COHEN'S CORNER SPORTS

 The hot seat is starting to boil over for Yankees manager Aaron Boone.  After watching his team get swept by the Boston Red Sox for the second time this season, the Yankees embattled manager dropped a missive Monday afternoon with reporters that the Yankees 2021 season "was on the line."  "Too many ups and too many downs. We are in too good a division to have those ups and downs continue. We can't afford to play great for two weeks and struggle for a week. Not if we are going to make up ground. We've dug ourselves a little bit of a hole in the division obviously."  A little bit of a hole, eh? Ya think?  The Yankees entered play 6.5 games out of first place in the AL East. By the time New York's series opener vs. Anaheim ended, they were 7.5 out, and 6 back of the last wild card slot. It is getting late early for the Yankees.  They looked listless and lifeless against the Angels, who are two games back of New York for 6th place in the wild card standings...

 RED SOX 5 - YANKEES 3 The Boston Red Sox honored Dustin Pedroia Friday night before a sellout crowd at Fenway Park -- the first sellout in Beantown since pre-COVID-19. And to cap off the party, the Red Sox held off the Yankees 5-3 to push their lead over them for second place in the AL East to 3.5 games.  For the Yankees it was another frustrating night -- something that has become all too commonplace for them. Not only are they now 0-4 against their arch rivals this year, but they watched chances to win this game slip away.  The Yankees erased an early 3-0 deficit in the second inning on a bases loaded walk to Clint Fraizer and a two-run single by DJ LeMahieu to tie it. The Yankees would never score again.  The only time they came close to scoring, Gio Urshela was thrown out at the plate in the fourth inning on a controversial decision by third base coach Phil Nevin to send him.  Domingo German was bad again on the mound for New York. He gave up four runs, thr...

METS 2 - PHILLIES 1 - GAME 1  PHILLIES 2 - METS 1 - GAME 2  The Mets split a double-header by identical scores of 2-1, as both games were practically mire images of one another.  1) Both teams have very good solid pitcher.  2) Neither the Mets nor the Phillies can buy a hit when they need it, especially the Mets.  3) The Phillies bullpen is horrendous.  Those three factoids played out throughout the day Friday. Game 1 was scoreless as Taijuan Walker and Aaron Nola traded zeros. Nola in fact set a Phillies record by striking out 10 consecutive batters, which also tied a Major League record set by Tom Seaver back in 1970.  The Phillies grabbed the lead thanks to a RBI double by Nola himself, but the Phillies pen imploded late. A RBI single by Francisco Lindor in the bottom of the seventh tied the game at one. That set up Dom Smith to be the hero an inning later when his single to center brought home Lindor with the winning run to send the Mets a 2-1 vict...

 LIGHTNING 1 - ISLANDERS 0; Tampa wins series 4-3 There was a lot of excitement in the New York metro area the past 48 hours after the Islanders staged a late comeback in Game 6, winning 3-2 and forcing a Game 7 in Tampa Bay on Friday night. For the first time all season, seemingly in years, the New York Islanders, New York's forgotten team was forgotten no more.  Could the Isles head to the Cup for the first time since 1984? Could they win it all for the first time since 1983? Against the Canadianes, normally a fellow Eastern Conference foe, who got stuck playing Las Vegas in this bizarre COVID season? Could it be?  The answer was a resounding no.  The Islanders never got their offense going in Game 7 , attempting only 18 shots on goal the entire game. Tampa controlled the puck, the pace of the game, and found a way to make one goal -- a shorthanded shot by Yanni Gourde -- stand up. The Lightning attempted 31 shots on goal. Give Islanders goalie Semyon Varlamov cre...

 BUCKS 115 - NETS 111  The Brooklyn Nets were supposed to be an unstoppable juggernaut, a team built and destined to win the NBA title based solely on the fact that they loaded up on the All Star talents of Kevin Durant, James Harden, Kyrie Irving, DeAndre Jordan, and even Blake Griffin.  Instead Sean Marks' gamble turned up snake eyes, as the Nets proved - even in a valiant effort, especially by Durant - that nothing is ever guaranteed.  And that takes us to Game 7. Even though the game was a back-and-forth classic for most of the night, the Nets did have a 10-point lead late in the second quarter after Harden hit a floater, drew a foul, and connected on a free throw. The Nets would never enjoy such a lead again.  The Bucks chipped away, played solid defense, and flustered the Nets offensive rhythm. At one point it looked like Milwaukee would sneak out of Barclays Center with a win in regulation after the Nets five point lead with 4:00 to play evaporated thanks...

 METS 6 - CUBS 1  Yes, the Mets beat the Cubs for the third consecutive night. And, yes, the Mets are a season best 10-games over .500.  But there is concern in Metville after ace Jacob deGrom left Wednesday night's ballgame after three perfect innings with an apparent shore right shoulder. The injury is just five days after deGrom left his previous start against San Diego with right flexor tendonitis.  However both deGrom and manager Luis Rojas said they hope the injury is nothing major (the same refrain we heard last week).  deGrom said he was frustrated by the latest setback. He was on the IL earlier this year after tightness in his back set him back a start.  "Felt really good warming up. Felt really good in the first and second inning, and then there in the third my shoulder was sore. This is getting old. I want to be out there competing and coming out of these games -- with these little --- hopefully this turns out to be nothing."  "I'm pretty co...

 METS 5 - CUBS 2  For second year starting pitcher David Peterson it has been a roller-coaster ride thus far in 2021. At 1-5, and with an ERA well over 5, it was easy to see why Monday night's start against the Chicago Cubs would be a big one for the 25-year old lefty.  After getting knocked out early in each of his previous two starts, Peterson had to show the Mets that he can be mainstay in this rotation. The Mets need him to be, especially with Carlos Carrasco and Noah Syndergaard still sidelined for a couple more months.  Had Peterson put up another stinker on Monday, the Mets would have almost certainly been in the tough spot of weighing whether to keep him at the Major League level, or sending him down and getting someone else up here. Instead Peterson gave the Mets his best outing of the year, a six-inning, one-hit shutout against the red hot Chicago Cubs. In fact the only hit Peterson gave up Monday was on an infield single in the top of the third inning off ...

The Nets season could rest on the shoulders of Kevin Durant.   With their best-of-seven series against the Milwaukee Bucks tied at two a piece, it will be up to Durant to spark and lead the Nets to what will now be considered an improbable victory in Game 5. Both Kyrie Irving and James Harden will not suit up as they nurse injuries.  Irving suffered a right ankle sprain in Game 4 on Sunday afternoon, and didn't play at all in the second half. Harden hasn't played since the opening seconds of this series when he pulled a groin muscle in Game 1.  Ironically both All Star players were hurt while trying to drive through the lane to score. Head Coach Steve Nash was mum on whether Irving would play again in this Eastern Conference Semifinal. Nash did say he would not rush back Harden just to fill the void left by Irving.  For a team that played only eight games all year with the Big 3 in tack, as they missed games for various reasons (injuries or in the case of Irvin...

 For Aaron Boone and the Yankees, they are in an unfamiliar place. The Yankees have lost 13 of their last 18, find themselves 8.5 games out of first place, and are in fourth in a stacked division.   The pitching staff, outside of Gerrit Cole, who has had his own issues to deal with in regards to his rumored use of Spider Tack to increase velocity, has been horrid.  On Sunday, the Yankees were crushed by the Philadelphia Phillies, swept in fact, by the score of 7-0. For the second straight outing a starter was gone before the fifth inning. Domingo German lasted only 4.1 innings allowing 7 earned runs on 10 hits. That a day after Jameson Taillon was lifted after only a third of an inning on Saturday.  Least us not forget the offense has been staggering for weeks; heck all season in fact. Unless the Yankees are cracking home runs all over the ball park, they do not know how to score. They never hit with men in scoring position and fail at situational hitting. ...

BUCKS 107 - NETS 96 - Series tied 2-2  Maybe Kevin Durant should have had his bodyguard at this game like he did in Game 3?  The Brooklyn Nets now find themselves in a series after the Bucks whipped the floor with them 107-96 in a Game 4 that was never as close as the final score indicated. Bucks All Star forward Giannis Antetokounmpo did whatever he wanted on Sunday, posting a triple-double on the Nets, 34 points, 11 boards and 12 assists in the victory for Milwaukee.  Even former Net Brook Lopez got into the action for Milwaukee recording 11 defensive rebounds on his own team.  As for the Nets, outside of Durant, who despite scoring 28 points on a bad shooting night for him (9-for-25 from the floor, and 1-for-8 from downtown), nobody wanted to help. It didn't help matters that Kyrie Irving (5-for-11 from the floor for 11 points) left the ball game after spraining his right ankle while driving for a layup.  Irving landed on Antetokounmpo's foot and stayed on ...

 PHILLIES 8 - YANKEES 7 - 10 innings Nothing is going right for the Yankees right now. Comeback from a 7-3 deficit to tie the game in the ninth inning. DJ LeMahieu has a huge day for the first time in a long time, with a 3-run shot in the ninth that tied the game at seven, and even with that it was not enough for the Bronx Bombers who dropped their seventh game in their last 11, losing 8-7 to the Philadelphia Phillies.  The Yankees are only two games over .500 at 33-31, and find themselves mired in fourth place behind the Rays, Red Sox and Blue Jays. This is life for the Yankees of late in 2021.  Jameson Taillon was once again horrible.  He didn't even finish the first inning, allowing four runs to score on five hits in just a third of an inning. Taillon who has struggled with consistency all season, saw his already inflated ERA balloon to 5.74. It makes you wonder how much longer the Yankees can keep trotting this guy out there.  Then again with Corey Kluber ou...

METS 4 - PADRES 1  The New York Mets remain red hot. Powered by home runs from Francisco Lindor and Jonathan Villar, and spurred by another stellar outing from Marcus Stroman, the Mets defeated the San Diego Padres 4-1.  After winning the first two games of this weekend series, the Mets have now won four of six against San Diego this season, essentially winning the season series entering Sunday's finale.  Stroman was dominant once again for New York, backing up his brilliant 6.2 inning effort a week ago in San Diego. This time he held the Padres scoreless for six innings until Fernando Tatis Jr. deposited a Stroman fastball into the seats in left field in the seventh inning.  Other than that one mistake it was smooth sailing from Stroman who lowered his ERA to 2.33, and notched his sixth win of the year.  The Mets rewarded Stroman early when Lindor crushed a two-run homer to left-center to give the Mets a 2-0 first inning lead. They never looked back. In the six...

 Former New York Giants Head Coach Jim Fassel died Monday of a heart attack. He was 71.  According to multiple reports, Fassel was admitted to a local hospital near Las Vegas after experiencing chest pains. He was said to have had a heart attack while under sedation.  Fassel coached the Giants from1997-2003, reviving a once proud franchise that had seen some dark days in the mid-1990s, bringing them all the way back to a Super Bowl appearance in 2000 against the eventual champion Baltimore Ravens.   Over his seven seasons patrolling the Giants Stadium sidelines Fassel went 58-53-1; won coach of the year honors his first year in 1997 after leading Big Blue to a 10-5-1 record and a wild card playoff berth against Minnesota.  Some of his most significant wins as head coach included a 20-16 thriller against the 13-0 Denver Broncos at Giants Stadium in 1998, a 41-28 thrashing of the Jets in 1999 and of course Big Blue's 41-0 take-down of the Vikings in the NFC ...

 RED SOX 6 - YANKEE 5 - 10 Innings   For Yankees fans, Sunday's 6-5 loss, and eventual sweep at the hands of the hated Boston Red Sox will always be remembered as the Gabe Morales game.  With the game tied at four in the bottom of the ninth, and two men on the corners for the Yankees, Morales was the home plate umpire when Boston closer Matt Barnes, supposedly struck out Rougned Odor looking on a 3-2 pitch that was clearly outside. The ball never crossed the plate, and should have been ball four.  The bases would have been loaded for Clint Fraizer.    Was the call awful yes. Did it cost the Yankees the game, ultimately no, but it did play a major role in the final decision.  Boston scored two runs in the 10th inning on Xander Bogaerts two run single to make it a 6-4 game. The Yankees would cut the deficit to 6-5 on a RBI ground out by Tyler Wade before slumping D.J. LeMahieu grounded out to end it.  It was a disheartening loss for the Yankees...

 METS 6 - PADRES 2  After dropping the first two games of this series in gut-wrenching fashion, the Mets bounced back to earn a split of a four-game series against one of baseball's hottest teams coming into the weekend, the San Diego Padres.  Sunday's 6-2 thrashing of the Padres backed-up another terrific start by Jacob deGrom on Saturday night, where he held the Padres to just three hits over seven innings in New York's 4-0 victory.  Marcus Stroman picked up where deGrom left off. He blanked the Padres over the first five innings of the game, before giving up an unearned run on an Eric Hosmer ground out in the sixth. Stroman even helped out his own cause doubling to left to drive in Jose Pereaza to give the Mets a 4-1 lead.  Stroman finished the day allowing only an unearned run on four hits over 6.2 innings of work. He''s now 5-4 on the year with a 2.41 ERA.  Offensively, the Mets helped out Stroman early and often. Billy McKinny's RBI single in the firs...

 James Harden will not play in Game 2 of the Eastern Conference Semifinals vs. Milwaukee as he nurses right hamstring tightness.    The decision by Brooklyn is really no surprise considering that Harden left Game 1 less than a minute into it when he pulled up lame. He didn't return.  The Nets still won without Harden, 115-107, but they will definitely miss his presence on the floor. Since joining Brooklyn after he orchestrated a trade to New York from Houston, Harden averaged 24.6 points per game during the regular season when healthy.  He was also averaging 23.2 points per game in the postseason.  For the Nets, however, playing without a member of their vaunted Big Three is nothing new for them. This is  a team that played only eight games during the season with Harden, Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving on the floor. If any team can withstand an injury like this it is Brooklyn. Harden missed 21 games during the season as well.  We'll see how things p...

 NETS 123 - CELTICS 109  The Brooklyn Nets wanted nothing to do with another trip to Boston.  After Kyrie Irving faced intense scrutiny from Boston's fans, including one fan who took it upon himself to toss a bottle at the Nets star point guard, Brooklyn made it abundantly clear how they felt. Enough is enough. They said as much during the off days, and they carried it into Game 5 at the Barclays Center as they put away the Celtics 123-109 .  The Nets will face the Milwaukee Bucks beginning June 5. The Bucks have been one of the few teams to have figured out the Nets this year, having won two of three regular season meetings. Brooklyn was powered by James Harden, who led all scorers with 34 points on a 10-for-17 shooting night, including going 10-for-11 from the free throw line.  With Brooklyn trailing 8-2 in the early going, Harden connected on back-to-back buckets to get the Nets to within 8-6 before Irving tied it on a dunk.  The Nets would trail at seve...

 METS 6 - D-BACKS 2 The good times just keep on rolling for the New York Mets. Not only did they ride another superb outing from Jacob deGrom, but Pete Alonso and Kevin Pillar made their triumphant returns from the injury list as the Mets stung the Diamondbacks 6-2 out in the Desert.  Alonso spent the better part of two weeks on the injury list with a hand injury, came back on fire, going 2-for-5 with a homer and four RBI. His two-run single in the top of the third inning scored both Mason Williams and Jose Peraza to give New York an early 2-0 lead.  Later with New York in front 3-0, Alonso crushed a Merrill Kelly fastball, planting it over the left field wall to give the Mets a 5-0 advantage.  Alonso's multi-hit effort was his first since May 3 at St. Louis; the homer was his first since a May 15 game at Tampa.  If Alonso is about to get hot, it's only a good thing for the Mets who will have 11 games with the Padres and Cubs coming up in the next couple weeks....