Rizzo is Back but Dominguez is Not & Cardinals Series Recap | The Bronx Pinstripes Show

what's up everybody Welcome to the Bronx pinstripe show I got the neon hat on you know what that means I'm in Island baby I'm in rhod Island Scott you got the T1 shirt rocking the old school throwback shirt rocking the old school shirt man it's a good shirt fits well still in uh still in good shape so um yeah rocking it because uh today was a bad day in Yankees baseball man today was a bad bad game it went from it went from bad to good to to like you know exciting to bat really bad uh and just like the bullpen again reared its ugly head because I'm you you see the comeback they have you score as many runs as they do you should win the game uh and unfortunately that's not the case well that's the thing right like they even came back almost tied the game on Saturday as well ston I mean what's he two feet from a grand slam to to tie that game not even not even it was like six seven Ines and the thing was yeah it was right off the wall that was uh that was that was fun to watch but yeah he was he was that close so the offense has fight man like the offense will scrap and do things it's a it's the pitching staff that that's that you what are you supposed to do you know what I mean today what are you supposed to do they scored 14 goddamn runs you 20 hits 14 runs and it was like you said it was a 7- s game and instead of just giving up the lead it's a complete meltdown and and takes any possibility of a comeback out of the question but yeah I agree I mean so one of the things that we have criticized this Yankees team for is their inability to hit with Runners and scoring position Mount rallies and that's something they did in both of these games to come back they hit I think they had four hits on Saturday with Runners and scoring position five hits today with Runners and scoring position so you can't necessarily blame the lack of execution in those spots on or blame the losses on the lack lack of execution in those spots it's the pitching put them in too big of holes I mean nearly too big of holes on on both days and today obviously the the bullpen just you know you finally get OS back you see why maybe he's been in the minor um and one outing I mean it it is I know I know it's one outing but I know it's one out and I still would rather give it a shot right because we know what the alternative is and one of the Alternatives we saw today is Tommy Canley sometimes man when Tommy Canley it's always throwing his change UPS guess what very hitable and Jake cousins those are two guys if you're not going to get semi consistency out of those two guys you sure [ __ ] ain't going to get it from some of these other guys in the bullpen well I mean I will say I think they've gotten some decent consistency out of cousins obvious good um but kley Canley yeah when when kley becomes a like he's got a really good change up everybody knows that he knows that the the opposing team knows that every everybody in the world knows that Tommy kley has a good a good change up but when it's the only pitch that you throw it it does it becomes a mid 8s fast ball you know it becomes something that is extremely hitable and I think he threw it six straight times seven times in a row it was crazy and like if I'm a hitter going up against Tommy Kinley I'm only looking for one pitch if you beat me on a fast ball great you beat me on a fast ball but I'm not looking for another goddamn pitch like I'm I'm looking for uh a something that's 80 85 to 88 miles per hour that has a little dip like I know things going to drop out a little bit but I'm looking for it that that's the pitch that I'm looking for um and it's it's amazing to me why that approach doesn't happen more often but um it did happen and uh you know six times I guess you get you get away with it five times why wouldn't you get away with it six times but man that's uh that's not a good strategy that's not a good strategy and it's not going to work against good teams against good hitters in in big positions this is another team the Cardinals they would they come in a game under 500 I believe into the weekend you can't lose two out of three to that team I mean you can't lose TI of three at home when you're yeah and it's a like the team is has been struggling they they were definitely um you know much closer to a playoff position for the majority of the season and I think the last few few weeks last month or so uh they have not been good but they have talent on the team obviously I mean Jordan Walker coming in was doing absolutely nothing and goes five for five today with a home run so these guys started hitting they have talent on the team I'm not like a loss to the St Louis Cardinals doesn't feel like a loss to the white socks are a team that's on the they're they're not a great team they're a mediocre team but I don't know man like it feels like every team that walks in or that we play has that same unless they're just a bottom theater they everybody feels like a mediocre team they feel like you can have a good day or you can have a bad day and I don't know what day is going to what it's going to be it's the same with the Yankees it's a it's exactly I was talking to my dad and he was he brought up the record how the Yankees have struggled against Bad teams and I'm like I think you it's it's I think that's how it's worked out but I think it's just because the Yankees are inconsistent and it just so happens that a lot of their struggles have come at times when they've been maybe playing bad teams but don't you agree like there's just a lot of holes in the team there's a lot of inconsistency yes that's also around the league but if we're just talking about the Yankees like when the bullpen is the way it is and the pitching staff is so on hot or cold and the offense I know we said the last two days has executed runs and scoring position but the most for the most part they haven't so it's just an inconsistent team and that's what you get you're going to get really ugly play for I thought this series also was ugly like look at today in the first it was ugly it was absolutely ugly there were B thr around all over the place SL like slopping is like like the obviously the couldn't feel uh couldn't feel Bickford couldn't feel the bunt tosses it down the right field line but in the first inning alone Juan stto I thought just was not running the bases like at all smart not running the Bas smart at all hits a line drive to right field just I guess assumes it's going to get caught and so he's jogging out of the first basee box or out of out of the the uh the box to first base and the when the right fielder bobbles it he turns it on but it's too late so he can't get to second base and then on a 3-2 pitch to Aaron judge he's running on the pitch but he's just jogging so he's out by 11 feet if you're going to run on a 3-2 pitch run yeah there there were definitely some base running things that that uh and and just just like overall lack of lack of jump out of the box is just like a thing that jazz too I know he was exciting and stole the bag on on on the pitcher and the third base been falling asleep and ended up scoring on that play I love that but he didn't run out of the box on that fly ball to right field should have just been an easy catch by the center fielder or the right fielder probably but he didn't run yeah but I mean even that he he's he it didn't hurt them it doesn't hurt them when when when you see but when you see the um the play that jazz makes like this is this is exactly what this team needs the the type of the type of plays that he's you can tell that he's a smart baseball player because he's looking at things that are happening in front of him on the field when when he noticed that that mikos whatever his name is is uh is coming off of or just not paying attention third baseman's off the bag enough where he knows his speed is there I said mikos um the uh like he knows he can take that bag and he does and forces a play he forces them to do something that they're obviously not comfortable with doing some you don't practice that type of uh that type of situation and the ball gets thrown away and they and they scratch across a run like that that is the that is I love it I absolutely love it you know vulp you see vulpi doing stuff like that on the base path I wish he would do more of it um but he does do stuff like that too and I that I don't know there's just something about that like that Hy type of baseball that I just don't see all the time on this on this team and I know we're kind of going all over the place with with with a little bit of um some here but 14 runs 14 runs on a on a swing game when you can win the win a series and thank God again I'll say it again man but thank God that uh Baltimore is struggling thank God Baltimore has a terrible Bullpen also and you see Craig Kimbrell just giving up games to the to the Colorado Rockies because they're clearly going through similar similar things with their pitching staff and their Bullpen specifically um but did I see the Yanke are damn near the Yankees are damn near a 00 teams since the beginning of June I think is I saw Brian ho tweet out it it's crazy the the fact that they're where they are in the standings right now did I see about yeah did I see a quote from Boon again referencing how Baltimore he didn't call him Baltimore but he just seemed te he said teams around us also scuffling or something like that cuz remember he said that a couple months ago he was more so talking about the fortunate no he was saying like oh it's fortunate for us like we've gone through it and you've seen some other teams go through it too it's like again with the oh so but I think it was more it was more it was okay everyone everyone failed the test mom it was just more it was more it was more just like that's the situation that we're in this situation because other teams were struggling I think I I don't think he was using it but you know I heard it and I it didn't bother me I know what you're saying though but I hate that kind of attitude it's like if you win two or three more games over this stretch not saying you have to play 700 ball over the stretch you win a couple of games and you've got a comfortable lead yeah so the Brian hook one of the Brian hook tweets he he sent yesterday about winning records this is again like you look at it the Yankees have the the Major's best record versus teams with a winning record 44 and 30 and then the 19th best versus Team 500 or worst 34 and 26 so I I mean I do think I don't think it's necessarily who's in front of them I think it has to do with self-inflicted wounds and the fact that this team is extremely inconsistent and you know one day if and it doesn't happen often that judge and Soto don't hit um you know the rest of the team does doesn't do their job but more often than not it's it's the pitching staff that's giving up just too many goddamn runs and you're seeing them um having to chase just like today they had to chase and I don't think nestar Cortez was that terrible when you watched him play like the ball to the left field that Verdugo didn't catch probably should be caught you know you could look at where he was playing should should do you think that uh you know Verdugo should be that far to center field um on a on a ball where where Nester you know going go for weak contact you know he's going for weak contact and a lot of times a weak weak contact will go the other way towards towards the left field line so you know there's just a lot of little things like that that that are um that are adding up today I didn't think Neer was all that bad I didn't think he was terrible and then yeah he gave up the home run which which was not a good home run to give up they you know he was out there again I think this is the second time he's been out there in just a complete downpour uh without them putting the tarp on because it was a cell that is going to be over there for like 5 minutes and he's just so happens to be on the mound but um yeah I don't know it was frustrating that ball down the left field line though that's about outfielder positioning like so so whatever The Scouting Report and whatever the pitch sequence was going to be that's where they had him positioned so it is but you're right he was in the position he also pulled up at the m at the last minute where uh I would like to see my left fielder go all out for that ball it's a big play you got to go make a play there he definitely checked up um at the at the last minute so you know I could say a bunch of things but about the ground ball that ball that Ball's kind of opens up the inning that could have been a double play yeah vul is also making tremendous plays in the in the field to actually keep them in so that's not charged an error though but how is that not an error that's a ball right to the short stop the you're talking about the hit it was ruled a hit but that's a ball like yeah vuli just like tried to stab he he looked like his feet got tangled up a bit and so he kind of fell down toward like on two knees and tried to stab backand at the ball and he just whiffed on it it was a bad play like they didn't rule it in error because I don't think he got any glove on it but that's a ball a short stop needs to make not even a good short stop that's a ball a short stop needs to make there were some funky bounces out there too it happened to the to the cardal as well with a ball that was uh that was like skitted off of the the grass or whatever the hell happened but there were some funky bounces going on out there too so yeah there was also the St the ball's in the air that's not funky stack going around after the game the Yankees allowed 20 plus hits today I think it was 21 hits the second time this season that's happened and that only happened three times between 2015 and 20 2023 like 20 hits is so many hits it's a lot of goddamn hits It's too many hits and the the people that are running out in this Bullpen you get Phil Bickford who who obviously throws the ball uh away when uh when there's a you know a play that every pitcher in the world who's in the Major League should be able to make with no issue um there were there were just there was just a lot of sloppiness there was a lot of sloppiness you can't have a wellplayed defensive game either when 20 game 20 runs or 14 runs are scored 20 hits like there's going to be some ugliness around there no matter what yes they were very hitable but there's going to be some ugliness that prolongs Innings as well yeah we got a couple positive things to talk about but first we're brought to you today by rayon everyday earbuds which provide audio quality that is just as good as the big guys but for half the price and the exciting thing is rayon just launched their upgraded model of their bestselling everyday earbuds some of them must have features that these earbuds have include 32-hour battery life Quick 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about a couple positives um no cuz uh it's the same story that's that's the the big thing here is is the same story you know when you're when you're looking at how this team Lo loses and and uh the the concern moving forward to me it's the bullpen it's always been the bullpen um so you know we have uh we have some guys coming back and hopefully they can settle in and be better but that's it that's all we're doing right now we're hoping we're hoping that guys that are on the roster or guys that are coming back are going to do something that's it there's no not a lot of confidence behind this it's a lot of hope that's one of the positives we're going to mention is is Rizzo back two hits today in his first game back it was good to obviously see Rizzo see Rizzo back on the field since he you know fractured his forearm and the Yankees had been searching for first base I mean really all season because it's not like Rizzo was good before he went down but the wor the Hope again the hope is that Rizzo can stabilize the position a little bit and I think that's what he does you have him out there and I just feel better just seeing him out than than the rotation of uh of lameu and rice even though rice really hadn't been playing all that much um this is exactly what we wanted or we expected to happen if Rizzo's healthy you you know there's got to be I say this but I know what he did in the beginning of the year you you can't be much you can't have much less production at first base with anybody so you have him it's got to be a net positive right it's got to be a net positive and you know what he does defensively lameu actually struggled over there F at first base um a lot worse than I was a lot more than I was expecting him his footwork even his glove work wasn't all that great over there um so yeah having def having a defensive guy like Anthony Rizzo at first base I think is a big deal um you know for Jazz's uh development for over the next month as he as he continues as the starting third baseman I think it's a good thing to have a guy like Rizzo over there so yeah overall I just think it's a really good thing and obviously he got some hits today so uh positive positive influence on the on the lineup mhm yeah and uh strowman also was good you mentioned that earlier in the episode giving the Yankees length on on Friday night and another positive was Wells hit two home runs after I'm sure you saw the Tik Tok that Wells had oh did I see the Tik Tok did you see the Tik Tok it must have been it must have been an older it must have been an older uh oh yeah it was old he said so I don't know when that was actually filmed uh I showed it to Kemp the video because I'm trying to uh Kemp is starting rookie ball this year which is the Step Up from t-ball in our little league area and um you know in t-ball there's a lot of goofiness there's a lot of goofiness that happens and while you know I want Kemp to have fun we we go out and we say goofiness not not allowed on the baseball field when you're playing it's not goofy we're having fun but we're not goofy like you could do that afterwards and it was a great way for me to to show after he hit two home runs on Friday that this man is all business on the field but then has fun and he Goofy and just like has a has a good time and just acts silly on the on the you know when he's when he's not playing baseball so it worked really well for the lesson that I was trying to teach and uh and now Kemp has watched it maybe 50 times oh really just he he every every uh hey Dad can you show me the Austin Wells video again like the kid the kid's obsessed with it so did did Austin Wells just become his favorite player he might have he might have I think when when they see when kids see players off the field it's just weird you know because they don't they don't see them as normal people it's like seeing the teacher in the grocery store like what you don't live at school and um so yeah I think that was it was just like a it was like a it was a good uh representation of like hey these are actual people not just Yankees baseball players well social media has obviously allowed athletes to show their personal lives very easily and it's very common now but yeah I mean think about like the 9s the only time you saw a glimpse into that was like if you got a magazine you would read an article about it maybe like one like when ESPN sports center would do those commercials remember like pada and Jeter had that that Sports Center commercial it was like those sorts of very small moments that you would get glimpses into these guys personalities yeah 100% And so the fact that he uh this this came out and he's been good um and and look man he's been hitting and he played the whole series which is great like you you want you want to see him uh play uh and he's playing so he needs to be locked in in that four spot and just be the guy there he yeah he did say he had he was surprised it was not found earlier cuz it was an old video so he's like yeah I'm surprised no one no one stumbled upon that video so what do you make of the Yankees not calling up Dominguez for their September call-ups because they recalled Scott EOS Mario and outfielder Duke Ellis in addition to obviously Rizzo so this is obviously the big story the the The rosters expanded um it's happening exactly like I like I said a couple of weeks ago how it would happen like this is exactly what I thought would happen I think that and today didn't help the the the the case with Verdugo getting a couple hits like you see that when when I saw hold on let me let me backtrack I think that the Yankees are I know everybody's talking about the service time like that's the big narrative here it's the service time it's the extra draft pick and all that like okay that's a convenient thing like I don't actually think it's driven by that I 100% don't believe it's it's driven by that I 100% believe that it is because they want to still play Verdugo and they will not play Jason Dominguez every day that's why I think it's happening and do I believe that that's the right decision no I do not believe that's the right decision at this point with a month left you should get the kid up there and he should be be playing in left field every single day that's what should be happening but if he's not if he's not going to play every day it's because they are not going to play him every day and if that's the case then I want him to play every single day and if if it needs to be in Triple A then just have him play every day down there if you're not going to play him in the major leagues and that's exactly what's happening this is this is how the this is like to me the most predictable thing that the Yankees would do because they're going to tell you that he's not going to play every day and they're not going to commit to playing him as the every everyday left fielder because of Verdugo and they're not giving up on Verdugo that's the reason that's the reason so again I go back to I look at the schedule again and for Scranton 9:15 is when they finished their their last home their last home stand and they have like a long stretch to end the end the year in Buffalo Yankees are at home uh during during that stretch they have that that uh that that home stand stand I think he's going to be up then I think he's going to be up right around the time when they stop playing base every single day and they'll be forced to make this decision but at that point why if they're not prepared to sit for Dugo on September 1st why would they be prepared to sit verd Dugo on September 15th because they're not going to have a choice at that point that's why they have a choice right now so they're using it as an option they feel like they can give Verdugo another two weeks I don't know and and at that point uh Dom migz is not going to be playing every day no matter what like there's playoffs I don't even know if this playoffs situation is for Scranton but there will be a lot days off here you know more days off because of that a lot more travel um so it's warranted like it it makes it it's hard to it's hard to deny the fact that it makes sense for him to be up no matter what whether he's playing every day or not at that point because they're season's over so I think that's really do think that's that logic but at that point there's no alternative for him to play baseball every day so he could still ride the bench in the majors because Verdugo is 10 for his last 27 so if they're going to keep giving him chances and he's hitting even a little bit they're GNA they're going to stick with him they've stuck with him through May all the at least play the match up when may through August when in in may he hit 245 with a 275 on base in June 219 265 on base July 223 286 on base August 204 batting average 269 on base he didn't have an above two his onbase percentage was never above 286 in those months for any month and they stuck with him still so they're never going to bench him well that's the thing like you know again they're going to they're going to have to be in a situation that that they're going to be forced to do this and that's and because he's he's hitting a little bit right now it's it's helping them I think behind the scenes justify their decision where they're saying and look I I I want at the the end of the day no matter what I want to be very clear on this like I want Jason Dominguez in the major leagues playing every day like that is what I want that's what I believe should happen I think that's the best move to put the Yankees in the best position to win games on a daily basis I think that he's the better player but if you're going to bring him up right now when September call offs happen at 9-1 and not play him every day I would rather him play every day because I think that the one he's still developing as a player and he needs everyday reps he still needs the Reps to you know even for the playoffs like reps right now are going to be helpful for him in a month so if he's getting those reps in AAA because you're not going to play him then fine I'd rather you not call him up and sit him on the bench three times four times a week and have him play every single day in scon until that becomes a non-issue but it's only because I I had to I just this is how they operate like you know it's like my brain goes to how are they what are they thinking what are they doing and I I think that's what they're thinking I think that's their justification it just so happens that yes there's a the the the the whole American League thing but that's such a long shot and such a crapshoot that like if you're making decisions based on that we have much bigger problems if that's the case so I I have a I I think it's in the conversation like they know about it they it's it's it's there it it helps the case but at the same time it's all about Verdugo and them not wanting to sit Verdugo you you're saying the rookie eligibility is because they said certainly in the conversation they're referring to that right 30 at bats if he gets a if he has a 130 professional at bats he is no longer eligible to be rookie of the year if he were to come up and play every single day right now he would most likely exceed those at bats for his career at that point and then not be eligible as a rookie therefore not be eligible to win the award and if he's not eligible to win the award then the Yankees are not eligible to get another draft pick in which they would get if he did win that award yeah that is a long stretch of wh ifs and like the if if they were making decisions based on something that that had that that long of a that linear of an explanation then we have big much bigger problems because that that their whole decision-making process and is completely screwed so I I'm I I think it's it's there they know about it obviously and like that's probably helping uh their decision but I do think it's rooted in the fact that they're not going to sit Verdo as an everyday player and therefore Dominguez won't play every day if Dominguez didn't have that oblique injury back in June do you think this all would have played out differently um I don't know I I would I would I would hope so if you if you saw him if you saw him hitting for you know two Monon period and just like destroying Triple A then I think that he he then puts you in a position where you have no choice also because Verdugo was so bad in those months as well yeah and like why are we why why do we have to talk about this like that's this is the other frustrating thing is like why do we have to talk about the fact that they're put in forced into playing the better player like it's a crazy discussion it's a crazy conversation they we want to win baseball games and and make have the best team out there if this kid is the best player to come out and play Left Field then play him yeah like we're talking about these things that have to happen that Jason Verdugo that Jason Verdugo that Jason Dominguez has to do in Triple A for them to be so so forced into a situation actually make the move it's crazy it's crazy like the things that have to transpire for them to go out there and realize like this is the better player he's younger he's more Dynamic he's faster he's G to you know he's going to be bring a level of excitement and enthusiasm to the team that that that can help you know all of these things are good all of these things are good well we've seen the Yankees sort of operate like this with prospects but it's usually when they don't fully believe in the prospect but I'm not I don't think that's the case with Dominguez so that's what's making it even more frustrating and weird and the Verdugo is on a one-year deal like there's nothing tying them to him after this year really after the regular season there's nothing there's nothing no but and if for Dugo was hitting no one would be really saying anything I mean people still would but at least there would be a legitimate justification for playing for Dugo every day but he was the worst left fielder in baseball for five straight months I mean if you don't think that some of this has to do with the fact that he's a left-handed hitter and and like does that and I know that that thez can can do that also but but at least you have one guy that's sitting on one spot and he probably has like good splits that are out there the Nerds can actually look at and quantify and and and then put like Dominguez there as a right-handed batter and play the splits like you know that there's some type of a split that they're looking at even though he's a even though he's a switch hitter to play Verdugo I promise you there's something like that that the Nerds have concocted to say this is the guy that need against tough righties that's got to be one hell of a niche split that they have found that specifically in these exact moments Verdugo is our guy and we cannot pass up the opportunity to play him because of that you know and you know the the the fact that they they call up um a guy that they just picked up who is fast uh and and can run the bases and they they bring him up as an outfielder Duke Ellis who they just acquired right they just picked him up it's uh it's just salt in the wound for fans when they're looking at that when they when they see that transaction get uh you know get marked and and it's and it's posted up there and dominguez's name isn't up there but there is another outfielder it just makes you want to go crazy a little bit all right well Yankees are going to be in Texas playing the Rangers it's an 8:00 game on Monday night right it's a night game all of them are 805 games I believe it's like it's Labor Day like can't can't you give me a 405 start or something like some some daylight baseball AC on the last holiday of the summer but hey whatever baseball schedule's been weird like that ever since uh the balance schedule and all that kind of stuff anything else you want to touch on before we wrap up the the Rangers Jack lighter so there's another we got a lighter lighter on lighter action here coming up uh on Monday which is interesting and then Heeney who I I can't I still can't believe like he's an actual pitcher even though he's doing well ER wise and then of all these coming in against strowman so you got some uh you got some matchups and right now the Rangers are really playing for nothing at this point they're 10 games out of the out of the West there's not a team that's going to get a wild card spot from that division so um you know this is this is these are winnable games but as we said inconsistencies what or would drive the the the wins or losses for this team so we'll see what happens all right we will talk to you after the Texas series