Baseball has a problem:
- The ball is clearly lively. It MOVES when pitched.
- Everybody and their mother strikes out 10 in 5 innings these days.
- Pitching Ninja has become a cottage industry.
- Throw in computer-aided positioning and the batting averages are at record LOWs.
- Hit it and it’s gone. There is not a dearth of homeruns — many teams set their all-time record last year.
- You just have to be the first team to hit it.
In this game, Oakland was.
Final score: Oakland 2 NY 0 on a 2-run homer in the 9th by Zach Gelof.
On a Monday afternoon at Yankee Stadium.
“Credit to Gelof,” said manager Aaron Boone afterwards. “Two strikes, and he put a charge into one there.”
NY falls to 15-8. Oakland rises to 9-14.
1. Rodon Pitches 7 Shutout, 1-Hit Innings
Good news: Carlos Rodon looked good — hammering the weak-hitting Athletics for 7 shutout innings, allowing only 1 hit (in the 5th) and 2 walks, with 2 hit batters. He struck out 4.
Rodon lowers his ERA to 2.70.
Carlos Rodón, Elevated 97mph ⛽️ pic.twitter.com/uaRw7NdNh6
— Rob Friedman (@PitchingNinja) April 22, 2024
2. Sears Pitches 6 Shutout, 3-Hit Innings
Old friend JP Sears was just as lights-out as Rodon, using an assortment of sweepers, changeups, and a 92-MPH four-seam fastball to baffle the Yanks. He allowed 3 hits and a walk and lowered his ERA to 3.38.
JP Sears, K'ing the Side. pic.twitter.com/HZrB0jQxCV
— Rob Friedman (@PitchingNinja) April 22, 2024
3. Hamilton Gets Thru Scare in 8th
Ian Hamilton gave Yankee fans a scare in the top of the 9th — with a 2-out single, walk, and hit by pitch to load the bases.
He then went 3-1 on Shea Langeliers, before coming back with 3 straight 95-MPH four-seam fastballs to strike him out PHEW.
4. Gonzalez Coughs Up HR in 9th
But in the top of the 9th, Yankee lefty Victor Gonzalez — who made the heroic defensive play to get the save the game before, wasn’t so lucky this time.
Same play — a little grounder between pitcher and 1st — this time Gonzalez slipped while trying to field it and the batter Abraham Toro was on.
Next batter Gelof hit a homer to right and Oakland had a seemingly insurmountable 2-0 lead.
5. Oakland Pen Strikes Out Everyone Too
After Sears left, Lucas Erceg pitched 2 no-hit, shutout innings, and then Mason Miller pitched the bottom of the 9th and struck out the side.
Mason Miller, 103 mph ⛽️ pic.twitter.com/JBbvJhIWWf
— Rob Friedman (@PitchingNinja) April 22, 2024
6. Fan Gets Boone Thrown Out!
A highlight of the day came in the 1st inning when Aaron Boone was ejected for arguing strikes by home plate ump Hunter Wendelstedt — but apparently Boone said nothing, it was a fan behind the dugout that was loudly complaining.
Umpire hears a fan yell and ejects Aaron Boone, a breakdown pic.twitter.com/zkoxf0YChm
— Jomboy (@Jomboy_) April 22, 2024
Etcetera
The only Yanks to get hits on the day were Anthony Volpe, Giancarlo Stanton, and Jose Trevino.
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