Michael Was Doing Some Kingly Things On Easter Sunday, But The Yankees Drew Their First Series Lost Of 2021

  Well Easter Sunday did not work in the New York Yankees favor as Aaron Boone initially tabbed Domingo German with the starting pitcher's role. German out edged Deivi Garcia for a spot on the major league pitching roster as spring training came to a close, but German really didn't look all that major league ready in his 2021 debut.

  German got roughed up very early in his first game of 2021 and it played a part in the Yankees suffering their first series lost of the season. It was very unfortunate that the Yanks fell short of a home opener series win against the Toronto Blue Jays at Yankees Stadium, but the Sunday matinee provided the Yankees and manager Aaron Boone with some positive take a ways from the Sunday afternoon's 3-1 deficit.

  Let's briefly talk about where the the only offensive production came from in the finale of three game series. When the Yanks resigned Brett Gardner to a 1-year, $4 million deal, his role was to be a four outfielder, as Clint Frazier won the starting left fielder job out of Spring Training camp. On Easter Sunday, Aaron Boone shook up the roster a bit by penciling in Gardner as a starting outfielder. Due to the lineup having to be shifted because Aaron Judge had been given the day off and Giancarlo Stanton playing in the DH hole, Gardner got tabbed as the starting left fielder.

  As a result of Gardy getting his first start of the year, he supplied the only Yankee offensive production of the afternoon. He hit a single in the third inning that in turn lead him to helping his team get on the scoreboard by hitting into a groundout. It was the only run the Yanks put on the board in six innings of play. What do Gardy haters have to say about that?

  The other guy the Yankees should be immensely grateful to have on their roster is a kid name Michael King. The youngster was called upon by Boone to replace German after his unimpressive debut against the Jays. As a result, Michael toed the mound and provided his team with a kingly performance.

  On February 28th, King toed the rubber and made his first pitch of 2021 for the New York Yankees, which turned into a mix of results. He threw some good secondary pitches, which was a key next step in his development as he squared off against the the Toronto Blue Jays' batters, but he also struggled with command.  

  It didn't take much time for him to showcase his revamped arsenal against the same team that gave him trouble.   35 days later, he was a different type of hurler. Tasked with bridging the gap after German didn't last more than three innings, King’s stat line reads like one of a dominant start, if the case was that dominant starts began in the fourth inning of a baseball competition.

  Aside from German having a bad debut to the begin the season, the Yankee bats stayed cold for the most part in the Easter competition. Considering King was handed a 3-1 deficit in the fourth inning, he kept the team in the game, and gave them a shot at a comeback before losing 3-1.

  In six innings pitched, King threw a total of 68 pitches that only resulted in one walk and one hit. In the end, he did not provide the Jays' with any other run production. He retire the final 16 batters he faced.

“I ended up just kind of attacking the zone,” King said via Zoom after the game. “…I was able to just kind of get ahead in the count and get in the dugout as fast as a I could so it was good.”

For King, the Sunday matinee was a combination of facing hitters he has seen plenty of in the minor leagues and a culmination of refined mechanics and mental approach.

  In fact, the records show that one of the best starts of his MiLB career came in Double-A when he faced the New Hampshire Fisher Cats, the Blue Jays’ affiliate. On June 30th, 2018, King struck out 11 while throwing a complete game shutout. Cavan Biggio and Bo Bichette combined to go 0-6 with four strikeouts in that game.

  Quite frankly, facing those guys is what helped King be so dominant in the relief of German. 

  According to King, “I faced the Blue Jays a lot, all those younger guys in the minor leagues a lot, so I’ve seen them a lot...” So it fair to say that he pretty much had a blueprint of some sort to work through the relief appearance that Boone nabbed him with. As a matter of fact, the youngster said:

 "We had a pretty good game plan going into it, and I was able to take the confidence I had in Spring Training over and into the season.”

  With his mechanics in tact, he did an excellent job of mixing his sinker and cutter to induce weak contact. The two pitches resulted in16 balls put in play with average exit velocities for each pitch under 80 mph. The cutter, which is more of a sort of slider, cutter hybrid, has enhanced his arsenal.

  “Last year I always struggled with making my slider,” King said. “It was too slow. Throwing the cutter helped bring the velo back.”

  The additional pitch adds depth to his already deep arsenal and helps him develop good game plans. It also allows him to be in the right mindset when he is out on the mound. Even though Sunday was one outing, King views it as a six of the 100 innings he needs to reach his personal goal to feeling that he contributed to the team. If he keeps pitching at the pace he showcased on Sunday — with good mechanics, a good mindset, and good execution — he will likely have no trouble reaching that 100 inning plateau in 2021.

  As we turn away from the Jays' series, the Yankees will welcome the Baltimore Orioles to the Bronx and try to serve as a speed bump to Os, who currently hold a 3-0 record on the season so far.

  The Yankees' series against should be an interesting one, as game one features a pitching match that both fan bases will not want to miss.

  From the looks of it, both starters of today's game are set for a dominating season. It will be a lefty vs. righty duel in the Bronx this evening.

  As the visiting team, the Orioles will send RHP Jorge Lopez to square off against the Yanks at Yankees Stadium. After a strong showcasing of six Spring Training appearances, Lopez left Sarasota, Florida with a 2.75 ERA and starting rotation spot. In 2020, the righty started in six games and collected an ERA of 6.34.

  The Yankees will oppose Lopez with a lefty on the hill, giving Jordan Montgomery a shot at starting the first game against Baltimore. 

  Monty believes he is primed and ready for a productive 2021 season. The lefty has dropped about 15 pounds during his offseason. As a matter of fact, he says that he is no longer a subscriber to the theory of "mass equals gas". Gumby generated a 6% soft contact rate last season. Overall, that showcased that he was hurling better than his ERA was suggesting.

  The weather is beautiful in New York City and it should be a good evening for baseball in the Bronx. The first pitch will be thrown at 6:35 P.M.