BRONX, NY: You can tell me when it’s over. If the high was worth the pain. Sing it, Taylor. This World Series has honestly made me consider giving up sports. Is the pain from a game like the brutal Game 1 walk-off worth it? I’m not sure anymore. Here’s a few things I’ll remember about this sucky sh!tty horrifying World Series.
A Spicy Cortes Meatball
You could argue that Tim Hill should have been in there instead of a rusty Nestor in Game 1 in the 10th. And you might be right. But I’m going to take issue with the pitch selection. The Dodgers had been aggressive early in counts to the point where it seemed like their gameplan. Ohtani had just popped out on the first pitch Nestor threw.
It’s easy to second guess, and I know Nestor wanted to get ahead with the bases jammed. But grooving a fastball right into Freeman’s wheelhouse probably wasn’t the way to go.
Volpe Goes Fishing
The Yankees were mounting a rally in the 9th in Game 2 and had Treinen on the ropes. He was up over 30 pitches, and the Yankees had cut it to 4-2 with the bases loaded and one out.
Volpe fouled off a bunch of pitches, including a fat hanger that made Soto groan in the dugout. He had to know Treinen was nearly out of gas and his only hope was getting Volpe to chase the fluttering frisbee slider. Yet somehow, he got Volpe to go after one that was about 3 feet outside and could not ever have looked like a strike. It should have been 3-2 and Treinen would have had to come at him. Huge whiff.
No Righty Pinch Hitter
Numerous times this series called for a righty pinch hitter for one of the Yanks’ struggling lefties. But there were none on the Yankees’ bench. Switch hitters Cabrera and Dominguez are so useless from the right side that the Yanks went with light-hitting Trevino with the game on the line after Volpe struck out in Game 2. Even Berti would have been a decent option, but he was left off the roster due to injury. Not ideal.
Exposed
Key left-handed cogs Austin Wells and Jazz Chisholm were ineffective due to identified holes in their swings. Wells had better spend the winter learning how to hit a high fastball and Chisholm needs to learn how to hit the inside gas. Both men were easy outs.
#99 Didn’t Show
But the biggest no-show of all was #99. What I’ll remember most is Aaron Judge again contributing almost nothing. I thought this year would be different, but the big man looks pretty helpless. The plate discipline that has served him so well is just not there. He goes up there hacking at anything like he’s Steve Freakin’ Balboni. Then at other times, he goes into passive mode where he doesn’t swing at hittable pitches. It’s been massively disappointing.
Oh look, Daniel Jones just threw a game-sealing interception. I think I’ll go jump off a bridge. Come back tomorrow for Angry Ward.
