“Aroldis Chapman with the Bases Loaded.” A Movie. Orioles 2 Yankees 1 in 11 innings

This game played out like a movie.

Aroldis Chapman with the Bases Loaded”.

The night after Aroldis Chapman walked the bases loaded with nobody out in the 9th and was pulled by Aaron Boone, the Yankees found themselves in another bases-loaded, game-on-the-line situation in the bottom of the 11th with only 1 out. So manager Aaron Boone brought in — Aroldis Chapman.

Like a Tarantino movie.

And Chappy struck out the first batter, Cedric Mullins, on 4 pitches, and went 0-2 on the next batter, Ramon Urias! It looked like the gamble was going to work! But then Chappy “just missed” a strike — didn’t get the call on a 99-MPH heater just inside although Chappy thought it was a strike. He then “just missed” another 3rd strike on a 96-MPH heater just outside. Then a sinker low. 3-2 count.

All the while, Chappy couldn’t understand catcher Jose Trevino‘s calls for the next pitch. With Camden Yards as LOUD as you’ve ever heard it — amazingly mostly Oriole fans although it must have been mixed with Yankee fans — Chappy was on the mound with hands cupped over his ears trying to communicate with Trevino.

“You would think Trevino would just go to the mound and tell him what to throw,” said Suzyn Waldman on the radio. John Sterling agreed, “Yes just say one word — fastball, slider, or change up. Those are the only 3 pitches he throws.”

Tension mounted. 3-2 pitch. Bases loaded. 2 out. 1-1 tie. Camden LOUD. Chappy with his hands cupped over his ears trying to communicate with Trevino. Finally Trevino went out to the mound.

Trevino back to the plate. The 3-2 pitch..

Ball 4 high. Ballgame.

1. “Aaron  Hicks with the Bases Loaded”

And all of that the sequel to the movie “Aaron Hicks with the Bases Loaded” which was a much discussed controversial favorite of Yankee Twitter the previous 5 innings.

The Yankees had one stinking run — and only 2 hits from the 5th inning on — and the fickle finger of blame pointed at Aaron Hicks, who had come up in the top of the 6th with bases loaded, 1 out and Yanks up 1-0 — received 3 straight balls to make the count go 3-0, took a strike and then proceeded to hit a ground ball double play to 2nd base.

Hicks has been one of the few Yankees hitting the ball well in the early season, some Yank fans pointed out on Twitter.

2. “The Full Monty”

Jordan Montgomery starred in the upteenth sequel to “The Full Monty” where he pitches a great game for 5 innings (shutout ball), gets hardly any run support, and doesn’t get the win. In this one he left with a 1-0 lead.

Monty pitched 5 shutout innings, allowed 3 hits and — thankfully — struck out only 2. Thankfully because instead of the usual ton of strikeouts, Monty was getting tons of ground ball outs, reducing his pitch count — which has been the issue with his career so far; why he can’t go deep into games.

In this one he had 21 pitches thru 2 innings, and was in the 40’s through 4 innings, averaging 12 pitches an inning.

And Monty has a great defensive infield behind him this year. They helped out, like this play by DJ LeMahieu in the 2nd, saving a run and ending the inning instead.

Or this play in the bottom of the 3rd by DJ:

Monty teetered in the 5th: up 1-0 he got the 1st out but allowed a single and then walked Robinson Chirinos. He then struck out Mullins but went 3-1 to Urias — a pitch away from loading the bases and probably being pulled from the game and the chance at the win.

But he got Urias to ground to 3rd to end the threat.

3. “Wandy”

Wandy Peralta pitched a 1-2-3 6th and it was looking good for Monty — NY up 1-0 still. But then Boone brought in Wandy for another inning — and he immediately allowed a leadoff double to Austin Hays. Boone kept him in. A passed ball by Kyle Higashioka allowed Hays to go to 3rd with nobody out. Boone kept Wandy in. Former Yank Jorge Mateo singled in the tying run. Still Wandy was left in. He walked Chirinos and finally Boone pulled him.

4. “The Judge”

In the other theater there was a knock knock joke going on.

“Knock Knock”

“Who’s Not There?”

Aaron Judge

Aaron Judge who?”

Aaron Judge who hits lights out in Camden Yards, just hit his first homer of the year the other night, Ripped a double off the centerfield wall his last time up Thursday night, and is just getting HOT at the plate.”

Boone did not start Judge — resting him for rest purposes. Judge pinch hit in the 10th and hit a grounder to 3rd. They could have used him for 5 at bats in Camden Yards.

5. The Pride of the Yankees: Their Run

Jordan Lyles pitched into the 6th for Baltimore, allowing the 1 run on 6 hits, allowing the run on a Giancarlo Stanton one-out, RBI single in the 3rd, scoring Higgy who had led off with a double. Stanton went 3 for 5. The Baltimore bullpen was filthy — 5.2 innings, 1 hit allowed. Former Yank Dillon Tate pitched 1.2 innings of shutout ball to start it.

The Boxscore

https://www.espn.com/mlb/boxscore/_/gameId/401354353

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