Yankees' Brian Cashman on Free Agency: 'Bottom Line, SS Is an Area of Need'
Oct 19, 2021
New York Yankees general manager Brian Cashman looks on during batting practice prior to the first inning of a baseball game against the Toronto Blue Jays, Wednesday, June 16, 2021, in Buffalo, N.Y. (AP Photo/Jeffrey T. Barnes)
The New York Yankees are hoping to improve their roster after a disappointing finish to their season, and general manager Brian Cashman already has a specific position on the roster he wants to address.
"Bottom line, shortstop is an area of need," Cashman said Tuesday.
The Yankees moved Gleyber Torres from shortstop to second base after his disappointing performance this season. Third baseman Gio Urshela was shifted to shortstop while DJ LeMahieu and Rougned Odor split time at third. Cashman added that he feels Torres is "best served" at second base.
This could be the perfect time for Cashman to be searching for a shortstop because this year's free-agent class is robust at the position. Carlos Correa, Corey Seager, Javier Baez, Trevor Story and Marcus Semien are all set to hit the open market this offseason. Each of those players is a former All-Star.
Baseball columnist Joel Sherman of the New York Post wrote that he believes Seager would be the best fit for the Yankees to pursue. Seager's lefty bat would help provide balance to a righty-dominant New York lineup.
The Yankees signed Aaron Boone to a new three-year contract Tuesday. New York has made five consecutive postseason appearances but hasn't made it to a World Series since 2009. Cashman, who has been the team's GM since 1998, accepted responsibility for the team's recent lack of success in the playoffs.
"Ultimately, it falls on me," Cashman said. "Obviously if [controlling owner] Hal Steinbrenner or anybody wants to decide to make some changes down the line, that's above me."
Cashman is currently signed to a five-year contract through 2022.
Yankees' DJ LeMahieu Has Surgery on Core Injury, Will Be Ready for Spring Training
Oct 19, 2021
New York Yankees' DJ LeMahieu during the third inning of a baseball game against the Texas Rangers Monday, Sept. 20, 2021, in New York. (AP Photo/Frank Franklin II)
New York Yankees second baseman DJ LeMahieu is expected to be ready for spring training after undergoing surgery recently.
General manager Brian Cashman told reporters Tuesday that the 33-year-old had core surgery with an eight-week recovery timetable.
Cashman also provided injury updates on a few other players entering the offseason:
Injury updates from Cashman: *Taillon to have surgery Oct 28 - five-month recovery *Hicks hoping to play winter ball, should be fine by December *Voit expects to be ready for spring training
Prior to their final regular-season series of the year, the Yankees placed LeMahieu on the 10-day injured list with a sports hernia.
"We just feel like he is too compromised right now," New York manager Aaron Boone told reporters about LeMahieu's injury.
Coming off a third-place finish in American League MVP voting in 2020, LeMahieu signed a six-year, $90 million contract extension last offseason. He led MLB with a .364 batting average and AL with a .421 on-base percentage in the 60-game season.
The 2021 campaign was the worst season of LeMahieu's three-year run with the Yankees. He had a solid .268 batting average and .349 on-base percentage, but his .362 slugging percentage was his worst since 2014 with the Colorado Rockies (.348).
An eight-week recovery timeframe means LeMahieu should be back at full strength around mid-January.
Taillon will almost certainly miss the start of the season with a five-month recovery period. He aggravated an ankle injury during a start Sept. 28, but he was able to pitch one more time in the regular-season finale against the Tampa Bay Rays five days later.
Hicks only played in 32 games this season after suffering a wrist injury. The 32-year-old has missed 377 out of a possible 870 regular-season games in six seasons with the Yankees.
Voit dealt with knee issues throughout the entire 2021 season. He was limited to 68 games, posting a .239/.328/.437 slash line in 213 at-bats.
Assuming the season starts on time—a dicey proposition, given the uncertainty around the collective bargaining agreement negotiations—the Yankees will report to camp in mid-February.
Aaron Boone Would Be Top Manager Candidate in MLB If Let Go by Yankees, Cashman Says
Oct 19, 2021
BOSTON, MA - OCTOBER 05: Manager Aaron Boone of the New York Yankees reacts as he removes Gerrit Cole #45 from the game during the third inning of the 2021 American League Wild Card game against the Boston Red Sox at Fenway Park on October 5, 2021 in Boston, Massachusetts. (Photo by Billie Weiss/Boston Red Sox/Getty Images)
The New York Yankees re-signed skipper Aaron Boone to a three-year contract on Tuesday. And while some fans wish the club moved on, Yankees general manager Brian Cashman told reporters he believes Boone would have been a top managerial candidate if New York let him go.
"If he was entering the free-agent market, I believe he would be the No. 1 managerial candidate in baseball," Cashman said, per MLB.com's Mark Feinsand.
He is probably right, too. Boone has led the Yankees to a winning record in each of his four seasons in the dugout, with New York going 92-70 during the 2021 campaign.
Cashman has always been high on Boone, too, saying in June that the fourth-year manager wasn't going anywhere, per MLB.com's Bryan Hoch.
However, the 48-year-old's job was seemingly in question after the Yankees were eliminated by the Boston Red Sox in the American League Wild Card Game.
Boone is 11-11 in the postseason as New York's manager and has only led the club to the AL Championship Series once: the 2019 season when the Bronx Bombers fell to the Houston Astros in six games.
Overall, Boone is 328-218 as manager of the Yankees. His .601 winning percentage is the second-highest in the majors among active managers behind Dave Roberts' .622. However, New York hasn't been to the World Series in 12 seasons, which is the third-longest drought in franchise history, per ESPN.
The Yankees did not renew the contracts of hitting coach Marcus Thames and third base coach Phil Nevin following the 2021 season, and some believed Boone was next. He would not have lacked for opportunities after several teams have already fired their managers after disappointing seasons, including the San Diego Padres, New York Mets and St. Louis Cardinals.
If the Pinstripes fail to make a deep playoff run next year, the Yankees could still opt to move on from Boone. With players like Gerrit Cole, Aaron Judge, Giancarlo Stanton and DJ LeMahieu on board, there's no excuse for New York to be underperforming.
Yankees News: Aaron Boone Signs New 3-Year Contract to Return as Manager
Oct 19, 2021
New York Yankees manager Aaron Boone stands in the outfield during batting practice before a spring training exhibition baseball game against the Philadelphia Phillies in Clearwater, Fla., Thursday, March 25, 2021. (AP Photo/Gene J. Puskar)
The Yankees went 92-70 in 2021 and claimed one of the American League's two wild-card berths, but the rival Boston Red Sox eliminated them in the AL Wild Card Game.
Still, their surge in the second half of the season may have saved the manager's job.
Boone's previous contract expired after the 2021 MLB season, and the absence of an extension seemed to indicate he was on shaky ground from the first pitch on Opening Day. At the least, he had to convince ownership he was worth bringing back for 2022 and potentially beyond.
At the All-Star break, the 48-year-old had the look of a lame-duck manager. The Bronx Bombers were 46-43 and in danger of missing the playoffs.
General manager Brian Cashman indicated in June that Boone wasn't going anywhere but may not have used the most complimentary metaphor.
"We made this bed and we are going to sleep in it," he said. "We are in this together."
Yankees chairman Hal Steinbrenner was more emphatic in July:
Does Hal Steinbrenner believe the Yankees have the right coaching staff in place?
He proceeded to point the finger at the Yankees players for the team's underwhelming start:
"They're the ones on the field. They're a group of very talented, professional athletes that [are] playing this game at the highest level in the world. They need to fix this problem. They need to fix the problem, because everyone, including our fanbase, and rightfully so, has had enough, quite frankly. It's enough, and they know that, and you're seeing them say that."
A manager is tasked with getting the most out of his roster, so he can't avoid blame when players aren't delivering. But the arrivals of Anthony Rizzo and Joey Gallo ahead of the MLB trade deadline were evidence of a lineup that wasn't getting it done.
Gleyber Torres slugged below .400 for the second straight season. Gio Urshela saw his OPS fall from .858 in 2020 to .720. DJ LeMahieu also returned to his pre-New York days with 10 home runs in 679 plate appearances. Gallo batted .160 in 58 games with the team. The Yankees' two best hitters, Aaron Judge and Giancarlo Stanton, missed 37 combined games as well.
And if Boone was on the hot seat for how the Yanks played in the first half, then he deserved some share of credit for how they fared in the second half.
Currently cackling at the idea that if the Yankees (99 win pace since starting 6-11) win the East Aaron Boone is going to get some Manager of the Year votes, which will be notable since all of NY sports talk radio had him fired for being soft on July 5
He hasn't been faultless in his four years in the New York dugout. The absence of an American League pennant is glaring given the team's talent and regular-season success. Perhaps not coincidentally, bullpen management was one of his Achilles' heels, and that's an area where adept managers can gain an edge that makes the difference in a playoff series.
But Boone's .601 winning percentage is better than that of Joe Girardi (.562) and only marginally worse than Joe Torre's (.605). Four straight postseason appearances is an achievement too given the competitiveness of the AL East.
The Yankees may come to regret bringing Boone back if they get off to another slow start in 2022, but it's difficult to disagree with the choice right now.
Alex Cora on Eduardo Rodriguez Mimicking Carlos Correa: 'We Don't Have to Do That'
Oct 19, 2021
BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS - OCTOBER 18: Eduardo Rodriguez #57 of the Boston Red Sox pitches against the Houston Astros in the first inning of Game Three of the American League Championship Series at Fenway Park on October 18, 2021 in Boston, Massachusetts. (Photo by Maddie Meyer/Getty Images)
Boston Red Sox manager Alex Cora said
he told starting pitcher Eduardo Rodriguez that mimicking Houston
Astros shortstop Carlos Correa's celebration was a mistake.
Rodriguez pointed toward his wrist Monday night after getting Correa to ground out in the sixth inning, which is the
same thing the Astros star did after a home run in Game 1 of the
American League Championship Series.
"We just show up, we play, and we
move on, and he knows," Cora told reporters. "I let him
know. We don't have to do that. If we're looking for motivation
outside of what we're trying to accomplish, we're in the wrong
business. The only motivation we have is to win four games against
them and move on to the next round."
Rodriguez explained he got caught up in
the moment as Boston cruised to a 12-3 win in Game 3 to take a 2-1 advantage in
the series.
"That was part of the moment,"
he said. "... I will apologize to Correa if I see him in person
because that's not something I normally do. It was just part of the
game."
Alex Cora was not pleased with Eduardo Rodríguez after he mocked Carlos Correa. pic.twitter.com/QCSHEz7lfE
Correa's celebration came after he
crushed a go-ahead homer in the seventh inning of Game 1. The Astros
held on for a 5-4 win in the series opener, but the Red Sox have won
the last two contests.
The shortstop said an apology from the
Boston starter wouldn't be necessary and he hoped more players would
be willing to show emotion in key moments, which he views as a
positive for baseball.
"I thought it was kind of cool,"
Correa told reporters. "It's just the way baseball should trend
going forward. We talk about baseball growing and more people coming
to watch the sport, you need to have more things like that. You need
to let people have fun and the game should move in that direction,
where you can show emotions and be yourself and keep it real."
While Correa is right that it adds to
the entertainment value for fans, a lot of key people within baseball,
including many of those in executive and coaching positions, still
believe in the sport's unwritten rules, so those types of outward
expressions are likely years away from becoming the norm.
Cora said his message to Rodriguez, who
he pulled aside for a conversation immediately after the moment, was
simple: "Don't do that."
The right-hander delivered a strong
start in Game 3, giving up three earned runs on five hits and no
walks across six innings. He struck out seven and earned the win.
Boston, which has averaged 8.8 runs in
its six wins so far this postseason, will aim to take a commanding
3-1 series lead in Game 4 at Fenway Park on Tuesday.
The Red Sox are scheduled to send Nick
Pivetta (4.53 regular-season ERA) to the mound against the Astros'
Zack Greinke (4.16) in the critical game.
First pitch is set for 8:08 p.m. ET on
Fox Sports 1.
Astros Look Cooked as Slam-Happy Red Sox in Firm Control of ALCS After Game 3
Oct 19, 2021
BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS - OCTOBER 18: Kyle Schwarber #18 of the Boston Red Sox celebrates with Hunter Renfroe #10 after Schwarber hit a grand slam home run against the Houston Astros in the second inning of Game Three of the American League Championship Series at Fenway Park on October 18, 2021 in Boston, Massachusetts. (Photo by Maddie Meyer/Getty Images)
Officially, the baseball game played at Fenway Park on Monday night was Game 3 of the American League Championship Series between the Boston Red Sox and Houston Astros.
Unofficially, let's call it "The Boston Tee-Off Party."
After avenging a loss in Game 1 by banging out a record-setting two grand slams and nine runs to beat Houston in Game 2, the Red Sox kept right on rolling with a 12-3 rout in Game 3 to take a 2-1 lead in the series. They're two wins away from their fifth World Series appearance since 2004.
The Red Sox hit "only" one grand slam this time, but it was a 430-foot dandy off the bat of Kyle Schwarber in the second inning:
With that, the Red Sox have as many grand slams just in the last two games of the ALCS as they had throughout their 162-game regular season. Because, you know, baseball just wouldn't be baseball without your daily dose of statistical weirdness.
For the Astros' part, exactly how their offense is supposed to hang with the Red Sox's isn't even the most ominous question looming over them as they dwell in their 2-1 hole.
Red Sox Players of the Game
1B Kyle Schwarber: 1-for-4, 1 HR, 1 R, 4 RBI. He now has three home runs this postseason, all of which have come out of his new post in the leadoff spot.
2B Christian Arroyo, DH J.D. Martinez and 3B Rafael Devers: These three also got in on Boston's home run fun with two-run homers in the third and sixth and a solo homer in the eighth, respectively.
LHP Eduardo Rodriguez: 6.0 IP, 5 H, 0 BB, 3 R, 7 K. Apart from one mistake in the fourth inning, the left-hander was absolutely on point with the 97 pitches that he threw. Coming on the heels of his excellent turn in Game 4 of the American League Division Series, he seems to have turned a corner.
Astros Players of the Game
RF Kyle Tucker: 1-for-2, 1 HR, 1 R, 3 RBI, 1 BB. He's the guy who took advantage of Rodriguez's one mistake, crushing it to right field for a three-run home run that temporarily slimmed Boston's lead to 9-3. So it goes, as Tucker has been the sturdiest rock in Houston's lineup since May.
LHP Blake Taylor: 1.0 IP, 1 H, 1 BB, 0 R, 1 K. Hey, kudos to him for being the only one of six pitchers used by the Astros in Game 3 who didn't get scored upon.
Even Fire Thinks the Red Sox Offense Needs to Chill
If you were to come into possession of a time machine, you wouldn't need to travel that far back in history to find a moment when the Red Sox's offense didn't look at all cut out for a deep playoff run.
That moment was Game 1 of the American League Division Series against the Tampa Bay Rays. In it, the Red Sox managed only nine singles and got shut out in a 5-0 loss. That rendered them with about a 30 percent chance of winning the series, which actually seemed high.
Things have, uh, let's say, changed since then.
Starting with their 14-run outburst in Game 2 of the ALDS, the Red Sox are now hitting .333 over their last six games. No single batting title qualifier even hit that well during the regular season, much less with power like Boston is generating.
The Red Sox have already hit nine home runs in the ALCS, seven of which have come just in the last two games. They're also up to 20 homers for the playoffs as a whole, which Sarah Langs of MLB.com noted is record territory for an eight-game sample:
The Red Sox have hit 20 HR this postseason, tied for the most by a team thru 8 games of a postseason run, with the 2004 Astros (20)
Perhaps just as remarkable is that it isn't a small handful of hitters driving Boston's October dominance.
Sure, Enrique Hernandez is batting .500 with five home runs just on his own. But he's ultimately just one part of a front seven—typically Hernandez, Schwarber, Xander Bogaerts, Devers, Martinez, Alex Verdugo and Hunter Renfroe—that's collectively hitting .345 with all but two of Boston's playoff homers.
It's not as if the Red Sox's offense wasn't also good during the regular season, as it was indeed quite strong in scoring 5.1 runs per game. But right now, manager Alex Cora is seeing what everyone else is seeing:
Alex Cora: “Offensively, this is the best we’ve been all season.”
Looking ahead to the next two games of the series, the sheer hotness of the Red Sox's offense isn't the only bad omen for the Astros. Both of these games will also be at Fenway Park, where the Red Sox had an MLB-high .831 OPS even before October set their bats ablaze.
The Red Sox could also be in worse shape pitching-wise. It was crucial that Rodriguez set a positive tone and allow the club's relievers to rest in the first of three games over three days. He handily accomplished both missions on Monday, thereby allowing Cora to rest Garrett Whitlock and his other top high-leverage arms.
The Astros Are Kinda-Sorta-Very in Trouble
As hopes go, the best one the Astros have working for them is the prospect that Boston's diabolically hot offense will regress to the mean (i.e., cool off) eventually.
Of course, this is largely contingent on Houston's pitching staff finding ways to silence the frequent loud noises coming off Boston's bats. That obviously hasn't happened so far, mostly because Astros starting pitchers have been completely overmatched:
Houston starters have a 20.25 ERA in the ALCS. @mlbnetwork
To quote Astros manager Dusty Baker, per Danielle Lerner of the Houston Chronicle: "It's kind of like a groundhog day, a recurring nightmare."
Alas, ace right-hander Lance McCullers Jr. (forearm) won't be walking through that door in this series. It's also unlikely that rookie Luis Garcia will be seen again after exiting a difficult outing in Game 2 with a strained knee.
As he hadn't pitched since the last day of the regular season on Oct. 3, the Astros turned to Jose Urquidy to start Game 3 out of a lack of better options more than anything else. Baker is now making a similar call with Zack Greinke:
On the plus side, Greinke is an 18-year veteran and potentially a future Hall of Famer who's no stranger to October. On the less-plus side, he's made just two relief appearances since laying three straight eggs as a starter between Aug. 29 and Sept. 19.
Houston's bullpen, meanwhile, is the opposite of rested. It had to pick up all but 3.2 innings of the first two games of the series, and once again had a heavy workload dumped upon it in Game 3 after Urquidy recorded only five outs. Unless Greinke and whoever starts Game 5 miraculously go deep, there won't be any rest for the weary in the next two games.
As such, there's probably only one way that the Astros are going to come back and beat the Red Sox in this series. Somehow, someway, they have to outslug them.
This should at least be in the neighborhood of doable. The Astros did lead the majors with 863 runs scored during the regular season, after all, and their offense was in fine form as it cranked out 31 runs in four games against the Chicago White Sox in the ALDS.
In this series, however, the Red Sox are making the Astros scratch and claw for runs. It certainly hasn't helped that Jose Altuve, Michael Brantley and Alex Bregman have turned the top three spots in Houston's lineup into a block of ice. They're hitting just .139 in the ALCS.
Lest anyone concludes that the Astros' situation is entirely hopeless, they could change everything with just one win in Boston. That would ensure that this series will return to Houston, where the Astros went 51-30 this season.
But if Han Solo was here, he'd wish the Astros good luck with that. Not just because it's polite, but because they're gonna need it.
What's Next for the Red Sox and Astros?
Game 4 is scheduled for 8:08 p.m. ET on Tuesday at Fenway Park, with Greinke set to be opposed by Boston right-hander Nick Pivetta.
Neither club has announced a starter for Game 5 on Wednesday, but it'll likely be a rematch between the starters for Game 1 of the series on Friday, Oct. 15: Framber Valdez for the Astros and Chris Sale for the Red Sox.
Red Sox Beat Astros in ALCS Game 2 Behind J.D. Martinez, Rafael Devers Grand Slams
Oct 17, 2021
Boston Red Sox's Rafael Devers celebrates a grand slam home run against the Houston Astros during the second inning in Game 2 of baseball's American League Championship Series Saturday, Oct. 16, 2021, in Houston. (AP Photo/Tony Gutierrez)
The Boston Red Sox rebounded with an impressive 9-5victory over the Houston Astros in Game 2 on Saturday to even the American League Championship Series at one game each.
J.D. Martinez and Rafael Devers supplied the offense early. Both players hit a grand slam to spot the Red Sox with an eight-run lead after the top of the second.
After the bullpen's struggles on Friday night, Red Sox manager Alex Cora sent his ace Nathan Eovaldi to the mound looking to steal a game in Houston. The right-hander entered with three runs allowed in 10.1 innings over two starts this postseason.
The Astros countered with Luis Garcia, who allowed five runs over 2.2 innings to the Chicago White Sox in his only start of the American League Division Series.
Garcia only lasted one inning before being removed with an apparent injury. Eovaldi allowed three runs over 5.1 innings to earn his second win of the postseason.
Notable Game Stats
Nathan Eovaldi (BOS): 5.1 IP, 5 H, 3 ER, BB, 3 K
J.D. Martinez (BOS): 2-for-5, Grand Slam, 4 RBI
Rafael Devers (BOS): 1-for-4, Grand Slam, 4 RBI
Enrique Hernandez (BOS): 2-for-4, Solo HR, RBI, 2 runs
Luis Garcia (HOU): 1 IP, 2 H, 5 ER, 3 BB, 2 K, HR
Jake Odorizzi (HOU): 4 IP, 7 H, 4 ER, 5 K, 2 HR
Yuli Gurriel (HOU): 2-for-4, Solo HR, 3 RBI
Red Sox Stars Shine in Big Win
There are some teams that would get down on themselves coming off a difficult playoff loss in which they led most of the way.
The Red Sox wasted no time in Game 2 proving they were not dwelling on Friday's result. Kyle Schwarber led off the game with a double. Devers worked a walk in his first at-bat after falling behind 0-2 in the count.
Martinez, who has been dealing with an ankle injury that kept him out of the wild-card game, took the second pitch he saw from Garcia out to right field for a grand slam.
The second inning played out in similar fashion for the Red Sox. Garcia was pulled after walking Kevin Plawecki on four pitches to lead off the frame.
After a prolonged warm-up period for Jake Odorizzi, Christian Arroyo and Enrique Hernandez both singled to load the bases. Devers brought everyone home with a grand slam that put Boston up 8-0 and made history in the process.
The Red Sox offense didn't keep up its torrid early pace from the first two innings, but Hernandez made sure to get in on the action. Continuing his red-hot postseason performance, the 30-year-old took Odorizzi deep to left field in the top of the fourth.
The Red Sox are the first team in MLB history with two grand slams in the first two innings of a postseason game. pic.twitter.com/2dxJwJoFbU
The nine runs of support was more than enough for Eovaldi. He was fantastic the first time through Houston's lineup, with Alex Bregman's single being the only hit allowed through the first three innings.
Even though the Astros did break through with three runs in the bottom of the fourth, they were never able to sustain another rally to make the game close.
Boston's bullpen has been a cause for concern all season, including Game 1, but that group stepped up in Saturday's win. Adam Ottavino, who pitched on back-to-back days for the first time since Oct. 1-2, worked around trouble in the bottom of the sixth to get the final two outs.
Garrett Whitlock tossed two scoreless innings, and had some help thanks to Arroyo's defense at second base.
Darwinzon Hernandez did have some issues in the bottom of the ninth. Yuli Gurriel and Jason Castro each hit a solo homer off him, prompting Red Sox manager Alex Cora to bring in Ryan Brasier to close out the win.
Garcia's Injury Spotlights Astros Pitching Depth
It's a testament to Houston's development group that its starting rotation hasn't fallen off a cliff in the nearly two years since Gerrit Cole left to sign with the New York Yankees and the year-plus since Justin Verlander last pitched because of Tommy John surgery.
Even though the pitching staff doesn't have the same dominant starters at the top, the Astros do have quality depth. That has served them well this postseason, especially with two dud outings by Garcia.
Houston may have been counting on Garcia to at least provide some relief for the bullpen in this game after that group had to cover 6.1 innings in Game 1. It was a risky proposition to begin with, given his struggles in the ALDS and that he only made it through six innings once in his last six starts of the regular season.
Luis Garcia walked the eight-hole hitter on four pitches to start the second. This could unravel soon.
That didn't happen, leaving the Astros relievers to take care of the final eight innings in Game 2.
Luis Garcia is coming out of this game with an injury. The Astros' bullpen will have to cover 8 innings today after throwing 6 1/3 innings last night. Not ideal.
Per MLB.com's Brian McTaggart, Garcia was removed with right knee discomfort. That could cause a bigger problem if he has to be taken off the ALCS roster and the Astros advance to the World Series.
Looking ahead, but if Luis Garcia does need to be replaced on the roster, it has to be approved by Major League Baseball. And, if he is, Garcia is automatically ineligible for the World Series should the Astros advance.
Odorizzi was called on out of the pen by manager Dusty Baker to replace Garcia. Even though his outing wasn't good, the right-hander was at least able to throw four innings to ease some of the burden on the rest of the relievers.
Houston's success is largely predicated on its offense overwhelming the opposing staff. The top four hitters in the lineup—Jose Altuve, Michael Brantley, Bregman, Yordan Alvarez—combined to go 2-for-16 with zero extra-base hits.
Jose Urquidy is currently the Astros' scheduled Game 3 starter, but he only threw 107 innings in the regular season and has yet to pitch in the playoffs. It's not a great sign for Baker if he's hoping to get some quality length out of his rotation for the first time in the series.
What's Next?
The ALCS will shift to Fenway Park for Game 3 on Monday at 8:08 p.m. ET on FS1. Jose Urquidy will start for the Astros. The Red Sox have yet to announce a starting pitcher.
Video: Red Sox Become 1st Team in MLB History with 2 Grand Slams in Postseason Game
Oct 16, 2021
Boston Red Sox's J.D. Martinez watches his grand slam against the Houston Astros during the first inning in Game 2 of baseball's American League Championship Series Saturday, Oct. 16, 2021, in Houston. (AP Photo/David J. Phillip)
The Boston Red Sox made history early in Game 2 of the American League Championship Series against the Houston Astros on Saturday.
Thanks to J.D. Martinez and Rafael Devers, the Red Sox became the first team in MLB history to hit two grand slams in a postseason game.
No team in postseason history had ever hit two grand slams in a single game, nevermind the first two innings
After Garcia exited with an apparent injury in the top of the second, Jake Odorizzi took over for the Astros on the mound. The right-hander gave up singles to Christian Arroyo and Enrique Hernandez before Devers snuck one just inside the foul pole to give the Red Sox an 8-0 lead.
Before today, the last Red Sox player to hit a grand slam in the postseason was Jackie Bradley Jr. in Game 3 of the 2018 ALCS against the Astros. Boston went on to win that game 8-2 en route to winning the World Series.
The Red Sox missed an opportunity to steal Game 1 of the series Friday night. The bullpen allowed four runs over the final three innings in a 5-4 loss.
Based on the early returns from Game 2, the Red Sox are well-positioned to even things up before the series moves to Fenway Park.
Dusty Baker: Wasn't 'a Good Feeling' Seeing Kike Hernandez's HR During Live Interview
Oct 16, 2021
Houston Astros manager Dusty Baker responds to questions during a baseball news conference in Houston, Thursday, Oct. 14, 2021. The Astros host the Boston Red Sox in Game 1 of the American League Championship Series on Friday. (AP Photo/Tony Gutierrez)
Houston Astros manager Dusty Baker is a
believer in the curse of a live in-game interview after Boston Red
Sox outfielder Kiké Hernandez hit a home run while Baker was talking
to the Fox broadcast team in the third inning of the teams' playoff
game Friday night.
The Astros were leading 1-0 in Game 1
of the American League Championship Series at the time of the
interview, and starting pitcher Framber Valdez had been rolling. The
Hernandez homer sparked a three-run third for the Red Sox, leading
Valdez to an early exit.
"I blame Fox for that," Baker told
reporters after Houston stormed back for a 5-4 win. "Because
invariably when you are doing it live, something usually always
happens. My mom is watching the game, so—really, I think I said,
'Oh, God.'"
He was a good sport as the interview
continued, joking about how far Hernandez hit the ball, but he said
afterward his internal dialogue was different.
"Yeah, it's not a good feeling
when you know you're live on air and you see that ball leaving the
ballpark," Baker said.
The Astros scored four runs from the
sixth to the eighth innings on the strength of home runs by Jose Altuve
and Carlos Correa to regain the lead. Hernandez homered again for
Boston in the ninth, but it wasn't enough to spark a comeback as Ryan
Pressly secured the save for Houston.
It'll be interesting to see whether
Baker continues to take part in live interviews for the remainder of
the series. During the regular season, those talks are usually taped
during the break between innings and subsequently aired, which makes
more sense for the managers.
Game 2 is scheduled for a 4:20 p.m. ET
first pitch Saturday on Fox.
Report: Yankees Part Ways with Marcus Thames, Phil Nevin in Coaching Staff Shake-Up
Oct 14, 2021
ST PETERSBURG, FLORIDA - SEPTEMBER 24: Hitting coach Marcus Thames #62 of the New York Yankees looks on during a game against the Tampa Bay Rays at Tropicana Field on September 24, 2019 in St Petersburg, Florida. (Photo by Mike Ehrmann/Getty Images)
New York Yankees hitting coach Marcus Thames will not have his contract renewed for 2022, per Lindsey Adler of The Athletic.
The Yankees will also not renew the contracts of third base coach Phil Nevin or assistant hitting coach P.J. Pilittere, per ESPN's Buster Olney.
"They made a decision," Thames said, per Brendan Kuty of NJ.com. "I just hate that we didn't win a championship. But they want to go in a different direction, and I guess I wasn't the voice that they thought to get us over the hump."
Thames had been on the Yankees staff since 2016 and has been the team's hitting coach since 2018. The 44-year-old also began his playing career with the organization, making his major league debut in 2002.
The Yankees have reached the playoffs in each of the past five years with Thames in the clubhouse, but they haven't reached their goal of a World Series title or even an AL pennant.
New York was eliminated in the AL Wild Card Game this postseason with a 6-2 loss to the rival Boston Red Sox.
Nevin came under fire during the game after Aaron Judge was thrown out at home by a wide margin:
The third base coach's decision was a pivotal play in what was a 3-1 game at the time. It helped end Nevin's time with the Yankees after five seasons.
The offense had been more of a problem throughout the season for the Yankees, however. They finished 19th in the majors in runs scored and 23rd in batting average.
The struggles came despite having proven hitters like Judge, Giancarlo Stanton and D.J. LeMahieu in the lineup, plus midseason additions like Anthony Rizzo and Joey Gallo. The team had plenty of power but not enough consistency at the plate.
Young players such as Gleyber Torres, Gary Sanchez, Gio Urshela and Clint Frazier have also struggled to develop as expected. All of them finished the 2021 season with a below-average OPS+ under 100, per Baseball Reference.
Most of the lineup remains under team control, giving the Yankees the chance to bounce back offensively in 2022. They seem to believe that they need a new hitting coach to unlock their potential.
