It was almost as frustrating as watching Aaron Boone hit a walk-off home run against the Boston Red Sox in Game 7 of the 2003 ALCS, only to see him bat a paltry .143 during the 2003 World Series against the Florida Marlins. While the New York Yankees, without their starting shortstop, right-fielder and catcher, were able to grind out a victory in the first game, they let the second contest slip away. Much like earlier in the year at Yankee Stadium, the Yankees would have to settle for a two-game split with Don Mattingly’s Miami Marlins.
GAME 1
If you’re a Yankees fan, I hope you weren’t trying to hold your breath from the ninth inning on. It was a game which saw both teams go a combined 1-for-20 with runners in scoring position. Hannah Jeter was not impressed. Needing extra innings, the Yankees were able to scratch out enough runs for a 2-1 victory over the Marlins.
WALK IT OUT
New York landed on the board first during the fourth, piecing together three singles. Neil Walker plated Miguel Andujar with a base knock to right off Pablo Lopez.
TANAKA TUESDAY
Masahiro Tanaka returned to form with a solid outing. Tanaka’s quality start included six frames, four strikeouts, four hits, one walk and the lone blemish was a solo home run to center by Austin Dean in the fifth frame.
JUST BREATHE
From the ninth inning on, the Yankees bullpen pitched into and out of trouble. With one out in the ninth, Chad Green pitched out of a bases-loaded jam. Jonathan Holder pitched around an error and recorded three K’s during the tenth inning. A.J. Cole escaped a bases-loaded jam with zero outs in the eleventh inning. Two keys for Green and Cole might’ve been intentionally walking Starlin Castro with a base open.
After Andujar drove home Kyle Higashioka with a sacrifice fly to left in the top half of the twelfth, the Yankees called on Aroldis Chapman. Rusty and suffering from a knee injury which would land him on the disabled list after the game, Chapman walked the first batter and left the game. Following that, Tommy Kahnle was able to retire the side for his first save as a Yankee.
GAME 2
In a brutal second game, the Yankees lineup made Trevor Richards look like Livan Hernandez and the mismanagement of the pitching staff was rather dubious. It all added up to a 9-3 defeat.
WALK UP
As he did Tuesday night, Walker got the Yankees on the board first in the fourth inning Wednesday night. An RBI-double to right by Walker, plated Aaron Hicks for the 1-0 advantage.
A sacrifice fly to center by Walker, doubled the Yankees lead to 2-0.
Neil Walker 2, Marlins 0@Yankees add to their lead with another RBI from the veteran 2B 🔥#YANKSonYES #PinstripePride pic.twitter.com/HUmlJOXbj4
— YES Network (@YESNetwork) August 23, 2018
An RBI-single by Stanton accounted for the rest of the Yankees offense in the seventh inning.
LANCE LEFT TO LINGER LONGER
In his first five frames, Lance Lynn provided New York with solid scoreless ball. Yet, with a high pitch count in the sixth, Lynn was left lingering on the bump with no relief in sight. It was a curious move considering how Thursday is an off day for the Yankees. During the sixth, a three-run home run to left by Miguel Rojas, was the big blow, giving Miami a 4-2 advantage.
Poor Chance Adams, who isn’t a reliever by trade, was placed in a rough spot, coming on for Kahnle in the seventh, allowing four runs (three earned) on four hits and three walks in 1.2 frames of work.
ON DECK
At 79-47, the Yankees travel to Baltimore, where they’ll take on the Baltimore Orioles in a four-game set starting Friday.
Pitching probables, CC Sabathia vs. Alex Cobb, J.A. Happ vs. TBD, Sonny Gray vs. TBD, Luis Severino vs. Dylan Bundy.
