Josh Donaldson hit a fly ball to the wall in left, allowing inherited runner Aaron Judge to cruise home for the walk-off win in the bottom of the 10th. It gained the Yanks their 6th win in a row and a 3-game sweep of the Tigers, on a Beautiful, blue-sky, sunny Sunday June afternoon in the Bronx.
The game started at 11:30 AM due to an exclusive arrangement to be broadcast on NBC’s Peacock service — and no other game in baseball could start until 1:30 pm. The game ended just after 3 pm.
“I was just trying to do my job, get a ball in the air,” said Josh Donaldson afterwards. “We have a great bullpen, so they’re always giving us a chance. Rizzo did a great job in the 8th inning, stealing a bag and was able to get to 3rd base. Gallo had a big 2-run homer to get us back in it. It’s what we’ve been doing all year — everyone plays a part in getting us these wins.”
The game went back and forth all afternoon — Detroit up by 2, Yanks tied it, Yanks up by 1, Detroit tied it and went ahead, Yanks tied it in the 8th — then to extras.
Toronto and Tampa both lost, so the Yanks with their giddy 39-15 .722 record move to 7.5 games over Toronto and 8 games ahead of Tampa.
1. Monty Pitching — Little Run Support
Jordan Montgomery started and yet again the Yanks did not get him runs early. Monty escaped a 2nd and 3rd, 2 outs situation in the 2nd inning and had a shutout going through 3 innings, but the score was 0-0.
But in the 4th he walked Miguel Cabrera with one out, and shortstop Javier Baez doubled him home — Carbrera chugging all the way around the base paths to score. With 2 outs, rightfielder Daz Cameron singled up the middle — ricocheting off the mound and off Gleyber Torres glove up the middle for another run for a 2-0 Detroit lead.
2. Gallo Huge Homer!
Detroit starter Rony Garcia was shutting out the Yanks when Isiah Kiner-Falefa reached him for a 1-out single in the bottom of the 5th. But Falefa was thrown out attempting to steal 2nd with 2 outs to end the inning.
But the Yankees challenged the call and it was overturned — allowing the inning to resume. And so Joey Gallo stepped back up to the plate — and hit a HUGE 383-foot homer to right for a 2-2 tie!
Tie Game courtesy of Gallo 💪 pic.twitter.com/RWnQ2LdD10
— New York Yankees (@Yankees) June 5, 2022
3. Monty Pitches into 7th
Jordan Montgomery had new life on a possible win — but he was at 80 pitches entering the 6th inning. He allowed a one-out single by Cabrera but then got a big double play to end the inning having only thrown 7 pitches. It was on to the 7th with Monty at 87 pitches.
In the top of the 7th, Monty struck out 3rd baseman Harold Castro on 3 pitches, but Aaron Boone yanked him at 90 pitches. And there went his win, leaving with the 1-1 tie.
Monty with 6.1 innings, 5 hits, 2 runs, 5 K’s, and 1 walk had a “Good Start” — better than a “Quality Start” which is 5 innings 3 runs or better. He goes to 1-1 3.02 — lowering his ERA from 3.04 to the 3.02.
“Monty set the table early on,’ said Donaldson later. “Did a great job for us and then the boys kept battling all day long.”
Clarke Schmidt got the last 2 outs of the 7th and then the Yanks immediately put a run on the board in the bottom of the 7th as Monty probably looked on in disbelief from the dugout.
3. Detroit’s Poor Defense Aids Yanks
Detroit played poor defense all series and in the 7th it gave the Yanks a run. Gleyber Torres led off with a single off reliever Art Lange, and with 1 out, Kiner-Falefa hit a grounder that should have been an easy out — but Gleyber was running on the play and that seemed to confuse shortstop Baez, who thought about throwing to 2nd but then threw to 1st and it was too late.
Lange then walked Matt Carpenter to load the bases with 1 out and send up Joey Gall0 — who struck out on 3 pitches.
But DJ LeMahieu got a 4-pitch walk and the Yankees and Clarke Schmidt were ahead 3-2!
4. Detroit Goes Ahead Late
But Schmidt allowed a double to lead off the 8th, and after getting a big fly out to keep the runner on 2nd was removed for Miguel Castro. Castro struck out Jonathan Schoop and with 2 outs, pitched to Miguel Cabrera after a brief strategy meeting on the mound with the pitching coach.
A mistake — Castro got ahead of Cabrera 0-2, but Cabrera fouled off a 1-2 pitch and then quick wristed a 98-MPH sinker for an RBI base hit to center and a 3-3 tie.
Javier Baez then singled just past LaMahieu to right and it was 4-3 Detroit — he was thrown out trying to leg it to 2nd to end the inning.
5. Rizzo Baserunning Manufactures a Run to Tie It
Anthony Rizzo put on a baseball clinic in the bottom of the 8th. With 2 strikes, he choked up on the bat to increase his chances of a hit as he normally does — but he was hit by a pitch to lead off the inning.
He then stole 2nd, and went to 3rd on an error by Jonathan Schoop. Rizzo scored on a 1-out grounder by Gleyber Torres up the 3rd base line and it was 4-4.
Rizzo's journey around the bases ties us up 🙌 pic.twitter.com/HzPOkuI8Na
— New York Yankees (@Yankees) June 5, 2022
6. King Strikes Out Side in 10th
Wandy Peralta pitched a 1-2-3 9th and manager Aaron Boone went to Michael King to pitch the 10th, with the inherited runner on 2nd to start the inning. King struck out the side.
7. Rizzo and Donaldson Win It
Anthony Rizzo led off the bottom of the 10th with a single off ace Detroit reliever Gregory Soto to move inherited runner Aaron Judge to 3rd with nobody out. The count went to 1-2 on Josh Donaldson, but he took a ball and then hit the Deep Fly Ball to left for a sac fly and the old ballgame.
A Walk-Off W to wrap up the homestand 👏 pic.twitter.com/meIFBRZiAp
— New York Yankees (@Yankees) June 5, 2022
“He’s one of the best left handed relievers in the game for sure,” said Donaldson about Soto. “99-101 MPH sinker with a nasty slider, and I was able to get a pitch and put it in play.”
The Boxscore
https://www.espn.com/mlb/boxscore/_/gameId/401355043
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