottavino threw just 15 pitches, Tommy Kahnle 10, Zack Britton 12, and Aroldis Chapman 11. This was a good sign.
So, on to the nightcap. Domingo German, terrible last year mixing starting and relieving, has become the anti-Joba Chamberlain: Yankee management has committed to making him a starter, and he was fantastic again tonight. He went 7 innings, allowing just 1 run on 6 hits and 1 walk.
But no matter how good your pitching is, you gotta score runs. Pitching doesn't win games, or championships, but it gives your hitting a chance to do that. The hitting still has to happen.
In the 3rd inning, the Yankees got a 2-out rally going. DJ LeMahieu beat out an infield single, and Luke Voit doubled him home. Gleyber Torres led off the 4th with a tremendous home run, 432 feet, his 3rd dinger of the doubleheader. The "Gleyber Day" jokes came out on the YES Network and social media.
The Orioles got a run back in the 5th. In the bottom of the 7th, Thairo Estrada doubled, and, yes, him again, Voit singled him home. Voit has done a hell of a job, especially considering that, coming into this season, I only knew "Voit" as a sporting goods company that specialized in making basketballs.
Those 7 innings that German ate made a big difference, especially since he left with only a 1-run lead in a hitter's park. Boone was able to leave Ottavino and Kahnle on the bench. Britton pitched a scoreless 8th, throwing 19 pitches, giving him 31 on the day -- which is about what a pitcher should throw if he's going 2 full innings. Chapman needed only 9 pitches to toss a perfect 9.
Yankees 3, Orioles 1. WP: German (8-1). SV: Chapman (11). LP: Andrew Cashner (4-2).
Amazing stat, one that Michael Kay will find very "manageable": The Yankees played 2 games today, with a total time of 4 hours and 41. Or, as Lindsey Adler of The Athletic pointed out, about the time of a single Yankees-Red Sox game. I would add, "Especially at Fenway Park."
German is the 1st major league pitcher to win 8 games this season, which is only 26 percent done. He has an ERA+ of 166, and a WHIP of 0.954. At his current pace, he could win the American League Cy Young Award, something no Yankee has done since Roger Clemens in 2001 -- and, before that, Ron Guidry in 1978.
No, Mariano Rivera never won it. Nor did Andy Pettitte, nor did David Wells. David Cone won it in 1994, but was with Kansas City at the time. CC Sabathia won it in 2007, but with Cleveland.
At any rate, the Yankees close the night half a game behind the Tampa Bay Rays in the American League Eastern Division, 1 full game in the all-important loss column. Tomorrow is a day off for the Yankees, but not for the Orioles, as they go to Cleveland, so the other rainout couldn't be made up tomorrow. On Friday, the Rays come in, and 1st place will be on the line, as it was last weekend at the Blunderdome in St. Petersburg, when the Yankees took 2 out of 3.
In mid-game, it was announced that Miguel Andújar will have season-ending shoulder surgery on Monday. The only good thing about this is that it is resolved. With Gio Urshela playing so well, both hitting and fielding, the Yankees are not in immediate need of a new 3rd baseman.
The Yankees also made a trade, getting 1st baseman and DH Kendrys Morales from the Oakland Athletics, for a player to be named later or "cash considerations." Formerly a Playoff performer with the Los Angeles Angels and the Toronto Blue Jays, and a 2015 World Champion with the Kansas City Royals, he is about to turn 36 -- which is also the uniform number he was assigned -- and runs nearly as slowly as I do. But he could provide some lefthanded pop. Boone says, "He balances the offense."
He got into the 2nd game tonight, going 1-for-2 with 2 walks. That will light up the analytics section of Cashman's alleged brain.
And Mike Tauchman, who got off to a great start but has fallen off the map as a hitter, was sent back down to Scranton.
Oh well. Tomorrow is a day off, well-earned, and not very common for the rest of the season. Then... bring on the Tampa Bay Strays, and reclaim 1st place!