Bronx Bombers Do Not Let Up. NY 7 Oakland 4

September 23, 2024 paperbacklou 2024 0
Aaron Judge with his 55th homer of the year, giving NY a 3-2 lead in the 3rd.

The Bronx Bombers were at it again on a Sunday afternoon in Oakland — 3 homers and 7 runs to gain Luis Gil a win and sweep the A’s, increasing their lead in the AL East to 6 games with 6 games to play.

NY spotted Oakland a 2-0 lead in the 1st, but Jasson Dominguez hit a 2-run homer in the 2nd to tie it, Aaron Judge hit a solo homer in the 3rd to put NY up 3-2, Gleyber Torres hit a homer leading off the 5th for a 4-2 lead, and then the Yanks used booming doubles to score more runs — another run in the 5th keyed by an Aaron Judge double, an RBI double by Giancarlo Stanton in the 7th, and an RBI double by Austin Wells in the 9th for a key insurance run.

Ian Hamilton came in to save Gil in the 6th but coughed up a 2-RBI double making it a close game. Tim Hill pitched a shutdown 7th, the Yanks survived an agita-filled 8th by Clay Holmes, and Luke Weaver came in to bail Holmes and the Yankees out with a shutdown, 5-out save.

“We’re focused,” said Manager Aaron Boone on the Yanks as a team. “I think everyone in that room knows what’s at stake, what the mission is, and where we’re at in the calendar, and the opportunity in front of us. So I think guys are ready to do what we got to do to win ballgames and give ourselves a chance come October.”

NY improves to 92-64; Oakland falls to 67-89.

1. Gil Starts Slow then Mows ‘Em Down

Luis Gil got the first 2 outs of the game, then seemed to momentarily loose his concentration or rhythm — walking consecutive batters and allowing a 2-RBI double to Soderstrom.

He got back on his game in the 2nd, retiring the first 2 batters, but then had to navigate around a 2-out single, and then navigated a 1-out single and 2-out walk in the 3rd.

But by the 4th he was back in gear with a 1-2-3 inning, followed by a 1-2-3 inning in the 5th — 8 straight outs until allowing consecutive singles with 1 out in the 6th. He left leading 5-2 with runners on 1st and 2nd.

“I felt like he never got into a great rhythm necessarily, but like always he’s difficult to hit,” said Boone about Gil. “If he can limit the walks and be in the strike zone enough he’s always going to give himself a chance. We’ll take it — into the 6th with an opportunity to win the game.”

Gil’s line: 5 IP, 5 Hits, 4 runs, 5 K’s, 3 walks on 92 pitches. He ends up getting the win to go 15-6 3.27. He is a leading contender for AL Rookie of the Year.

2. My Favorite Martian HR Ties It

Meanwhile the Bronx Bombers had Gil’s back. Jazz Chisholm Jr. worked a 1-out walk in the 2nd against A’s starter Joey Estes, and Jasson Dominguez followed with a 397-foot homer to right for a 2-2 tie.

3. Judge HR Puts NY Up 3-2

Aaron Judge changed the channel from My Favorite Martian to Superman — putting the Yanks on top 3-2 with a 407-foot bomb to center with 1 out in the 3rd. It was his 55th homer of the year.

4. Gleyber HR Puts NY Up 4-2

Gleyber Torres led off the top of the 5th against Estes with a 407-foot bomb to center — measured at exactly the same distance as Judge’s blast — and NY had a 5-2 lead.

5. Hamilton Allows 2-RBI Double for 5-4 Game

Ian Hamilton relieved Gil in the 6th with runners on 1st and 2nd and 1 out, and got a line out for the 2nd out — but he went 3-0 on pinch hitter Noda, came back with a strike, then threw an 88-MPH slider that didn’t break and Noda knocked it to right for a 2-RBI double and it was a 5-4 game.

6. Giancarlo RBI Double Makes It 6-4

The Bronx Bombers got right back to it in the top of the 7th — reliever M Otanez came in with 1 out and semi-intentionally walked Aaron Judge on 4 pitches, Austin Wells grounded out moving Judge to 2nd, and Giancarlo Stanton got a CLUTCH, 2-out double to center for a 6-4 Yankee lead.

7. Hill a Shutdown 7th

Tim Hill pitched the bottom of the 7th and was as awesome as awesome can be — striking out Lawrence Butler on 3 pitches, then getting a line out and a groundout on 1-pitch each — a 5-pitch, shutout inning.

8. Weaver Saves Holmes

Clay Holmes came in for the bottom of the 8th in the 6-4 game and it was buckle-up time for the Clay Holmes Rollercoaster Ride.

He allowed a leadoff single to Shea Langeliers, then walked Soderstrom on 5 pitches. You can imagine the agita.

Holmes struck out the next batter Gelof swinging with a filthy 97-MPH sinker and Boone pulled him after the mandatory 3 batters faced — and in came Luke Weaver.

With 1st and 2nd still, and 1 out, Weaver simply struck out the next two batters with 97 MPH heat and 89-MPH changeups, including a 3-pitch strikeout of McCann to end the inning.

9. Wells Insurance RBI Double

S Alexander came in to pitch the top of the 9th and gave up consecutive walks to Juan Soto and Aaron Judge to start the inning. Austin Wells doubled to left and it was 7-4 NY — a Huge insurance run.

Alexander rebounded — intentionally walking Giancarlo Stanton to load the bases with nobody out — but proceeded to strike out Jazz Chisholm, get Alex Verdugo to hit a grounder for the force out at home, and get the final out.

10. Weaver Spectacular

And so it was to the bottom of the 9th — NY leading 7-4 and Weaver still in for the 5-out save.

And Weaver shut the door — fly out, strikeout, fly out for the old ballgame.

The Boxscore

https://www.espn.com/mlb/boxscore/_/gameId/401570804

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