Holmes Blows Save Vs Hard-Hitting Twins. Correa Revenge. Minnesota 4 NY 3

Clay Holmes blew the save — allowing 2 runs in the top of the 8th inning to ruin the splendid pitching performance of Nestor Cortes, and send the Yanks to a 4-3 loss to the Twins. On a Beautiful, breezy, 75-degree warm Friday evening in the Bronx.

Carlos Correa got the big hit — a 2-run double to put Minnesota ahead. He had hit a solo homer earlier in the game.

This was the game we were talking about the night before — when we imagined blowing a late save was a worse way to lose then getting pummeled for 9 runs in the 1st inning. As a fan you didn’t invest in the game thinking they were going to win vs accepting the loss early and going about other business.

The loss also wasted the first homerun of Anthony Volpe‘s career, plus HR’s by Aaron Judge and Giancarlo Stanton. The headline was going to read so well..

The Twins do have a great offensive lineup — so that has to be taken into account with Holmes’ failure, and credit given to Nestor Cortes for pitching 7 strong innings against it.

“I knew they were going to come out swinging,” said Cortes afterwards. “Obviously a really good lineup over there so it was a tough one, but was able to get 7.”

Minnesota improves to 10-4 on the year; NY falls to 8-6. Tampa finally lost — Toronto beat them. Tampa is now 13-1; Toronto is 9-5.

1. Volpe’s 1st Homer

It was only a matter of time before Anthony Volpe got his first Major League homerun — he had hit 2 balls caught at the wall, and banged 2 off the wall in the last 4 games.

He got it in this game — batting leadoff in the top of the 1st he hit an 0-1 fastball from Twins starter Louie Varland for a homer to left.

The only let down afterwards is that most did not like the much-anticipated John Sterling homer call for Volpe: “Anthony Volpe! A spettacolo oggi! Ohhh the fox socks one to left!”

I took Italian in grade school thru high school and knew for some time Volpe means Fox in Italian. But as we tweeted, the call seemed ‘over-thought’ by John. No one likes a mixed metaphor.

2. Judge Back-t0-Back Jack

And then on the very next pitch of the ball game, Aaron Judge hit his 5th homerun of the year to right center.

3. Cortes Great

Nestor Cortes pitched a shutout through 5 innings — looked great. In the top of the 6th, Carlos Correa hit a homer to right to make it a 2-1 game.

His final line would be 7 innings, 5 hits, 2 runs, 7 K’s. He was in line for the win when he left.

Nestor was helped by a terrific catch in right by Franchy Cordero in the 6th.

4. Giancarlo MISSILE

Twins starter Louis Varland, meanwhile, was “Like the old line — Pitching like he’s double parked” said John Sterling on the radio. He was getting the Yanks out 1-2-3 and fast.

But Giancarlo Stanton gave Nestor back a 2-run lead — at 3-1 NY — when he RIPPED A MISSILE to left in the bottom of the 6th.

But left fielder Kyle Garlick bobbed a 380-foot homer to left in the 7th off Cortes to make it 3-2.

To this point there were 5 runs in the game — all on solo homers.

5. All Ruined by Holmes

Manager Aaron Boone brought in ace reliever Clay Holmes early — for the top of the 8th — to face the heart of the Minnesota lineup.

Holmes had had control issues in his last appearance, walking 2 to load the bases before getting the final strikeout.

In this one — he got ahead 1-2 on the first 3 batters, but allowed 2 hits sandwiching a walk. Holmes:

  • Went 1-2 on leadoff batter Michael Taylor but allowed a single, then
  • Went 1-2 on Byron Buxton before walking him on 3 straight balls.
  • Went 1-2 on Carlos Correa before he poked a double to opposite field right for 2 runs.

Minnesota 4 NY 3.

Holmes did get a grounder to Volpe who got Correa out at 3rd, and then a double play to end it.

Too little; too late.

Giancarlo Stanton got on with a 2-out single in the 8th, but the Yanks couldn’t plate him.

Franchy Cordero led off the 9th with a single, but was erased when Oswaldo Cabrera — who had 2 hit on the night — hit into a double play, and Willie Calhoun popped up to shortstop for the old ballgame.

The Boxscore

https://www.espn.com/mlb/boxscore/_/gameId/401471218

Be the first to comment

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published.


*