Chasen Shreve Just Saved the Yankees and Myself From Depression
Holy Fuck Tits! I was this close to losing my mind. I’m talking breaking my TV, my phone, all the windows in my house, maybe just burning down the whole neighborhood while I’m at it. That’s what Aroldis Chapman just put myself and the rest of Yankees universe through in that ninth inning. I mean Chapman had absolutely nothing in that ninth inning.
He couldn’t throw a strike. His fastball was topping out at 97 mph and his pitches weren’t close to the zone. He walked Ty Kelly (who I’m pretty sure I could get out) and Jose Reyes (one of the worst hitters in all of baseball) on eight consecutive balls. He then threw two more balls to Brandon Nimmo before hitting him and bringing in the 5th Mets run. There still wasn’t anyone warming up. I was sitting in my room about to blow my brains out. What was happening? Chasen Shreve got up to warm quickly and was brought in to face Devin Mesoraco. With absolutely no one available, Shreve that was our option with the bases loaded and nobody out. My mind was not in a good place. In fact it was in the worst possible place it could be. My soul was about to be broken on this Saturday afternoon.
Shreve came in and got a magical double play ball hit right at Brandon Drury. A run came in to fuck over anyone that had Yankees run-line (brutal beat), but Shreve got two crucial outs in the process. With the tying run on third and two outs the always clutch Wilmer Flores came up. At one point Shreve almost balked as Jose Reyes was dancing down the third base line. With the count even at 2-2, Flores nubbed out a ground ball to Shreve who had to charge, spin and make a long throw to first to just get Flores at first. The savior of the goddamn day: who else but Chasen Shreve? Blowing a four run lead to the Mets at home on a day Sonny Gray actually pitched well would have ended me. That would have been the worst loss of the season and it’s not even close. Thank God for Chasen Shreve you beautiful son of a bitch. For his career opponents are now 3 for 36 against Shreve with the bases loaded of all the people. As for Chapman? I don’t know if a DL stint is needed to deal with his knee, but something was very wrong today. You can say he just didn’t have it today, but to have a full week off and only top out at 97 was alarming as fuck. That screamed “dead arm” to me and that’s the last thing we need, but hopefully he just had a bad outing. Chappy said he’s not worried at all in his post game interview.
As for the rest of the game, as if that even matters, Sonny Gray was pretty good for the second start in a row. He wasn’t great, but he got the job done at home, a place he struggles mightily. Gray went simple again and focused on using just his two seamer and his curveball. I wanted him to get through that sixth inning badly, but I’ll sign up for five and a third two earned runs and six strikeouts right now. It was another “big” baby step for him in the right direction as he attempts to change the script on his disappointing 2018 season. After what Domingo German did to us last night, Sonny Gray’s performance was much needed. Gray was pleased with the outing, but he still wasn’t overjoyed because he couldn’t get Conforto on the 3-2 count in the 6th and then lost Bautista completely right after with back to back walks. He really wanted to get through six innings, but at least he’s critical of himself and aware he needs to be better. It looks like he’ll get Kansas City, a team he pitched well against earlier in the year, at the stadium next week. Simple Sonny is what we need.
Offensively, Aaron Judge and Miguel Andujar both picked up three hits. Judge is 6 for 9 (nice) to start the second half, including his 26th homer on the year in the 7th inning.
Judge was awful after the break last year when he hit .179 with an OPS of just .690 in 44 games, before a big month of September. Hopefully we’re about to get a scorching red hot Judge in the second half as he helps carries this offense. Another guy who is really coming along lately is Greg Bird, who picked up two more hits and two RBIs today.
Advertisement
He’s quickly becoming a reliable bat in the lineup which obviously will do wonders moving forward. Glad I didn’t give up on him or anything. Bird Man for life.
In all seriousness, games against the Mets shouldn’t have to end like that. It’s the goddamn Mets. We should be going for the clean sweep tomorrow, but instead have to beat Jacob deGrom on Sunday Night Baseball. Oh joy. Tomorrow is Barstool at the Ballpark. If you’re able to make it, enter through Game 8 to get into the stadium as quick as possible.