“ARROYO CAN’T SEE IT !” Yanks Clobber Red Sox 12-5 at Fenway

July 9, 2022 paperbacklou 2022 0

Yankee bombers battered the Red Sox for 14 hits in the 12-5 route on a Friday night at Fenway.

Before the night was out, the game would yield a meme for years to come as Red Sox right fielder Christian Arroyo lost the ball in the lights resulting in a Joey Gallo near inside-the-park homerun.

It wasn’t a perfect evening — Nestor Cortes Jr got ripped and couldn’t get out of the 4th, and Aaron Judge went 0-5. But other than that it was another rip roaring evening for NY, and a second straight win in the 4-game series in Boston.

The Yanks go to 61-23 .726 — 15.5 ahead of Tampa, 16 ahead of Boston, and 16.5 ahead of Toronto — all of whom are well over .500.

1. Donaldson Bombs Early

The game had just begun when leadoff batter DJ LeMahieu singled, Matt Carpenter got hit by a pitch with 1 out, and Gleyber Torres singled in a run off rookie starter Connor Seabold for a 1-0 Yankee lead.

And then Josh Donaldson made it 4-0 by lofting a pitch over the Green Monster in left for a 4-0 lead. Donaldson who had hit a Grand Slam the night before at Fenway as the big hit of the game. Donaldson who has been drawing fire from Yankee Twitter lately for not hitting well. Donaldson who is now On Fire.

Aaron Hicks — who has also been Ripped by Yankee Twitter this season — and who has also been On Fire of late — Ripped a double off the right-field wall as the next batter, but NY couldn’t get him home.

2. Refsnyder Lights Boston’s Fire

But Nestor Cortes Jr gave half the lead right back in the bottom of the 1st. Rob Refsnyder — who has recently found a home in Boston as their leadoff batter — singled to start it off. Refsnyder would go 4 for 5 on the evening.

Cortes allowed a 1-out hit to JD Martinez, but got a 2nd out and was looking to get out of the inning when clutch-hitting catcher Christian Vazquez ripped a 2-out single for a 4-2 game.

3. “ARROYO CAN’T SEE IT !!”

But the Yanks punched right back. A Matt Carpenter RBI double in the top of the 2nd put NY up 5-2.

Then in the top of the 3rd came the highlight of the game — and meme of the upcoming decade — when Aaron Hicks (that name again) led off with a walk, Jose Trevino doubled, and after a Marwin Gonzalez pop out, Joey Gallo stepped up and lofted a high fly to right.

The Lead Up to the Story

Earlier this season, the Red Sox had Enrique Hernandez in centerfield — and he is one of the best defensive outfielders in the game (and robbed the Yanks of a homer in a game earlier this year with a leap over the fence). The Red Sox had Jackie Bradley Jr. — normally their Centerfielder and another exceptional defender — in right. But the two of them barely hit the ball — giving the Red Sox one of the weakest hitting outfields in the team’s history — which we’ve noted. For the last month Hernandez has been out injured so Bradley Jr was moved back to Centerfield, but recently replaced by Refsnyder to inject offense into the lineup, and Christian Arroyo (who also provides a little more offense) has been in right.

Arroyo Never Saw It

Well Arroyo never saw the ball — and let everyone in the ballpark and everyone watching on Amazon Prime know it — looking to the sky and waving his arms frantically.

On Amazon Prime (broadcasting the game) Ryan Ruocco was calling “Gallo lifts that in the air to right field… Arroyo… can’t see it. ARROYO CAN”T SEE IT!!!!!”

The ball landed 30 feet behind Arroyo.

Gallo’s Try for Inside-the-Park Homer

Joey Gallo — who is fast — meanwhile was sprinting around the bases. Two runs scored and here came Gallo for a 3rd run — sprinting around 3rd and never looking at the 3rd base coach. He was out at home but it was a fun try.

Yankees 7 Boston 2

It was fun, and funny, and 7-2 NY, and your next thought was, what was Jarred Carabis thinking?

4. Carpenter Bomb

Matt Carpenter — who has a beautiful, compact homerun swing that reminds some Yankee fans of Don Mattingly (plus the mustache) hit a 411-foot bomb to right to lead off the 4th and it was 9-2 NY.

5. Nestor Couldn’t Get Out of 4th

But then came some of that bad news — Nestor Cortes Jr — staked to a 9-2 lead — couldn’t make it out of the 4th.

Trevor Story led off with a homer. With one out, Bobby Dalbec hit a BOMB. Then Rob Refsnyder doubled.

Cortez struck out Rafael Devers but then walked JD Martinez and was gone. After 73 pitches.

“I was trying to adjust to the velo spike a little bit, more consistently,” said Cortes afterwards. “Just trying to get to areas where I know I’m comfortable with, and controlling the zone and controlling the game. A couple of pitches got away from me today, so basically that’s what happened there.”

6. Castro Heroics

Miguel Castro came in and walked a batter to load the bases. All of a sudden it was a ballgame again — 9-4 NY, with bases loaded and the very clutch Christian Vazquez up again. The count went 3-2.

Castro struck Vazquez out on an 85-MPH slider. HUGE.

7. Luetge Heroics

Albert Abreu pitched the 6th with a 9-4 lead and got in trouble. A leadoff single by guess who Rob Refsnyder, was followed by a strikeout, single, groundout, single and it was 9-5 with 2 out and 2 on.

Lucas Luetge came in and walked the first batter he faced — loading the bases with 2 out. Here we were again. 9-5 game and a hit would make it a ballgame again — with Trevor Story stepping up.

But Luetge got Story to hit a high pop up behind 2nd on a 2-1 pitch and Gleyber Torres was there for the catch. A HUGE out.

Luetge proceeded to pitch a 1-2-3 inning in the 7th and 8th, and retire the Red Sox 1-2-3 in the 9th after a leadoff single. He struck out the last two batters for the old ballgame.

8. Small-Ball Insurance Runs

The Yankees tacked on insurance runs in the late innings to up the score.

Aaron Hicks (that name again) led off the 7th with a single, moved to 2nd on a ground out, stole 3rd, and scored on a Marwin Gonzalez sacrifice bunt! NY 10-5. A huge insurance run at the time.

In the 8th, Gleyber Torres doubled in a run. NY 11 Boston 5.

Centerfielder/Rightfielder Jackie Bradley Jr.  (see above) came off the bench to pitch the 9th. He threw the ball pretty well, but allowed a single, walk, popout, strikeout (of LeMahieu!), walk (to Aaron Judge), and then walk to Isiah Kiner-Falefa with the bases loaded to make it 12-5 — before getting Torres on a groundout.

Etcetera

  • LeMahieu went 2 for 5 and continues to get clutch 2-out hits and play spectacular defensive at all positions he’s put at (2nd, 1st, and 3rd).
  • Matt Carpenter went 3 for 4 with 2 RBI’s and the Homer. He is at .305 (.406 OBP).
  • Gleyber Torres went 3-5 with 2 RBI’s and is at .269 (.326 OBP)
  • Aaron Hicks went 2-3 and is at .240 (.357 OBP)
  • Josh Donaldson went 1-4 with the HR and 3 RBI’s and is at .231 (.318 OBP).
  • Judge went 0-5 and is at .282 (.363 OBP).
  • Before the game, it was announced that the fans had voted in Giancarlo Stanton to the All Star game as a starter, joining teammate Aaron Judge. Giancarlo was appreciative. “It’s amazing,” he said after the game. “Thank you to the fans. Really cool to be able to go to where I grew up and be in the All Star game.”

The Boxscore

https://www.espn.com/mlb/boxscore/_/gameId/401355482

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