After some quick shuteye, the New York Yankees made the quick jaunt to face the Cincinnati Reds in a short two-game set. The Bronx Bombers brought their bats and played well, save for one bad inning. In all the Yankees garnered a series split in Cincinnati.
As the late great Yogi Berra once said, “You can observe a lot by watching.” Here’s what I observed in the series against the Reds.
GAME 1
In a battle of first-place squads, the Yankees dropped the hammer on the Reds with a 10-4 victory.
QUICK DRAW
Once again the Bronx Bombers lineup was off to a quick start against former farmhand Rookie Davis. Brett Gardner set the table, beating Davis to first as the Reds’ pitcher missed the bag. Ensuing batter Aaron Hicks singled to right. A one-out walk by Jacoby Ellsbury loaded the bases. Gary Sanchez ripped a two-run single to left, giving New York a 2-0 advantage. Didi Gregorius followed with an RBI-single to right.
After the Reds scratched one back in the home half, the Yankees had a rapid response in the second. A single to center by Hicks plated Ronald Torreyes and increased the lead to 4-1.
TANAKA TIME
Masahiro Tanaka provided the Yankees with length and made big pitches when he had to. Tanaka was able to wiggle out of trouble with three double-play balls. Coupled with six K’s, the Yankees’ ace was able to mitigate the damage of 10 hits and a two-run homer by Joey Votto in the seventh. A taxed Yankees’ bullpen was appreciative of his seven frames of work.
SURPRISED ME
Perhaps they didn’t want to wake up the Reds, but after Drew Storen plunked Hicks, Sanchez and Chase Headley in the seventh, one would think maybe the Yankees’ pitchers would stick up for their hitters.
PLAYING POWERBALL
Ahead 7-4 and facing Barrett Astin in the eighth, Gardner and Matt Holliday capped off the Yankees’ scoring with a pair of homers. Gardner’s two-run shot to right was his sixth in nine contests. Holliday’s launch to center was a solo blast and also his sixth of the season.
"There it goooooes, see ya!" https://t.co/0gd6rTswSn pic.twitter.com/Fv175cDKqY
— New York Yankees (@Yankees) May 9, 2017
GAME 2
You can’t win ’em all. After another fast start, one bad inning made the difference as the Yankees saw their six-game winning streak snapped by the Reds in a 5-3 loss. New York heads home for Derek Jeter week at 21-10 following a 4-1 road trip.
MAKE ‘EM COUNT
Facing Tim Adleman, the Bronx Bombers were economical with their hits. Through two frames, the club had two hits and two runs, courtesy of a pair of home runs from Sanchez and Gregorius.
It was the first of a two-RBI evening for Gregorius, who knocked in a run in the fourth against his former team. The home runs in each inning posted the Yankees to a 2-0 advantage.
SECOND INNING STUMBLE
After a shaky first inning, CC Sabathia was touched up by the Reds offense in a five-run second stanza. A pair of two-run singles by Billy Hamilton and Votto were the difference makers for Cincinnati.
ON DECK
At 21-10 on the campaign, the Yankees head back to the Bronx to take on the Houston Astros in a four-game set starting Thursday evening.
Pitching probables include Dallas Keuchel vs. Michael Pineda, Lance McCullers Jr. vs. Jordan Montgomery, Mike Fiers vs. Luis Severino, Charlie Morton vs. Masahiro Tanaka.
