Soto! 2nd Straight Walkoff! Clay Holmes a Hero! NY 2 Boston 1 in 10 Innings

September 13, 2024 paperbacklou 2024 0

Juan Soto ripped a single to left center to score pinch-runner Jon Burdi from 2nd in the bottom of the 10th to give the Yankees their second straight walk-off win, this one over the Boston Red Sox, 2-1, on a beautiful Thursday night at Yankee Stadium amidst a playoff atmosphere.

The Yankee bullpen was heroic — pitching 5 shutout innings, after Nestor Cortes threw down 5 strong innings as the starter, striking out 9 and allowing just 1 run.

That heroic bullpen work included Tommy Kahnle, who pitched a shutout 9th and got the 1st out of the 10th, stranding the inherited runner on 2nd — and Clay Holmes, who got the next 2 outs of the 10th, stranding that runner on 2nd.

Bringing in Holmes was a gutsy and master move by manager Aaron Boone — trusting his former bullpen ace, in an effort to rebuild his confidence and get him back in swing for the playoffs.

“I thought our guys from Nestor on through the bullpen all threw the ball really well,” said manager Aaron Boone afterwards. “Made some good plays in the field, and obviously a big at bat there from Juan.”

NY improves to 85-62 and takes a 2-game lead in the AL East over Baltimore, which had the night off. Boston drops to 74-73.

1. Gleyber HR in 1st Puts Yanks Up

Gleyber Torres led off the bottom of the 1st with a 386-foot homer to right center off Boston starter Cooper Criswell and just like that NY was up 1-0.

2. Cortes Terrific

Meanwhile, Nestor Cortes was terrific — looking as sharp as he looked in the relief appearance last week, and in prior starts. His fastball had action to it, and he worked the zone.

Cortes pitched a 1-2-3 inning in the 1st, pitched around a 1-out Connor Wong double, and a 2-out walk to Danny Jansen in the 2nd, and threw down a 1-2-3 inning in the 3rd.

After getting the 1st out of the 4th, Cortes walked Tyler O’Neill and Connor Wong to put 2 runners on — but got help from Jazz Chisholm Jr., who fielded a shot to 3rd by Trevor Story and turned it into a double play.

Danny Jansen reached Cortes for a homer leading off the 5th, and Cortes allowed a single to next batter Wilyer Abreu — but just when it looked like Cortes might be tiring, he reared back for his spinach and retired the next 3 batters, striking out 2 including Rafael Devers to end the inning.

Cortes’s line: 5 IP, 3 H, 1 Run, 9 K’s, 3 walks. He doesn’t get a decision of course but lowers the ERA; he is now 9-10 3.90 on the year.

“I thought the fastball was really good today,” said Cortes afterwards. “Had a lot of life; was throwing hard. At times a little scattered but was able to make plays when I needed to.

3. Volpe Strands 8 Runners

The Yanks had many chances to break the game open against Criswell — but each time Anthony Volpe seemed to come up in a key 2-out situation, and made out.

In the 2nd, Giancarlo Stanton led off with a walk, and The Martian Jasson Dominguez ripped a 1-out single. But Anthony Rizzo flied out and Anthony Volpe grounded out.

In the 5th, Stanton singled with 1 out, Chisholm walked, and Anthony Rizzo was hit by a pitch with 2 outs to load the bases. But Anthony Volpe flied out to left on a 1-2 pitch.

In the 6th, Austin Wells led off with a single off Criswell, and after Stanton struck out, Boston brought in reliever Cam Booser. As Suzyn Waldman and Justin Shackil were waxing poetic about Booser’s back story — how he was a football player in college who broke his back and turned to baseball, spent a year working at a fast food restaurant or something like that, Chisholm greeted him with a single, and then Booser walked Jasson Dominguez and Rizzo to load the bases. That brought up Anthony Volpe with bases loaded and 2 outs again — and he lined out to left.

Volpe would go 0-4 on the day; his average is at .249.

4. Hamilton & Hill Hold the Fort

Meanwhile Ian Hamilton was back and in top form — using his 96-MPH sinker and 89-MPH slider mix to retire 5 straight batters in the 6th and 7th, striking out 3.

Hamilton handed off to Tim Hill, the tough sidearm lefty, who got 4 consecutive outs — the last out of the 7th and a 1-2-3 inning in the 8th.

5. Kahnle & Holmes Heroic

Tommy Kahnle pitched the top of the 9th, and ran into trouble — a 1-out double by O’Neill, and then a walk to Connor Wong.

With Yankee fans all over on edge, Kahnle got tough — striking out Trevor Story and getting Tristan Casas to hit a can of corn to center.

Kahnle stayed in for the top of the 10th, and with the inherited runner on 2nd base, got leadoff batter Wilyer Abreu to hit an easy fly to shallow left on the 1st pitch (a changeup) — stranding the inherited runner. HUGE out.

Then out came Aaron Boone and in came Clay Holmes and all of Yankee Universe took a deep breath (and there was cursing).

But Holmes threw 2 nasty pitches to Ceddanne Rafaela that he swung and missed on (a 97-MPH sinker and 83-MPH sweeper) before getting him to hit an easy ground out (on a sweeper) to Chisholm at 3rd — again stranding the runner.

Holmes then threw 2 nasty pitches to Jarren Duran for strikes (a 98-MPH sinker, and an 85-MPH sweeper that he swung and missed at), before getting him to hit an easy fly out to left off a sinker.

6. Soto Walks It Off

The Kahnle-Holmes heroics gave the Yanks a chance to win it in the bottom of the 10th, with the inherited runner on 2nd and Jon Burdi in as the pinch-runner.

And Juan Soto ripped a 2-2 pitch from Josh Winckowski just past the diving Trevor Story into left center — the throw home from Duran was late as Burdi scored for the old ballgame!

The Boxscore

https://www.espn.com/mlb/boxscore/_/gameId/401570661

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