
For the 2nd night in a row, the Yankee offense was shut down by a veteran 6’5 right hander who used a variety of pitches plus the kitchen sinker to beguile them — this time Joe Musgrove (the prior night Kyle Gibson of Baltimore).
The Yanks could manage only 1 run — in the 6th on a single by Gleyber Torres, double by Aaron Judge, and groundout by Anthony Rizzo.
Meanwhile San Diego rode two 2-run homers — one by Juan Soto and one by Fernando Tatis Jr.— who responded to ‘steroid’ chants leveled at him all evening by the Yankee Stadium throng. Some Yankee fans took exception; to others, there was ‘no offense taken.’ Just like the Yankee lineup all evening.
On a beautiful, 70-degree Friday night in the Bronx.
Aaron Boone served a 1-game suspension from Major League Baseball for his recent arguing with umpires. Carlos Mendoza managed NY instead.
“I thought he was mixing his pitches really well, especially early in the count,” said Yank manager Mendoza about Musgrove. “He was flicking those breaking balls, and we couldn’t take it away from him. He was using his sinker against righties, and his slider/cutter against lefties. We didn’t do much against him.”
NY falls to 30-23, losers of 3 in a row they are now 8 games behind Tampa. San Diego improves to 24-27.
1. Vasquez Gets 1st Start — Does Well
Jhony Brito was starting for AAA Scranton on this evening, and Randy Vasquez — recently promoted — was starting for the Yankees, having taken Brito’s place in the rotation at least for this start.
Congrats on your first K in pinstripes, Randy! 🙌 pic.twitter.com/k3s5oBLjZo
— New York Yankees (@Yankees) May 26, 2023
It was Vasquez’s major league debut and he pitched well: he had a shutout going into the 5th when with 2 outs he hit a batter and then left an 89-MPH cutter over the plate on a 3-2 pitch to Juan Soto who launched it to the MOON — a 432-foot blast to right for a 2-0 San Diego lead.
Juan Soto con un cañonazo 💣 @JuanSoto25_ | #BringTheGold pic.twitter.com/j6pFxSMyij
— San Diego Padres (@Padres) May 27, 2023
A single and a walk and Vasquez was done for the evening: 4.2 innings, 4 hits, 2 runs, 6 K’s, 3 walks. He did good.
“I thought he threw the ball well,” said Yank manager Mendoza. “We’ve been following this kid since last year when he was in AA. And then we saw a little bit in spring training; we thought he had a pretty good outing in Clearwater against a good lineup when he threw 5 innings.”
2. Musgrove Tames Yanks
Meanwhile Joe Musgrove, the 30-yr-old 6’5 righty who entered the game with a 1-2 6.75 was shutting down the Yanks with an 80-MPH curveball, 90-MPH cutter, 95-MPH four-seam fastball, 84-MPH slider, 94-MPH sinker, 88-MPH changeup, and X-MPH kitchen sink-er.
Joe Musgrove's 5th and 6th Ks…and Sword. ⚔️ pic.twitter.com/sl4vRpIoK5
— Rob Friedman (@PitchingNinja) May 27, 2023
3. Tatis to the Moon
Fernando Tatis Jr. was one of the games most incredible young stars until getting caught with steroids in August of last year — and was suspended from baseball for 80 games. He is back now after the long suspension and getting taunted in every visiting ballpark across baseball with chants of ‘steroids’ — and Yankee Stadium was no different even though Yankee fans have no other beef with the guy.
He got revenge for the taunts by launching a missile to left off Ron Marinaccio in the 6th for a 2-out, 2-run bomb and 4-0 San Diego lead. He flipped his bat in ultimate revenge.
Anybody have a problem with this Fernando Tatis bat flip? pic.twitter.com/0cN6JnejFD
— Mike Daddino (@mike_daddino) May 27, 2023
Afterwards he taunted with Yankee Stadium taunters in right field.
LMAO Tatis giving it right back to Yankees fans after homering pic.twitter.com/99eV3FzvFw
— Talkin’ Baseball (@TalkinBaseball_) May 27, 2023
Seen from the bleachers:
I have lost all respect for Tatis @tatis_jr you are a cheater. You act like you’re the shit you’re not MFer! pic.twitter.com/IxEo9ChdAC
— Tony Garcia (@NYY_122791) May 27, 2023
4. Yankee Poetry
The Yanks finally got to Joe Musgrove in the bottom of the 6th, with 1 out, as we tweeted:
Gleyber single, Judge double!
Rizzo groundout for a run!
Like poetry.
“In motion” — added John Morra.
5. All She Wrote for Yank Offense
But that was all she wrote for the Yanks.
NY put two runners on with 1 out in the 7th — consecutive infield singles by Willie Calhoun and Anthony Volpe sending Musgrove to the showers — but couldn’t score against Stan Diego’s reliever Steven Wilson who struck out Isiah Kiner-Falefa and got Joe Bauers to pop out.
The Padres got an insurance run off Ryan Weber in the top of the 9th on an RBI single by old friend Rougned Odor. Weber otherwise pitched well — 3 innings, 1 run.
Wilson pitched a shutout 8th and Josh Hader struck out the side in the 9th for the old ballgame.
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