Giancarlo Hitting Hero! NY 3 KC 2

October 10, 2024 paperbacklou 2024 0
Giancarlo Stanton rocks a 2-out, RBI double off the left field wall in the 4th to put the Yanks up 1-0.

Giancarlo Stanton socked an RBI double off the leftfield wall in the 4th inning to give the Yankees a 1-0 lead, singled and stole a base in the 6th, then finished the job with a MOON SHOT to left with 1 out in the top of the 8th to give NY a 3-2 lead — the game winner.

Luke Weaver finished Strong with a 5-out save and the Yanks won 3-2, taking a 2-1 lead in the best-of-3 series against the Royals. On a Wednesday night in Kansas City.

Clarke Schmidt was filthy good — pitching a shutout into the 5th — until KC’s lefty batters got to him with 3 consecutive 2-out hits in that inning to tie the game 2-2. But the Yankee pen of Clay Holmes, Tommy Kahnle, and Weaver shut the door.

“He’s a killer,” said manager Aaron Boone afterwards about Stanton. “I just admire he’s able to focus in these big moment and just go to a different place mentally. The at bat on the home run was phenomenal. I think he went up there to do that off a really tough reliever in (Kris) Bubic who is a neutral guy who gets righties and lefties out. I think he laid off all the right pitches, and got the one he was looking for and didn’t miss it.”

The game was played while many had their attention also on Hurricane Milton — a Category 5 that was hitting Florida’s Gulf coast at 10pm, and many had their eyes on the latest news on “Lieutenant Dan” — a disabled veteran with one leg who was waiting out the storm in his sailboat, which is all he owns. (He ended up surviving, and viewers set up a Go Fund Me for him — someone bought him a new sailboat.) Eyes were also on the relief efforts in the North Carolina hills, as thousands there were still recovering from Hurricane Helene. And the Presidential race was in full force — with Donald Trump holding a massive rally in Reading, Pennsylvania as the game progressed.

1. Schmidt Filthy Good

Clarke Schmidt faced off against KC ace Seth Lugo in the pressure-packed game. Lugo had shut out the Yanks like they weren’t there when last the two teams met in September — so Schmidt was going to have to be on his game to keep the Yanks in it.

And he did. He was filthy good — pitching a shutout into the 5th. KC loaded their lineup with 6 lefties against Schmidt — but Schmidt mowed them down. His 94-MPH cutter was cutting, his 84-MPH sweeper was sweeping, his 84-MPH knuckle curve was getting outs.

Schmidt tossed in some 95-MPH sinkers but primarily used the cutter with sinkers and knuckle curves all night — pitching a 1-hit shutout into the 5th, with 4 K’s.

He finally yielded in the 5th when, after getting the first 2 outs and holding a 2-0 lead, lefty Adam Frazier reached on a weak grounder to shortstop that Anthony Volpe tried to make an off-balance throw on but threw it high to 1s over Oswaldo Cabrera‘s head.

Lefty batter Kyle Isbel then laced a double just fair down the line in left for a 2-1 game, and lefty Michael Massey hit a line drive to right-center that went for an RBI triple and tie game at 2-2.

With a runner on 3rd, Manager Aaron Boone went to the bullpen for Clay Holmes, who walked Bobby Witt Jr. but got Vinnie Pasquantino to fly out to center to end the threat.

2. Giancarlo Rocks RBI Double off Lugo

Meanwhile Seth Lugo — known for throwing 13 different pitches — was shutting down the Yanks — pitching a 1-2-3 inning in the 1st and 2nd, before Oswaldo Cabrera worked a walk with 1 out in the 3rd. But Lugo got the next 2 batters and sailed into the 4th with a shutout going.

Juan Soto worked a walk to leadoff the 4th — but Lugo got Judge on a fly and struck out Austin Wells and was in command — until Giancarlo Stanton ROCKED a 2-out double off the wall in left, scoring Soto for a 1-0 Yankee lead!

3. Yanks Pepper a Run off Lugo in 5th

The Yanks pecked away at Lugo again in the 5th — Anthony Volpe leading off by working the count to 3-2 then lacing a single to center. Lugo temporarily lost his control — walking Oswaldo Cabrera on 4 pitches.

Alex Verdugo then attempted to bunt the runners over — but popped it up foul — luckily out of reach of anyone. He pointed to his chest saying ‘my bad’, took a pitch low (while in the bunt position), then laid down a perfect bunt to move the runners.

Gleyber Torres worked a walk against Lugo, and Juan Soto hit a sac fly to deep center — Yanks 2 Royals 0.

Lugo got Aaron Judge on a big fly to center to end the inning but his night was done. The Yanks had done their job against him.

4. Holmes Good

After getting the final out of the 5th, Clay Holmes pitched a 1-2-3 inning in the 6th — ground out, ground out, fly out — keeping the score 2-2.

5. Yanks Threaten in 6th; Don’t Score

The Yanks threatened in the 6th against Angel Zerpa, who started the inning replacing Lugo. Giancarlo Stanton ripped a 1-out single. Zerpa struck out Jazz Chisholm Jr.— who was booed vociferously all night by the Royals fans, after he had stated after Game 2 that the Royals got lucky to win that game.

John Schreiber came in to pitch and with 2 outs, Giancarlo stole 2nd base!

Anthony Volpe worked a walk — but Oswaldo Cabrera flied out to center.

Judge Robbed in the 7th

In the 7th, Juan Soto worked a 2-out walk, and Aaron Judge appeared to work a walk as well, checking a swing on a 3-2 pitch — but the 1st base ump ruled he came around for a strikeout. Boone and the Yankee dugout were pissed — and even the TNT on-air announcers of Ron Darling and Bob Costas felt Judge got robbed.

6. Kahnle Great

Tommy Kahnle came in to pitch the 7th and was lights out — fly out, ground out, ground out — on 9 pitches, keeping the score 2-2.

Kahnle would get the first out of the 8th — after the Yanks took a 3-2 lead — striking out Massey on 4 pitches. A great performance by Tommy Tightpants.

7. Giancarlo MOON SHOT Wins It

Tough lefty setup man Kris Bubic pitched the 8th in a 2-2 tie. He struck out lefty Austin Wells to start the inning — but Giancarlo Stanton got a 3-1 slider and hit a MOON SHOT to left for a 3-2 Yankee lead!

8. Volpe Saves the Day; Costas Screws Up

After Kahnle struck out Massey to start the 8th, NY now holding a 3-2 lead, Boone went for Luke Weaver to face the heart of the Royals lineup.

But Bobby Witt Jr.singled to left, and Vinnie Pasquantino laced what looked like it would be a single over 2nd — but Anthony Volpe came out of nowhere like Superman to catch the liner — while Bob Costas on the broadcast called it a single to center!

Costas took heat all evening for an uneven broadcast — calling big moments like Giancarlo’s RBI double with nonchalance, then getting facts wrong while he tried to weave stories — at one point saying Judge was “hitless in the series so far” — despite Judge having gone 1-3 with a walk in game 2.

9. Weaver Fantastic

After being saved by Volpe with the sparkling play for the 2nd out of the 8th, Weaver allowed a single to Salvador Perez — putting runners on 1st and 3rd in the 3-2 game.

But Weaver got Yuli Gurriel to fly to Judge in center. PHEW.

Juan Soto and Aaron Judge worked 1-out walks in the top of the 9th, but Wells and Giancarlo lined out and so it was to the bottom of the 9th — the Yanks nursing a 3-2 lead.

And Luke Weavers shut the door — MJ Melendez flied out, Maikal Garcia fouled out (while the announcers were saying that if he got on he’d certainly steal 2nd and be in scoring position), and pinch hitter Tommy Pham grounded out to Volpe for the old ballgame!

Etcetera

  • Anthony Volpe had an under-the-radar great game — 1-2 with 2 walks, a run scored, and the tremendous, game-saving defensive play in the 8th.

The Boxscore

https://www.espn.com/mlb/playbyplay/_/gameId/401701046

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