David Lennon columns

Freddy Peralta heads into Monday night's ALDS Game 2 start after being named the AL's Pitcher of the Month for September, when he went 4-0 with a 0.96 ERA in five starts.

With two outs in the eighth, Austin Wells doubled for the Yankees' first hit . . . and committed the cardinal sin of making the third out at third.

We'll find out Saturday whether Aaron Judge has been deemed ready to return to any kind of action.

Just about everything went right for the Yankees as they dominated the Red Sox in the Wild Card Series.

The Yankees outclassed the Red Sox in every way imaginable. They outscored them 18-2 and outhit them 26-7.

Rice blasted two homers, including a grand slam, and drove in six runs.
It doesn't seem likely that Aaron Judge is ready to contribute because of his calf strain, but we're about to find out if he'll be on Wild Card Series roster.
Based on the events of the past few weeks, Aaron Judge remains a massive question mark — and it's fair to wonder if waiting until a potential ALDS or later might be a better plan.

How do the final results compare to his preseason and midseason selections?

Aaron Judge contradicted what manager Aaron Boone said a day earlier, and it's not the first time the pair have butted heads on an injury prognosis.

There is no replacing Aaron Judge. But it's not like the Yankees can't win without him, and they're very familiar operating under that mentality, which should be somewhat beneficial on the eve of the playoffs.

The Hall of Famer, who had his number retired Saturday, is rumored to be a front runner for the managerial job. But, why would he open himself up to that level of scrutiny?

It was a pretty bad week for Mets brass, who watched as the fan favorite hit homers and got a curtain call, all in an Orioles uniform.
The former Met hit a tying homer off Kodai Senga in the top of the ninth in what was just the latest chapter in a surreal series.
The shortstop has missed time and played poorly in the field at times, but is on the verge of his 300th career home run.
Mets fans transitioned straight from cheering Pete Alonso at the plate to chanting "Fire Stearns!" now that fan favorite wears an Orioles jersey.
Christian Scott and Zac Thornton were dominant in the final two games of the Subway Series.
Aaron Boone had open-heart surgery toward the end of his playing career and another procedure in 2021 during his time as Yankees manager.

The Mets owned every inch of Yankee Stadium from home plate to Monument Park with six home runs, superb defense and a brilliant performance by rookie lefty Zac Thornton.
"We understand playing here, what the Yankees, what the Mets, mean to the people in this city," Yankees manager Aaron Boone said Friday afternoon.
Al Leiter, John Franco, Todd Zeile and Robin Ventura — members of the 2001 Mets — and David Wright kept the tradition going Tuesday with their visit to Ladder 25 in Manhattan.

We'll know by the end of September if they're truly a favorite again to win it all -- or just hanging on for October, with Aaron Judge merely along for the ride.
The former can't-miss prospect has three weeks to state his case to be a part of the team's 2027 rotation

Did the Yankees make it into the top 5? Are the Mets within the top 20?

The pillars of their mound operation remain strong. Now it's a matter of keeping them that way for another three weeks and into October.

What's been happening in the past month, against a schedule packed with contending teams, shouldn't be dismissed as a post-deadline mirage.

With Trent Grisham sliding and Aaron Judge nearing a return, the rookie's performance will force a high-stakes decision next Tuesday.

The Yankees didn't make many moves at the deadline, but they made one of the best by adding Luis Garcia Jr.

The Yankees' captain is feeling good, expects to play rightfield instead of DHing and doesn't think he needs a rehab assignment.

As Fernando Cruz hits the IL and high-leverage arms tire, the Yankees are beginning to pay a heavy price for not doing more.

Aaron Boone has the Yankees on pace for 92 wins and within short reach of the Rays despite injuries to Aaron Judge and other star players.
The Yankees' bottom five hitters went a combined 7-for-18 with six runs scored and four RBIs against the Blue Jays.

With a $417 million payroll suddenly looking like a house of cards, L.A.'s midsummer slide is shaking the foundations of baseball.
Mets owner says he's past annoyed and has entered the acceptance phase of the season

Brewers step past Dodgers into top spot
Their inability to score runs consistently is problematic while division rivals Tampa Bay and Boston have enjoyed long winning streaks of late.

Garcia has brought back the boom, along with the second highest slugging percentage (.555) in the majors
Among leadoff hitters with at least 220 plate appearances, Trent Grisham entered Tuesday last in the majors in batting average (.187) and OBP (.294).
The Yankees' starters have allowed two or fewer runs in 10 of their last 12 starts since July 28, but the team is struggling to win games.

Where do the Yankees and Mets fall on this year's list?

"I'll be back this season," Aaron Judge said, standing at the edge of the Yankees' dugout. "I don't know why I wouldn't be."
After general manager Brian Cashman's uninspired work at the trade deadline, bringing up the hot prospect changed the tone, at least for a moment.

NewsdayTV's Izzy Mignardi spoke with Newsday's MLB columnist Dave Lennon to get his take on the moves the Yankees made at the trade deadline.

As the Dodgers and Red Sox acquired two of the biggest prizes at the deadline, the Yankees came away with what essentially are a pair of nice platoon pieces.

The Dodgers operate as if they want all of the star players — collecting them like baseball cards — and it's not just about the unlimited financial resources.

Clay Holmes, Freddy Peralta, Brooks Raley, Luke Weaver and Tyrone Taylor are near-locks to be traded before Monday at 6 p.m.

Another signal that Freddy Peralta and Clay Holmes are going to be dealt, sooner rather than later? The Mets haven't pitched Kodai Senga since July 10.

While David Stearns' trade deadline plans are fairly cut-and-dry, whether or not to move the reliever with another year on his contract is a downright conundrum.

A trade deadline sell-off would leave them with a skeleton-crew roster, meaning they realistically could lose 100 games for the first time since the infamous 1993 team.

The pitcher said he felt better on Sunday, though, as Mets hope to maximize the return in a trade.