Warren, Rice, & The Martian Make for Beautiful Day in Cold Rain. NY 8 SF 4

April 13, 2025 paperbacklou 2025 0
Ben Rice hits Laser Homer to right making it an 8-4 game in the 6th.

What a beautiful afternoon at Yankee Stadium!

Will Warren pitched 5 splendid innings, Jasson Dominguez aka The Martian got 2 hits including a clutch, 2-out, 2-RBI single to the opposite field, Ben Rice RIPPED a homer to right for an insurance run, and Devin Williams looked awesome in the 9th after allowing the first 2 runners on.

All resulting in an 8-4 Yankee victory over the Giants on a Cold (game-time temperature 41 degrees), windy (Suzyn Waldman said the ‘real temp’ was 20 degrees), damp, wet day with a light rain falling constantly throughout.

Not to mention the Yanks banged out 11 hits including 2 each by Aaron Judge, Cody Bellinger, Rice and Dominguez, and the bullpen setup men Luke Weaver and Mark Leiter Jr.were terrific.

What a beautiful day!

It’s a good thing they played!

“It was a really good offensive performance, up and down had a lot of good at bats,” said manager Aaron Boone afterwards.

On Warren, Boone said “Really excited for him. Just did a good job. Mixing his pitchers; for the most part dictating counts. A lot of ahead in the count. A lot of useful pitches throughout, even when he was ahead. A couple of situations where he had to make a pitch, he did. I thought the slider was good, a little more life to the sinker, and he did a good job of mixing the sinker with his 4-seamer too.”

NY improves to 8-6; the Giants fall to 10-4.

1. Judge, Bellinger, Goldy Score 2

The Yanks jumped on San Fran starter Jordan Hicks in the bottom of the 1st: Aaron Judge ripped a 1-out single to left, and Cody Bellinger tripled to left scoring Judge and it was 1-0 NY.

Paul Goldschmidt plated Bellinger with a sac fly to make it 2-0 NY.

2. Warren Terrific

It was a big test for Will Warren who got ripped in his previous start after looking good the first time thru the lineup.

He pitched a shutout top of the 1st — getting the first 2 batters while Suzyn Waldman on the radio was saying he looked good in his prior starts the 1st time thru the lineup — not a vote of confidence! And then Warren walked a man and here we go again. But he got Matt Chapman to lineout to Oswaldo Cabrera at 3rd to end the inning.

But he immediately coughed up the 2-run lead the Yanks got him in the bottom of the 1st by allowing a leadoff grounds-rule double to Ramos in the top of the 2nd, and then a 1-out, 2-run homer to former Met Wilmer Flores.

2-2 tie.

It was Flores’ NL-leading 6th homer of the year. He also leads in RBI’s with 19. The 6’3, 33-year-old Flores is in his 6th year with San Fran and is their DH.

After that however — Warren buckled down — retiring the next 10 in a row. He struck out the last 2 batters of the 2nd, pitched a 1-2-3 inning in the 3rd and 4th, and got the first 2 batters of the 5th before walking a batter, then struck out Mike Yastrzemski to end his day with 5 innings, 2 hits allowed, 6 K’s, and 2 walks.

3. The Martian Caps Off 5-Run 5th

And the Yankee offense got 5 runs for Warren in the bottom of the 5th to get him his first major league win.

The Yankee top of the lineup started the damage — with Ben Rice and Aaron Judge both singling to start the inning. Cody Bellinger singled in Rice to make it 3-2 NY.

Paul Goldschmidt hit a ground-rule double scoring Judge and it was 4-2 NY.

Jazz Chisholm Jr. walked to load the bases, and the Giants brought in hard-throwing right hander Randy Rodriguez, who intermixes a 97-MPH fastball with an 84-MPH slider.

Anthony Volpe — in a tough at bat — fouled off a 3-2 slider, then hit a 3-2 fastball deep to right for a sac fly — Chisholm hustling to 2nd with Goldschmidt going to 3rd.

Rodriguez struck out Austin Wells for the 2nd out, but Jasson Dominguez took a 97-MPH fastball for a ball, then ripped an 84-MPH slider to the opposite field for a Clutch, 2-out, 2-RBI single and it was 7-2 NY.

“Great baserunning by Jazz to get into scoring position on that sac fly,” noted former Yank Cameron Maybin on X. “That Hustle play just got Dominguez a 2out 2rbi steak.”

4. Weaver Saves Cruz

Fernando Cruz relieved Warren to start the 6th for NY — and got in trouble partially due to the Yankee defense. Cruz allowed a leadoff single to Willy Adames, but got centerfielder Jung Hoo Lee to hit a double-play grounder to 2nd. Jazz Chisholm Jr. however threw wide to Volpe at 2nd and everyone was safe.

Cruz then walked Matt Chapman and the bases were loaded with nobody out in a 7-2 game.

Cruz almost got out of it — getting Heliot Ramos to pop out and striking out 1st baseman LaMonte Wade Jr. But with 2 outs, Wilmer Flores singled in 2 runs and it was a 7-4 game with the tying run coming to the plate.

In came Luke Weaver — who struck out pinch hitter Sam Huff swinging to end the threat.

Weaver would pitch a shutout 7th with an 8-4 lead — allowing a 1-out walk and a 2-out double, but striking out Matt Chapman to end that threat.

5. Rice Ballistic Missile

Ben Rice RIPPED a MISSILE to right for an insurance homer in the bottom of the 6th that made it 8-4.

“Ben Rice is a monster in the batter’s box right now,” gushed former Yankee David Cone on X.

Cameron Maybin agreed: “No question in my mind anyone… Ben Rice is a big league hitter! he has made the jump! And please keep him in front of Aaron Judge, with his power and hit ability he’s going to feast.”

6. Leiter Does the Job

Mark Leiter Jr. pitched the 8th and he wasn’t perfect — hitting the leadoff batter with a pitch, and walking a batter with 2 outs, but he got Fitzgerald to fly out to end the threat and NY maintained their 8-4 lead.

7. Devin Air Bender

And so all eyes were on Devin Williams who came in to pitch the top of the 9th. Williams had almost blown a 4-0 lead in his prior relief appearance, against Detroit, where he had to be saved himself by Mark Leiter Jr. with 2 outs and runners on after coughing up 3 runs.

And again Williams looked out of sorts — walking Mike Yastrzemski to start the 9th, and then allowing a double to Willy Adams. Here we go again.

With Ian Hamilton and Ryan Yarbrough warming in the pen, and all of Yankee Universe watching the new Yankee relief ace with much concern — Devin Williams turned it around and started bending air — using the ‘air bender’ changeup he is known for:

  • He struck out Jung Hoo Lee on 3 straight “air bender” changeups, each one coming in at 85 MPH.
  • He went 2-0 on Matt Chapman, but then struck him out on 3 straight “air benders”.
  • And finally, he got Heliot Ramos to ground out to Chisholm at 2nd for the old ballgame.

The Boxscore

https://www.espn.com/mlb/boxscore/_/gameId/401695116

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