Leiter Runs Out of Gas in Bottom of 11th. Cincinnati 5 NY 4

June 25, 2025 paperbacklou 2025 0

The Yanks blew a 3-0 lead in the 7th, and a 4-3 lead in the 11th as ultimately Mark Leiter Jr. ran out of gas in the 95-degree evening heat of a heat wave in Cincinnati on a Tuesday night.

Leiter had retired the Reds in the 10th — getting out of the inherited-runner-on-2nd situation, but by the 11th he was gassed in the heat, which hit over 100 during the day in the heat wave.

The Yanks had jumped on heralded rookie ace Chase Burns for 3 runs in the 4th on a homer by Ben Rice and 2-RBI triple by Anthony Volpe, and Carlos Rodon made that standup with a shutout through 6 innings.

But Rodon had to leave after 6 due to the heat, and Jonathan Loaisiga didn’t take to the weather at all — loading the bases in the 7th and allowing a bases-clearing triple to tie the game 3-3, then motioning to the dugout to take him out as he was zapped.

“Kind of a warrior’s effort there by Mark,” said manager Aaron Boone about Leiter, who had thrown 27 pitches the night before. “Just respect the hell out of him for taking the ball there in a really tough spot.”

NY falls to 45-34 and are now only 1 game ahead of Tampa in the AL East. Cincinnati improves to 42-38.

1. Rice & Volpe Get to the Heralded Burns

It was the Major League debut of Chase Burns, the highly regarded, 22-year-old, 6’2 righty known for his 100-MPH fastball and nasty slider and curveball. And he looked all of that in the top of the 1st — striking out the side to start the game — Trent Grisham, Ben Rice, and Aaron Judge.

Burns struck out the first 2 batters of the 2nd too — Cody Bellinger and Paul Goldschmidt — before Jazz Chisholm Jr. was able to hit the ball on him — and get a single to right. But Burns struck out Anthony Volpe to end the inning.

Burns pitched a 1-2-3 inning in the 3rd — 2 groundouts and a strike out — and it looked like it was going to be a long evening for NY.

But Ben Rice hit the first pitch of the 4th — an 89-MPH slider — for a 427-foot homerun to right and the Yanks were on the board. NY 1 Cincy 0.

Aaron Judge followed with a single to center, and after Bellinger flied out and Goldschmidt popped out — Jazz Chisholm Jr. came thru again with a single to right.

With 2 outs and 2 on, hit a first-pitch 88-MPH slider for a triple to center, scoring Judge and Chisholm — and making it 3-0 NY.

Burns pitched one more inning — the 5th — and after allowing a leadoff infield hit to Oswald Peraza — who stole 2nd — retired 3 in a row — strikeout, lineout, foul out — to end his first big-league outing.

2. Rodon Shutout thru 6

Meanwhile Carlos Rodon was outdueling Burns to less fanfare — throwing a shutout through 6 innings in the wiltering evening heat and humidity.

Rodon was helped by his infield defense, which turned a double play in the 2nd (Volpe unassisted to Goldschmidt), and in the 3rd (Chisholm to Peraza at 2nd to Goldschmidt).

Rodon was at 88 pitches thru 6 innings of 4-hit shutout ball, but the heat was wilting him and he didn’t go out for the 7th.

“Usually it’s a “I’m going back out” kind of thing,” said Rodon afterwards. “But I was huffin’ and puffin’ out there. I could tell — I was gassed. They had some good at bats and some long at bats, and it was just one of those games where the energy was coming out of me quick.”

3. Loaisiga Coughs Up Lead

Jonathan Loaisiga came out for the 7th and did not have a good day. He got a fly out to start the inning, but then yielded a walk and consecutive infield singles to load the bases with 1 out (the later to Jose Trevino).

Encarnacion-Strand then doubled down the line in left, clearing the bases and tying the game.

Loasiga motioned to the dugout for the trainer to come out, and the Yanks took him out of the game. This caused concern initially on the broadcast, as the fear was he was injured. But it was later revealed Loaisiga simply said he was spent due to the heat.

4. Cruz, Weaver, Devin Beat the Heat

With a runner on 2nd and still only 1 out in the 7th, Fernando Cruz came in and got consecutive groundouts to end the inning.

Luke Weaver pitched a shutout 8th — striking out 2 and allowing but a 2-out single.

And Devin Williams pitched a 1-2-3 inning in the 9th — to send the game to extras.

5. Chisholm Ejected in Bottom of 9th

Jazz Chisholm Jr. argued a call with the home plate ump in his at bat in the top of the 9th, after which he struck out looking.

As he took the field at 3rd base he was ejected. Afterwards Jazz explained he was muttering to himself about the at bat, then saw the umpire staring at him, and asked “Why are you looking at me?” which got him tossed.

6. Leiter Great in 10th; Falters in 11th

The Yanks weren’t able to score in the top of the 10th — Austin Wells popped up to start, and Jasson Dominguez lined out — before T Santillan walked Trent Grisham and Ben Rice to load the bases. But Aaron Judge popped out to end the inning.

Meanwhile Mark Leiter Jr. shut down the Reds in the bottom of the 10th — getting pop out, pop out, and ground out to strand the inherited runner.

The Yanks forged ahead in the 11th — when Cody Bellinger advanced the inherited runner (Aaron Judge) with a ground out and he scored on a wild pitch by C Phillips.

But in the bottom of the 11th, Mark Leiter Jr. looked spent — allowing a leadoff infield single to Elly De La Cruz, a single to Spencer Steer to tie the game, and after walking Lance Stephenson, allowing a game-winning RBI single to Gavin Lux for the old ballgame.

The Boxscore

https://www.espn.com/mlb/boxscore/_/gameId/401696087

Be the first to comment

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published.


*