The New York Yankees series against the Baltimore Orioles ended much the way it started, with rainouts. When actual baseball was played, the Bronx Bombers put a hurting on the Birds. For now, we’ll call it a mini two-game sweep, as the Yankees move on to Detroit for (wait for it) a doubleheader.
GAME 1
After storms washed out what was to be a four-game series, the Yankees brought out the lumber against the slumbering Birds. New York banged out 12 hits in a 4-1 win. There were high fives all around, even an air high five for “Toe.”
GRAY OK
Sonny Gray didn’t have to be perfect against the O’s, he only had to be better than virtually any Baltimore starter. While Gray ran into some early trouble and Manny Machado ran into a 0-1 two-seam fastball, it was enough for now. At least No. 55 has shown enough “stuff” to beat the Baltimore’s and Kansas City’s of the world and a ledger of six frames of six-strikeout ball, allowing four hits, one run and zero walks, is at least a step in the right direction.
GLEY-BAE-BAE, GLEY-BAE-BAE
The reigning AL Player of the Week and AL Rookie of the Month of May kept chugging along in June, even after losing a shoe. With two on in the third, Gleyber Torres lined an RBI-single to center off Andrew Cashner, squaring the game at one. A rookie and a No. 9 hitter, Torres registered RBI No. 27 on the campaign or two less than Giancarlo Stanton. Yes, Stanton is more of a second-half performer but it goes to show how special of a start Torres is on.
It wasn’t all perfect though, in the fifth, gunning for a triple, Torres lost his cleat rounding second and made the first out of the inning at third base. The play was close regardless and he probably beats the throw if the shoe stays on. The play didn’t prove costly but was quite the oddity.
Gleyber Torres out at third on a close play after running OUT OF HIS SHOE pic.twitter.com/wVQuw2MP1a
— A.J. Herrmann (@AJHerrmannYES) June 2, 2018
WHAT A LONG STRANGE TRIP IT’S BEEN
Speaking of a rare oddity, later in the fifth, Greg Bird legged out his first career RBI-triple to center. Granted Adam Jones essentially played it into a triple but a three-bagger nonetheless.
PERSONAL HITTING CATCHER
This whole Sonny Gray-Austin Romine battery has been quite beneficial… for Romine. Extending to a 10-game hitting streak, the backup backstop continues to hammer the ball to the opposite field and is batting .500 with runners in scoring position, driving in Didi Gregorius with an RBI-double in the sixth.
AARON ANGELOS
Aaron Judge doesn’t officially own the Orioles, it only feels that way. During the seventh, Judge slaughtered a 2-2 slider offering from Tanner Scott to deep left. Judge’s home run was sweet 16 on the season. When he returned to the dugout, Judge even gave an air high five to the recently demoted Ronald Torreyes.
BULLPEN LOOKS GOOD IN THE BOXSCORE
Chad Green, Dellin Betances and Aroldis Chapman sealed the deal with three scoreless frames. Although Green and Betances would make it a bit more interesting than it needed to be with some walks. Ultimately Chapman would strike out the side in the ninth.
GAME 2
More rain and a slow start but the Yankees prevailed once again with an 8-5 victory. The Bronx Bombers bats flexed their muscles in this one.
GETTIN’ MIGGY WITH IT
Trailing 1-0 in the second, Miguel Andujar drilled a tw0-run tater to left on a 0-2 splitter from Kevin Gausman. It was Andujar’s sixth homer of the campaign. The rookie third baseman took the top spot among MLB rookies in extra base-hits with 26.
STANTON SMASH
During the third inning, Stanton launched a no-doubter of his own. On the first pitch, he saw from Gausman, Stanton crushed a two-run bomb to right-center, increasing the New York lead to 4-1. It was a welcome sign for the Yankee DH, who now has 12 home runs.
Giancarlo Stanton CRUSHED this one.
📺 #YANKSonYES
📱https://t.co/RFzDdyi3ER pic.twitter.com/vp8J6BcjOU— YES Network (@YESNetwork) June 2, 2018
MASA TAKES MARYLAND
Masahiro Tanaka pitched to the scoreboard and is unbeaten in his past eight outings. Home runs by Adam Jones, Joey Rickard and Manny Machado proved to be a bugaboo for Tanaka again in his 5.1 frames, allowing four runs on eight hits and one walk, while fanning seven. Tanaka tied Orlando “El Duque” Hernandez at No. 22 on the all-time franchise strikeout list with 703.
OFFENSE PILES ON
Consecutive line drive singles to center by Didi Gregorius and Aaron Hicks made the score 6-2 in the sixth. Hicks lined another RBI-single to center in the eighth. Andujar added to his extra-base hit account with an RBI-double to left to cap off the Yanks scoring.
ON DECK
At 37-17, the Yankees travel to Detroit and take on the Detroit Tigers in a doubleheader Monday.
Pitching probables, Luis Severino vs. Drew VerHagen, Domingo German vs. Mike Fiers.
