Daily Report – 5/27/25

Yankees

Somehow, the Yankees’ battered rotation has become one of baseball’s finest, and Ryan Yarbrough has been the caboose of the Yankees’ dreams. The veteran lefty signed with the Yankees three days before this season began because the team needed a lefty arm in their bullpen. He now has a 3.06 ERA this season, and Yankees starters have a 2.70 ERA in their last 38 games.

Last night in Anaheim, despite giving up a leadoff home run to Zach Neto, Yarbrough tossed a strong six innings, giving up just two hits and one run while striking out seven. The Yankees won the ballgame 5-1, and they have now won 14 of their last 18 games, including three in a row.

Yarbrough is a crafty southpaw who doesn’t have overpowering stuff, but spins the baseball wonderfully to not just secure outs, but also strikeouts. The Yankees’ 509 team strikeouts this season rank second in baseball. Yarbrough struck batters out with five different pitches last night, none registering more than 89 mph on the radar gun. After giving up the home run to Neto, Yarbrough retired 18 of his next 20 batters.

“I’ve never been the guy to really blow up a radar gun,” said Yarbrough. “I’ve really had to understand how to get guys out. Hearing feedback, it’s just a different look and a little unorthodox. It’s not something they’re used to seeing every day.”

“It’s been a whirlwind, but it’s been a lot of fun,” said Yarbrough of his journey this season. “I think it’s just been having a really good approach talking with the pitching staff and [Austin] Wells about great game planning of really mixing speeds, keeping them guessing up there and getting ahead and putting them in situations where they’re having to swing the bat and no free passes.” Simple, but true. That must be your mentality when it has taken so many years to regain consistency.

In 2023, while pitching for the Kansas City Royals, Ryan Yarbrough suffered three head fractures near his right eye after getting hit in the face with a 106-mph baseball. Fortunately, Yarbrough escaped the incident without any long-term injuries, but the incident was certainly scary for him. When an athlete undergoes such a situation, they tend to appreciate every future opportunity more. Yarbrough finished the 2023 season with the Dodgers before moving to Toronto. So far, 2025 is his first full season with a team since 2022, his final year in Tampa Bay.

“It’s a treat [to watch Yarbrough play],” said Anthony Volpe, whose three-run double in the fourth inning last night provided the go-ahead runs for his team. “He’s had the career he’s had and the success he’s had for a reason. I think maybe you don’t appreciate it until you see it on a consistent basis and you’re on his team and you really get to appreciate it.”

In the fourth inning, Ben Rice, Trent Grisham, and Aaron Judge each singled before Cody Bellinger walked to tie the game. Jasson Domínguez then struck out before Anthony Volpe laced a two-strike fastball to center field to clear the bases. “Just keep it simple, get the ball up and get it to the outfield,” Volpe remarked.

Tonight, at 9:38 PM, the Yankees will send LHP Carlos Rodón (6-3, 2.88 ERA) to the mound against LHP Tyler Anderson (2-1, 3.60 ERA) as they try to win the series against Anaheim (YES).

Knicks Playoff GAME NIGHT: 8:00 PM – 2025 NBA Eastern Conference Finals, Game 4 – NYK (1-2) at IND (2-1); TNT, TruTV, MAX

If the Knicks beat the Pacers tonight, then anything is possible in this series. If the Knicks lose, then this series is all but over. The Knicks can push the impact of “home court advantage” off the cliff tonight if they even out the series in Indiana.

In Game 3, the Knicks overcame a 20-point deficit to win for an NBA record-setting third time this postseason. Karl-Anthony Towns was the hero, scoring 20 points in the fourth quarter. Tonight, the Knicks cannot fall into another 20-point hole. They must defend for the entire game as well as they did in the fourth quarter of Game 3.

“Each game,” head coach Tom Thibodeau said, “you look for things you want to prioritize. You go in with an idea of what you want the rotation to look like, and the game unfolds. There’s foul trouble, maybe a need for something else.”

And then, Thibodeau spoke three glorious words: “Always prioritize winning.”

In Game 3, Thibodeau deployed Mitchell Robinson into his starting lineup instead of Josh Hart. Many Knicks players found foul trouble early, so Delon Wright and Landry Shamet received extended playing time off the bench. Both players were outstanding defensively, so they received key minutes in the second half.

If nothing else, Game 3 proved how valuable Brunson’s ankle injury during the regular season was. The injury kept him off the roster for several weeks, providing other Knicks players with opportunities to shine. Delon Wright and Landry Shamet got more playing time when Brunson was absent. That has proven to be extremely useful in the playoffs. It may be valuable to play Jalen Brunson in the fourth quarter at every possible moment, but if Wright, Shamet, and Deuce McBride are more effective defensively, then perhaps the Knicks can find heroes elsewhere.

“I’ve been able to connect with these guys, and that definitely helps,” said Brunson. “When we’re able to push each other out of our comfort zones, that’s when it takes another step. We’re always going to have each other’s backs. You have to react, respond, and adjust, and sometimes going through that stuff makes you better.”

Indiana’s Aaron Nesmith, who left Game 3 with an ankle injury, might not play tonight. He was Indiana’s hero in Game 1, although Tyrese Haliburton sent the game to overtime. Nesmith is averaging 15.1 points per game this postseason, so losing him would be significant for the Pacers. “Look, we’re not gonna make excuses,” said Pacers head coach Rick Carlisle. “I mean, we’ve come back from big leads, we lost the lead [in Game 3]. Regardless of who’s out there, we gotta be able to attack better and do the things to maintain it and finish the game.”

The Knicks need to embody that attitude tonight in Game 4. No excuses.

Always prioritize winning.

Catch tonight’s game at 8 PM on TNT, TruTV, and streaming on MAX.

Schedule

8:00 PM: 2025 NBA Eastern Conference Finals, Game 4 – NYK (1-2) at IND (2-1); TNT, TRUTV, MAX

9:38 PM: NYY at LAA; YES