Yanks Blow Stroman’s Brilliant Performance. Seattle 5 NY 4

May 21, 2024 paperbacklou 2024 0

Marcus Stroman pitched a 2-hit shutout into the 8th inning, and left leading 4-1 after allowing a solo homer. But Clay Holmes and the Yankees coughed up his brilliant performance, as Seattle scored 4 runs in the 9th on soft-contact, seeing-eye hits and some walks in winning 5-4 at Yankee Stadium on a beautiful, warm Monday night.

The Yankees also squandered many scoring opportunities, hitting into 3 double plays, leaving 9 other men on base, and having 2 runners thrown out at 2nd in the late innings — both called safe at first and then ruled out after a challenge.

“That’s baseball,” said manager Aaron Boone afterwards about Holmes’ performance. “I thought he threw the ball well again. Just didn’t bounce our way that inning. He was on the attack; a couple of swinging bunts on him, a bloop, and then they put together some good at bats to finish off a big rally. It’s one of those things that happen every now and then.”

The loss ends the Yankees’ 7-game winning streak. They fall to 33-16 but remain 2 games ahead of Baltimore in 1st place. Seattle improves to 26-22.

1. Stroman Brilliant

The Yankee starters continue to match or one-up each other in a season just like 1998It’s Deja Vu All Over Again — 2024 Yankees Feel Like 1998 Yankees — and Stroman made it 8 straight games were Yankee starters ‘threw down’.

Stroman had it going from the start, using his sinker, and slider, and slurve, and splitter, and cutter to cut up the Mariners.

Stroman had moxie on the mound and was sporting a black glove — versus the light green one of the prior start and the light blue one in the start before that.

“It was fun to watch,” said Boone about Stroman. “That’s probably as good as he has been. He was dealing. Had it all going. Was working quick and had a little bit of everything to kind of cut ’em up with. Obviously a really strong outing by Stro.”

2. Verdugo 2-RBI Double in 1st Makes It 2-0 Yanks

The Yanks were up against Seattle ace Logan Gilbert, and they got going right away against the 6’6 righthander — Anthony Volpe leading off the bottom of the 1st with a hit-by-pitch, Juan Soto grounding into a fielder’s choice, Aaron Judge hitting a 1-out double, and Alex Verdugo driving Soto and Judge home with a double.

3. Verdugo RBI Single in 5th Makes It 3-0 Yanks

Gilbert settled down a bit — pitching a 1-2-3 inning in the 2nd — but got in trouble in the 3rd: leadoff singles by Giancarlo Stanton and Anthony Rizzo and a 1-out walk by Jose Trevino loaded the bases, unfortunately for the Yanks Jon Berti hit into a double play to end the inning.

The Yankees got to Gilbert again in the 5th: Juan Soto and Aaron Judge ripped consecutive 1-out singles, and Alex Verdugo singled in Soto.

4. Yanks Waste Opportunities

The Yanks were set up for more in the 5th after Verdugo’s RBI double,  with 1st and 3rd, 1 out — but Jon Berti hit into a double play to end the inning.

Leading 3-0 in the 7th, the Yanks were aggressive in trying to add to their lead — Anthony Volpe led off by beating out an infield grounder for a single, then stole 2nd off reliever Kirby Snead. But Seattle challenged the play and umps ruled Volpe was out.

Snead then walked Juan Soto and Aaron Judge, and Verdugo singled to center to load the bases with 1 out. Seattle yanked Snead for Eduard Bazardo — and he got Giancarlo Stanton to hit into — guess what? — another inning-ending double play with bases loaded — the 2nd for the Yanks in the game (the other DP coming with 1st and 3rd).

5. Berti Insurance RBI Single in 8th

The Yankees did get an insurance run in the bottom of the 8th: with NY leading 3-1, Gleyber Torres worked a 1-out walk, moved to 2nd on a groundout, and scored when Jon Berti got a clutch, 2-out RBI single.

The Yanks were again aggressive in trying to build their lead — Jon Berti stole 2nd. But again Seattle challenged, and again Seattle won the challenge — umps ruling Berti was out.

6. Holmes Blows Save on Soft Contact

And so it was 4-1 NY going to the top of the 9th. Easy victory upcoming as Clay Holmes got the 1st batter to ground out. Holmes who was pitching to a 0.00 ERA this year and leading MLB in saves.

But you knew all those missed Yankee scoring opportunities would come back to haunt because “that’s baseball Suzyn” and sure enough:

  • Centerfielder Julio Rodriquez reached on a soft grounder to no-man’s land between Holmes and 3rd base;
  • After falling behind 1-2, catcher Cal Raleigh worked a 7-pitch walk, not swinging at some meant-to-be down-and-out sliders, and Holmes 3-2 pitch ‘just missing’ high;
  • Leftfielder Luke Raley reached on a slow roller grounder to 2nd, with Gleyber Torres throwing the ball away trying to get him at 1st — Rizzo not doing a good job either of picking the one-bouncer. It allowed a run to score to make it 4-2 and the runners moved up to 2nd and 3rd with only 1 out still;
  • Rightfielder Mitch Haniger hit a popup to centerfield that fell for a single, scoring a run to make it 4-3 NY;
  • Shortstop Dylan Moore fell behind 0-2, then worked a walk — Holmes’s 1-2 pitch and 3-2 pitch “just missing”;
  • Pinchhitter Dominic Canzone hit an 0-1 slider HIGH AND DEEP to right — it looked like a Grand Slam off the bat but was a sac fly before the warning track for a tie game — 4-4; and
  • 1st baseman Ty France singled through the hole by 2nd base for a 5-4 Seattle lead.

Caleb Ferguson relieved Holmes and got the final out of the inning.

7. Munoz Shuts Door on Yanks

Seattle’s ace reliever Andres Munoz came in for the bottom of the 9th. He averages 99 MPH with an 87-MPH slider that looks just like his fastball coming in, and has a 1.77 ERA with 28 K’s in 20 innings with only 12 hits allowed.

Munoz struck out Volpe on 3 pitches — but Juan Soto laced a single to opposite field left.

Munoz then threw 3 straight 87-MPH sliders to Aaron Judge, he swung and missed at 2 — before getting Judge looking with a 100 MPH fastball down the pike.

With Soto the tying run at 1st, Verdugo fouled off a 100-MPH fastball, took two sliders for balls, fouled off an 87-MPH slider, and then hit a 100-MPH fastball for a groundout and the old ballgame.

Etcetera

  • Judge went 2-4 with a walk and reached on an error; he is now batting .271 (.406 OBP).
  • Volpe’s infield single extended his batting streak to 13 straight — he is now batting .269 (.343 OBP).
  • Juan Soto went 2-4 with a walk and is now batting .316 (.415 OBP).

The Boxscore

https://www.espn.com/mlb/boxscore/_/gameId/401569189

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