Game #7 Yankees/Dbacks lineup/game thread #

Stanton benched. We need Judge, Rizzo, Torres & Verdugo to get going.

Beautiful day at the ballpark. Roof is open…sunny, not a cloud in the sky

Merrill Kelly pitches for the D'backs.
Drafted out of high school by the O's in 2007, and again out of college by the Rays in 2010, he spent five years in the Rays system making good progress, even having an excellent year at AAA in 2014, but the Rays never called him up. With no future with the Rays, and no teams offering him a major league job, he took his arm and skills to the KBO (Korean league) and put up 4 solid years in a very high octane offensive environment.

He then returned to the majors at 30 and signed with D'backs. He's had some mediocre seasons in his 6 years with them, but some of them were good.
2022 and 2023 were very good, a combined 25-16 in 63 starts, with an ERA of 3.33 and a WHIP of 1.16. In the two seasons combined, he's given up an average of 7.4 hits per 9 innings and 1.0 HR per 9, both very good marks in the contemporary game. His K/BB ratio in that time 2,80, which is basically league average. In the 2023 postseason, he had 3 outstanding starts and one poor one.

Against the Yankees, a 5 1/3 inning win against them in 2019, in which he allowed just 1 run, and a no-decision against them late last season, in which he gave up 2 runs in 5 innings for a no-decision in a game the Yanks won 6-4. His first start of this season was brilliant: 6 2/3 innings, 3 hits, 0 runs, 0 BB and 8 K's, although it came against the dreadful Rockies. The D'backs beat them soundly, 7-3.

Kelly is a 5-pitch righty, Last year's repertoire: FB 92-3 about 40% of the time; change at 89 about 23%; cutter at 91 about 19% curve at 82 about 11%; and a slider at 86-7 about 5%. Against the Rockies in his first start, he substantially increased his slider usage, by 12% and his cutter usage, by 7%, while cutting down on usage of his other 3 pitches, all about 6% down from last season. Whether this is his "new" repertoire or just a game plan for the Rockies hitters remains to be seen.

The Yankees' team collective quadruple slash line vs. Kelly is a .237/.310/.500/.810, which doesn't jibe with an ERA of 2.61 against them in his 2 starts.

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Carlos Rodon pitches for the Yankees. We know his story. He was primarily a FB/slider lefty, throwing high 90's gas and a very sharp slider. He was even top 5 in the Cy Young balloting in 2021 and 2022, Despite his very sketchy injury, the Yanks signed him to the big money deal for five years...and he promptly got hurt and probably tried to pitch through injuries last year because the Yankees needed him to. He had a calamity-filled season, and seemed to have lost significant velocity from past years. He wound up 3-8 on the season with a 6.85 ERA, and though he struck out a batter an inning, he gave up a catastrophic 15 HR in 64 1/3 innings. In his first start this year, he struggled, but hung on against a tough Astros' lineup to give up just 1 run in 4 1/3 innings, allowing 5 hits, 3 BB and had guys on base in every inning, I think. At least he hasn't allowed a HR. Yet.

He's made 5 starts against the D'backs in his career, and is 0-3 with a 5.53 ERA. It's weird; he's never beaten them and has that high ERA, but the other numbers aren't terrible: 19 hits and 10 BB in 27 2/3 innings, just 3 HR and 39 K. In 4 games against them for the Giants in his great 2022 season, 1 of them was terrific, the other 3 were poor. His one start against the D'backs for the Yanks last year was mediocre to poor: he lasted 6 1/3 and gave up five hits and one BB without a HR and K'd 4, but was charged with 5 runs, three earned, and took a 7-1 loss in late September.

The D'backs team quadruple slash line against Rodon is .192/.274/.323/.598; somehow, that doesn't jibe with 17 ER in 27 2/3 innings.

I have to say that the D-Backs have a nice roster. When they get Monty ready I think they have a chance to make a deep playoff run again. 

At the game today

Two Bob's at the game! 

Sounds like it’s time for Today’s Weather from Mosca, Colorado!

A high of 63, low of 23 occurred this morning

The abundant sunshine is pushing the UV to 8

The breeze out of the NNW is only 3 MPH

Humidity is 19%

Visibility is 25 miles and the AQI is 36…