The Meaningless Game — Sept 28, 2019: Texas 9 NY 4

With the Dodgers having won earlier in the day, clinching home field should the Yanks make it to the World Series against them, and Houston having clinched best record overall days ago — this became a meaningless game for the Yankees. Just a game to tune up players and make final auditions for the post-season roster. DJ LeMahieu had a very outside shot at catching Tim Anderson for the batting title — he went o-3 while Anderson was going 0-2 to essentially kill DJ’s chances (he’s batting .329 to Anderson’s .337 with 1 game left).

Aaron Judge almost hit another 1st inning home run — he thought it was out in fact and started his home run trot when the ball was called in play so he had to hustle for a triple. Brett Gardner hit a sac fly to score him and put the Yanks up 1-0.

Luis Severino got off to an inauspicious start — walking 3 in the 1st inning and allowing a 2-RBI double, but then settled down and struck out the side in the 2nd inning, and cruised through the 3rd to finish with 3 innings pitched, absorbing the loss to finish the year 1-1 1.50 in 13 innings.

“Not Ready for Prime Time Playoff” Relievers Sent In

The Yankees brought in all of their “Not Ready for Prime Time Playoff” relievers — David Hale, Tyler Lyons, Luis Cessa, Nestor Cortes Jr. Ben Heller, and Cory Gearrin — to finish the game. Only a few of that lot will make the post-season roster and one, surprisingly, may be Tyler Lyons — Aaron Boone said after the game they really like the way he can get out lefties.

Luis Cessa has pitched well this season, although he’s been hit hard a few times recently including this game — in the 6th he allowed two singles then two walks and was relieved by Hector Cortes Jr who immediately coughed up a Grand Slam to 2nd baseman Rougned Odor to make it 8-1 Texas. Cortes allowed three more singles in the inning before getting the final out. He may have killed any chances he had of being on the post season roster.

Ben Heller and Cory Gearrin pitched shutout innings — surprisingly both may be in higher contention than either Cessa or Cortes, despite the fact that Heller has been out all year and only returned recently.

By that time may Yankee fans on Twitter said they were off onto other things like youtube or playing Risk; some said they’d be back a week from now — next Friday night. This was a meaningless game after all.

Etcetera

Didi Gregorius doubled in 3 runs in the 9th to make the score respectable — from 9-1 it ended up 9-4.

Aaron Judge ended up 1-3 and Giancarlo Stanton also went 1 for 3. Mike Ford, Gio Urshela, Tyler Wade, and Austin Romine got one hit each also. Luke Voit went 0-3 his slump continues.

The Boxscore

https://www.espn.com/mlb/boxscore?gameId=401077140

 

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