Game 121 / 67-54 / 1st / +0.5G : On the heels of their 3-game home sweep of the Twins, and 5th win in the last 6 games, optimism abounded as the under-water, going nowhere, last place, 17 games out Cleveland Indians rolled into The Bronx. But Cleveland is a team the Yankees apparently cannot beat. In the thick of an actual pennant race not seen around here in recent memory, the Yankees drop the first two games at home against a team with no literal hope for post-season play? Sure, you run into good pitching every day and night in this league, but this and last night’s effort were two dreadfully painful games to witness.
Here’s the box score, full recap, and video highlights.
Indians 7, Yankees 3
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- Nuttin’ Good Throw this one out, a terrible game — but there can’t be too many more like this going forward. Cleveland starter Carlos Carrasco silenced New York bats until it was almost too late for a realistic rally, then when that did happen there was a rare meltdown from the relief corps. Justin Wilson just didn’t have it tonight, and the 4-3 squeaker entering the 9th turned into a ‘fuggitaboutit’ 7-3 cushion for Cleveland.
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“We just got beat; that’s it. I think we won five out of six before these last two games and we’ve just got to keep our heads up, get some rest tonight and come back out here to play a day game and try and get some runs across against a really good pitcher. Find a way to win tomorrow and even up the series on Sunday.” ‐ Brett Gardner (h/t: Chad Jennings / LoHud)
MEMORY LANE : On today’s date in 2000, the Yankees signed Dioner Navarro as an amateur free agent. In 2003, with Double-A Trenton Thunder, he hit .341 in 58 games, was selected as the Yankees minor league player of the year, and was the top-ranked prospect in the organization heading into 2004. On December 31, 2004, hours before midnight, the Yankees send Navarro, right-handed pitcher Javier Vazquez and lefty Brad Halsey to the Arizona Diamondbacks for the then-41 year old Randy Johnson. Navarro is currently giving his old club occasional headaches as a member of the Toronto Blue Jays, and has played for the Dodgers, Reds, Rays, and Cubs …
On August 21st, 1931, Babe Ruth hits his 600th home run, off George Blaeholder of the Browns, in an 11-7 Yankees victory. Lou Gehrig went 2-5, scoring twice and knocking in 1 run, while Hank Johnson notched the win, and Red Ruffing recorded his second save of the season …
Happy 67th Birthday to John Ellis. The New London, CT native was signed by the Yankees as an amateur free agent in 1966, and played backstop for the big club in the 1969 through 1972 seasons, finishing the remainder of his 13-year MLB career with the Cleveland Indians and Texas Rangers, retiring in 1981.
(h/t: The Baseball Cube, Baseball-Reference.com, Today in Baseball History)
