Bauers’ Blunder Blows Bader’s Big Blast. Tampa 5 NY 4

May 6, 2023 paperbacklou 2023 0

The Yanks were down 4-0 in the 6th and looking DEAD when they finally got to Tampa starter Yonny Chirinos — an RBI double by Gleyber Torres and walk by DJ LeMahieu sent him to the showers for reliever Garrett Cleavinger.

Harrison Bader met him with a HUGE 3-run Homer to tie the game!

But the HR was wasted when Jake Bauers misplayed a fly ball in left to allow Tampa a go-ahead run in the bottom of the 7th inning.

The Yankees rallied in the 8th — putting runners on 2nd and 3rd with only 1 out. Bader stepped up with a chance to be the hero again — but popped up to shortstop. Jake Bauers was due up next — but manager Aaron Boone did not allow Bauers a chance at redemption — going by the book to pinch hit for the lefty swinging Bauers against lefty reliever Colin Poche, lifting him for Isiah Kiner-Falefa, who struck out.

By-the-Book Boone Benched Bauers’ Redemption Bid.

Anthony Volpe got on in the 9th with 2 outs, but before he had a chance to steal second Anthony Rizzo lined out for the old ballgame.

“Battled,” said manager Aaron Boone afterwards about the way the Yankees played. “I like the way we’re competing. We’re fighting right now. Obviously it’s not easy for us right now. I thought a lot of good things happened within. We made a couple of mistakes on plays maybe we could have made that — against the way they’re playing right now you have to make all of those. But I like the way we’re competing. It doesn’t get any easier and it doesn’t wait for us. We have to buckle up and go after it tomorrow.”

NY falls to 17-16; Tampa improves to 27-6. And Carlos Rodon is not walking through that door anytime soon.

1. Brito Not So Good

Jhony Brito started for the Yanks, and allowed 4 runs on 6 hits in 4 innings — leaving down 4-0.

Randy Arozarena hit a solo HR off Brito in the 1st. The Rays got a run in the 2nd after a leadoff walk then single; and Yandy Diaz led off the 3rd with a HR.

Brito then allowed a double to Wander Franco and hit Arozarena with a pitch — which caused some stir. A groundout by Harold Ramirez scored another run to make it 4-0.

2. Hitting Arozarena

Albert Abreu came in to pitch the 5th — and hit Arozarena also — the 2nd time a Yankee pitcher hit Arozarena after his 1st inning Homer.

Tempers flared and the umps issued warnings. There were no further knockdowns but expect a retaliatory one by Tampa in the next 2 games.

3. Chirinos Great

Meanwhile Yonny Chirinos looked Great on the mound — getting ground out after ground out with his sinker/slider/splitter mix.

Chirinos came in with a 1-0 0.64 record — the 29-yr-old, 6’2 righty is now fully back from Tommy John surgery that he has been recovering from the last 3 years. Chirinos was a pretty good pitcher back in 2018-19 — going 9-5 3.85 in 2019.

Chirinos had a 1-hit shutout going through 5 innings until NY got to him in the 6th.

4. Bader’s Bomb

The Yanks — completely dead in the water and down 4-0 in the top of the 6th — finally got to Chirinos. Anthony Volpe lined out to right to start the inning, but then Anthony Rizzo singled and Gleyber Torres doubled him home.

DJ LeMahieu walked and Chirinos was gone; replaced by Clevinger. Up stepped Harrison Bader and John Sterling on the radio was saying what the Yanks really needed was a 3-run homer. And then BAM — Bader hit a homerun to left center! Tie Game!

5. Bauers’ Blunder

But the tie was short lived — Jimmy Cordero pitched the bottom of the 7th and walked Jose Siri to start off the inning. Siri went to 2nd on a groundout, and Wander Franco hit a fly to left that was extremely catchable — but Bauers misjudged — got a glove on — but dropped. He picked it up and threw in, and a terrific relay by Volpe appeared to nail Siri at the plate for an out!

Bader was seen congratulating Bauers in center. But Tampa challenged the play and it was ruled that catcher Jose Trevino missed the tag.

6. By-the-Book Boone Bans Bauers’ Redemption Bid

With 1 out in the top of the 8th — DJ LeMahieu walked and pinch hitter Kyle Higashioka doubled down 3rd, putting runners on 2nd and 3rd with only 1 out.

But as mentioned above, Bader popped up to shortstop and Jake Bauers was pinch hit for due to lefty reliever Colin Poche. Isiah Kiner-Falefa struck out on a 3-2 pitch.

7. Last Chance

Jason Adam pitched the 9th and with 2 outs, Anthony Volpe singled, but before he could steal 2nd, Anthony Rizzo got a first-pitch 89-MPH change-up that he ripped to centerfield for a lineout, and the old ballgame.

Volpe went 2-5 on the day, raising his average back up to .229.

The Boxscore

https://www.espn.com/mlb/boxscore/_/gameId/401471503

 

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