
This game was not the blowout it looked like it would be when the Yankees took a 6-0 lead and Jameson Taillon was pitching shutout ball into the 6th inning. In the end, it was 7-5 in the 9th before Chad Green got the final strikeout — although Minnesota never brought the tying run to the plate.
So it was just a little bit of agita for Yankee Twitter — but still an evening to rejoice — as NY won its 7th straight game, to go 18 games over .500 on the season at 70-52, still 5 games behind Tampa which also won.
1. Yanks Jump Out to 6-0 Lead
Manager Aaron Boone settled all the controversy surrounding the return of Anthony Rizzo and the questions of what would happen to the red-hot Luke Voit — Boone put Rizzo at 1st and Voit at DH — putting Giancarlo Stanton in right field, and Aaron Judge in centerfield.
It created the most awesome Yankee lineup seen in some time — with Joey Gallo in left.
But even that awesome lineup didn’t score at first against Minnesota starter John Gant — who looked good through 2 innings. But the Yanks got to him, and got to him good in the 3rd.
It was the bottom of the lineup that did it — Andrew Velazquez led off with a standup triple, and Kyle Higashioka doubled him home and it was 1-0 NY.
Fully Operational. pic.twitter.com/o3gpuuDAn1
— New York Yankees (@Yankees) August 20, 2021
Tyler Wade walked and the red-hot Luke Voit — lead off batter — doubled him and Higgy home and it was 3-0 NY.
Anthony Rizzo then hit a sac fly to center for a 4-0 NY lead. Yes that’s right Voit and Rizzo hitting back to back and driving in runs back to back.
In the 4th, Anthony Velazquez reached on an infield single with 2 out and Higgy hit a homer to left for a 6-0 lead. It looked like blowout city.
2nd Deck Hammer for Higgy. pic.twitter.com/XrjSdwh8pc
— New York Yankees (@Yankees) August 20, 2021
2. Taillon Terrific; Tires in 6th
The Yanks looked like they had the game in the bag with Jameson Taillon pitching great again — 9 starts in a row now. He had a shutout going into the 6th when former Yankee Jack Cave hit a homer to left to make it 6-1.
And then.. single, double, double made it 6-3 and just like that Taillon was gone.
3. Peralta to the Rescue Again
Wandy Peralta — the hero of the previous night’s second game of the doubleheader — came in to get the last 2 outs of the 6th, stranding the runner at 2nd, and pitch a 1-2-3 7th inning.
4. Giancarlo Insurance
But Zack Britton allowed a 2-out RBI single in the 8th to narrow the Yank lead to 6-4 before striking out Josh Donaldson — the tying run at the plate — to end the 8th.
The romp had turned into a close game. The Yanks needed an insurance run and Giancarlo Stanton provided it with 2 out in the bottom of the 8th — a rocket to left for a 7-4 Yankee lead.
20th for Big G 💪 pic.twitter.com/OvcpYAFpAt
— New York Yankees (@Yankees) August 20, 2021
5. Green the Save
Chad Green gave up a 1-out homer to Miguel Sano in the 9th, but then struck out the last 2 batters for the save. It’s never easy, but this one was just a little bit of agita. Then jubulation.
The Boxscore
https://www.espn.com/mlb/boxscore/_/gameId/401228877
Be the first to comment