Pitching, Defense, & a 4-Run Inning. NY 4 Philadelphia 3

Ryan McMahon with leaping catch of a liner in the 4th.

The Yankees put 4 runs on the board against Zack Wheeler in the 2nd inning — and Carlos Rodon and the Yankee bullpen of Jonathan Loaisiga, Luke Weaver, Tim Hill, and Devin Williams made it stand up in a 4-3 NY win at the Stadium on a cloudy, HUMID, MUGGY, 90-degree Sunday afternoon — the threat of thunderstorms throughout.

NY’s pitchers were helped by splendid Yankee defense — especially by new 3rd baseman Ryan McMahon, and Cody Bellinger in right field.

McMahon also got the biggest hit of the 4-run 2nd inning — a single to left that plated 2 runs and tied the game 2-2.

“Offense swung the bats there in the 2nd inning,” said Carlos Rodon afterwards. “Answered back for me after the 2 solo shots. Obviously we all know how good Wheeler is — pretty impressive for us to put up 4 runs against him. The bullpen came in and shut down the game and we came out with the win. Defensively we were great, once again. So it was a good game.”

NY improves to 57-48 and pulls to within 5.5 of Toronto, and stays 1 game ahead of Boston. Philly drops to 60-45.

1. McMahon Leads 4-Run 2nd Inning

Carlos Rodon started strong with a 1-2-3 inning in the 1st, but coughed up solo HR’s to Nick Castellanos and light-hitting Otto Kemp in the top of the 2nd and so the Yanks were down 2-0 to Zack Wheeler, who came in with a 9-3 2.39 record. And with NY having been ripped 12-5 and 9-4 in the first 2 games of the series, dropping them 6.5 behind Toronto for 1st — things weren’t looking good.

But Giancarlo Stanton led off the bottom of the 2nd by ripping a single to right, and Wheeler nicked Jazz Chisholm Jr. in the foot with a sweeper, then nicked Jasson Dominguez with a cutter inside and the Yanks had the bases loaded with nobody out.

Next batter Ryan McMahon — playing in his 2nd game as a Yankee — ripped a double just fair past 1st and down the right field line for 2 runs and a 2-2 tie.

Wheeler struck out Anthony Volpe, but Austin Wells came through with a clutch sac fly to medium left — helped by the speed of The Martian who raced home.

And then Trent Grisham got Another clutch hit — something he regularly does — with a 2-out single through the right side of the infield for a 4-2 Yankee lead.

2. Realmuto Robs Yanks of a 5th Run in the 3rd

Cody Bellinger led off the 3rd with a triple to right off Wheeler. Big G struck out but Jazz Chisholm Jr. ripped a line drive to center for an apparent sac fly — but Johan Rojas made a strong throw and J.T. Realmuto leaped up and caught it and applied the tag in one motion for a double play.

3. Rodon Hangs Tough — Helped by McMahon & Belli

After allowing the 2 solo HR’s in the 2nd, Rodon got back to business with a 1-2-3 inning in the 3rd and the 4th, striking out 4.

Rodon was helped by a nifty leap and snare of a liner by Ryan McMahon in the 4th for the 1st out.

But in the 5th, Otto Kemp got to him again with a solo HR leading off the inning, making it 4-3.

Shortstop Edmundo Sosa then reached on an infield single and Rodon walked 2nd baseman Weston Wilson on a 3-2 pitch — putting runners on 1st and 2nd with nobody out.

But Rodon hung tough — striking out centerfielder Johan Rojas — and then got some help from his friends: Trea Turner hit a sharp bouncer towards the hole at shortstop by Ryan McMahon was there to make a splendid play on it.

The Out of the Game

And then Kyle Schwarber hit one High and Deep to right — but Cody Bellinger — looking up — tracked it down by the right centerfield wall. PHEW.

4. Loaisiga Good

Rodon got the first out of the 6th before being relieved at 90 pitches by Jonathan Loaisiga — with Nick Castellanos and Otto Kemp — who had hit the HR’s off Rodon in the 2nd — both due up.

Loaisiga got Castellanos to ground out, allowed a single to J.T. Realmuto, but then struck out Otto Kemp to end the 6th — NY clinging to the 4-3 lead.

5. Weaver Great

And Luke Weaver kept it right there at 4-3 by pitching a 1-2-3 inning in the 7th — strikeout, fly out to deep right that Bellinger caught near the wall, and fly out to Grisham in medium center — against the back end of the Philly lineup.

6. Hill Great

Tim Hill was brought in for the 8th to face the top of the Philly lineup which includes lefties Kyle Schwarber and Bryce Harper.

Hill got righty Trea Turner to fly out to Bellinger in the right, got Schwarber to line out to Bellinger in right, and then got Harper to ground out to Anthony Volpe at shortstop.

7. Devin Great

And then to the 9th with the Yankees still CLINGING to the 4-3 lead. And Devin Williams did not disappoint: striking out Castellanos on 3 pitches, getting Realmuto to fly to center on the 3rd pitch, and striking out Otto Kemp on a 3-2 changeup for the old ballgame.

The Boxscore

https://www.espn.com/mlb/boxscore/_/gameId/401696487

 

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