Old man Brett Gardner singled to centerfield with 2 outs in the bottom of the 11th, driving in Joey Gallo for the walkoff win over Seattle, 3-2, on a warm summer Friday evening in the Bronx.
The clutch win put the Yanks 11 games over .500 at 60-49 and pulled them to within 3 games of 2nd place Boston and 5.5 games behind 1st place Tampa.
1. Yankee Bullpen Heroic
The unsung heroes of this game were the Yankee bullpen. With so many starters out for the Yanks (with Gerrit Cole and Jordan Montgomery on the COVID IL, Domingo German out with shoulder soreness, Michael King on the 60-day IL, and Cory Kluber out for months after the no hitter) — manager Aaron Boone started Wandy Peralta of all people — and then went to his bullpen all night.
And that bullpen — pitched Great. Just look at the boxscore:
Peralta, Stephen Ridings, Joely Rodriguez (newly acquired), Chad Holmes, Jonathan Loaisiga, and Zach Britton combined to pitch 9 innings and allow only 1 run.
Jonathan Loaisiga! 💪
Watch on YES and Stream it LIVE with the YES app: https://t.co/0cgHA97Iau pic.twitter.com/jH3mLhjl70
— YES Network (@YESNetwork) August 7, 2021
2. Yanks Tie Game 1-1 in Bottom of 8th
The Yanks were up against Seattle starter Marco Gonzales, a 29-yr-old 6’2 lefty sinkerball pitcher who shutout the Yankees into the 7th on 3 hits. Gonzales used an 88-MPH sinker, 86-MPH cutter, and 77-MPH changeup to confound Yankee hitters all night.
Down 1-0 in the bottom of the 8th, Brett Gardner and DJ LeMahieu led off with walks against reliever Diego Castillo, and Anthony Rizzo was hit by a pitch to load the bases with nobody out.
Aaron Judge hit a sac fly to left to tie the game 1-1. Huge.
Aaron Judge drives in Brett Gardner to TIE the game with a sac fly! 💥
Watch on YES and Stream it LIVE with the YES app: https://t.co/0cgHA97Iau pic.twitter.com/8feRcMtiNy
— YES Network (@YESNetwork) August 7, 2021
Especially huge because Giancarlo Stanton then hit into a double play to end the inning.
3. Extra Innings
The Mariners scored a run in the top of the 10th to go ahead 2-1 — Crawford singling off Chad Green to plate the inherited runner (who starts the inning at 2nd).
But Giancarlo Stanton made up for his inning-ending double play in the 8th by singling home the tying run in the 10th — plating Brett Gardner for a 2-2 tie.
GIANCARLO STANTON TIES THE GAME! 🚨#YANKSonYES pic.twitter.com/SxR1J3qIAH
— YES Network (@YESNetwork) August 7, 2021
4. Abreu Hero; Gardner Walkoff
Albert Abreu was a big reason for the Yankee win — pitching shutout ball in the top of the 11th — not allowing the inherited runner at 2nd to score. Abreu got two easy fly balls to left that did not advance the runner, and a groundout to end the inning.
In the bottom of the 11th, Gleyber Torres popped out and Kyle Higashioka struck out, in between an intentional walk of Rougned Odor — which brought up Brett Gartner with 2 outs and that inherited runner at 2nd.
The count went 2-2 with 2 out before Keynan Middleton threw a 95-MPH four-seam fastball that Gartner slapped into centerfield for the old ballgame.
Gardyin’, Gardyin’, yeah. pic.twitter.com/bKmE4haDAt
— New York Yankees (@Yankees) August 7, 2021
John Sterling put an extra lilt into his call on the Gardner walkoff.
BALLGAME OVER! YANKEES WIN! pic.twitter.com/me5Ra5Sfwz
— John Sterling Calls (@JSterlingCalls) August 7, 2021
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