A New York Yankees Diary – Day Nine – September 10th, 2026

Last game against the Colorado Rockies for the 2026 season. Let’s face it, the Rockies are going nowhere until next year, at the very least, and with the Yankees having the playoffs in their future, this is an important game to win in the hope we can close the gap on the Tampa Bay Rays, but New York winning the American League East division is a slim chance whatever the outcome.

The Yankees have won 83 games to this juncture, so there is no 100 game win season this year. They have done well, but there have been too few runs, and too many injuries. You look at their team with the absence of Aaron Judge being once again a factor and you wonder where the runs will come from – Judge is benched as the Yankees try to gently work him up to full fitness – but, hey, the Yankees can always surprise you.

Continue reading →

A New York Yankees Diary – Day Eight – September 9th, 2026

Having taken a 1 game to zip lead in this series against the Colorado Rockies, the Yankees were hoping that Will Warren would help them secure a 2-0 lead as tonight’s game started at 7.09pm.

Jake McCarthy who had a decidedly mixed time of it in the first game, opened this game by lining out to Spencer Jones in centerfield. This was followed by Cole Carrigg stepping up to the plate. A long at bat resulted in a called third strike which Carrigg challenged but the call on the field was confirmed.

TJ Rumfield was gifted a soft walk, but clean-up man Hunter Goodman hit a ground ball back to Warren who threw it over to Luis Garcia Jr to end the top of the first.

36 year old, Tomoyuki Sugano was on the mound tonight for the Rockies. Prior to this game, he was 12-8 on the season. He showed great acomplished pitching as he got all three Yankees’ batters to strike out swinging – Ben Rice, Cody Bellinger & Aaron Judge. This was Judge’s 4th strikeout since his return from the Injured List (IL).

However, that feat of striking out three consecutive batters swinging was matched by Warren as he took down Mickey Moniak, Kyle Karros and Brett Sullivan in similar fashion. This was evidently going to be another tight dual of the starting pitchers.

But Colorado, the weakest team in the Major Leagues right now, know better to count their chickens before they are hatched (or the additional games going into the Win column).

Continue reading →

A New York Yankees Diary – Day Seven – September 8th, 2026

Well, having arrived earlier in the preceding week to prepare for my personal residency at Yankee Stadium, I now took up my seat. I have decided to alternate between a seat in the 320 section and the 120 section both of which overlook homeplate. I tend to sit in these areas anyway but this year it is of particular interest to me, so that I can study this ABS (Automatic Ball & Strike system) which I have to admit to being somewhat prejudiced against as it seems to detract from the naturalness of the game and the autonomy of the umpires, but I shall do my best to keep an open mind over the next 13 home games.

An evening game against the weak pitching, weak fielding Colorado Rockies. Their hitting is good but is obviously boosted by the favourable conditions in Colorado. It would seem to me that in this game which began at 7.08pm New York time, a win is likely – and maybe even a sweep over the 3 games.

Continue reading →

New York Yankees Diary – September 22nd, 2023

The Yankees went into their last home series of 2023. In reality, the Arizona Diamondbacks’ record on the season isn’t that much stronger than the Yankees, but they are in a much weaker division – and, therefore, whilst the Yankees will finish fourth or fifth, Arizona will finish second or third.

Today, the Yankees sent Luke Weaver to the mound, who is trying to rebuild his career, whilst Brandon Pfaadt (pronounced “Fought”) is trying first time around to establish a Major League career.

Weaver started the season at Cincinnati, and then when the Reds released him, he was signed by Seattle. The Mariners placed him on waivers, and the Yankees claimed a couple of days later. His career might seem to be on the garbage heap, if he can’t turn things around soon. His first game for the Yankees came in Pittsburgh where he pitched four innings for 3 runs. Tonight, he had a second opportunity to turn it all around and rebuild his career.

Pfaardt went into this game with a 2-8 record on the season, His Earned Run Average stood at 5.86.

It was not hard to predict that the outcome of the game depended primarily on the two teams’ batting performance on the night.

Continue reading →