The Blue Jays are off to an atrocious start. With Josh Donaldson and Troy Tulowitzki on the disabled list and Edwin Encarnacion in Cleveland after signing with the Indians as a free agent, Toronto came to Yankee Stadium Tuesday night with an 8–17 record.

Yet before the game Yankees manager Joe Girardi said he could never take the Canadian visitors lightly and pointed out that the Jays made the playoffs the past two years, a period over which the Yanks managed to get into one wild-card game.

Girardi’s premonitions proved accurate. Toronto looked very much like the team that dominated the Yankees the previous two seasons in a 7–1 victory that knocked the Yankees out of a first-place tie in the American League East. It was the Blue Jays’ 11th victory in the past 16 meetings between these teams and improved Toronto’s record against the Yanks since 2015 to 26–13 (.667).

Luis Severino coming off three strong outings let a 2–1 deficit expand to 5–1 in a three-run sixth. Two of the runs scored on a sacrifice fly, which is something you do not see every day. Center fielder Jacoby Ellsbury crashed into the wall making a running catch of a drive by Ryan Goins and while falling to the ground flipped the ball over the head of right fielder Aaron Judge, which is not something you see every day, either, considering that Judge is 6-foot-7. Chris Coghlan added a solo home run to end Severino’s night.

Goins had already damaged Severino back in the second with a two-run homer. The Yankees got a run off Toronto starter Marco Estrada in the fourth on singles by Starlin Castro, Ellsbury and Judge before Greg Bird spiked the rally by grounding into a double play. Estrada (1–1) was due for a victory. He had pitched to a 0.95 ERA over his past three starts, all no-decisions.

It was another grim outing for Severino against the Blue Jays. The righthander is 0–3 with a 6.38 career ERA against Toronto. At least a brawl did not break out, which is what happened Sept. 26 last year when Severino hit Justin Smoak and ended up being ejected along with Girardi and coaches Larry Rothschild and Rob Thompson.

Jose Bautista, who is off to a poor start (.191), continued his Yankee killer ways with a two-run home run in the seventh inning off Luis Cessa, who was recalled from Scranton/Wilkes-Barre as Bryan Mitchell was optioned from the Triple A affiliate. Bautista has a nine-game hitting streak against the Yankees with a .375 batting average, two doubles and three home runs in 32 at-bats.

The Yanks got some revenge against Bautista when Judge threw him out at third base trying to advance there from first base on a single in the ninth by Kendrys Morales.

The situation Sunday of a pitcher playing another position and then returning to the mound was so unusual that Girardi checked with the umpiring crew before deciding to do it. The issue came in the 10th inning of an eventual 7–4, 11-inning loss to the Orioles. Having already used four relievers, Girardi wanted to use Aroldis Chapman in the 10th after Mitchell had pitched the ninth. Then if the game went to an 11th inning, Girardi could put Mitchell back on the mound but only if he was still in the game. To do that, Mitchell had to play another position.

With first baseman Chris Carter having made the last out in the ninth, Mitchell moved to first base as Chapman came into the game. Girardi checked with the umps to make sure that Chapman would replace designated hitter Matt Holliday in the batting order and that Mitchell would go in Carter’s 8-hole spot.

There was even some confusion in the press box about that, but since Mitchell was not in the batting order as a pitcher he could bat eighth.

“Once I was told I could do that,” Girardi said, “I told them that is probably what I am going to do.”

After a shaking inning in the field — one error, one putout — Mitchell went back to the mound and had another shaky inning as a pitcher by giving up three runs to Baltimore.

Mitchell was the first Yankees pitcher to play another position since Ron Guidry played one-third of an inning in center field in the Aug. 18, 1983 resumption of the July 24, 1983. “Pine Tar Game” against the Royals.

According to the Elias Sports Bureau, Mitchell was the second pitcher in club history to pitch, then play another position, then return to pitch in the same game. The other was Hall of Famer Jack Chesbro July 25, 1908 when the Yanks were still known as the Highlanders. Chesbro pitched the first 7 1/3 innings in a 5 — 3 loss at Detroit, then swapped places with first baseman Hal Chase for one batter (an out), then returned to finish the eighth inning. It was Chase’s only career pitching appearance.

Monday began the official balloting period for the All-Star Game July 11 at Marlins Park in Miami. The Yankees on the ballot this year are catcher Gary Sanchez; first baseman Greg Bird; second baseman Starlin Castro; third baseman Chase Headley; shortstop Didi Gregorius; outfielders Brett Gardner, Jacoby Ellsbury and Aaron Judge and DH Matt Holliday.

Fans may cast votes for starters at Yankees.com on computers, tablets and smartphones. Vote up to five times in any 24-hour period for a maximum of 35 ballots cast. Following the announcement of the 2017 All-Star starters, reserves and pitchers, fans may return to MLB.com and cast their 2017 Esurance MLB All-Star Game Final Vote for the final player on each league’s All-Star roster.

Triple-A oufielder Dustin Fowler was named the International League Batter of the Week for April 24–30. He pretty much cinched the award Sunday by hitting for the cycle with a single, two doubles, a triple and a walk-off home run in a 5-for-6 performance against Indianapolis in a 7–6 SWB victory. In six games last week for the RailRiders, Fowler, 22, had a slash line of .423/.483/.923 with four runs, three doubles, two triples, two home runs, five RBI and three walks in 29 plate appearances.

Blue Jays look pretty good to Yankees was originally published in The Cutoff Man on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.

Welcome to another edition of bullpen ball. Game after game in the major leagues these days managers are confronted with ways to use their relief corps. Sunday, part of the strategy employed by Yankees manager Joe Girardi was to have reliever Bryan Mitchell play an inning at first base.

What?

Mitchell was the fifth pitcher Girardi used in the game — and also the seventh. Got that? Yes, Mitchell pitched the ninth inning and the 11th when the Yankees fell, 7–4. He was able to do that because while Aroldis Chapman pitched the 10th Mitchell was at first base.

Girardi’s reasoning was that he did not want to use lefthander Tommy Layne in an inning when right-handed hitters were due up for the O’s and preferred to get an inning out of Chapman after the Yankees had tied the game in the bottom of the ninth on a two-run single by Didi Gregorius.

Jonathan Holder, Tyler Clippard and Dellin Betances had already been in the game. Girardi has a rule against using a reliever three games in a row, which meant that he was not going to Adam Warren unless he was forced to if the extra-inning game turned into a marathon.

Mitchell was kept in the game so that if the Yankees did not score in the bottom of the 10th inning, which they did not, he could return to the mound, which he did. So after Chris Carter struck out to end the ninth, Mitchell borrowed a first baseman’s glove from teammate Greg Bird and went to first base, a position he had not played since he was a senior in high school.

“I usually played right field or first base between pitching starts but more right field than first base,” he recalled.

As is often the case, that little white rabbit finds a player. Wellington Castillo, the first batter in the 10th, hit a foul pop near the first base coach’s box. Mitchell moved back several steps then lunged forward, but the ball dropped in front of him. He was charged with an error for extending the at-bat for Castillo, who eventually singled to center. It proved inconsequential because Chapman retired the next three batters, two on strikeouts.

“I should have expected the first ball to come to me,” Mitchell said. “I thought I got under it, but it had a lot of topspin and kept moving away.”

It was the first time a Yankees pitcher played another position in a game since Aug. 18, 1983 in the continuation of the infamous “Pine Tar Game” when Ron Guidry played center field. Billy Martin, furious about the ruling that forced the Yankees and Royals to complete the game after George Brett’s home run six weeks earlier, did not take the final inning seriously, so much so that the manager used left-handed Don Mattingly at second base as well.

When I was covering the Mets during their World Series championship season of 1986, there was a game in Cincinnati in which as the result of a brawl so many players were ejected that Mets manager Davey Johnson was forced to alternate relief pitchers Jesse Orosco and Roger McDowell between the mound and right field for a few innings. McDowell, now the Orioles’ pitching coach, was in the dugout Sunday.

Baltimore manager Buck Showalter was not in the dugout the entire game. He was ejected by plate umpire Stu Scheurwater in the ninth for arguing a balk call against Darren O’Day that moved Yankees runners to second and third with one out with the Orioles up by two runs.

Often when a pitcher fakes a throw to second base to force a runner back to the bag, many fans in the stands scream “balk.” They are wrong because a pitcher does not have to throw the ball to second base the way he must to first base on an attempted pickoff. O’Day actually did throw the ball, which ended up in center field, so this was a first for me. I had never seen a balk call on a play other than at first base. O’Day made an awkward movement before his throw, which Scheurwater, a rookie ump, ruled a balk.

After Showalter departed, O’Day walked Chase Headley on four pitches. Sir Didi followed with his game-tying hit that also moved Headley to third base where he was stranded when Carter was called out on strikes. It was Carter whom Mitchell replaced at first base.

The Yankees loaded the bases again with one out in the 10th, but Starlin Castro could not get the ball out of the infield for a forceout at the plate and Aaron Judge struck out. It was part of a frustrating afternoon in a game that went four hours and 37 minutes.

The Orioles scored three runs in the 11th for the victory that put them back into a first-place tie with the Yankees in the American League East. In truth, however, the Yanks probably lost in the first four innings when they had Baltimore starter Wade Miley on the ropes repeatedly but let him slip free.

After taking a 1–0 lead in the first inning on Matt Holliday’s 299th career home run, the Yankees had runners on second and third with none out in the second and did not score. They added a run in the third but still had the bases loaded with one out and did not score again. A double play killed another prime scoring opportunity in the fourth.

The Yankees stranded eight runners — six in scoring position — in those innings yet still had a 2–1 lead. In the sixth, Jordan Montgomery walked the first two batters, both of whom eventually scored, in a three-run rally. In all, the Yankees left 16 runners on base.

Who’s on first? A pitcher was originally published in The Cutoff Man on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.

By Jack O’Connell

The Yankees picked up Saturday right from where they left off Friday night. They followed the astonishing, come-from-behind 14–11, 10-inning victory to pound Baltimore into submission, 12–4, and leap over the Orioles into first place in the American League East.

It is still too early to concentrate on the standings. There is still one more day left in April, after all, but the best record in the division (15–7) feels good whatever time it comes.

As manager Joe Girardi pointed out, “When you think about where we were last April [8–14] and where we were after the first five games this year [1–4], it feels pretty good to be where we’re at now.”

From top (leadoff man Brett Gardner) to bottom (9-hole hitter Austin Romine), the Yankees’ lineup administered further punishment to the Orioles’ pitching staff that has yielded 26 runs in 18 innings. Gardner got the Yankees off to a positive start by hitting the second pitch from Ubaldo Jimenez to right for his first home run of the season. It was also Gardy’s first RBI of the year, in his 65th at-bat.

“It felt like two or three years since my last one,” Gardner said of the homer, which was actually his first in 262 at-bats since July 30 last year at St. Petersburg, Fla. “Guys kept asking me how many homers did I have.”

Gardner did not have to wait that long between homers this time because in his very next at-bat the following inning he launched a three-run shot to right-center. The Yankees were glad to see Gardner break out of a 4-for-33 (.121) stretch that dated to April 12 when he collided at first base with the Brewers’ Rickie Weeks. Gardner came off a 1-for-11 (.091) trip and entered the game with three hits in his past 28 at-bats (.107).

Romine drove in the first run of that inning with a sacrifice fly, the first attack in what would be a five-RBI game for the backup catcher who has performed like a regular in place of injured Gary Sanchez. Romine kept it up with a two-run single in the fourth and a two-run home run in the sixth. Before the game, Sanchez worked out at Yankee Stadium and will likely go on an injury-rehabilitation assignment in a few days. Yet Romine’s work both at the plate and behind it have given the Yankees reason not to hurry Sanchez back before he is completely healthy.

“It has been an opportunity for me to show my worth to the team, to be a part of our success,” Romine said. “I never thought I’d be a starting catcher for the Yankees, so I’m just trying to enjoy it.”

The Yankees are also enjoying the fact that Romine is batting .300 with two home runs and 10 RBI in 50 at-bats and that the Yankees are 12–2 with him back of the plate.

“It feels good pitching to him,” winning pitcher Michael Pineda said. “He’s very smart.”

The two runs Pineda gave up in his 5 1/3 innings were both unearned. He has pitched to a 2.16 ERA over three consecutive winning decisions.

Fresh off the disabled list, Didi Gregorius had another big game with a single, a double, an RBI and a couple of highlight-film plays at shortstop.

Then there was the continuing saga of Aaron Judge, who reached base in all four of his plate appearances and scored each time. Judge clubbed his 10th home run to take over the AL lead in that category and also singled, walked twice and stole a base.

Judge is on a pace to challenge the major-league record for home runs by a rookie of 49 set in 1987 by Mark McGwire, who had only four in April that year before cranking it up with 15 in May.

“You don’t expect 10 home runs in a month,” Girardi said. “That would be 60 in a year.”

Well, nobody expected Sanchez to hit 20 home runs in two months last year, either.

Yanks overtake Orioles atop AL East was originally published in The Cutoff Man on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.

By Jack O’Connell

If Friday night at Yankee Stadium is any indication, this could be quite a season series between the Yankees and the Orioles. The Yanks dropped two of three games in Baltimore earlier this month, but they displayed much resilience in their first meeting at the Stadium this year.

The Yankees combined quality late-inning relief pitching and home run power to overcome deficits of 9–1 in the sixth and 11–4 in the seventh to post a 14–11, 10-inning victory on Matt Holliday’s three-run homer, the 10th walk-off blast of his career.

Holliday’s third home run of the season came off Orioles lefthander Jayson Aquino, who asked for trouble by walking Aaron Hicks leading off the inning and Kyle Higashioka, who was sent up to bunt. I thought Chase Headley might be bunting, too, but he swung away throughout the at-bat and struck out before Holliday drilled Aquino’s first delivery to him into the Yankees’ bullpen in right-center.

It did not take Didi Gregorius long to get back in the swing of things. The Yankees shortstop returned to the club Friday night after missing the first 20 games of the season because of a right shoulder strain he sustained playing for the Netherlands in the World Baseball Classic.

Gregorius got to touch the ball in the first inning with a throw to second base on a force play for the third out. In the second inning, he made a dazzling, back-handed play to throw out Wellington Castillo and in his first at-bat in the bottom half Gregorius got to run the bases by legging out a double to right-center.

Such defense came in handy because CC Sabathia needed every fielding play he could get. The lefthander was roughed up for seven earned runs and nine hits over 5 2/3 innings. Manny Machado was especially difficult to handle for Sabathia, who was stung for a single, a double and a home run by the Baltimore third baseman. Machado’s fourth home run of the season was no ordinary blow but a monster shot off the railing in front of the center field camera well above Monument Park.

Sabathia did not have to face Machado a fourth time. After another eye-opening play by Gregorius off a Jonathan Scoop grounder started the sixth inning, the Orioles staged a two-out rally beginning with a bunt single in which Sabathia stumbled to the ground trying to field it. Adam Jones followed with a single to center with Machado on deck.

Bryan Mitchell relieved Sabathia at that point. Wanting no part of Machad0 (and who could blame him?), Mitchell walked him on four pitches only to have Mark Trumbo crush a 1–1 pitch to left for a grand slam that pushed the Orioles’ lead to 9–1.

With temperatures in the mid-70s in the Bronx, it was not surprising to see so many balls clear the walls. And because of that, the blowout the Orioles thought they were achieving became a tight game in the latter innings. The Yankees trumped the home runs by Trumbo, Machado and Castillo with five of their own.

Aaron Judge, whose at-bats are becoming must-see events in Yankees games, went deep twice off Kevin Gausman with a solo shot to left in the fifth inning and a two-run bomb into the netting above Monument Park in the sixth. Statcast had the exit velocity of that second shot at 119.4 miles per hour, which is a record of sorts. I say that because exit velo is a relatively new statistic and was not in use when the likes of Frank Howard, Dick Allen, Dave Kingman and Jose Canseco among others were mashing balls into orbit.

The Orioles scored two more runs in the seventh but stranded the bases loaded. Jacoby Ellsbury had no intention of leaving the bags full in the bottom of the inning and connected off lefthander Vidal Nuno for his first career grand slam, which was also the center fielder’s 100th career home run.

Jonathan Holder and Tyler Clippard kept the Yankees close by setting down the Orioles in order in the eighth and ninth, respectively. Brad Brach, handling closing duties for the Orioles with Zach Britton on the 10-day disabled list, had not allowed a run this season, in 12 innings, but the Yanks put an end to that streak.

A leadoff walk to Headley and a single off the wall in right-center by Holliday put runners on first and third with none out. Ellsbury grounded into a fielder’s choice as Headley scored. Starlin Castro smashed Brach’s next pitch into the left field bleachers to tie the score.

Holliday caps huge comeback was originally published in The Cutoff Man on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.

By Jack O’Connell

Pitching matchups such as the one Thursday night at Fenway Park between the Yankees’ Masahiro Tanaka and the Red Sox’ Chris Sale seldom live up to their billing. One hurler or the other and oftentimes both has an off night.

Not this time. The two squared off for eight innings with only an unearned run separating them before the Yankees finally got to Sale for two runs in the ninth to give Tanaka a cushion to finish off a 3–0 gem on 97 pitches.

It was the first complete game for the Yankees in 20 months since Tanaka himself did it back in 2015. Complete games are a rarity these days of nightly bullpen ball. Many thanks to Yankees manager Joe Girardi for appreciating a moment out of 1968 and letting his starter shake the catcher’s hand at the end of the game.

Sale has long been a thorn in the Yankees’ side. His career ERA against them coming into the game was 1.17 in 53 2/3 innings. It is still puny at 1.31 in 61 2/3 innings, but the Yanks got the better of him this time in his first start against them since he changed his sox from white to red.

The lanky lefthander was his dominant self (no walks, 10 strikeouts) until the ninth when he gave up singles to Aaron Hicks and Chase Headley and a double to Matt Holliday, who showed signs of breaking out of a slump. Holliday had driven in the first run against Sale with a sacrifice fly in the fourth, a tainted run due to a passed ball by Sandy Leon.

Tanaka, on the other hand, was Mr. Precision. He struck out only two batters, but he went to a three-ball count merely three times and like Sale did not walk a batter. The righthander got 16 outs on ground balls and 15 consecutive outs from the fifth through the ninth innings. Tanaka limited the Bosox to three hits, all singles, with only one runner getting as far as second base.

It was the third straight winning start for Tanaka, who has allowed four runs in 22 1/3 innings (1.61 ERA) over that stretch. Since that Opening Day disaster at St. Pete that left him with a 23.63 ERA, Tanaka has since whittled it down to 4.20.

The Red Sox were considered the favorites in the American League East entering the season, but they will have to pick up their offense to back that up. Yankees pitchers held them to one run over 18 innings in their hitter’s paradise. Sale has a 1.19 ERA in 37 2/3 innings with Boston, but his record is 1–2. This was the second straight game they failed to plate a run to support Sale.

The two-game sweep at Fenway was a lift for the Yankees, who had lost two of three games at Pittsburgh where Holliday was merely a pinch hitter because of National League rules barring designated hitters. A 2-for-3, 2-RBI game was just what Holliday needed to boost his confidence as the Yankees prepare for a three-game series against the first-place Orioles as part of a six-game homestand that starts Friday night. The Yanks trail Baltimore by one game in the standings and have a shot at taking over the top spot this weekend.

Expected to rejoin them will be shortstop Didi Gregorius, who has been out all this time because of a right shoulder strain he sustained playing for the Netherlands in the World Baseball Classic. Yankees fans should welcome back Gregorius but not forget the terrific job Ronald Torreyes did in his place.

With two singles off Sale Thursday night, Torreyes raised his batting average to .308. He was 9-for-19 (.474) with a double and two RBI on the trip. In 19 games this season, Torreyes has 13 RBI, one more than he had all that season in 72 games. He has been a key factor in the Yankees’ 13–7 start.

Tanaka outduels Sale in Fenway gem was originally published in The Cutoff Man on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.

Anticipation was strong about Aaron Judge hitting at Fenway Park. The 6-foot-7 slugger got his first look at the Green Monster Wednesday night as the Yankees-Red Sox rivalry moved into 2017. Yankees fans have to be drooling about watching Judge take aim at Fenway’s left field wall this week.

As it turned out, Judge had a surprise for all of us on his 25th birthday. Yes, he hit a home run in his first at-bat of the series, but the ball was nowhere near the Green Monster. Judge jumped on a first-pitch fastball from 2016 American League Cy Young Award winner Rick Porcello in the second inning and drove the ball over the right field fence to give the Yankees a 2–0 lead. Starlin Castro, who had reached base on an errant throw by shortstop Xander Bogaerts, scored ahead of Judge on the rookie’s seventh home run of the season.

Judge joined Yogi Berra and Roger Maris as Yankees players who hit home runs at Fenway Park on their birthdays. Other Yankees hitters who homered against the Red Sox at Yankee Stadium on their birthdays were Lou Gehrig, Bill Dickey and Cecil Fielder.

Bogaerts’ error was the 23rd by opponents against the Yankees this season and the eighth in the past five games. Meanwhile, the Yanks entered Wednesday night’s game with only seven errors in 18 games, tied with three other clubs for third fewest in the major leagues.

Judge added to his homer by making a defensive gem in the third inning. Chasing a foul ball down the right field line by Bogaerts, Judge tumbled into the stands and made a remarkable catch. Or did he? First base umpire Mark Carlson’s original call was that Judge did not catch the ball. A video replay proved the right fielder indeed caught the ball and transferred it from his glove to his right hand, which clearly confused the ump.

Judge had a hand in all the Yankees’ runs in their 3–1 victory. He walked with two down in the sixth, advanced to second on a wild pitch and scored on Greg Bird’s single off the left field scoreboard.

Luis Severino continued to cement his spot in the rotation by pitching like a downright ace. The righthander, who had double-digit figures in strikeouts in his previous two starts (11 and 10), struck out six this time but was magnificent in shutting down the Red Sox on three hits and two walks in 10 innings. Severino lowered his season ERA from 4.05 to 3.00.

Dellin Betances added a perfect eighth inning with two strikeouts before Aroldis Chapman struggled through a 34-pitch ninth to hold on for his fifth save.

There is a good chance Didi Gregorius could be back with the Yankees Friday night when they open a six-game homestand against the Orioles Friday night and Saturday and Sunday afternoons and the Blue Jays next Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday nights. The shortstop took a .429 batting average with a double and a home run in 14 at-bats over four games for Class A Tampa in his injury-rehabilitation assignment.

A birthday Judge will never forget was originally published in The Cutoff Man on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.

By Jack O’Connell

New York Yankees Baseball Summer Camps presented by REFUEL with Chocolate Milk will take place in the tri-state area beginning the week of June 26. Enrollment forms are now available at www.yankees.com/camps.

Yankees Baseball Summer Camps are available to boys and girls aged 5 to 13. Each camper will receive a full Yankees uniform. In addition to on-field skill development and professional instruction, campers also get to take an exclusive guided tour of Yankee Stadium and much more.

Sessions are currently being offered in a World Series Experience package that includes four days of baseball instruction with an additional day-long visit to the Stadium. All camps culminate with a “meet and greet” session with either a player on the Yankees’ 25-man roster or Hideki Matsui , the official Alumni Ambassador of the New York Yankees Baseball Summer Camps presented by REFUEL with Chocolate Milk. Camps are located in select areas of New York, New Jersey and Connecticut. Further details and availability for each package can be viewed at www.yankees.com/camps.

Campers will receive an offer code good for complimentary tickets to a 2017 Yankees regular-season home game. Campers registered for 2017 Yankees Baseball Summer Camps on or before June 1 will receive an offer code valid for two (2) complimentary tickets in select areas of the general, non-premium Main or Terrace level for select, non-premium 2017 Regular Season Home Games in April, May, June, July or August. Offer is subject to availability and must be redeemed on or before Aug. 2. The offer code may only be redeemed online. Offer is for a limited time only, subject to availability, has no cash value, is not valid on previously purchased tickets, and is not good in conjunction with any other promotional offer.

“Each week, our Yankees campers work with our coaches to learn proper baseball mechanics and fundamentals and also build and develop skills to help unlock each player’s personal best, both on and off the field,” Yankees Baseball Summer Camps president Brendan Sullivan said. “The camp is an unforgettable week-long Yankees experience. Our curriculum is not only built to develop baseball skills but also the toolkit of life skills that are important as campers build towards their future successes.”

As part of the American Dairy Association North East and Dairy Council’s “REFUEL with Chocolate Milk” initiative, 85 children from local families will receive full scholarships to attend Yankees Baseball Summer Camp at Heritage Field, which is located on the site of the original Yankee Stadium and administered by the New York City Department of Parks and Recreation, during the week of July 10–14.

“Milk plays an important role in children’s diets because it’s a source of so many essential nutrients like calcium, Vitamin D and protein needed for a healthy body,” American Dairy Association chief executive officer Rick Naczi said. “Drinking low fat chocolate milk after sports is a great way for athletes to replenish nutrients and rebuild muscle. Teaming up with the Yankees to sponsor summer baseball camps gives us an opportunity to educate kids about the connection between good nutrition and athletic performance.”

Locations and dates of 2017 New York Yankees Baseball Camps:

NEW YORK

Friends Academy (Locust Valley) July 3–7

Mitchel Athletic Complex (Garden City) July 17–21

Hackley School (Tarrytown) July 24–28

Green Vale School (Old Brookville, L.I.) July 31-Aug. 4

Holy Trinity School (Hicksville) Aug. 7–11

Hackley School (Tarrytown) Aug. 14–18

NEW JERSEY

Phelps Park (Teaneck) June 26–30

Madison High School July 3–7

Verona High School July 17–21

Denville Parks July 24–28

The Pingry School (Basking Ridge) July 31-Aug. 4

St. John Vianney High School (Holmdel) Aug. 7–11

Princeton Day School Aug. 14–18

CONNECTICUT

Brien McMahon High School (Norwalk) July 26–30

Yankees Summer Camps return was originally published in The Cutoff Man on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.

The Yankees failed to take advantage of three errors by the Pirates in losing Friday night but more than made up for it Saturday. Two more Pittsburgh errors helped fuel a five-run eighth inning for the Yankees, who coasted to an 11–5 victory.

The Yanks were forced to play catchup much of the game. They came back from a 3–0 deficit to tie the score in the sixth on a three-run home run by Starlin Castro and then kept it up by taking a 5–3 lead later in the inning on a two-run single by Ronald Torreyes, who had four of their 13 hits in the game.

A two-out Pittsburgh rally in the bottom of the sixth against Jonathan Holder and Tyler Clippard got the Bucs even. More effective in relief was Dellin Betances, who came on in the seventh with a runner on third and two out and retired red-hot David Freese, who had homered earlier off Michael Pineda, on a fly to shallow right and John Jaso on a weak grounder to second base.

And it was a weak grounder to second base that opened the floodgates for the Yankees in the eighth. With two out and the bases empty, Pirates second baseman Adam Frazier booted a slow roller by Austin Romine. Torreyes followed with a single to center.

Betances was due up next, but manager Joe Girardi saw an opportunity for Chris Carter and had him pinch-hit. First-pitch fastball swinging against Pirates lefthander Felipe Rivero, Carter hit a towering shot over the center field wall for his first home run with the Yankees. Just as in the sixth, the Yankees were not finished scoring with the home run.

Pirates center fielder Andrew McCutchen misplayed Jacoby Ellsbury’s slicing drive to left-center for a three-base error, and the Yanks tagged on two more runs against lefthander Antonio Bastardo on doubles by Aaron Hicks and Chase Headley. As if Carter’s homer was not impressive enough, Judge tattooed a fastball from Bastardo leading off the ninth for a 457-foot blast to left-center. The ball was retrieved by a fan wearing a Yankees sweatshirt who likely never expected a ball to come anywhere near his seat.

This late lightning by the Yankees could not have been foreseen earlier in the game. They did not have a hit in the first 4 2/3 innings against Bucs starter Jameson Taillon until Romine broke the string with a single and Castro broke the pitcher’s back with his three-run homer the next inning.

Castro was in the cleanup spot, which has been a case of musical chairs for Girardi. It was the fourth cleanup assignment for Castro, which ties him with Carter and Matt Holliday. The team leader in batting fourth is Ellsbury, who has cleaned up five times. He batted leadoff Saturday.

It may not be long before Judge works himself into the 4-hole. He is slowly moving his way up in the batting order, having batted eighth four times, seventh four times, sixth four times and fifth three times.

And enough cannot be said for the jobs Romine and Torreyes have done filling in for the injured Gary Sanchez and Didi Gregorius, respectively. With two more hits Saturday, Romine is batting .324 and has done a terrific job working with the pitchers.

The Yankees had five .300 hitters in Saturday’s lineup, and Torreyes is knocking on the door at .296, thanks to his four hits. His two RBI put his season total at 13 to share the club lead with Castro and Judge.

Yanks make Pirates pay for errors was originally published in The Cutoff Man on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.

Too bad the Yankees cannot play every game this season at Yankee Stadium. They took to the road Friday night after an 8–1 homestand and could not beat a team that seemed to be going out of its way to hand them the game.

The Pirates, who had scored only three runs total in a three-game sweep by the Cardinals, scored four runs in the first two innings against CC Sabathia, then slowly let the Yankees back into the game.

An error in right field by Jose Osuna on a double by Chase Headley let in one run in the third inning. Two innings later, second baseman Josh Harrison booted a ground ball by Greg Bird with two more runs scoring. That got the Yanks to 4–3, and they still did not have an RBI.

Nor would they the rest of the night. A damaging error by second baseman Starlin Castro in the seventh gave the Pirates two gift runs that stood up for a 6–3 victory. The Yankees brought the potential tying run to the plate in both the eighth and ninth innings.

Matt Holliday, relegated to pinch-hitting duties only with no designated hitter in the National League park, struck out with runners on first and third to end the eighth. The next inning, two-out singles by Castro and Jacoby Ellsbury, who had three hits and two stolen bases, brought up Aaron Judge, but the slugger grounded into a game-ending force play.

Sabathia, who had a strong history against the Pirates, was in trouble from the first batter, Bucs shortstop Jordy Mercer, who hit the second pitch of the inning over the center field wall. Sabathia was touched for a second run on singles by Harrison, Andrew McCutchen and David Freese. The Pirates struck for two more runs in the second on a triple by Osuna, his first major league hit, and a home run by Josh Bell.

Sabathia entered the game with a career record against Pittsburgh of 4–0 with a 1.23 ERA, but Friday night was his first start against the Bucs in seven years. This is a different team from the one Sabathia dominated years ago. His career inter-league record remains impressive at 26–11. With the Yankees, CC’s inter-league mark is 14–5 with a 3.68 ERA.

Lifted for a pinch hitter in the sixth, Sabathia was the Yankees’ first starting pitcher not to pitch past the fifth inning in eight games. The Yankees had a seven-game winning streak against NL Central teams end, and the loss dropped their record on the road to 2–5.

Road not as kind to Yanks as Stadium was originally published in The Cutoff Man on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.

Saturday is Earth Day, which is a perfect time to point out some of the ecologically intelligent measures being taken at Yankee Stadium to help promote a sustainable environment.

Stadium Construction: The structural steel used in the construction of the Stadium was fabricated from recycled material, and the concrete forms were reusable. Used recycled concrete aggregate was incorporated into the concrete design mix. All construction vehicles and equipment were required to use low-sulfur fuel. During construction, 75 percent of construction waste was diverted from landfills. In addition, Yankee Stadium uses high-performance filters and a regular replacement program to ensure particle removal effectiveness of MERV 13 or greater, for better air quality and energy efficiency in the HVAC system.

Sports Lighting: Prior to the 2016 season, the Yankees installed light-emitting diode (LED) field lighting at the Stadium, becoming just the second MLB stadium to use the state-of-the-art, energy-efficient lighting system. These LED lights are 40 percent more efficient and 50 percent brighter than the previous field lighting at Yankee Stadium. Increased Color Temperature of the light produced results in higher contrast, improving reaction time, alertness and visual acuity. Improved Color Rendering provides the truest colors the human eye can see. Reduced Flicker Rate means the lighting can now support UHD Ultra Slow Motion filming. Improved optical design with twice the aiming points reduces glare and light pollution. The energy saved from the new field lighting is enough to power about 45 homes every day.

Composting and Recycling: Disposable cutlery and food-service packaging, including trays, boxes, plates and cups, are made of compostable materials instead of petroleum-based plastics. Food waste is composted and not landfilled, and cardboard, glass, metal, plastics and paper are recycled. Through the overall efforts of fans and Stadium staff, approximately 85 percent of the Stadium’s total trash is diverted away from landfills. The use of trash compactors at the Stadium improves air quality by requiring fewer trash packer trucks on the road. The trucks that are required to haul waste use Ultra Low Sulfur diesel which produces fewer emissions into the air. The Yankees installed new LED lighting for the 2016 season, allowing the club to reduce its carbon footprint.

Waste Cooking Oil: During the course of a typical season, more than 20,000 gallons of cooking oil from the Stadium are collected and recycled. This oil produces more than 18,600 gallons of biodiesel fuel, which when used in vehicles, results in a carbon reduction of more than 30,000 pounds — the equivalent of removing approximately 27 cars from the road for a year.

Natural Cooling: The Great Hall at Yankee Stadium is a 31,000 square-foot space spanning from Gate 4 to Gate 6, through which the majority of people arrive. By building this area with massive open-air archways that allow for natural cooling and ventilation, the space does not require air conditioning. The energy savings per game is approximately the same as 125 New York City apartments shutting off their air-conditioning for a summer day.

Water Conservation: Each year, Yankee Stadium’s plumbing fixtures save about 3.1 million gallons of water while reducing the Stadium’s water consumption by 22 percent.

Building Control & Automation Technology: The different systems used to operate Yankee Stadium are calibrated to specific usage patterns, reducing the power consumption of lighting and ventilation systems when they are not needed.

Mass Transportation: Yankee Stadium, located within close proximity of the subway, Metro-North, buses and other mass transportation systems, has better access to mass transit than almost any other stadium in baseball. Guests and employees are encouraged to use public transportation in order to reduce the number of cars on the road and their resultant CO2 emissions.

Carbon Offsetting Program: Through Hess Energy’s C-Neutral carbon offsetting program, the Stadium is able to compensate for its greenhouse gas emissions by investing in sustainability projects across the country and around the world. These projects can range from the development of renewable energy sources and energy-efficiency technologies to agricultural and reforestation initiatives. As a result, Yankee Stadium is a low-carbon-impact venue.

Sustainable Facility Program: This overall Stadium management program ensures that the Yankees are maximizing the efficiency of all equipment used at the Stadium while focusing on energy-use reduction at the same time.

Renewable Energy Certificates: Since opening the current Yankee Stadium in 2009, the Yankees (with the help of Hess Energy) have used renewable energy certificates (RECs) to meet 100 percent of the Stadium’s purchased energy needs. RECs allow any customer, anywhere in the country, to support renewable energy generation. For every REC purchased, one megawatt-hour (MWh, or 1000 kilowatt-hours) of renewable electricity is generated and delivered to the power grid. When you buy an REC, you are investing in the future development of renewable energy sources, and making a commitment to support greener sources of power.

Green initiatives at Yankee Stadium was originally published in The Cutoff Man on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.