Patrick Corbin finally showed them.
He pitched his game of the year — stifling the Yankees with 6 innings of 2-hit, shutout ball on a stifling humid Tuesday night in Washington DC, in helping the Nationals beat NY 4-2.
Corbin, who has been one of the worst free-agent signings ever, leading the NL in losses 4 straight seasons including this one, with ERA’s between 5.20 to 6.31, and who came in with 3-12 5.73 record — outdueled Gerrit Cole, whom the Yankees saved their money to sign back in 2020.
The Yankees rallied late, after Corbin left — and had bases loaded, nobody out in the 8th with Aaron Judge at the plate — but Judge hit a hard grounder into a double play and the Yanks only got 1 run.
NY added a run in the 9th, and had runners on 1st and 2nd, 2 outs, with a 3-2 pitch to Gleyber Torres — a ball away from loading the bases and bringing up Juan Soto in his old home — but Gleyber flied out to end it.
“He really worked that cutter to both sides of the plate well,” said Aaron Judge about Corbin afterwards. “Worked it down and in, and off the plate a little bit. Got ahead in the count and put the pressure on us as hitters. Anytime you’re consistently 0-1, 1-1, 1-2 on any count is going to make it tough. He did a good job attacking us and attacking the zone.”
NY falls to 78-55 and their lead over Baltimore is shaved to 1 game, as the Orioles beat the Dodgers on the West Coast later on. Washington improves to 60-73.
1. Corbin Shows ‘Em
Corbin famously became a top-tier free agent before the 2019 season, and many Yankee fans were demanding that the Yanks sign him to the long-term, big-money contract he was seeking.
The Yanks didn’t.
Instead Washington signed Corbin to a 7-year contract that started at $12 Million/yr and escalated to $35 Million/yr, averaging $25 Million/yr in between.
Instead the Yankees opted to sign James Paxton to a 2-year contract averaging $10 Million/yr. The Yankees saved their money and laid it on Gerrit Cole the next year.
Corbin proceeded to have one good year (2019), and then pitch absolutely horribly for 5 straight years, leading the National League in loses 4 straight years (including this year) with an ERA between 5.20 and 6.31 in those seasons.
Paxton had one good year for the Yanks then got injured; still a smart, short-term, bargain contract for NY.
And the Gerrit Cole signing has been one of the best in history.
And so here we were on a muggy Tuesday night in Washington, having come full circle.
Corbin, who came in with that 3-12 5.73 record — looked like the Corbin of old, shutting down the Yanks on 2 hits through 6.
Patrick Corbin, Nasty 89mph Cutter. ✂️ pic.twitter.com/Fm985vxjyO
— Rob Friedman (@PitchingNinja) August 27, 2024
2. Cole Good But Gets Hit with Homer Ball
Gerrit Cole pitched well on the Hot, Humid night — 5 innings, allowing 3 runs — limiting damage but allowing 2 homer balls in the 4th.
Cole allowed a 1-out single to Jose Tena in the 2nd, then a BOOMING double off the wall in left by Dylan Crews. The ball looked like it might go out, but bounced off the top of the wall. Given that break, Cole limited the damage, allowing an RBI groundout to old friend Joey Gallo, and then a groundout to end the inning.
But Washington got to him with the homer ball in the bottom of the 4th — a leadoff homer by Andres Chaparro to left, and a homer to the next batter, Tena, to center and it was 3-0 Washington.
“They hit a couple of fastballs were he missed just a little bit with it, and rode him out of the ballpark,” said manager Aaron Boone about Cole. “But otherwise I thought he was really good. I thought both his slider and his curve ball were really good for him.”
Cole struck out 7 and allowing 3 runs in 5 innings on the HUMID evening.
Gerrit Cole, Elevated 97mph ⛽️ pic.twitter.com/ySdhvDt3Ch
— Rob Friedman (@PitchingNinja) August 27, 2024
3. Yankee Defense Deserts them in 6th
The Yankee defense was dreadful in the 6th, leading to a run off Tim Mayza.
Dylan Crews reached 1st on a chopper in front of the plate that Jose Trevino threw away, allowing Crews to go to 2nd. Crews then stole 3rd, Trevino’s throw there in time but Jazz Chisholm Jr. missing the tag as Crews slid under it.
Joey Gallo then hit one to 1st that DJ LeMahieu misplayed, allowing Crews to score and make it Washington 4 NY 0.
Gallo then stole 2nd as Mayza was striking out Jacob Young — but Trevino’s throw went into centerfield as nobody was covering 2nd — Volpe and Gleyber Torres thinking the other guy was covering — allowing Gallo to go to 3rd. Mayza got a groundout to end the inning so Gleyber’s error didn’t hurt but added to the Yankee-infield-as-Benny-Hill inning.
That Yankees 6th inning defense deserves the Benny Hill music pic.twitter.com/H3Z33Evit7
— Frankie G (@FrankieG1998) August 28, 2024
4. Judge Hits Into DP with Bases Loaded, Nobody Out
The Yanks finally started cooking as soon as Corbin left. In the 7th, NY got a 1-out single by Anthony Volpe and a walk to pinch hitter Austin Wells (Trevino started against the lefty Corbin) — but Alex Verdugo hit into a double play.
In the top of the 8th, DJ LeMahieu reached on an infield single against reliever Jacob Barnes, Gleyber Torres singled, and Juan Soto reached on an error to load the bases with nobody out.
That brought up Aaron Judge.
Judge fouled off the 1st pitch then took 3 straight balls. He swung at a 3-1 cutter in the zone and hit a hard grounder to shortstop for a double play. A run scored and it was 4-1 Washington.
Washington then brought in their closer Kyle Finnegan, who got Giancarlo Stanton to pop out.
5. Close But No Cigar in 9th
The Yanks mounted a rally in the 9th against Finnegan.
Jazz Chisholm Jr.led off with a double, stole 3rd, and scored on an Anthony Volpe groundout to make it 4-2.
Austin Wells and Alex Verdugo then hit back-to-back singles and the Yanks were cooking with 1 out.
But DJ LeMahieu fouled out to the right-field corner for the 2nd out. Gleyber Torres worked the count 3-2 — another ball would bring up Juan Soto with the bases loaded in his old home. But Gleyber flied out to right for the old ballgame.
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