The vibes are good in Yankees Universe, as the Bombers enjoy an off day on Monday having won four in a row, have been one of the best teams in baseball in May, and have cut their deficit in the AL East down to five games.
But Evan had to dump some rain on the early-season parade, noting two controversies that stemmed from the Bombers’ series sweep against the Reds.
Controversy number one:
“Can we address the fact that Isiah Kiner-Falefa spat at Harrison Bader?” Evan said, noting a flyout that Kiner-Falefa caught while colliding with Bader, who was calling him off from center field. “They looked at each other all disgusted, and IKF hocked a loogie at Harrison Bader!”
Many Yankee fans caught it on the Peacock broadcast, as Kiner-Falefa stared towards Bader as the two returned to their positions, and kept his stare as he spit on the ground.
But that wasn’t the biggest controversy that Evan wanted to bring up.
Controversy number two: “Can any of your starting pitchers not use sticky stuff?”
Clarke Schmidt was asked by the umpiring crew on Friday night to wash his hands, and the crew chief told reporters after the game that it was fuzz from the inside of his glove, and no illegal sticky substance was found. But Evan had questions.
“Here’s the bad news: can you explain to me why Clarke Schmidt’s spin rates were through the roof on Friday? Clarke Schmidt, who usually sucks, washes his hands, gets the fuzzy thing off, yet his spin rate was through the roof? I don’t blame David Bell. David Bell was like ‘what the hell is going on here, why is this guy still in the game?’”
Schmidt’s spin rates weren’t “through the roof,” to poke a hole in Evan’s case. In fact, his average spin rate was nearly identical to what it was in his first start of the season, and lower than his previous start on May 14. In addition, Schmidt’s spin rate is high to begin with, as his average fastball spin rate is in the 97th percentile in the majors, and his curveball in the 93rd percentile, according to Statcast. It is why the Yankees still think highly of Schmidt despite his struggles.
Still, with Domingo German recently getting ejected, and suspended, after a sticky substance check, Evan is a little suspicious of the Yankees pitching staff.
“How many games in a row are you guys gonna have to wash your hands and get your hands checked?” Evan said. “It sounds like - and God bless them for doing it, because it’s working - it sounds like they got a thing going on.”
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