The Mets and Yankees are forced to shake up their lineups
The New York Mets are out West for a 10-game road trip that began in Oakland versus the A’s last Friday with a 17-6 win. In the opener of the three-game series, Mets starter Kodai Senga allowed 4 runs in 4 2/3 innings with 7 strikeouts. He was backed by a lineup that produced 17 walks and 11 hits.
On Saturday, Carlos Carrasco pitched into the 5th inning for the first time in three starts this season, giving up just two runs in a 3-2 Mets victory. The righty is 0-2 thus far with a massive 8.56 earned run average. He was placed on the injured list on Tuesday with elbow inflammation. In the finale on Sunday, the Mets called up Jose Butto from their Triple-A affiliate Syracuse. He would pitch five solid innings giving up one run and striking out two batters. The Mets overcame a 3-2 8th inning deficit with runs in the 9th (a homer by first baseman Pete Alonso) and 10th for a 4-3 win to cap off the sweep.
After the game they promoted their top prospect, third baseman Brett Baty, who made his Major League Debut last August 17, to infuse offense into the lineup as Eduardo Escobar, who had been the regular third baseman, was batting just .122 in 49 at-bats when the Mets took on the Dodgers Tuesday night. The 23-year-old Baty was at third on Monday when the Mets faced the Los Angeles Dodgers in Game 1 of a three-game series.
He had one hit and an RBI in four at-bats, but most of the Mets’ offensive production came from Daniel Vogelbach. The designated hitter homered and had three RBI as the Mets topped the Dodgers 8-6 despite a poor outing from starter David Peterson (1-2), who gave up six earned runs in six innings, increasing his ERA to 6.10. They went into Game 2 on Tuesday 11-6 and riding a five-game winning streak.
The Mets will conclude the road trip with four-games against the San Francisco Giants tonight (Thursday) through Sunday before returning to Citi Field next Tuesday to host the Washington Nationals for three games.
The Yankees began a 10-game home stand last Thursday by playing the Minnesota Twins and ended it on Sunday with a win to gain a split in the four-game series. The Twins took the first two and the Yankees snatched victories over the weekend. Staff ace Gerrit Cole’s first complete game shutout of the season highlighted the series. Cole spearheaded a 2-0 Yankees win on Sunday and is 4-0 with 0.95 ERA and 32 strikeouts in four starts.
Third baseman DJ LeMahieu provided all the offense Cole would need, delivering an RBI single and home run. With Josh Donaldson, who is the regular starting third baseman, working to return from a hamstring strain suffered on April 4 against the Philadelphia Phillies, manager Aaron Boone will ultimately have to find a way to get both players at-bats. LeMahieu has had a solid start to the season, hitting .265 with two home runs, six RBI and a .856 OPS after going 0-3 with one walk in the Yankees 5-2 loss to the Los Angeles Angels in the Bronx on Tuesday to begin a three-game series. The loss dropped the Yankees to 10-7.
Angels superstar Shohei Ohtani, who like Yankees legend Babe Ruth is an accomplished hitter and pitcher, hit a two-run home run in the first inning on the 100th anniversary of the opening of the original Yankee Stadium. Ruth hit a three-run homer on April 18, 1923.
As Donaldson makes his way back, All-Star outfielder/DH Giancarlo Stanton is expected to be out four to six weeks with a Grade 2 hamstring strain sustained on Saturday. Also on the injury front, starters Luis Severino (low grain lat strain) and Carlos Rodon (forearm strain and lower back), are still rehabbing and have yet to make their 2023 season debuts.
The Yankees have one more game tonight versus the Angels before three against the Toronto Blue Jays Friday-Sunday before going on the road to play the Twins three games Monday-Wednesday.
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