May 25, 2019: The Force is strong in Luke Voit.
The Yankees were supposed to open a series against the Kansas City Royals at Kauffman Stadium last night. Alas, the weather had other ideas, so the game was moved to this afternoon.
The Royals are probably regretting this right now. Cliche Alert: Walks can kill you, especially the leadoff variety. Aaron Hicks began the game by drawing a walk against Jakob Junis. Voit singled. After Gary Sanchez and Gleyber Torres struck out, Clint Frazier doubled the runners home. 2-0 Yankees.
It remained 2-0 until the top of the 6th, when Brett Gardner tripled, and Gio Urshela brought him home with a sacrifice fly. But the Royals tied it in the bottom of the 6th.
But in the top of the 7th, Hicks singled, and Voit hit the longest Yankee home run of the season thus far, 470 feet. Once again, The Force was strong in Luke. In the 8th, Frazier drew a walk, Gardner singled, and Thairo Estrada doubled them home.
J.A. Happ pitched 6 innings, allowing 3 runs on 4 hits, but no walks, and 10 strikeouts. Adam Ottavino pitched a scoreless 7th, and the much-maligned Luis Cessa pitched scoreless 8th and 9th.
Yankees 7, Royals 3. WP: Happ (4-3). No save. LP: Scott Barlow (1-1).
The series continues tonight, at 8:15 PM our time (7:15 local). Chad Green starts against Jorge Lopez.
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Hours until the New York Red Bulls play again: Under 2, tonight at 7:30, making their 1st-ever visit to expansion team FC Cincinnati.
Days until Arsenal play again: 4, on Wednesday, at 2:45 PM New York time, against fellow Londoners Chelsea, but at the Olympic Stadium (not that the Olympics will every be scheduled for there) in Baku, Azerbaijan, in the UEFA Europa League Final. If Arsenal, who new manager Unai Emery guided to a 5th place finish in the Premier League, when just a little less stupid stubbornness on his part would have gotten them to 3rd, win the game, they qualify for next season's UEFA Champions League. If they lose, they don't, unless UEFA does what it's threatening to do, and ban Manchester City from the competition for a year due to financial irregularities.
Days until the next Yankees-Red Sox series begins: 5, this coming Thursday, at Yankee Stadium II.
Days until the next Women's World Cup kicks off: 13, on Friday, June 7, in France. Under 2 weeks. The U.S. team is 3-time and defending Champions.
Days until the Red Bulls next play a "derby": 14, on Saturday night, June 8, against the Philadelphia Union, at Talen Energy Stadium in Chester, Pennsylvania. The next game against New York City FC will be on Sunday night, July 14, at Red Bull Arena. The next game against the New England Revolution will be on Saturday night, August 17, at Red Bull Arena. The next game against D.C. United will be on Wednesday night, August 21, at Audi Field in Washington.
Days until the U.S. national soccer team plays again: 24, on Tuesday, June 18, against the South American nation of Guyana, at the brand-new Allianz Field in St. Paul, home of Minnesota United, in the opener of the 2019 CONCACAF Gold Cup.
Days until the Yankees and Red Sox play each other in London: 35, on June 29. Exactly 5 weeks.
Days until Arsenal play in America: 51. A little over 7 weeks. On July 15, they will visit the Denver suburbs to play the Colorado Rapids. On July 17, they will visit the Los Angeles suburbs to play Bayern Munich. On July 20, they will visit Charlotte to play AS Roma. And on July 23, they will visit the Redskins' stadium in the Washington suburbs to play Real Madrid. This almost certainly means no Emirates Cup this Summer.
Days until the next North London Derby: Unknown, as both Premier League matches, and a League Cup match, have been played this season. The next season starts on August 10, which is 77 days from now, but the PL never puts a Derby on the opening weekend. The Gunners and Spurs usually play each other in N5 in October or November, and then in N17 in February or March.
Days until Rutgers University plays football again: 98, on August 31, home to the University of Massachusetts. Exactly 14 weeks.
Days until East Brunswick High School plays football again: Unknown, because the 2019 schedule hasn't been released yet. Usually, the next season begins on the 1st Friday in September, which would be September 6, which would be 104 days. It has been announced that East Brunswick and its arch-rivals, Old Bridge, will no longer play each other on Thanksgiving Day. In fact, many of the local Thanksgiving rivalries have been moved back to the opening night, September 6. Whenever the Big Green play the Purple Bastards, it will be under a new head coach, because Bob Molarz, in charge for the last 6 seasons, has resigned.
Days until the New Jersey Devils play again: Unknown. Traditionally, a new NHL season begins on the 1st Thursday in October, which would be October 3, which is 131 days from now. A little over 4 months. The new schedule is usually released around June 20 or so. We shall see.
Days until the New Jersey Devils next play a local rival: Unknown. But the Devils never open against either the New York Rangers, a.k.a. The Scum; the New York Islanders; or the Philadelphia Flyers, a.k.a. The Philth.
Days until the next Rutgers-Penn State football game: 189, on Saturday, November 30, at Beaver Stadium in State College, Pennsylvania. A little over 6 months.
Days until my 50th Birthday, at which point I can join AARP and get discounts for travel and game tickets: 207, on December 18, 2019. Under 7 months.
Day until the premiere of the final Star Wars film, Episode IX: The Rise of Skywalker: 209, on December 20, 2019.
Days until the Baseball Hall of Fame vote is announced, electing Derek Jeter: 241, on January 21, 2020. Under 8 months.
Days until the next Summer Olympics begins in Tokyo, Japan: 426, on July 24, 2020. A little over a year, or under 14 months.
Days until the next Presidential election, when we can dump the Trump-Pence regime and elect a real Administration: 528, on November 3, 2020. Under a year and a half, or a little over 17 months.
Days until a fully-Democratic-controlled Congress can convene, and the Republicans can do nothing about it: 589, on January 3, 2021. A little over a year and a half, or a little over 18 months.
Days until Liberation Day: 606, at noon on January 20, 2021. Under 2 years, or under 20 months. Note that this is liberation from the Republican Party, not just from Donald Trump. Having Mike Pence as President wouldn't be better, just differently bad, mixing theocracy with plutocracy, rather than mixing kleptocracy with plutocracy.
Days until the next Winter Olympics begins in Beijing, China: 986, on February 4, 2022. Under 3 years, or a little over 32 months.
Days until the next World Cup is scheduled to kick off: 1,276, on November 21, 2022, in Qatar. A little over 3 1/2 years, or under 42 months. The charges of corruption against Qatar may yet mean that they will lose the tournament, in which case it will be moved to a nation where it would not be too hot to play it in June and July.