Giolito & Zavala Smoke Yanks. ChiSox 3 NY 2

June 7, 2023 paperbacklou 2023 0
Isiah Kiner-Falefa breaks up no-hitter in the 7th on a fly to right that the White Sox outfielders mistakenly let drop.

Lucas Giolito threw a no-hit shutout through 6 innings, and the Yanks were not able to scrap up enough runs against the White Sox bullpen, in losing 3-2 on a Tuesday night at a very smoky Yankee Stadium.

Backup catcher Seby Zavala hit 2 homeruns to account for all the ChiSox runs. Clarke Schmidt allowed those homers, but even so pitched a quality start: 6 innings, 6 hits, 3 runs.

The Yanks got a run in the 7th, and a homer in the 9th by Josh Donaldson to draw within 3-2, to no avail.

The game was highlighted by intense, immense smoke in the air brought down to the NYC area from massive wildfires in Canada. It was also the anniversary of D-Day, and it was Yogi Berra night — as Yogi was part of the D-Day Landing.

“He executed a lot of pitches,” said Josh Donaldson about Giolito .”His command was really good today. He made some good pitches on big counts.”

NY falls to 36-26, now 7.5 behind Tampa and 2 behind Baltimore; Chicago improves to 27-35.

1. The Smoke

The story from the outset of this game was the smoke. It filled the air all over the NYC metropolitan area in the hours before the game and was nauseating to many, also irritating throats. Some thought the game wouldn’t be played; the Yanks Somerset Patriots team in New Jersey cancelled its game. Yankee Stadium and the whole NYC area looked and felt like a scene out of the apocalypse.

Photo below by Mario Gomez.

Yankee Stadium smoke — photo by Mario Gomez.

Yankee Stadium fans would spend the evening breathing in the smoke.

2. Schmidt Good

Clarke Schmidt took to the mound for the Yanks, coming off his best start of the season, and a series of starts in which he’s been pitching better and better — less mistakes.

He pitched well in this one, sans the 2 homeruns given up to Zavala. The first was a solo homer in the 3rd just 320 feet down the line in right.

It was a 1-0 pitchers’ duel in the 5th when Schmidt got some help on defense with a spectacular play by Josh Donaldson at 3rd.

But with 2 outs in that 5th, Schmidt allowed a single to Romy Gonzalez, and Zavala hit a 435-foot bomb to left for a 3-0 game.

Zavala is the White Sox backup catcher behind Yasmani Grandal. Zavala has some power — 11 homers in 374 MLB at bats now in his 3rd season at the age of 29. His road to the big leagues has been one of grind and determination — he was not recruited out of high school but was determined to learn how to hit and make the big leagues — so went to San Diego State to learn from Tony Gwynn, whom he credits as his mentor. Zavala has a tattoo in honor of Gwynn.

“First AB was kind of a unique one with the HR,” said Schmidt afterwards. “But give him credit he put a good swing on a good pitch. The second was a mistake pitch — shouldn’t have gone in with the heater — felt we went to the well too much away and made a mistake pitch and he put a good swing on it.”

Otherwise, Schmidt was happy with the quality start.

“Really happy with it,” said Schmidt about the start afterwards. “Quality start. That’s obviously very encouraging — able to go deeper in games, throwing a lot of strikes. My pitch count was still in tact. I think we’re just getting better every time out there. Other than the 9-hole hitter I’m happy with the results.”

It was Schmidt’s 2nd quality start of the season, having gone 6 innings with 2 runs allowed against Oakland on May 9th. A Quality Start is considered 6 or more innings, 3 or less earned runs allowed.

3. Giolito Great

Meanwhile Lucas Giolito had his game on. He shut the Yanks out on a no hitter through 6 innings. He used primarily an 87-MPH slider with 95-MPH four-seam fastball and an 81-MPH changeup to fool the Yanks.

The Yanks got two runners on against Giolito in the 1st inning on two 2-out walks — to Anthony Rizzo and Josh Donaldson — but after that Giolito cruised, getting lots of groundouts and 7 strikeouts.

The Yankees did run his pitch count up, and he was removed after 6 innings at 100 pitches — still with the no hitter going. Welcome to modern baseball.

4. Kiner-Falefa Breaks Up No Hitter with ChiSox Help

Just like the previous game, where the Yanks were shutout through 6 against the Dodgers’ phenom Bobby Miller, then pounced on the bullpen — the Yanks jumped on ChiSox reliever and former Red Sox pitcher Joe Kelly — whose favorite baseball player is Derek Jeter.

Kelly struck out the first two Yankees he faced, but then walked Willie Calhoun and Isiah Kiner-Falefa hit a drive to left that should have been caught — but the White Sox outfielders Luis Robert Jr.(from center) and Andrew Benintendi (from left) converged and let the ball drop. It was ruled a double, breaking up the no-hitter. It was Robert Jr’s ball. ChiSox 3 NY 1.

Jose Trevino followed with a single but Kiner-Falefa was held at 3rd and good thing because Gavin Sheets threw a bullet home. Jake Bauers then grounded out to end the threat.

5. Kahnle, Cordero, Abreu Terrific

The Yankee bullpen kept the White Sox down with 3 shutout innings — one each by Tommy Kahnle, Jimmy Cordero, and Albert Abreu.

6. Donaldson HR in 9th

Josh Donaldson gave the Yanks hope with a leadoff homer in the 9th off Liam Hendricks.

But Hendricks then got 3 straight ground outs for the old ballgame.

Etcetera

Some were suspicious about Judge’s claim:

The Boxscore

https://www.espn.com/mlb/boxscore/_/gameId/401471924

 

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