Daily Report – 9/17/25
Yankees
A little too close for comfort. 10 runs almost weren’t enough as the Yankees almost allowed the Minnesota Twins to overcome a 10-1 lead. The final score was 10-9, with the Yankees getting the win, thanks to nine runs scored against Twins starting pitcher Zebby Matthews. If it wasn’t for him, the Yankees would have lost this game.
After a 12-game gauntlet and a 7-0 shutout, the Yankees were desperate for a laugher. Instead, they kept everyone on the edges of their seats. By the sixth inning, the Twins were only down two runs after Cam Schlittler and Ryan Yarbrough combined to allow eight runs through 5 1/3 innings. Schlittler struggled from the beginning, falling into numerous full-count at-bats that he couldn’t escape from. The rookie is still struggling to adjust his arsenal at times. He often finds himself relying on his fastball – which is an elite pitch – but hitters can sense it, so he needs to mix up his pitch mix and location. He only gave up three hits, but he allowed four runs because of five walks and a two-run home run.
Meanwhile, Yarbrough has been sensational for the Yankees all season, both as a starter and a reliever following an extended stint on the injured list. Last night, the Yankees sought an extended relief appearance since they were leading 10-4 in the sixth inning when Yarbrough took the mound. But he finally broke, allowing four runs on four hits.
After that, though, the Yankees were able to calm the Twins down. Mark Leiter Jr. threw 1 2/3 scoreless innings, and Devin Williams threw a scoreless eighth. David Bednar gave up a home run in the ninth inning, but he held things down to earn his 25th save of the season.
“I feel we have one of the best bullpens in the league,” said Mark Leiter Jr. “We’ve added a lot of new pieces. It kind of ebbs and flows in finding spots and guys. I feel very confident that we’ve got a very good group out there to get big outs in any situation.”
Leiter isn’t necessarily wrong. On paper, the Yankees have one of the best bullpens in baseball, and the reality of today’s era of baseball is that starting pitchers don’t typically exceed six innings. And that’s on a good day, which means the bullpen is the most important part of a team. If Devin Williams, who has pitched four straight scoreless appearances, continues to succeed in the setup role, and David Bednar still dominates as the closer, then the Yankees have one of the best high-leverage areas of any bullpen in baseball.
It’s also important to note that relief pitching is extremely unpredictable. It isn’t possible to effectively evaluate how a reliever will perform until he takes the mound. Right now, with October right around the corner, the best thing the Yankees can do is determine which bullpen arms fit best in different spots, but they’ve got their back end figured out already. That’s a big deal. It’s the middle relievers that are the issue.
Ryan Yarbrough and Tim Hill are the only lefties in the Yankees’ bullpen, and Luke Weaver has reverse splits. Hill has had a down year, and he’s become much more prone to the long ball than when the Yankees claimed him off waivers last season. Luke Weaver has endured an up-and-down year, and his most recent implosion came on Monday. Camilo Doval is more of a concern since he’s been unable to control his tendency to balk, and he’s been a shell of himself since arriving in the Bronx at the trade deadline.
When people argue that the Yankees have a bad bullpen, they often point out that since the trade deadline, when the Yankees revamped their bullpen, their relievers have pitched to a 5.71 ERA, the worst in the majors in that span (Katie Sharp). It’s fair to argue that Bednar has been the Yankees’ only reliable reliever since August 1. Also, the Yankees’ bullpen’s overall ERA this season is 4.61, which ranks 23rd in the majors (Covers).
But Luke Weaver, despite his 12.00 ERA in his last 11 games, put the Yankees’ bullpen situation perfectly. “It’s just about trying to flush this, get in a good mindset down the stretch, pitch in some big moments, and then be ready, hopefully by the end of the season, to do something great.”
I’m not saying I trust anyone in this bullpen. It could very easily be what prevents this Yankees team from winning a championship this season. Here is a look at my current reliability chart of Yankees relievers:
RHP David Bednar: Reliable
RHP Fernando Cruz: Reliable
RHP Devin Williams: Somewhat Reliable
RHP Mark Leiter Jr.: Somewhat Reliable
LHP Ryan Yarbrough: Somewhat Reliable
RHP Paul Blackburn: Somewhat Reliable
RHP Luke Weaver: Somewhat Unreliable
RHP Camilo Doval: Somewhat Unreliable
LHP Tim Hill: Somewhat Unreliable
However, the struggles this bullpen has endured do not suggest that these relievers are incapable of turning things around, even in the biggest moments. No team in baseball has a perfectly reliable bullpen.
Offensively, the Yankees got off to an early start last night. “We were just ready to hit,” said Trent Grisham, who led off the first inning with a single off Zebby Matthews. Aaron Judge and Cody Bellinger both singled as well, giving the Yankees a 1-0 lead, and Giancarlo Stanton hit a sacrifice fly to center field to make it 2-0.
“Got some pitches in the zone that we handled well,” Grisham said. “I think what really helped us was the mentality of being ready to hit.”
After Cam Schlittler allowed a run in the bottom of the first inning, the Yankees bounced back immediately in the second. In his return to the Yankees’ lineup, Anthony Volpe went 2-for-4, including a leadoff double in the second inning, his 30th of the season. Throughout the game, Volpe remained composed in the box, waving at fewer outside pitches. His best moment came in the ninth inning when he worked a 10-pitch at-bat against Michael Tonkin. Although Volpe struck out, it was good to see him battle through a deep count for what felt like the first time in months.
In the second inning, after Volpe’s double, Austin Wells doubled as well to bring him home. Then, Trent Grisham grabbed hold of a hanging changeup and drilled it to deep right field for his 31st home run of the season. The score was 5-1, Yankees.
Next, Aaron Judge walked, and Ben Rice singled before Giancarlo Stanton RBI singled to make it 6-1. The Yankees added on in the third inning when Wells and Ryan McMahon both singled, and Volpe walked to load the bases. Grisham and Judge each collected sacrifice flies to plate McMahon and Volpe, and Ben Rice doubled to give the Yankees a 9-1 lead. They made it 10-1 in the fourth inning with singles from Volpe and Jazz Chisholm Jr.
At this time of year, every win counts, no matter what it takes to get there. With a Yankees win and a Red Sox loss last night, the Yankees gained a two-game lead on Boston, which means that if the postseason started today, the Yankees would host the Houston Astros in a best-of-three Wild Card series. The Yankees sit 1.5 games ahead of Houston for the first American League Wild Card spot, and two games ahead of Boston for the third. Houston also sits half a game behind Seattle for the AL West lead, so Seattle would host Boston in a Wild Card series if the postseason started today.
The Yankees’ magic number to clinch a playoff spot is seven, and tonight, at 7:40 PM (6:40 PM), they look to take a step closer toward that goal with a series win over Minnesota (Prime Video). RHP Luis Gil (4-1, 2.83 ERA) looks to back up his excellent start in Boston with a strong performance tonight as the Yankees face RHP Taj Bradley (6-7, 4.88 ERA).
Here is tonight’s starting lineup for the New York Yankees:
CF Trent Grisham (L)
C Ben Rice (L)
DH Aaron Judge (C) (R)
RF Cody Bellinger (L)
2B Jazz Chisholm Jr. (L)
1B Paul Goldschmidt (R)
LF Jasson Domínguez (S)
3B Ryan McMahon (L)
SS José Caballero (R)
SP: RHP Luis Gil (4-1, 2.83 ERA)
Schedule
7:40 PM (6:40 PM CDT): NYY at MIN; AmazonPV; SP: RHP Luis Gil (4-1, 2.83 ERA)
8:00 PM (7:00 PM CDT): 2025 WNBA Playoffs, Round 1 – NYL (1-0) vs. PHX (0-1); ESPN
