For Knick fans turning to the Yankees game after the gut-wrenching game 1 loss to the Miami Heat, the Yankees gave no quarter.
The Yankee 7th cavalry was not coming to the rescue. Knick fans found Custer, in his last stand.
Nestor Cortes was lit up — allowing a grand slam in the 1st inning, and then a walk and back-to-back homers in the 5th that sent him to the showers down 7-1.
And then the Yanks brought in Albert Abreu to play Major Reno. He was lit up too — allowing an immediate homerun and then getting knocked out in the next inning — leaving with bases loaded and down 10-1. NY brought in newcomer Nick Ramirez to the slaughter — and it was soon 14-1.
Fans of the Knicks and Yankees could at least console themselves that the Knicks are in the playoffs and it was only game 1.
The Yankee season may be over.
NY falls to 15-14, in a last-place tie with Boston, 8 games behind Tampa.
And Yankee fans are still waiting for Carlos Rodon — who is due back in a month or so. And whatever happened to Harrison Bader while we’re at it?
1. Nestor Scalped
Nestor started out the bottom of the 1st with a fly out, then walk, walk, single, and Grand Slam to 3rd baseman Josh Jung.
Nestor settled down to pitch a shutout 2nd through 4th, but in the 5th, Robbie Grossman walked with 1 out, and Nathaniel Lowe hit a 2-run bomb for a 6-1 Texas lead. Adolis Garcia followed with a back-to-back homer to make it 7-1. Nestor retired Jung and was lifted at 100 pitches.
“I wasn’t commanding the fastball well today,” said Nestor afterwards. “That’s what got me into trouble. That 1st inning — I gave up that hit to right field but those two walks, and then the grand slam obviously. Put us down early. I felt I battled back the next few innings — but once again got into trouble walking that guy and giving up that homerun in the 5th.”
“It was tough today to find the fastball,” continued Cortes. “I felt the cutter was working really well today, but when you don’t have your fastball you can’t control both sides of the plate; it’s difficult to pitch.”
2. Abreu Scalped Too
Albert Abreu came in like Major Reno — offering no help.
He coughed up an immediate HR to Jonah Heim to make it 8-1.
Abreu really got bad in the next inning — the 6th — with wildness. He struck out the 1st batter before allowing a walk, then got a groundout for the 2nd out. But then a single for a run, and walk, walk, walk to force in a run.
It was 10-1 and he was gone.
In came Ramirez: double for 2 more runs, then a single for 2 more to make it Texas 14 NY 1.
3. Perez Shuts Down Yanks
Meanwhile on the mound for Texas was elite starter Martin Perez — who pitched 6 innings, allowing 6 hits and 1 run — on an Oswald Peraza groundout in the 2nd to make the game 4-1 at the time.
Perez goes to 4-1 2.41. The Texas Rangers — as the Yankees found out this series — have a good starting staff and a good offense; Texas is now 17-11, in 1st place in their division.
The Optimist
This was the final game of April. Today is May 1st. Most of the season is yet to be played — and the Yankees will be getting Carlos Rodon back, and Luis Severino, and Harrison Bader, and Aaron Judge who has been out the last few days, and Josh Donaldson, and a bunch of other relievers, and maybe even Giancarlo Stanton in July. Cortes will be fine. And Gerrit Cole might win the Cy Young.
And 12 teams make the playoffs these days — going into the game the Yanks would’ve been in the playoffs if the season ended on April 29.
In July this game may be long forgotten.
Or it will be remembered like the Battle of Little Big Horn.
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