Fried Fries Royals & The Martian Delivers. NY 4 KC 2

April 16, 2025 paperbacklou 2025 0
Jasson "The Martian" Dominguez clears the bases with a 2-out, 3-RBI double.

Max Fried pitched another great game, this time into the 7th inning, Jasson Dominguez gave him the lead with a clutch 2-out, bases-clearing, 3-RBI double in the 6th inning, and the ballpen was spotless as the Yanks beat Kansas City 4-2 on a Tuesday night in the Bronx.

The Yanks were being shutout 2-0 by Michael Wacha until the 6th inning, when they rallied for all 4 runs — a leadoff single by Aaron Judge, and then 2-out walks by Jazz Chisholm Jr. and Anthony Volpe. That drove Wacha from the game, and reliever Angel Zerpa walked Austin Wells to force in a run and make it 2-1 KC.

The Martian then cleared the bases with a 2-out double to left —  his 3rd hit of the game — and it was batting from the right side, the side he was only 1 for 20 from entering the game.

Luke Weaver and Devin Williams did the rest — Devin allowing a LONG fly ball to the wall in right to start the 9th, then using his “air bender” to mow down the last 2 batters.

“I thought Fried was really good,” said manager Aaron Boone afterwards. “The ability to beat you in so many ways. I almost say it every time, but I’ll turn to Brad and be like — ‘Man I would not have liked to hit off this guy’. The fastball’s cutting; he can add to it. He can rip a 95 or 97 at times. Sinker’s really good.”

NY improves to 10-7 (a 95-win pace); Kansas City falls to 8-10.

1. Fried Fantastic

Max Fried was fantastic again for the Yanks — mowing the Royals down with his splendid assortment of curveballs, changups, 80-MPH sweeper, 91-94 MPH sinker, and his 91 to 97 MPH four-seam fastball.

In fact, said Suzyn Waldman on the broadcast, Fried disclosed that in high school they jokingly said his fastball was 85-to-95 MPH. These days it clocks in at 91-97 MPH — a great talent to have, added Waldman.

Fried made 2 mistakes — both in the 3rd inning: a 94-MPH four-seam fastball to MJ Melendez that he parked over the centerfield wall leading off the inning, and then a 2-out, RBI double to Bobby Witt Jr. off a 94-MPH four-seam fastball that plated Maikel Garcia who had gotten on with an infield hit.

After that he pitched shutout ball into the 7th — when he was relieved with 2 outs after walking his 2nd batter of the inning. Boone brought Luke Weaver in with NY up 4-2, and runners on 1st and 2nd.

Fried’s final line: 6.2 IP, 5 hits, 2 runs, 7 K’s, 2 walks. He wins to go 3-0 1.88.

2. Yanks Get to Wacha in 6th

Meanwhile Michael Wacha was “on” — and he was shutting down the Yanks with his wily assortment of pitches, getting lots of fly outs and groundouts with fastballs and changeups. The Yanks have been tormented by Wacha in the past when he is “on”, and also hit him hard when he is “off”.

Wacha had a shutout going into the bottom of the 6th, when Aaron Judge reached on an infield single — his 2nd hit of the game against Wacha.

But Wacha struck out Cody Bellinger and Paul Goldschmidt — so the Yanks were staring at another shutout inning.

But Jazz Chisholm Jr. worked a 2-out walk, giving NY some hope and 2 baserunners — and then Anthony Volpe worked a walk to load the bases.

KC brought in lefty Angel Zerpa — and he didn’t have it; he threw 4 straight balls to a patient Austin Wells — driving in a run and making it a 2-1 game, KC.

And then up stepped Jasson Dominguez, the rookie switch hitter batting from the right side — where he was 1-20 coming in. Jasson had gotten 2 hits already in the game — from the left side against Wacha.

The Martian ripped a 1-2, 96-MPH four-seam fastball to right — his swing so hard it came around and banged his batting helmet into his own face and off his head — as the bases cleared and NY had a 4-2 lead.

3. Boone’s Move to Replace Martian for Grisham Pays Off

And then — crazy — to start the 7th manager Aaron Boone replaced Jasson Dominguez in left field for a defensive switch, bringing in Trent Grisham to play center and moving Cody Bellinger to left. Dominguez who was 3-3 in the game and just gotten the big bases-clearing hit, and who has been making great catches in left.

Afterwards Boone explained it was due to Jasson losing a contact in one of his eyes — not when his helmet hit his head but when he was running.

The move paid off — as Fried walked the first batter of the 7th, and next batter MJ Melendez ripped a shot to deep center that Grisham made a splendid catch on. (Although Bellinger probably would have made the same catch.)

“I seen (the ball) afterwards, but I was running,” said The Martian afterwards about his helmet hitting his face.

4. Weaver Great

Luke Weaver came in for Fried with 2 outs and 2 on in the top of the 7th and got Maikel Garcia to ground out to end the threat.

He then faced the top of the Royals order in the 8th, and retired them in order — getting Bobby Witt Jr.to fly out, Vinny Pasquantino to lineout, and Salvador Perez to strike out swinging.

5. Devin for the “Air Bender” Save

The Yanks were unable to score against the Royals’ pen of Steven Cruz and Evan Sisk, and so it was to the 9th and Devin “Agita Save” Williams on the mound.

First batter Michael Massey hit a drive to right that Judge caught a foot from the wall. PHEW.

Devin then used his Air Bender to get Renfroe to hit a comebacker to him for out #2, and strike out MJ Melendez swinging for the old ballgame.

 

The Boxscore

https://www.espn.com/mlb/boxscore/_/gameId/401695157

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