9th Straight Loss. Rortvedt HR & Outfield D Not Enough. Washington 2 NY 1

August 23, 2023 paperbacklou 2023 0
Ben Rortvedt hits game-tying homer in 3rd.

This game may forever be remembered as that game where the Yankee outfield made 3 (three) spectacular throw-em-out-at-2nd plays — two in the 4th inning and one in the 5th.

Despite that kind of defense behind starter Carlos Rodon, the Yankees lost their 9th straight game.

Ben Rortvedt — who has been maligned by many Yankee fans on Twitter who wanted him DFA’d for not hitting — got the only 2 Yankee hits, a Homer and a single.

The game turned in the top of the 8th, when John Sterling was waxing praise on the Yankee bullpen and just as he was saying it, Tommy Kahnle allowed a solo homer to right to break a 1-1 tie, and give Washington the ballgame.

It was also the game where Everson Pereira and Oswald Peraza were both promoted and plunked in as starters — the Yankee management succombing to a groundswell of Yankee fan conniptions to “play the kids” who have been ripping up AAA.

Ironically, the game came down to Pereira and Peraza coming up in the 9th with a runner on 1st and 1 out — giving the Yankees their last cracks at tying the game. Pereira lined out to center, and Peraza hit a hard grounder to 3rd for the ballgame. AAA ain’t the majors son.

“It’s definitely unsettling,” said Rodon afterwards. “It’s not where we want to be. We got to put our nose in the ground and go. I’m not giving up; I don’t feel like any of my guys are giving up.”

The Yanks haven’t lost 9 in a row since 1982. It was pointed out on Twitter that none of the current Yankee players were alive then.

NY falls to 60-65, a whole bunch of games behind everybody. Someone tweeted they were 10 behind the Wild Card now. Washington improves to 58-68, having an actually worse season than NY.

1. Rodon Better with Help from Defense

Carlos Rodon started and pitched better — he got credit for 6 innings and only 1 run allowed. But he got a LOT of help from his outfield defense, which threw out 3 batters at 2nd. Who knows how well he would have done had he not been bailed out like that.

Rodon escaped the 1st — after a 1-out double and hit by pitch, he got a double play to end the inning.

He allowed a 2-out single in the 2nd, and then in the 3rd, a solo homer to Carter Kieboom for a 1-0 Washington lead.

In the 4th, more trouble: a leadoff single by Keibert Ruiz to right field — but Aaron Judge guns him down at 2nd trying to leg it into a double — with a great tag by Anthony Volpe.

Catcher’s interference put a runner on 1st, and Ildemaro Vargas singled to left — but Everson Periera threw in to Anthony Volpe who made a Great relay throw to gun him down trying to leg it into a double too! Jeter-esque. Same inning!

Top of the 5th — essentially the next batter for Washington — Alex Call hits a line drive to center that Harrison Bader makes a dive for — almost catches but doesn’t — but Bader throws Call out trying to leg it into a double!

All 3 Yankee outfielders with an assist!

In the 6th — Rodon got help from his infield defense: Gleyber Torres with an amazing play on the shortstop side of 2nd base.

 

“Defensively the boys picked me up,” said Rodon afterwards. “Makes it a lot easier to pitch when the boys are catching it and throwing guys out.”

Rodon finished with a good line: 6 innings, 6 hits, 1 run, 1 strikeout, 0 walks. He lowers his ERA to 6.27 from 7.33.

2. Rortvedt Homer Ties It 1-1

Ben Rortvedt — who as mentioned above has been RIPPED by many Yankee fans on Twitter demanding he be DFA’d for not hitting — hita 364-foot bomb to right center off Washington starter Josaiah Gray to lead off the bottom of the 4th — tie game 1-1.

3. Sterling Jinxes Yankee Bullpen

Jonathan Loaisiga pitched the 7th — another 1-2-3 inning for him — he has looked great since returning.

So we went to the 8th tied 1-1, the Yankees with 2 hits (the other one a single by Ben Rortvedt with 2 outs in the 7th).Tommy Kahnle got the first 2 outs and John Sterling was waxing praise on the Yankee bullpen — saying how they’re not always perfect; they’ve blown a few games — but for the most part have been amazing — and just as he was saying all that CJ Abrams hit a homer that hit off the facade in right. Sterling thought it looked like it hit the foul pole but it didn’t.

Washington 2 NY 1 and 9 straight losses staring the Yankees in the eye.

4. Pereira & Peraza End It

The Yanks went out 1-2-3 in the 8th against Hunter Harvey, who struck out 2, but in the 9th, Harrison Bader walked with 1 out against Kyle Finnegan.

Up next: Pereira and Peraza.

Pereria lined out to center, and Peraza hit a hard grounder to 3rd, fielded for the old ballgame.

That’s baseball Suzyn.

The Boxscore

https://www.espn.com/mlb/boxscore/_/gameId/401472909

 

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