Game 1: Blue Jays (Ryu) at Yankees (Cole)

These type of losses, where you waste numerous scoring chances are so annoying. Plus, we have to wait two more days for the next Yankee game.

Yes, you always lose a certain number of games like this every year, but it's more irritating when it's right out of the gate and there haven't been other games to balance it out. I hated being squelched by what is supposed to be a mediocre bullpen. On the other hand, even without Britton and Chapman all the Yankee relievers looked sharp.

I strained my right thumb while typing in the game thread. Thankfully, though I don’t hit the keys with full power with my left thumb, I am able to make contact. My right thumb is day to day...

Being back with everyone here makes a shitty game seem less important.

missed to many chances to score

We’re you working today, Russ? You were asked for... and we did miss you...

The World Series teams of Jeter, Posada, O’Neill, Bernie etc. were primarily a lineup of hitters, rather than sluggers. If you look at the totals for those years, you’ll find that - as a team - their batting lines totaled averages in the .270s to .280s and OBP in the .360s. Again, that’s as an ENTIRE team. There were definitely a couple pull hitters on the roster, but most had a two-strike approach and could take the ball to the opposite field. That was also true of Cano, Melky, Matsui, Damon, and even Arod.

In the broadcast booth, you hear Paul O’Neill, year after year, beseeching individual players and the team to embrace that approach. For some reason, other than LeMahieu, this team seems unwilling to do so with commitment. (Even DJLM fell victim today of rolling over pitches trying to pull the ball). Gleyber is the only one who’ll flirt with a two-strike approach for an extended period, but when he starts hitting homers in bunches, he’ll get greedy and forget what got him there.

As strong as Sanchez, Stanton, Judge, and Voit are, an opposite field approach will still lead to plenty of home runs, but it will also raise their batting averages and OBP and increase their ability to put the ball in play with RISP. It was frustrating today watching Judge and Hicks take huge swings and miss badly, then become tentative and watch center cut, 90 mph fastballs into the catcher’s mitt. If they take an opposite field approach, they’ll have more time to wait on their pitch and not have to artificially “try” to work a walk. Until at least five individuals in the lineup take a committed approach, too many things must go right for this team to win another World Series. Luck is always part of the equation, but it should not be in the design.

I know, it’s only one game. But, the plate appearances today were too reminiscent of the past three seasons, where our hitters come up small in big spots with seemingly no consistent hitting philosophy. It’s one thing for Boone to advocate controlling the strike zone. That’s fine, but what is the team approach when swinging the bat in doing so?