Kriske to the Rescue. LaMarre Walkoff. Yankees 6 Philly 5 in 10

July 22, 2021 paperbacklou 2021 0

In a game that manager Aaron Boone threw to the wind by bringing in beleaguered Nick Nelson with bases loaded and 1 out in the 8th to blow a 5-2 lead — Brooks Kriske emerged to pitch a shutout 10th inning — not allowing the COVID-rules inherited runner on 2nd to score — and allow Ryan LaMarre to win the game with a 1-out, walk-off single off the wall in right for the 6-5 Yankee victory in 10 innings.

The Yanks are now 9-3 in their last 12, and pulled ahead of Toronto into 3rd place again, 7 behind Boston and 6 behind Tampa.

1. Wojciechowski Starts

The Yankees reached into their minors and came up with Asher Wojciechowski to start the game. The Yankees signed Wojciechowski to a low-level free agent contract in February. Once upon a time he was a 1st round pick — #41 overall by Toronto in the 2010 June draft. He’s 32 years old now — and has ‘been around’ — spending time with Toronto, Houston, Cincinnati, Baltimore, and now New York.

Most Yankee fans had no idea who he was and where he came from as he started the game — and the running joke was Wojciechowski is Superman spelled backwards. The geometric proof says Jean Segura is kryptonite as he hit a homer on the 1st pitch of the game.

But somehow, Wojciechowski started to prevail. He struck out the side (beside the homer and a double) in the 1st inning on 81-MPH sliders, 81-MPH curves, and a heater that barely hit 92 MPH.

He was on the ropes in the 2nd inning — walking two — but got out of it on 3 fly outs.

He was falling through the ropes in the 3rd — a hit by pitch, an RBI double by Bryce Harper, a walk to put 1st and 2nd nobody out, down 2-0. It looked like the old ballgame. But then he Lou Costello-ed (former boxer) off the ropes — a lineout, fly out, ground out.

And then a 1-2-3 4th inning, including a strikeout of his countryman Travis Jankowski and Wojciechowski left having done a good job: 4 innings, 3 hits, 2 runs, 4 K’s, 3 walks. He could sleep well.

3. Gleyber HR & Allen RBI Double Tie It

The Phillies on bullpen day started Spencer Howard, a reliever — and he pitched 3 shutout innings. But the Yanks got to reliever #1 — Christopher Sanchez — in the 4th all with 2 outs after Rougned Odor and Gary Sanchez both struck out to start the inning: Gleyber Torres stepped up and parked one to right for a 2-1 game.

Then Brett Gardner reached on an infield single and Greg Allen doubled him home for a tie game.

Tyler Wade then walked and he and Allen did a double steal of 2nd and 3rd, but were left stranded when Estevan Florial struck out to end the inning.

4. Yankees Break On Top

The middle innings were a pitchers’ duel between middle-inning relievers — for the Yankees Albert Abreu pitched 1.2 impressive shutout innings and Justin Wilson surprised all of Yankee Twitter with 2 shutout innings, while Connor Brogdon pitched 2 shutout innings for Philly.

In the 7th, the Yankees squeeked across a run to go ahead when Estevan Florial walked with 1 out, stole 2nd, and scored when Giancarlo Stanton got a 2-out infield single to 2nd.

Then Rougned Odor apparently put the game away with a 2-run homer to right for a 5-2 NY lead.

5. The Nick Nelson Experience

But all joyousness quickly faded when Zack Britton took the mound in the 8th — a Gleyber Torres error allowed leadoff batter Hoskins to get on, then walk, groundout, walk and Britton was gone with bases loaded, 1 out.

Manager Aaron Boone went to the pen — for — of all pitchers to come in with bases loaded, 1 out — Nick Nelson — he of The Nick Nelson Experience. Normally a wild and exciting show. Like being on a rollercoaster approaching the top of the first big incline, waiting for the DROP.

And DROP it did — Nelson went 3-2 on pinch hitter Luke Williams before he hit a 2-run single to left for a 5-4 game. Nelson walked Jean Segura, then threw a wild pitch and it was 5-5.

You can imagine Yankee Twitter at this time.

Nelson reared back and struck out J.T. Realmuto, walked Bryce Harper to load the bases again with 1 out — and finally got the final out on a fly to left. Tie game.

6. The Kriske Magic Show

Aroldis Chapman — who has entertained many with his own rollercoaster performances — came in for the 9th and walked the first batter, Rhys Hoskins. But then after Didi Gregorius flied out, Hoskins tried to steal 2nd and was thrown out by Gary Sanchez. Huge play by Sanchez, allowing Chapman to pitch a shutout inning as he struck out the last batter, Brad Miller

To the COVID 10th for The Brooks Kreske Show. Philly put their inherited runner on 2nd to start — the guy who made last out — Brad Miller. Old friend Ronald Torreyes sacrificed him to 3rd with 1 out but Kriske got a huge strikeout of Luke Williams — and then got Segura to fly out.

7. Walkoff Win

That set the stage for the Ryan LaMarre walkoff — Gary Sanchez began the inning on 2nd as the inherited runner; Gleyber Torres sacrificed him to 3rd — and with 1 out Philly had to bring their outfield in. LaMarre hit a ball off the rightfield wall — hard hit but probably would have been caught with a normally positioned outfield — for the old ballgame.

The Boxscore

https://www.espn.com/mlb/boxscore/_/gameId/401228494

 

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