Yanks PULVERIZE Chicago Cubs 18-4 (aka The Matt Carpenter Game)

June 12, 2022 paperbacklou 2022 0

The Yankees absolutely pulverized the Chicago Cubs 18-4 on a beautiful, 75-degree Sunday afternoon at Yankee Stadium.

New York scored 5 in the bottom of the 1st, and led 10-1 after 3 innings. The Yanks cruised from there — leading 12-4 in the 7th when the Gentleman’s Agreement was put into effect: no stealing or bunting with the big lead. Instead the Yanks just bashed away, piling on 5 more runs in the 8th until Chicago put in the 1st baseman to pitch.

The 18-4 win follows yesterday’s 8-0 win. The Yanks swept the 3-game series. It was NY’s fourth win in a row; they’ve won 10 of their last 11; and are now 44-16 .733 — 8.5 ahead of Toronto and 9 ahead of Tampa.

1. Teams Fear Yanks Like Tyson in His Prime

Chicago’s ace starter Keegan Thompson entered the game with a 6-1 3.17 record. He was staked to a 1-0 lead as the Cubs scored a run in the top of the first on an Ian Happ homer off Jameson Taillon.

But Keegan Thompson seemed afraid to pitch to the Yankee batters — throwing balls and falling behind. Aaron Judge led off the 1st with a single, and after an out, Thompson walked Giancarlo Stanton. He walked Matt Carpenter too, and then he walked DJ LeMahieu for a run.

Isiah Kiner-Falefa doubled in 2 runs, and Marwin Gonzalez popped the ball up in front of home plate — but Chicago 3rd baseman Patrick Wisdom called everyone off and then dropped the ball.

Joey Gallo doubled in 2 more and it was 5-1 — and the end of Keegan Thompson who was yanked from the game, replaced by Daniel Norris. And just the beginning for NY.

When the Yankees acquired reigning NL MVP Giancarlo Stanton in 2018, adding him to a tough lineup that already included AL MVP* Aaron Judge, the baseball world thought the Yanks would be impossible to pitch to. Then came 4 years of injuries to either player, and COVID. Now that time has finally arrived — Judge and Stanton both at the top of their game. And the Yankee lineup is evoking such fear that pitchers are starting to look afraid to pitch to them.

In the 2nd, Daniel Norris was now pitching — and he walked Giancarlo Stanton and DJ LeMahieu back to back as Keegan Thompson had done in the 1st.

Matt Carpenter was next — 3 run Bomb to right. 8-1 New York.

Kyle Higashioka led off the 3rd with a homer off Norris. Joey Gallo walked Giancarlo Stanton Ripped a double to deep center for an RBI and it was 10-1.

2. Taillon “Just” Gets the Win

Jameson Taillon ‘barely’ got the win in this one — staked to the big lead he was hurt by Ian Happ — who hit a homer in the 1st and a triple in the 4th — coming around to score.

Taillon allowed a triple to Nico Hoerner to lead off the 5th, who scored on an error by Rizzo to make it 10-3. Taillon struck out the next two batters but then allowed a single and a walk — and was in the 90’s in pitches and seemingly tiring.

With bases loaded, 2 outs and a 10-3 score he was probably a batter away from being lifted and not getting the win.

But Taillon got 1st baseman Frank Schwindel to fly out to end it. Taillon finished with 5 innings, 7 hits, 3 runs, 5 K’s, 1 BB; he gets the win to go to 7-1 2.93.

3. The Carpenter Story

Matt Carpenter hit his 2nd homer of the game in the 6th — a 2-run bomb to make it 12-3 — and he became the story of the game. He has now had 7 hits this season — since joining the Yankees two weeks ago — 6 of them homers.

In the game he went 3-4 with a walk, 2 homers and 7 RBI’s. He also made a terrific play in the field at 3rd base.

“I’ve played the game long enough to know what it feels like when I’m right,” said Carpenter afterwards. “And this is certainly that. It kind of got away from me the last several years, just didn’t really have it. I was able to put in a lot of good work, and have a lot of people help me kind of get it back — so it’s pretty rewarding to be able to do it in NYC for the best team in baseball — who had the faith to sign me — it means a lot, and I’m really enjoying it.”

4. Gentleman’s Agreement

The Yankees loaded the bases in the bottom of the 7th, up 12-4 at the time and 1 out when John Sterling on the radio proclaimed that “The gentleman’s agreement is in effect. You don’t bunt, steal..” and just as he finished that line, “Line drive .. Base Hit to centerfield by Rizzo and the Yankees take a 13-4 lead.”

Minutes later Giancarlo Stanton knocked a 2-RBI single through the infield into right center to make it 15-4.

And minutes after that Kiner- Falefa ripped another 2-RBI single to make it 17-4.

“You talk about the gentleman’s agreement,” said Suzyn Waldman to John Sterling and the world in general on the radio. “But you can’t stop hitters from hitting.”

4. Higgy’s 2nd Homer

Chicago brought in 1st baseman Frank Schwindel to pitch the 8th. He threw an eephus pitch to Kyle Higashioka who hit it for a homer to left, his 2nd of the game.

5. Banuelos 3 Shutout Innings

Miguel Castro pitched a shutout 6th, and Manny Banuelos pitched 3 innings of 1-run ball to wrap it up for the old ballgame.

The Boxscore

https://www.espn.com/mlb/boxscore/_/gameId/401355132

 

Be the first to comment

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published.


*