This was a grey, drizzly Wednesday afternoon game at the Stadium where, if you turned the game on 10 minutes late, the Yanks were already up 6-0. And then with it 6-1, you literally turned around and it was 12-1.
The Yanks knocked out Blake Snell, last year’s Cy Young winner (21-5 1.89) in the first. He got 1 out. He’s been struggling this year (now 4-6 4.40). It was DJ LeMahieu and Luke Voit again starting off the rally for the Yanks. LeMahieu singled, Voit walked, and Gary Sanchez hit a homerun — 3-0 Yanks.
Streak's Alive: 2⃣2⃣ pic.twitter.com/UhEdsjQJ7k
— New York Yankees (@Yankees) June 19, 2019
Snell then walked the bases loaded — Aaron Hicks, Gleyber Torres, and Cameron Maybin — and he was gone. Gio Urshela was hit by a pitch for a run, and then DJ LeMahieu came up a second time in the inning and singled home two runs! Tampa proceeded to march their entire bullpen to the mound the rest of the game — using 9 pitchers: Colin Poche, Emilio Pagan, Ryne Stanek, Diego Castillo, Adam Kolarek, Oliver Drake, Chaz Roe, and Daniel Robertson.
CC Cruises to 250th Win
For the Yankees, CC Sabathia — who had been struggling since coming back from the knee gel injections — was cruising. He looked sure to get his 250th win. But got into some trouble in the 5th — with one out he walked two straight batters (was getting a little squeezed by the ump) and then looked like he might’ve struck out Tommy Pham to end the inning but the ump called what arguably could’ve been strike 3 a ball, and Pham then hit a little blooper to right which fell for a double and RBI.
The Turning Point
With 2 on, the score 6-1, and Austin Meadows one of the best young hitters in the league up, there was consternation in the Yankee dugout and amongst Yankee fans if CC was losing it and would not get win #250. But he got Meadows on a fly, and then got a second wind — blowing thru the 6th. Jonathan Holder held them in the 7th.
Tampa Ballpen Strategy Fails Again
Meanwhile, you turned around and the Yanks put 6 more runs on the board in the 7th against Kolarek and Drake — due mainly to a grand slam by Gleyber Torres. Just like the game before, the Tampa strategy of depending on their ballpen so much backfired — the more relievers you go to the greater the chance you’ll pick one who is off his game.
Again it was LeMahieu and Voit starting the rally — both walked, and Gary Sanchez doubled in a run. Drake relieved and was greeted by an Edwin Encarnacion single, a walk to Aaron Hicks, and the Gleyber Grand Slam. 12-1 just like that.
Baby Grand. pic.twitter.com/peuAQcifT1
— New York Yankees (@Yankees) June 19, 2019
Ballgame
With the score 12-1, and the 3-game sweep over second place Tampa at hand, the Yankees asserted their dominance by pitching Luis Cessa for the final two innings. He pitched shutout ball.
With the Sweep, the Yanks are now 3.5 games ahead of Tampa in 1st place — the series started with the .5 ahead, and they were .5 behind on Saturday morning 5 days ago. Boston is 6.5 out in 3rd.
The Boxscore
https://www.espn.com/mlb/boxscore?gameId=401075841
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