Nice 6-1 win last night, eh? Loved it—looking at you Mr. Montgomery. Chris Sale stumbled, Sox lost. Doesn’t mean they are collapsing but it was pleasant all the same.

More tonight.

Never mind this humidity:

Let’s Go Yank-ees!

Picture by Bags

Monday was a goldbricker’s delight for Yankee fans. Matt B, a longtime Banterite, actually offered me a ticket, but I couldn’t make it, dammit. Anyhow, as you already know, it was a dream afternoon as our man Aaron Judge hit a couple more dingers—49 and 50!—tying and then passing Big Mac for the rookie home run record.

Happy?

Three game series vs. the Rays starts tonight. Final stretch. Let’s pad those stats and stay healthy and get ready for the do-or-die game against the Twinkies.

Never mind the Indian Summer:

Let’s Go Yank-ees!

[Photo Credit: Adam Hunger/Getty Images]

The Yanks are headed back to the postseason as they clinched at least a wildcard berth yesterday with a tidy, 5-1 win. The pitching was superb and a 3-run dinger by Greg Bird was enough to lift our boys back to October.

Look, let me be the first to say that I am awfully nervous that the Twins, after being whipped by the Yanks so often in the playoffs, will finally get their revenge. But if the Yanks can win that game, they can give the Indians a pain in the ass.

Never mind the future, let’s stay in the moment.

This has been a weird but enjoyable season thus far.

Let’s Go Yank-ees!

Picture by Bags

Aaron Judge had a nice night—and there was some welcome and spirited banter in the game thread, which I’ll address separately—but that was about it as the Yanks took one on the chin in Toronto while the Red Sox won again. More today—a win gets our boys a ticket to the dance.

Never mind the blue birds:

Let’s Go Yank-ees!

Picture by Bags

(p.s. And here is an update on the little girl who was hit by a foul ball earlier in the week.)

The Yanks won and won big yesterday against the Twins but it all seemed trivial after a little girl was hit with a line drive off Todd Frazier’s bat. Just a devastating moment. So damn upsetting. I can’t stop thinking about the girl and her family and hope that she will be okay.

Yanks with the day off and are up in Toronto this weekend.

Picture by Bags

Some kind of onions win for the Yanks last night as they snuck by the Twins, 2-1. Dellin Betances walked the bases loaded in the 8th but he was rescued by Aroldis Chapman who struck out Joe Mauer on three pitches and then got Byron Buxton to fly out to right on the first pitch he saw. Chapman was dominant in the 9th as the Yanks got a big time win. Aaron Judge hit his 44th (word to Tino—20 years ago!).

Only drag was that the Red Sox won in extra innings…again. The O’s blew a big lead, no surprise there. That’s just the way it goes this summer.

Raining lightly in the Bronx but I hope they get this one in. Wonder if the Twins dare bunt against ol’ C.C.

Never mind the slickers:

Let’s Go Yank-ees!

Picture by Bags

Man, you got to figure the O’s will not be sorry to see the last of the Yanks, who park the Score Truck up on the curb and open a block party for all when they play Baltimore. Many more runs were scored by our gang yesterday as the Yanks routed the O’s 9-3 (never mind the soporific late-inning relief corps who prevented Paulie O from making his dinner reservation on time).

Once more today. With feeling.

Never mind the haze:

Let’s Go Yank-ees!

Picture by Bags

Luis was sweet last night, gave up a 2-run homer early and then nothing else over 8 innings. The Score Truck did the rest, parking this one at 8-2.

More this afternoon with the late 4 p.m. start.

Never mind the shadows:

Let’s Go Yank-ees!

Picture by Bags

Aaron Judge had a TBT performance last night, bringing back fond memories of the spring months, hitting 2 long home runs as the Yanks skipped to a 13-5 win. Indian Summer humid in the Bronx tonight as Luis Severino takes the hill.

Let’s hope the Score Truck stays double parked on the right side of the street.

Never mind the heat:

Let’s Go Yank-ees!

Picture by Bags

The Yanks took the series from the Rays out in Queens—dropping only the middle game. Tonight, they return home to face the O’s. It is muggy and gray in New York. But that won’t break our stride.

Never mind the forecast:

Let’s Go Yank-ees!

Picture by Bags

Nice job by C.C. and the bullpen last night as the Yanks got a big knock from Todd Frazier (3-run homer) and grooved their way to a 5-1 win. Chased Rays starter Jake Odorizzi after he threw 51 pitches in the 4th inning. Brings them a full 3 games behind the Sox, 4 up in the Wildcard.

Happy?

Let’s hope for s’more good things from our dude—the modern day Coney!—Sonny Gray.

Never mind the airplanes overhead:

Let’s Go Yank-ees!

Picture by Bags

The Yankees played two seasons at Shea Stadium in the mid-’70s. For the next 3 days, they will play against the Tampa Bay Rays at Citfield but they will be the visitors. Certainly a strange turn of events but sensible considering everything that has happened in Florida with Irma.

Never mind the Shake Shacks:

Let’s Go Yank-ees!

Picture by Bags

One of the occupational hazards of being a writer is being friends with other writers and feeling an obligation to not only read their work but enjoy it. It can be tricky business.

I’ve known Jay Jaffe almost as long as the Banter has been around. While John Perricone (Only Baseball Matters) was the first baseball blogger I met online, Jay was the first one I met in person—lunch at Christine’s, an old Polish diner down on 2nd Avenue. This was back in 2002. As you probably know, Jay went on to write for Baseball Prospectus and SI.com where he has become the expert, the guru of all things involving the baseball Hall of Fame.

Jay wrote a book that was published this summer. It is called The Cooperstown Casebook. And I am pleased to report that I felt no awkwardness reading it, wondering how I could sugarcoat my response. Because it is everything you want a book like this to be—informative, challenging, irreverent, definitive. I didn’t lack faith in my old chum, but when you see what he delivered, well, it is hard not to be thrilled for him.

This book belongs on your bookshelf. Go get it.

The Yanks beat the snot out of the Rangers yesterday. Gary Sanchez and Aaron Judge homered twice and it was a happy day in Yankeeland—16-7 was the final.

Picture by Bags

The Yankees play like they’ve got a frog in their throat. We keep waiting for them to go on a run but it just hasn’t happened yet. They blew a game Friday night and then came back and swiped one yesterday.

Every day is a big one.

Never mind the brisket:

Let’s Go Yank-ees!

Picture by Bags

R.I.P. Stick Michael, Yankee utility infielder, Steinbrenner whipping boy, architect of a dynasty, lifer.

He will be missed.

Yanks and O’s this afternoon.

Never mind nuthin’:

Let’s Go Yank-ees!

[Photo Via: Baseball Hall of Fame]

Um, breaking.

C.C. and the Yanks look to keep it going down in Baltimore after a rousing win last night.

Never mind the long ball (C.C. I’m looking at you):

Let’s Go Yank-ees!

Well, that worked. The Yanks hit 3 solo home runs against Chris Sale (Matt Holliday, Chase Headley, Todd Frazier), who labored and didn’t make it out of the fifth. Gave one back the next inning thanks to a few errors and then scored 6 runs in the bottom of the sixth to put it away. That was the ballbreaker for the Sox, who got jobbed on balls and strikes, had a crucial third out at first base (correctly) overturned, and then saw Starlin Castro deliver a big bases loaded knock. Aaron Judge followed with a much-needed 2-run blast and the Stadium got good and loud.

The final was 9-2, bringing the Yanks 3.5 behind Boston. Nice job.

No time to gloat as a quick turnaround has our boys down in Baltimore against the surging O’s this afternoon, their stud Dylan Bundy on the bump. Nope, no time to get too happy at all.

Time for another win. Roll on, men.

Never mind the self-congratulations:

Let’s Go Yank-ees!

Picture by Bags

After the old win one, lose one, here we are, Sunday night, and Chris Sale stands in the way of the Yanks winning the series. A split is the difference between trailing Boston by 3.5 or 5.5. So yeah, it’s a big deal, far as these things go. Chris Sale, oy.

Again, the Yanks turn to Luis Severino to step up.

C’mon, kid.

Go get them, guys!

Never mind the nerves:

Let’s Go Yank-ees!

Picture by Bags

A 6-1 lead turned into homina-homina-homina in the 9th inning when Dellin Betances was wobbly as Hell. C.C. pitched well and then threw a snit after the game. Touchy-touchy, Big Fella:

“It’s not that it’s out of bounds, I guess,” Sabathia said. “That’s just me. It doesn’t matter who is bunting or who I’m playing. I get pissed when people bunt, period. You’re going to get a reaction out of me. Everybody knows that. And they got the reaction. We could be playing a Little League game. If my son bunts on me, I’m going to cuss him out. That’s just me. So it is what it is. I’ve always been like that. This is nothing new, and I think a lot of people know that.”

Gary Sanchez homered and Greg Bird had a big knock, and the Yanks hung on for a big 6-2 win.

More tonight. It is bright and cool—playoff weather a month early.

Sonny Gray on the bump.

Never mind the standings:

Let’s Go Yank-ees!

Picture by Bags