Yanks Waste Another Great Randy Vasquez Start. Baltimore 6 NY 3

July 6, 2023 paperbacklou 2023 0
Anthony Volpe rips solo HR in bottom of 8th to make it a 4-3 game and give Yanks hope.

The Yankees wasted another great start by rookie spot starter Randy Vasquez, who pitched 5 shutout innings and left with a 2-0 lead — only to see the bullpen immediately put NY in a 4-2 hole en route to the 6-3 loss to the Baltimore Orioles in the 3rd game of the important 4-game set.

On a hot Wednesday night in the Bronx. Some fireworks still exploding here and there the day after July 4th.

Relievers Nick Ramirez and Michael King did the un-doing in the 6th — an inning that featured a fly to right by Jordan Westburg off King that Jeff Bauers made a diving attempt on but just missed — and it went for a 2-RBI triple.

The Yankee offense was shut down by 35-year-old Dean Kremer for 7 innings. NY made it 4-3 late on an Anthony Volpe HR in the 8th, but Ian Hamilton coughed up a 2-run bomb down the line in the 9th and that was ballgame.

“That’s probably as good as I’ve seen him,” said manager Aaron Boone afterwards about Kremer. “He had a little presence with everything.”

The Yankees fall to 48-39, 8 games back of Tampa and now 3 behind Baltimore again and 1.5 over Toronto. Baltimore improves to 50-35.

1. Vasquez Great Again

Randy Vasquez has spent the year so far getting ripped in AAA (2-8 5.11) but getting occasional call-ups to the big leagues where he pitches brilliantly.

This time — his 3rd start with the big club: 5 innings, 3 hits, shutout ball, lowering his ERA to 1.17.

Vasquez wasn’t perfect — in fact he rope-a-doped the Orioles lineup. He worked around:

  1. A walk and single in the 1st inning,
  2. A walk in the 2nd,
  3. A single, double, and walk in the 3rd inning — helped by the leadoff batter Henderson being doubled off 1st on a fly by Adley Rutschman to Bauers in right.

Vasquez pitched a 1-2-3 inning in the 4th and got 4 straight outs in the 5th although the leadoff batter got on due to catcher’s interference.

“Good. Had some traffic there, and they made some decent contact on him, but he worked around it,” said manager Aaron Boone afterwards about Vasquez. “I think first 3 innings had a couple baserunners each time, whether it was a walk or getting on, but made a pitch when he had to — didn’t really break. Was really locked in and focused on making his pitches. I thought he even got better as we went on. Five innings, no runs — giving us everything we could have hoped for. Really solid overall.”

“What I liked tonite is he wasn’t fazed by any traffic, just continue execute my pitches,” added Boone. “He has the stuff where, when he does, to have outings like that.”

2. Donaldson Puts NY on Top

It was a 0-0 tie in the 5th when Josh Donaldson finally got to Kremer with a 402-foot bomb to center, putting NY on top 1-0.

3. Higgy Makes It 2-0

Isiah Kiner-Falefa followed Donaldson’s homer with a 1-out single in the 5th, moved to 2nd on a grounder by Anthony Volpe that went for an error by shortstop Gunnar Henderson, and scored on a single by Kyle Higashioka. Higgy was thrown out trying to stretch the single into a double to end the inning.

4. Ramirez & King Cough It Up

Nick Ramirez relieved Vasquez for the 6th and got the 1st out, but then double, single, single made it 2-1.

Michael King came in and Westburg hit the shot to right that Bauers made the dive on but missed, scoring 2 runs and giving Baltimore the 3-2 lead.

Adam Frazier grounded out to score another run and make it 4-2 Baltimore.

5. Volpe HR Gives Yanks Hope

Anthony Volpe led off the bottom of the 8th with a homer off All Star reliever Yennier Cano for a 4-3 game.

6. Hamilton Gut Punch

Ian Hamilton pitched the top of the 9th and allowed a leadoff double to Adley Rutschman and then a 1-out homer down the right field line by Ryan O’Hearn and it was 6-3 Baltimore — hope dashed.

Josh Donaldson worked a 1-out walk against All Star reliever Felix Bautista in the 9th, but DJ LeMahieu grounded out and Isiah Kiner-Falefa struck out for the old ballgame.

The Boxscore

https://www.espn.com/mlb/boxscore/_/gameId/401472309

 

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