Randy Vasquez & Yank Pen Combine for 2-Hit Shutout! NY 3 ChiSox 0

June 9, 2023 paperbacklou 2023 0

Rookie Randy Vasquez was dominant — pitching a 2-hit shutout into the 6th inning, and the Yankee bullpen of Ron Marinaccio and Clay Holmes finished the job, completing the 2-hit shutout for a 3-0 Yankee victory in the 2nd game of a double header at Yankee Stadium on a Thursday night.

The Yankee offense was supplied by a 2-run homer by Gleyber Torres in the 4th and a solo Bomb to center by veteran journeyman Billy McKinney in the 5th.

The double header was due to the prior night’s game being postponed due to massive smoke in the air because of the Canadian wildfires. The air was better on this night, although not 100 percent.

“Between him and Jhony, they’ve shown us enough that we know we can go down there in a spot and they’re capable of coming up here and having success,” said manager Aaron Boone about Vasquez afterwards, when asked if Vasquez would be getting more starts. “And the fact that Randy has had one outing where he pitched pretty well against the Padres and tonite where he was really good, is only going to bolster his confidence, hopefully continue to bolster his development, and we’ll see as we go.”

The Yankees improve to 37-27 — splitting the double header but losing 2 of the 3-game series to the ChiSox. NY is now 8.5 behind Tampa, and still 2 games behind Baltimore. The White Sox go to 28-36.

1. Vasquez Spectacular

Randy Vasquez is a 24-year-old, 6’0, 165-lb rookie right hander who the Yankees see something in despite a poor record thus far this year in AAA: 1-6 5.13 with more hits allowed (51) than innings pitched (47).

But the Yankees saw him pitch well in spring training and feel he has good stuff.

And he has proven them right so far — in his first start in the big leagues two weeks ago he pitched well against the Paders — 4.2 innings, 2 runs — and this time looked even better.

He used a 96-MPH sinker,97-MPH four-seam fastball, 88-MPH cutter, 82-MPH curveball, 81-MPH slider, and a wicked 82-MPH sweeper to confound the White Sox — pitching a shutout into the 6th.

Vasquez allowed a walk and a single in the 1st, and then pitched a 1-2-3 inning in the

  • 2nd inning (3 groundouts),
  • 3rd inning (2 groundouts and a flyout),
  • 4th inning (2 groundouts and a lineout), and
  • 5th inning (2 groundouts and a strikeout)

In the 6th he got the first 2 outs — making it 15 retired in a row — before yielding a single and then hitting a batter. Manager Aaron Boone relieved him with Ron Marinaccio, who got the final out of the inning.

2. Gleyber Gets to Clevinger in the 4th

Meanwhile White Sox starter Mike Clevinger was shutting down the Yankees through 3 innings and looking dominant himself. He retired the first 9 Yankees, until Willie Calhoun met him with a double to lead off the 4th.

On the next pitch, Gleyber Torres hit a 402-foot bomb to left center for a 2-0 Yankee lead.

Gleyber had just missed a game tying/winning hit in the 9th inning of the 1st game — it went foul down the right field line by 10 feet.

3. McKinney Bomb

Billy McKinney has been ripping the ball in AAA — and thus the call up with Aaron Judge out. McKinney came up with the Yankees in 2018, but then was traded and traded and traded again and has become a veteran journeyman — having spent time with Toronto, Milwaukee, the Mets, the Dodgers, and Oakland before coming back to NY.

In AAA this year, McKinney is slashing 9-24-.274 (.388 OBP) in 135 at bats.

Leading off the 5th of this game, McKinney ripped an 0-2, 93-MPH four-seam fastball from Clevinger 407 feet to right center for a homer and 3-0 Yankee lead.

4. Marinaccio and Holmes for the Save

Marinaccio got the last out of the 6th with 2 runners on, striking out Eloy Jimenez, and then pitched a 1-2-3 7th and a shutout 8th — allowing a 2-out walk but getting the final out of the inning.

Clay Holmes came in for the 9th with a 3-0 lead. He walked the first batter, but then got a double-play grounder; unfortunately Gleyber Torres air-mailed the throw to 1st so the Yanks only got the out at 2nd and the batter, Luis Robert Jr.was sent to 2nd.

But Holmes got the next two batters on groundouts for the old ballgame.

The Boxscore

https://www.espn.com/mlb/boxscore/_/gameId/401471954

 

Be the first to comment

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published.


*