The Yankees lost in heart wrenching, incredible fashion — pulling a loss out of the teeth of victory — as they were 1 strike away from a 3-1 win, but Clay Holmes coughed up a 2-run homer to a non-homer hitter — Masataka Yoshida — to tie the game and Tommy Kahnle coughed up a 2-run homer to Ceddanne Rafaela in the 10th for the Boston win.
The Yanks looked like they might rally in the bottom of the 10th with a leadoff single by Juan Soto — but then made out 1-2-3 for the collapsomatic loss. On a hot, humid, thunderstormed Friday night in the Bronx.
The Yankee overall collapse continues — losers of 4 in a row, 8 of 10, and 15 of their last 20.
Earlier, in the 3rd inning, Anthony Volpe pulled an Aesop’s Fable “Tortoise and the Hare” play — as he stopped running hard a few feet from home plate while he watched DJ LeMahieu get tagged on the bases for the final out — costing the Yanks a run as Volpe didn’t cross in time.
The bonehead play and pitching gaffes ruined a tremendous start from Nestor Cortes, who shut down the Red Sox for 6 innings, and a brilliant 2-inning relief appearance by Luke Weaver.
“I’ve never been part of a World Series team,” said Nestor Cortes afterwards. “But I’m sure along the lines they’ve been through stretches like this. It’s not time to panic; it’s time to trust each other; trust what we have in here, and keep going.”
NY falls to 54-36, and 3 games behind Baltimore. Boston, winners of 5 in a row, improves to 48-39.
1. Cortes Tremendous
The good news — Nestor Cortes was tremendous again — 6 strong innings of 3-hit baseball, striking out 8 and walking 1 — in the big game in the humid heat.
He was helped by a tremendous catch by Juan Soto for the last out of the top of the 1st inning (pictured above), and rolled.
Cortes made one mistake — a solo homer to Romy Gonzalez in the 5th to make it a 3-1 game — but was otherwise dominant, in complete control.
Nestor Cortes, 78mph Wipeout Sweeper. ? pic.twitter.com/xx9lZjjjD5
— Rob Friedman (@PitchingNinja) July 5, 2024
Cortes left after 6 innings and 97 pitches. He was in line for the win. He doesn’t get it and stays 4-7 but lowers his ERA to 3.41.
2. Volpe Blunder Costs Yanks a Run in 3rd
The Yanks were up against Tanner Houck, a tough pitcher who came in with a 7-6 2.67 slash line.
Rain Delay After Top of 3rd
Houck pitched a 1-2-3 inning in the 1st and 2nd innings, and then the game was delayed after the top of the 3rd for 45 minutes due to a torrential thunderstorm.
Like the Hare in Aesop’s Fable
Play resumed in the top of the 3rd, and in the bottom of the inning Anthony Volpe got to Houck with a single leading off. Trent Grisham worked a walk to put runners on 1st and 2nd.
DJ LeMahieu hit (another) grounder for a force out at 2nd, putting runners on 1st and 3rd and 1 out — LeMahieu on 1st.
Ben Rice then hit a ground ball to 1st — just fair — and 1st baseman Romy Gonzalez fielded, stepped on the bag and threw to 2nd for the tag play on LeMahieu running the bases.
Volpe — running home — slowed down to watch the play a few feet from home plate — then scored just after LeMahieu was tagged out so the run did not count!
Afterwards, Volpe said he thought it was a foul ball.
Anthony Volpe took his time so he didn’t touch home before DJ LeMahieu was tagged out pic.twitter.com/ho3gfmV9KK
— Talkin’ Yanks (@TalkinYanks) July 6, 2024
3. Yanks Gifted 3 Runs in 4th
The Red Sox gifted the Yanks 3 runs in the bottom of the 4th. Houck walked Juan Soto and Aaron Judge to lead off the inning but they were held in place on an Alex Verdugo flyout to left.
Gleyber Reaches But Goes Out with Groin Pull
Gleyber Torres then reached on infield single, loading the bases with 1 out. Gleyber left the game with a groin pull and Oswaldo Cabrera came in to run for him.
Austin Wells then grounded into a fielder’s choice but an error by 2nd baseman Enmanuel Valdez allowed all runners to be safe and a run to score. NY 1 Boston 0.
The Yankees get on the board first after an error pic.twitter.com/4ZExHyhBXK
— Yankees Videos (@snyyankees) July 6, 2024
Houck then walked Anthony Volpe to force in a run. NY 2 Boston 0.
Houck was relieved by Bailey Horn — and Trent Grisham grounded out for another run. NY 3 Boston 0.
4. Yanks Shut Down by Bosox Pen
And those were the only 3 runs the Yankees scored in the game — as Horn pitched 2.2 shutout innings, Cam Booser followed with 2 shutout innings, Justin Slaten pitched a shutout top of the 9th, and Kenley Jansen got the save.
5. Weaver Brilliant
Luke Weaver pitched a 1-2-3 inning in the 7th, including a tremendous defensive play for the 2nd out of the inning — diving on a dribbler and throwing a bullet to 1st for the out.
Smooth Operator ? pic.twitter.com/5lt5fUv0ry
— New York Yankees (@Yankees) July 6, 2024
But in the 8th Weaver got into a jam not of his own making. He allowed an infield single to Valdez to lead off, and then Austin Wells made an error on a Ceddanne Rafaela nibbler — throwing to 2nd but just low and Oswaldo Cabrera could not come up with the throw.
With runners on 1st and 2nd and nobody out in a 3-1 game, Weaver was all of a sudden on the ropes. Worse — the fleet-footed, havoc-creating David Hamilton came in to run for Valdez at 2nd.
Weaver reared back and struck out Jalen Duran for the 1st out, but then tried to pick Hamilton off 2nd and threw the ball away allowing the runners to move up to 2nd and 3rd with 1 out.
But Weaver got tough — striking out pinch hitter Wilyer Abreu and getting leftfielder Tyler O’Neill to ground out — PHEW. The Yanks had a 3-1 lead heading to the 9th.
Luke Weaver works out of it! pic.twitter.com/f1JKW8juaj
— Yankees Videos (@snyyankees) July 6, 2024
6. Holmes Coughs Up the Save
And so it was to the 9th with Clay Holmes on the mound — Clay who was filthy in pitching a meaningless shutout inning the day before.
He got Rafael Devers and Connor Wong to ground out for the first 2 outs. Nobody on. A victory at hand.
But Smith singled to right.
Holmes went 0-2 on Yoshida, then threw 3 straight balls to go 3-2. Yoshhida fouled off 2 sinkers then hit a 96-MPH sinker for a game-tying homer to right.
MR. CLUTCH!! pic.twitter.com/fT6OLKMY0H
— Red Sox (@RedSox) July 6, 2024
7. Kahnle Coughs Up HR in 10th
Holmes got the final out of the 10th too little too late, and the Yanks went out 1-2-3 in the bottom of the 9th.
Tommy Kahnle pitched the 10th and allowed a leadoff homer to Ceddanne Rafaela on the 2nd pitch of the inning — scoring the inherited runner as well to make it 5-3 Boston.
THE KID IN THE CLUTCH. pic.twitter.com/UIXJI4TQwf
— Red Sox (@RedSox) July 6, 2024
8. Yanks Blow Rally in 10th
Juan Soto led off the bottom of the 10th with a single off Kenley Jansen — putting runners on 1st and 3rd with nobody out.
But Aaron Judge fouled out, Alex Verdugo popped out to 1st, and Oswaldo Cabrera grounded out to 1st for the old ballgame.
Etcetera
Some good news besides the great pitching by Cortes and Weaver:
- Austin Wells went 2-4 to raise his average to .221 (.316 OBP).
- Anthony Volpe went 1-3 with a walk raising his average to .254 (.309 OBP).
- Ben Rice went 1-4 with a walk in the leadoff spot. He’s at .261 (.364 OBP).
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