Yanks Get 22 Baserunners. ‘A Long Fly Ball to Because’ Ends It. Houston 9 NY 7

August 7, 2023 paperbacklou 2023 0
Gleyber Torres kicks off the scoring with solo homer to right-center in the 1st.

The Yankees got 8 hits, 12 walks, a hit batter, and an Astro error to gain 22 baserunners, but not the Big Hit. They came back from a 5-1 deficit to tie the game in the 4th, and then a 9-5 deficit to almost win the game when Giancarlo Stanton hit a ‘Long Fly Ball to Because’ — actually Jake Meyers on the warning track in center — with 2 on in the 9th for the final out of the game.

Houston 9 NY 7 final score. On a beautiful Sunday afternoon at Yankee Stadium.

NY scored 4 runs to tie the game in the 4th but left bases loaded, and then left baserunners on:

  • 3rd and 1st in the 5th,
  • 3rd and 2nd in the 6th,
  • 3rd and 1st in the 7th,
  • Bases loaded in the 8th, and
  • 2nd and 1st in the 9th.

The Yankees scored 7 runs but just couldn’t get that one game-changing hit.

The first deficit was courtesy Carlos Rodon, who got bombed again, leaving in the 4th with a bad hamstring down 5-1. The 9-5 deficit was courtesy Wandy Peralta, who coughed up 4 runs on consecutive homers in the 6th.

Harrison Bader was not let down by the loss, and did not think it was a lost opportunity when asked if he thought it was:

“Actually I feel the complete opposite — I thought that was for the first time in a long time a really good game and really good battle and there wasn’t a single time in that game regardless of what was happening on the other side that we felt we were out of it,” said Bader. “All you can do is after 9 innings ask yourself if there was ever a swing or situation where you put yourself in position to win the game, and obviously we did a great job of that, battling back. So I think this is a really good momentum boost for us moving forward.”

NY and Houston split the 4-game series; the Yanks fall to 58-54 and fall 4.5 behind the Wild Card. NY is now 12 behind Baltimore, 9 behind Tampa, 4.5 behind Toronto, and .5 ahead of Boston. Houston is 2.5 behind Texas.

When asked if falling 4.5 games behind a Wild Card spot was a concern, Bader said “No concern at all. One game at a time. If we keep playing this brand of baseball it’s going to be just fine. Like I said, all you can do is put yourself in a position to win, and that’s what we did, which was really good moving forward.”

1. Gleyber HR Gets Yanks on Board

Houston started Jose Urquidy who came in with a 2-2 5.20 record and Gleyber Torres jumped him for a 363-foot homer to right center in the bottom of the 1st — giving NY a 1-0 lead.

2. Rodon Bombed

But Carlos Rodon immediately coughed up the lead in the top of the 2nd — giving up two walks and a 2-out, 3-run homer to Jake Meyers.

In the top of the 3rd, Rodon allowed a bunt single to Jose Altuve to leadoff the inning, then a 357-foot homer to right by Yordan Alvarez. Houston 5 NY 1.

Rodon struck out Kyle Tucker but then pulled off the mound touching his hamstring. He was pulled from the game.

Afterwards Rodon said it was just a cramp. “I just felt it grab for a second. Felt like a cramp. Then did it again. Got them to come out; took a break. Honestly after that it felt fine, but it was kind of more of a precautionary thing. Right now I feel normal, but we’ll see what tomorrow holds. I feel confident that everything is ok — obviously we won’t know until the imaging comes.”

3. Yanks Pass the Maton with 4-Run 4th

Michael Kay on the broadcast was bemoaning that the game was lost — but the Yanks came right back with a 4-run 4th to tie it 5-5.

Gleyber Torres — at the heart of the offense again as usual — led off with an infield single and DJ LeMahieu and Isiah Kiner-Falefa worked 1-out walks against Urquidy, loading the bases.

Harrison Bader ripped a single to left scoring a run to make it 5-2.

Phil Maton came in and was Wild — throwing pitches that weren’t close to the strike zone. He hit Anthony Volpe with a pitch to force in a run and make it 5-3.

Maton struck out Kyle Higashioka, but with 2 outs, bases loaded, walked Jake Bauers to make it 5-4.

Bauers passed the Maton to Aaron Judge who worked a walk after being down in the count 1-2, forcing in another run to tie the game 5-5.

Bases still loaded, the Yanks were a hit away from taking a lead when Gleyber Torres hit a shot to center — for a fly out. An ominous omen.

4. Brito Held Fort

Jhony Brito relieved Rodon and got the final out of the 3rd, then pitched a 1-2-3 inning in the 4th before getting into trouble in the 5th — walking the first two batters before getting an out.

Wandy Peralta relieved him and got the final 2 outs of the 5th.

5. Wandy’s Wand Wasn’t Working

After getting the final 2 outs of the 5th Wandy got clobbered in the 6th — a leadoff walk and 1-out single put 2 on for Jake Meyers — the light-hitting Houston centerfielder — who hit his 2nd 3-run homer of the game – this one 423 feet to left center. Houston 8 NY 5.

Next batter Martin Maldonado hit a homer to left to give Houston a 9-5 lead and seemingly ballgame.

6. Middleton & Abreu Hold ‘Em

Kenyan Middleton pitched a 1-2-3 inning in the 7th and 8th, striking out 3.

Albert Abreu pitched a 1-2-3 inning in the 9th — ground out, ground out, strike out.

7. Yanks Keep Coming Back But 1 Hit Shy

Meanwhile the Yanks kept mounting rallies — helped to great degree by the Houston pitchers, who kept walking people.

Yanks Left Bases Loaded in the 5th

In the 5th off J.P. France, DJ LeMahieu got a 1-out double and Isiah Kiner-Falefa walked, moving to 3rd on a fielder’s choice. But with 2 outs, 1st and 3rd, Anthony Volpe struck out.

Yanks Left 2nd & 3rd in the 6th

In the 6th, with France still pitching, Jake Bauers got on with a 1-out error, Aaron Judge walked, and Gleyber Torres — that name again — doubled in a run to make it 9-6.

But with 2nd and 3rd, 1 out, Giancarlo Stanton hit a short fly to right and DJ LeMahieu struck out.

Yanks Left 1st & 3rd in the 7th

In the 7th, with France still in, Bader got a 1-out single and Higashioka got a 2-out walk. Bader went to 3rd on a wild pitch by France — making it 1st and 3rd, 2 outs — but Jake Bauers struck out swinging.

Yanks Left Bases Loaded in the 8th

In the 8th against Hector Neris, Gleyber Torres — that name again — worked a 1-out walk, DJ LeMahieu got a 2-out single, and Isiah Kiner-Falefa walked to load the bases. Harrison Bader got a clutch 2-out single against new reliever Bobby Abreu to make it 9-7.

But with bases loaded, Anthony Volpe hit a shot to center for a fly out.

Giancarlo’s ‘Long Fly Ball to Because’ with 2 On in 9th Ends It

Then to the 9th, with Bobby Abreu still pitching. Billy McKinney led off with a walk, and after Bauers and Judge struck out, Gleyber Torres — that name again — walked to bring up Giancarlo Stanton as the winning run.

Abreu got 2 quick strikes on Giancarlo, then a ball, then 2 foul balls — and then a Long Fly Ball to Because — Jake Meyers catching it on the warning track in center for the old ballgame.

Etcetera

  • Gleyber Torres went 3-5 with 2 walks, the HR, 2 RBI, 3 runs scored and raises his slash line to 18-48-.270 (.335 OBP).
  • Harrison Bader went 3-5 to raise his average to .261 (.291 OBP)>
  • DJ LeMahieu went 2-4 to raise his average to .239 (.313 OBP).
  • Giancarlo Stanton went 0-6.
  • Aaron Judge went 0-4 but got 2 walks.

The Boxscore

https://www.espn.com/mlb/boxscore/_/gameId/401472692

 

Be the first to comment

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published.


*