Series Recap: Yankees x'd out by O's in pathetic weekend showing
BRONX, N.Y. — Pathetic. This weekend was an inexcusable showing by the New York Yankees, as they dropped two of three to the Baltimore Orioles. It's bad enough to lose a similar series to the Los Angeles Angels on the West Coast but this was some next-level nightmare fuel. One day they can't hit, the next, they can't pitch. Hence, the Yankees have already lost to the Orioles an astounding seven times this season, after dropping a total of five games to Baltimore in the past two seasons combined. No words.
GAME 1
It was quite an arduous victory for the Yankees. The hitting wasn't always there yet they managed to grind out a 4-3 win in 11 innings.
The Bronx Bombers hopped on the board courtesy of a fourth-inning blast to center by Giancarlo Stanton, off John Means. New York would double its advantage with a DJ LeMahieu sac-fly to right, the ensuing inning.
Nestor Cortes was more or less cruising with seven Ks on the hill. That is until Trey Mancini practically busted one of the electronic ad boards on the second deck in left during the sixth inning. The O's would square the game an inning later as ex-Yankee farmhand Jorge Mateo took Jonathan Loaisiga out to left.
As the contest ambled to extra frames, Baltimore gained its first lead on the night, as Ryan Mountcastle plated the automatic runner Ryan McKenna, with a single to left off Wandy Peralta.
However, the pinstripes would respond in the home half. LeMahieu took a page out of Derek Jeter's last hit at Yankee Stadium, plating automatic runner Tyler Wade with a single to right off Cole Sulser.
An inning later, the man who started it, ended it in a walk-off fashion. With Aaron Judge starting the inning at second base, Stanton smashed a single back up the box off ex-Yankee farmhand Dillon Tate for the winner in the eleventh inning.
GAME 2
This 4-3 loss was an inexcusably brutal slog. The offense was anemic and the closer in name only was a complete botch.
The Orioles grabbed the lead in the fourth frame, as Jordan Montgomery failed to challenge Mateo. Hence, with two down and two on, he simultaneously bounced a curveball for ball four and a wild pitch, as Mancini scampered home for a 1-0 edge. Although, you have to feel bad for the Yankee southpaw, who once again received paltry support.
During the seventh, the O's increased their advantage against Peralta. Cedric Mullins plated a run with a sharp double to right. After a Mountcastle ground out moved Mullins to third, Austin Hays plated Mullins on a short grounder to Peralta, who flipped the ball too high, too late with his glove to Kyle Higashioka.
During the home half, the Yankees finally broke through with two on via free passes, Gleyber Torres registered a dubious RBI single against Marcos Diplan, off second baseman Jahmai Jones' glove for New York's first hit on the afternoon, plating Anthony Rizzo.
An inning later, following a bloop hit by LeMahieu, Joey Gallo finally got the monkey off his back, thrashing a two-run tater to right to tie the game.
However, Aroldis Chapman imploded in the ninth inning. Chapman threw a wild pitch on a strike three to Mountcastle, who took first base. A Hays single and a Mancini walk packed the bags. After a strikeout of Ramon Urias, Pedro Severino's sac-fly to left scored Mountcastle for the go-ahead run.
GAME 3
Well, that was a waste of four hours and one minute of my life. This time around it wasn't the offense but the pitching (and some sketchy defense) that was the Yankees undoing in their 8-7 loss. If you feel like you've seen this game before, it felt much like Corey Kluber's previous outing at Anaheim. Where have you gone Luis Gil?
During the second stanza, Kluber yielded a solo homer to left to Hays for a 1-0 deficit.
Yet, the Bronx Bombers would respond as the No. 9 hitter, Gary Sanchez, clobbered a Keegan Akin fastball to left for a grand slam in the home half.
https://twitter.com/Yankees/status/1434577123054850050?s=20
The Orioles would eventually chip away and chase Kluber in the fourth, as Mateo cut the lead in half on a sac-fly to left.
New York would snag that run back in the fifth frame, as Rizzo dunked an RBI single to left off Fernando Abad.
https://twitter.com/Yankees/status/1434599767431131139?s=20
Yet, it got sloppy in the sixth inning. With two down, Torres did not rocket the ball to first on a grounder by Kelvin Gutierrez to shortstop. Not an error but a play that has to be made. The ensuing batter Mullins, made the pinstripes pay, crushing an Albert Abreu changeup to right for a two-run tater. It could've been worse had Stanton not made a full-extension catch to rob Anthony Santander of a hit in right.
https://twitter.com/Yankees/status/1434603435383529475?s=20
In what was ultimately a lost cause, Sanchez again attempted to place the Bombers on his back, smashing a two-run homer to left off Diplan in the home half.
https://twitter.com/Yankees/status/1434605624214577153?s=20
Unfortunately, rather than bring in Chad Green or literally anyone else, Andrew Heaney was brought in to pitch the seventh inning. He pitched the bases loaded and the O's scored two on a ball hit by Jones off the glove of Stanton, who probably should've made the play.
An RBI single to right by Mateo tied the contest and chased Heaney. Baltimore would take the lead for good as Gutierrez singled home a run to left off Peralta.
Unreal.
ON DECK
At 78-58, the Yankees host the Toronto Blue Jays for a four-game set, beginning Monday afternoon at Yankee Stadium.
Pitching probables, Hyun Jin Ryu vs. Jameson Taillon, Steven Matz vs. Gerrit Cole, Alek Manoah vs. TBD, Jose Berrios vs. TBD.