Ump Edwin Moscoso Robs Yanks. Tampa 5 NY 4

July 12, 2024 paperbacklou 2024 0

They say if the ump is doing a good job, you should never know his name.

Edwin Moscoso was the home plate ump in this game.

He called a 3-0 pitch to Jose Trevino that was way high a strike instead of ball 4 in the 8th inning, that would have put bases loaded, 1 out. Instead, Trevino took a strike, and then a pitch low for ball 4 — called a strike also by Moscoso — and Trevino struck out.

With 2 outs, Anthony Volpe walked to load the bases, but Trent Grisham flied out to end the threat.

The Yanks rallied for a run in the 9th, and had tying run on 3rd with 2 outs, when Gleyber Torres‘ pop fly into no-man’s land in center was just caught by a tremendous over-the-shoulder catch by Jose Caballero.

Tampa 5 Yankees 4 on a Thursday night under the Tropicana Field dome.

Trevino was pinch hitting for Austin Wells, who was 2-3 with a homer on the evening. When asked about pinch hitting for Wells, manager Aaron Boone said, “I liked the ball 5 that Trevi ends up taking that ended up being strike 3.”

“Obviously a big call in that spot,” added Boone later. “Trevi put in a good at bat; was real patient. Unfortunate.”

NY falls to 56-39, but remain only 2 games back of Baltimore, which also lost. The Yanks were ‘this close’ to pulling back with within a game of 1st place. Tampa improves to 46-47.

1. Yanks Waste Rally in 1st

Alex Verdugo led off the game with a single, and Juan Soto doubled to put Yanks on 2nd and 3rd with nobody out against Shane Baz — who looks like a right-handed Jerry Reuss.

But Baz got Aaron Judge to fly out to medium right field, not deep enough to score the run, and then struck out Ben Rice and Gleyber Torres to get out of the inning.

2. Cortes Allows 5 Runs

With the Yanks having wasted a chance to put runs on the board in the top of the 1st, Nestor Cortes took the mound in the bottom of the 1st and immediately coughed up a bomb to Yandy Diaz, that Trent Grisham badly misjudged in centerfield — the ball falling 20 feet behind him — if you can believe that story.

The Rays felt the ball hit a scaffolding on the roof and should have been a homerun. They challenged but lost the challenge.

Next batter Randy Arozarena smoked one just into the left field seats and as he circled the bases made the homerun call by twirling his pointer finger on his right hand.

Two batters and 2 runs — at least Cortes was making Carlos Rodon feel better about his outing of the other day.

Cortes returned the favor of stranding a runner on 3rd when in the 2nd inning, Jose Siri led off with a double, started doing the moon dance at 2nd, before stealing 3rd, where he was dancing and prancing threatening to steal home — but Cortes struck out the next 2 batters and got a pop out to end the inning and strand Siri on 3rd.

But Cortes got hit for 3 more runs in the 3rd after the Yanks had tied the score 2-2 on homers by Austin Wells and Juan Soto.

Cortes Coughs Up 3 in the 3rd

Cortes allowed a leadoff double to Yandy Diaz again (this one a grounds-rule double down the left-field line), a 1-out RBI single to Brandon Lowe to make it 3-2, a walk to Isaac Paredes, and then a line shot just fair down 3rd by Amed Rosario for a 4-2 Tampa lead. A sac fly by Jose Siri made it 5-2.

Cortes settled down to pitch a 1-2-3 inning in the 4th, but ran into more trouble in the 5th — a single, walk, and hit-by-pitch loaded the bases with 1 out and Cortes was yanked at 97 pitches.

Tonkin Saves Cortes

Michael Tonkin came in and saved the day — inducing Jose Siri to ground into a double play on the 2nd pitch to end the inning.

3. Wells Homers

Meanwhile Austin Wells continues to heat up. He ripped a homer to right leading off the 2nd to make it a 2-1 game at the time.

4. Soto Homer Ties It 2-2

And Juan Soto continues to hit despite nursing a slightly sprained wrist he incurred sliding into home plate over a week ago. Soto launched a 425-foot homer to center in the 3rd to tie the game 2-2 at the time.

5. Rice Sac Fly Makes It 5-3 in 5th

The Yanks loaded the bases with 1 out in the 5th — a leadoff single by Oswaldo Cabrera, strikeout of Alex Verdugo, but walk to Juan Soto sent Maz to the showers; then Kevin Kelly came in and walked Aaron Judge.

Ben Rice hit a sac fly to right to make it a 5-3 game. Gleyber Torres ended the inning by lining out.

6. Tonkin Terrific

After Tonkin came in and got the double play to end the bases-loaded threat in the 5th, he pitched a shutout 6th — allowing a 1-out double but striking out the last 2 batters of the inning.

7. Cousins & Caleb Good

NFL star Kirk Cousins’ cousin Jake Cousins pitched great again — a shutout 7th, striking out 3 batters sandwiching a single.

Caleb Ferguson pitched a shutout bottom of the 8th — a 1-2-3 inning.

8. Ump Moscoso Kills Yank Rally in 8th

In the top of the 8th, Ben Rice worked a 1-out walk, and Gleyber Torres singled.

Austin Wells — who was 2-3 on the night with a homer, was due up — but Boone pinch hit Trevino the righty against lefty pitcher Colin Poche.

The count went 3-0 on Trevino and he took ball 4 way high for the walk — but ump Moscoso called it a strike. Next pitch was a strike down the middle, and next pitch was low — Trevino took it for ball 4 — but again Moscoso called it a strike and Trevino struck out. The Yankee dugout was howling. Pitching coach Matt Blake was screaming at Moscoso.

On Twitter, Carlos Rodon‘s wife Ashley joined the fray.

Anthony Volpe then walked to load the bases, but Trent Grisham flied out to end the threat.

Moscoso Has History with Yanks

Moscoso has a history with the Yanks. It was Moscoso who tossed Boone in May of last year, in one of the most animated of Boone’s many animated disagreements.

Moscoso also called Domingo German‘s perfect game a month later in June 2023.

9. Rice Big Hit in 9th; Rally Falls Short

Oswaldo Cabrera again started a rally in the 9th — leading off with a walk against Tampa ace reliever Pete Fairbanks. Alex Verdugo grounded out but Juan Soto walked.

Aaron Judge fouled out to 1st for the 2nd out — but Ben Rice ripped a shot to right for an RBI single making it 5-4 Tampa, and putting runners on 1st and 3rd.

Gleyber Torres hit a popup between 2nd and center that looked like it might drop in to no-man’s land — but Caballero made the terrific over-the-shoulder catch for the old ballgame.

The Boxscore

https://www.espn.com/mlb/boxscore/_/gameId/401569874

 

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