Gleyber & Cole Outpace the Phillies. NY 4 Philadelphia 2

April 6, 2023 paperbacklou 2023 0

We might want to douse those Trade-Gleyber-Torres rumors; and rethink those thoughts. Gleyber Torres — still only 26 — is playing like the Next Big Thing again; like an All Star 2nd baseman — which he kind of played like last year.

Gleyber is red red hot to start the year and in this game, went 3-4 with 2 RBI and a stolen base to provide a significant portion of the Yankee offense in the 4-2 win over the Phillies — at Yankee Stadium on a cold and foggy/misty Wednesday afternoon.

Another big part of the win was Gerrit Cole — who was absolutely masterful — pitching shutout ball into the 7th, striking out 8; leaving after 103 pitches.

Jose Trevino supplied a 2-run insurance homer, which the Yankees needed to help survive a sketchy relief appearance by Jonathan Loaisiga. And Clay Holmes threw filthy strikes in the 9th to retire the side in order, like old times.

“Feels good,” said Gleyber Torres. “I feel really comfortable every at bat. I feel like I have really good patience at the plate right now — not trying to do too much; just trying to hit the pitch that I can do damage. Just trying to get really good at bats every time I go to home plate.”

NY took the series, 2 games to 1, and are 4-2 on the year — in 2nd place behind 6-0 Tampa. Philly drops to 1-5.

1. Gleyber, Gleyber, and More Gleyber

Aaron Judge got on with a one-out single in the bottom of the 1st, and with 2 outs, stole 2nd. That set up Gleyber Torres, who fouled off a 2-2 pitch and then ripped a 78-MPH knuckle curve from Philly starter Aaron Nola into left for a 1-0 Yankee lead.

That’s where the score stood until the bottom of the 6th, when DJ LeMahieu led off with a double — but was still on 2nd when with 2 outs again, Gleyber fouled off two 0-2 pitches before ripping a 90-MPH sinker off Aaron Nola into center for a 2-0 Yankee lead.

In the 8th, with NY up 4-2 — Gleyber tried to do more — leading off with a double, and then within seconds stealing 3rd base. He was stranded there as Philly reliever Seranthony Domínguez got Isiah Kiner-Falefa to ground out to 2nd, Oswaldo Cabrera to pop out, and Franchy Cordero to ground out.

All told — a heck of a day from the 26-yr-old 2nd baseman who slashed near-All Star numbers last year (24-76-.257 (.310 OBP)) and played a Gold Glove-esq 2nd base (only 7 errors and a .985 fielding percentage).

2. Cole Absolutely Masterful

Meanwhile Gerrit Cole looked like a guy who had 2 Cy Young awards and was in his prime — pitching absolutely masterful ball into the 7th inning.

Cole doesn’t have any Cy Youngs — he’s finished a close 2nd in the voting twice, and some could argue he should’ve won the award in 2021, when he was the best pitcher all season and finished with the most wins, but Robbie Ray beat him out with a career year as Cole pitched through a bad hamstring in September.

In this game he was extremely healthy and extremely good — blowing through the Phillies lineup, striking out 8.

“He’s Gerrit Cole,” said manager Aaron Boone afterwards. “He comes in with a lot of equipment.”

Trevino said Cole’s fastball was his outstanding pitch — it was “really good”.

Cole was helped in the 4th when with 2 outs, Darick Hall hit a ball into the right-field corner, but Franchy Cordero made a terrific throw to 2nd to nail him.

Cole came out for the 7th with 90 pitches thrown — and struck out the first batter, then went 3-2 on Nick Castellanos. Cole shook off Trevino and the 2 couldn’t agree on a pitch as the pitch clock expired and Cole was called for a ball — resulting in a walk as it was ball 4. Cole cursed “God damned it” on the mound.

It was going to be Cole’s last batter either way due to his pitch count (103) — and so he was done for the afternoon.

3. Loaisiga Shaky

Jonathan Loaisiga came in to allow a single and hit by pitch to load the bases with 1 out. Former Yank Nick Cave hit a fly ball to the warning track in left for a run on the sac fly, before Loaisiga got the final out on a nice play by former Gold Glover Kiner-Falefa at 3rd, taking it to the base for the final out — PHEW.

Loaisiga allowed a solo homer in the 8th to Kyle Schwarber but by that time Jose Trevino had provided insurance with a 2-run homer in the bottom of the 7th — so the Schwarber homer made it 4-2 NY.

4. Trevino Insurance Bomb

Oswaldo Cabrera led off the 7th with a walk, sending Nola to the showers, and Jose Trevino followed with a 2-run bomb to left off reliever Gregory Soto. A HUGE insurance homer.

5. Holmes Filthy & Throws Strikes

Clay Holmes went 3-2 on Castellanos leading off the 9th and so Yank fans were thinking ‘here we go again’ with Holmes wildness — but Holmes struck out Castellanos looking on a 90-MPH sinker. A HUGE pitch.

Holmes went 2-0 on the next batter but then struck him out on 3 straight sinkers for strikes — and then struck out Alec Bohm on a 2-2 pitch with a filthy 97-MPH sinker for the old ballgame.

The Boxscore

https://www.espn.com/mlb/boxscore/_/gameId/401471105

 

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