“The Rivalry” continues. On a 60-degree April night in the Bronx, newly acquired Yankee free-agent ace James Paxton earned his pinstripes — shutting down Boston — and the Yankee offense pounced on a laboring Chris Sale — for the 8-0 NY win.
Both pitchers had not pitched well so far this year. Early on — Sale looked like he’d put his rough starts behind him — cruising thru the first 2 innings.
In the bottom of the 3rd, Brett Gardner led off with a double. After a fly out by Austin Romine moved the runner to 3rd, and a strikeout by Mike Tauchman — Sale was ‘this close’ to getting out of the inning. But the next batter was DJ LeMahieu — and you know what that means: basehit to right scoring the run. Aaron Judge walked, and then Luke Voit doubled in a run.
Paxton Earns His Initial Set of Pinstripes
Paxton got into his own JAM in the top of the very next inning (the 4th). Mookie Betts walked and Xander Bogaerts doubled putting 2nd & 3rd with nobody out. But then Paxton got JD Martinez to hit a fly ball to Aaron Judge in medium-deep right, and Betts would not challenge Judge’s arm — who threw a strike home. Steve Pearce hit an almost identical fly to Judge in right — and again Betts stayed put on 3rd as Judge fired a strike home. Paxton then struck out Mitch Moreland and from that point forward CRUISED. Final line: 8 innings, 2 hits, 12 strikeouts, 1 walk — he was MASTERFUL. It is early in the season to earn your pinstripes — said someone on Twitter — but this is his initial set (like when Jason Giambi hit that walkoff homer in the rain years ago). In October Paxton gets a chance to get a Key to the City set of pinstripes.
James Paxton earning his Rivalry pinstripes. pic.twitter.com/5tDCHipNDL
— New York Yankees (@Yankees) April 17, 2019
Meanwhile the Yankee offense continued to score on Sale. Clint Frazier, who has a QUICK BAT — led off the 4th with a homer to right center. Mike Tauchman doubled in Austin Romine to make it 4-0.
Seeing Red. pic.twitter.com/vpnL1FMsAv
— New York Yankees (@Yankees) April 16, 2019
Aaron Judge led off the 5th with a single, stole 2nd, and went to 3rd on a throwing error by catcher Sandy Leon. But Sale hung on and finished with a line of 5 innings, 4 runs, 7 hits — not so bad considering.
Yanks Pounce on Reliever Ramirez
The Yankees pounced on reliever Erasmo Ramirez — on a night when everyone was wearing #42 in honor of Jackie Robinson — it was clear that Ramirez was a different pitcher from Sale — much heavier, shorter, and a right hander. Gio Urshela immediately hit a double off Ramirez; Gardner walked and Mike Tauchman hit a 3-run homer. Gleyber Torres finished the scoring with a homer in the 7th.
The Ocho. pic.twitter.com/czNKh5uJ9F
— New York Yankees (@Yankees) April 17, 2019
Joe Harvey was scintillating in the 9th for the Yanks. Ballgame.
An easy win. Funny how good a team can look when they get scintillating pitching and a bunch of offense.
The End of Bird?
Before the game, Greg Bird was sent down with plantar fascitis, and there was talk on twitter of this being the end of Bird in a Yankee uniform, and his ‘slow bat’.
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