Jordan Montgomery was sharp over 3 2/3 innings, allowing one run and three hits before a rain delay of one hour and 23 minutes ended the
left-hander's night.
Montgomery said that he continued throwing simulated innings in the
batting cage outside the Yankees' clubhouse, hoping to return when the
rain halted. Instead, Luis Avilan tossed 1 1/3 scoreless innings and
Michael King picked up his first Major League victory with three innings
of one-run ball."I stayed on the attack throughout," Montgomery said.
"I was upset that the rain shortened it, but I'll try and keep this for
next one."
'Missile' launched
It didn't take long for Aroldis Chapman to show off his triple-digit
heat. Activated from the injured list prior to Monday's game, Chapman
made his season debut in a non-save situation, firing six pitches at 100
mph or greater.
Working the ninth inning around a José Peraza triple and Jonathan
Araúz's run-scoring double, Chapman's fastball was in midseason form. He
struck out the last two men he faced, gassing Rafael Devers on a 101.3
mph heater for the final out."I never worry about [velocity]," Chapman
said through an interpreter. "I was able to work the whole time. It was
key for me to keep on working, keep on training. So in my mind, I was
never worried about it."NEW YORK -- The Yankees are ready to hand the
ball to Aroldis Chapman in a ninth-inning save situation
C.C. Sabathia Jersey, having activated the closer from the injured list prior to Monday's 6-3
win over the Red Sox at Yankee Stadium.
After testing positive for COVID-19 in July, Chapman made his season
debut Monday, allowing one run on two hits while fanning two during a
non-save situation. The 32-year-old lefty, who posted a 2.21 ERA and 37
saves last season, had been commuting from New York for workouts at the
club's alternate training site in Moosic, Pa.
Chapman's fastball was in midseason form, as he struck out the last two
men he faced, gassing Rafael Devers on a 101.3 mph heater for the final
out.
"I never worry about [velocity]," Chapman said through an interpreter
after the game. "I was able to work the whole time. It was key for me to
keep on working, keep on training. So in my mind, I was never worried
about it."
Prior to the game
Derek Jeter Jersey, manager Aaron Boone said Chapman is the club's closer.
"We'll build him up slowly this first week as far as by not having him
do any back-to-backs or anything like that," said Boone. "We'll kind of
monitor him this week, but in a save situation, he'll be in there."
Chapman said that he experienced mild symptoms after receiving his
positive coronavirus diagnosis early in Summer Camp, including the loss
of his senses of smell and taste. He was able to continue exercising in
his Manhattan apartment, documenting several of his workouts on
Instagram.
"Luckily, I felt good throughout the whole time in quarantine," Chapman
said through an interpreter. "I had to get creative. I had to purchase
some equipment and move some stuff around the apartment to try to get as
close as I could to my regular workout routine."
Zack Britton performed well as the interim closer, leading the Majors
with eight saves in as many opportunities. Britton said that he was fine
with returning to the setup role that he filled last season, especially
with right-hander Tommy Kahnle lost for the season following Tommy John
surgery."We're adding a quality arm," Britton said. "It's going to help
our bullpen and it's going to give us some depth with Tommy being out.
It's going to be huge for us."
To create room for Chapman on the active roster
Don Mattingly Jersey, right-hander David Hale was designated for assignment. Hale had a 2.98
ERA in 28 appearances for New York over the past three seasons,
including a 3.00 ERA in five appearances this year.
Comeback thwarted
Giancarlo Stanton appeared to be an early contender for the American
League's Comeback Player of the Year Award, batting .293 (12-for-41)
with three doubles, three homers and seven RBIs through 14 games. Then a
left hamstring strain sent Stanton back to the injured list on Aug. 9.
"Words can't really describe the disappointment I've had over this,"
Stanton said. "You can't really dwell on it. I have to see what's in
front of me, and that's still a decent amount of the season and the
playoffs. I was in this situation before. It seems unreal at times
Gary Sanchez Jersey, but I can just push forward and root my guys on until I'm back."Stanton
has been receiving treatment and said that he expects to resume
baseball activities shortly. Given an estimated recovery time of three
to four weeks, Stanton is targeting a big league return within the
window of Aug. 30 to Sept. 6.
"This has been tough, to be honest. This is my life," Stanton said. "I
put a lot into this. It's unbelievable. You've just got to look at it
for what it is and the spot that I'm in. It's a tough spot, but people
have been in worse. There can always be light at the end of the tunnel."
Injury report
DJ LeMahieu (left thumb sprain) is expected to return in two to three
weeks, according to Boone, who said that the infielder is experiencing a
similar injury to one that he sustained in May 2018 while with the
Rockies. The Yankees are consulting with a hand specialist who treated
LeMahieu at that time.
"There's no fracture in there
Gleyber Torres Jersey, and the ligaments on the side are intact and not compromised," Boone
said. "So it's just the sprain and it's getting the swelling out of
there. Hopefully [LeMahieu will return] in that two- to three-week
range."Aaron Judge (right calf strain) was scheduled to resume baseball
activities on Monday, including jogging and swinging a bat. Judge
expects to rejoin the active roster on Saturday against the Mets, the
first day he would be eligible.
This date in Yankees history
Aug. 17, 1933: Lou Gehrig broke the record for consecutive games played
by appearing in his 1,308th consecutive game, surpassing Everett Scott's
previous mark of 1,307. Gehrig ultimately played in 2,130 consecutive
contests, a mark eclipsed by Cal Ripken Jr. in 1995. NEW YORK -- Mike
Ford’s path toward the dugout bat rack leads past several teammates who
might be frontline starters elsewhere in the league.
As the Yankees continue to lean on their depth, the big-swinging first
baseman is proving that he belongs in that group. Ford became the latest
member of the Yankees’ so-called ‘B-squad’ to enjoy a big offensive
night, homering as part of a three-RBI performance as the Yankees
continued to beat up on the Red Sox in a 4-2 victory on Sunday evening
at Yankee Stadium.“I think we have a ton of depth,” Ford said. “We have a
lot of guys that could play elsewhere right now and help teams win.
It's just nice when us fill-in guys can come up and have some
success.”It was the Yanks’ ninth straight win over Boston dating to last
September, their longest such winning streak over their division rivals
since 1952-53. New York is also 9-0 at Yankee Stadium, marking just the
third time in franchise history it has started that well on its home
turf (1951, 1987). Judge: Negro Leagues Museum 'special'
“We have really good players and guys that are confident in their
ability, no matter what the role,” manager Aaron Boone said. “When
they're in there, they're going to be counted on to produce in a big
way. They're prepared for that.”
Taking a cue from strong performances earlier in the series by supersubs
Clint Frazier and Mike Tauchman, Ford said he stepped to the plate
hunting fastballs against Boston’s Chris Mazza.
The strategy worked: Ford knocked in a run with a first-inning single,
then mashed a 421-foot shot to the right-field seats in the third
inning. Aaron Hicks also had an RBI double off Mazza, who permitted four
runs and eight hits over three innings.“It's one of those games that we
can all get up for pretty easily, them being our rivals,” Ford said.
“We've just been doing a good job of putting the gas on early and our
pitchers have come up big for us. It just seems like each day, a new guy
comes out of nowhere.”
