It’s late August. The Yankees are 5 out of 1st place, 3 up in the WC race and fighting for their playoff lives. On Thursday 8/24 they were also fighting anyone and everyone in a Detroit uniform.
They suffered a costly loss 10-6 to the Tigers, but unfortunately it will be more costly when the league reviews film of a 6th inning bench clearing brawl, and what ensued. Guaranteed Gary Sanchez, Austin Romine & Dellin Betances get suspended. Romine will get a game or two for his part in a fight with Miguel Cabrera even though Cabrera was clearly the aggressor, throwing haymakers , but Gary Sanchez, in my opinion will get at least 4 games, and probably more. Unfortunately the commissioner’s office will deem Sanchez to be throwing “sucker-punches” at Cabrera who was already on the ground in a pile near home plate. In the 7th inning Betances hit James McCann in the helmet with his first pitch, a 98 mph fastball. The benches cleared again. Betances was motioning with his hand that the ball slipped out of his hand, but Sanchez who was the catcher at that point stood in front of Dellin at the mound, and the league will look at his gestures as provoking.
TORRES 0-3 AT THE PLATE :
The really unfortunate thing is that home plate ump Carlos Torres needs to take a significant amount of blame for the multiple bench-clearing ugliness.
He wiffed 3 times on the day !!
- Carlos Torres should have understood that there was bad blood between the teams going back to a game at Yankee Stadium back on July 31st where players were hit-by-pitches and tempers flared.
- He should have warned both benches back in the top of the 5th inning when Michael Fulmer threw at & hit the Yankees hottest hitter Gary Sanchez who had 4 HRs in the 3 game series.
- Torres should have positioned himself to separate Cabrera & Romine in the bottom of the 6th before the words exchanged escalated to punches thrown.
The bottom line is the Yankees come out of this the losers in more ways than one. They lost the ball game and they have more to lose with the suspensions that will follow. Yes, Cabrera started the fight and will be suspended but he doesn’t care at this point. Miggy & the Tigers are going nowhere this year and are waiting for the season to end. The Yankees on the other hand are in the middle of a playoff race where every game is crucial to win. Betances is the Yankees dominant set-up man and part time closer now that Chapman has struggled. It’s hard to prove intent, but hitting a batter in the head with your 1st pitch after a bench clearing brawl call, will force the league to hand down some punishment. As for Gary Sanchez, he’s the Yankees hottest hitter. How hot you ask ?? He’s hitting .344/.408/.852 with 10 Homers in 16 games. That’s how hot !! Sanchez will get the longest suspension imo and as Yankee fans, we can only hope it doesn’t cost a playoff opportunity.
Today was a costly loss for the Yankees. Time will tell just how costly.
As always,
GO NYY
