Game 26: A's (Wood) @ Yanks (Nestor)

What an embarrassing series tie for the Yankees. They need a serious upgrade at the clean up spot.

FB into the top of the zone, not called, check swing, not called, 1-0 Judge got a big break
Slider in the middle down in the zone, 1-1
Made a mistake with a slider in, but Judge misses late and under, flies out to medium deep right, game over.
Yanks take a bad 2-2 split with a bad A's team, allowing them to get a lead into the late innings twice, allowing the only good part of the A's team, the back end of their pen, to decide the game.
Terrible job by the Yanks especially at home.

A split at home against the lowly A's certainly not ideal ahead of a tough road trip. All the good feelings about the bats from the previous two games snuffed out by repeated failures tonight. Gonna need to get it together or we will start sinking fast.

Sox and Jays also lost earlier today, so the Yanks keep even with those two, but the O's and Rays gain 1/2 game on all 3.

O's sneak back into 1st by percentage points, both teams are now 8 games over and "tied" for first. Sox stay 2 games back of both, and the Rays move into a tie for 4th-5th, 4 games back of the O's and Yanks and 2 back of Boston.

Stanton has about 2-3 good at bats a week and is a black hole otherwise. That contract, UGH.

OK, Yanks start a 7-game road trip with 3 in Milwaukee to fact the Brewers, who are in first place in the NL Central, and also 8 games over .500.

Game 1 is 8:10 EDT tomorrow on YES: Luis Gil against Colin Rea, a solid #4 type starter off to a great start this season: He's 2-0 with 4 starts and a 2.08 ERA in 21 2/3 innings.
Game 2 is 8:10 EDT Saturday on YES: Carlos Rodon against the frequently injured Joe Ross. He's off to a so-so start this year; 1-2 with an ERA just over 4.00 in 4 starts.
Game 3 is 2:10 EDT Sunday on YES: Marcus Stroman against recent callup Tobias Myers, a five-pitch kitchen sink righty who made his first MLB start after spending 8 full seasons in the minors, and threw a good game against the Pirates, allowing just one 1 run in 5 innings, but the Brewers lost, 3-2.

This series is our first look at uberrookie Jackson Chourio, who's been slumping since an early hot start. He's 10 for his last 60 with 24 K's and 5 BB after starting the season 7 for 20.