Eovaldi Scintillates. Devin Loses It. Texas 2 NY 0

Will Warren pitched 5 shutout innings with 5 strikeouts.

Devin Williams did it again — imploding in the 8th inning to lose the game for the Yankees by allowing 2 runs in the bottom of the 8th, as NY lost 2-0 in Texas on a Tuesday night.

But it wasn’t all his fault.

Jasson Dominguez failed to catch a line drive to left to begin the 8th inning and begin Devin’s slide (he walked the next 2 batters then allowed a 2-RBI single).

But it wasn’t all Jasson Dominguez‘s fault.

The real killer was former Yank Nathan Eovaldi who pitched a scintillating 1-hit shutout through 8 innings. Eovaldi has been lights-out all season, and is now 10-3 1.38.

Will Warren matched Eovaldi with 5 shutout innings, as did Camilo Doval and Luke Weaver with a shutout 6th and 7th. But baseball is an amazing sport that somehow finds your weakest link, and for the Yankees two of them are The Martian’s defense in left, and Devin’s confidence on the mound.

And maybe manager Aaron Boone too as some fans on Twitter were apoplectically perplexed that Boone left Devin in after allowing the double and 2 walks.

Boone’s Thoughts

“Liked him in the middle with a handful of those righties,” said manager Aaron Boone afterwards about bringing in Williams for the 8th. “I thought Devin could still get some swing and miss there,” added Boone when asked why he kept Williams in after he walked the bases loaded.

“He got a glove on it. Obviously it’s hit hard; it’s a tough play,” said Boone on the liner that The Martian couldn’t catch. “Felt like he didn’t get a great jump on it. Tough play over his head though.”

Devin’s Thoughts

“I don’t know what to say at this point,” said Devin Williams afterwards. “You just continue to work; continue to execute and help the team anyway I can.”

“I was trying to stay with my heater to Joc; I wasn’t really mad about that (walk), it set up the double play,” added Devin about the 2 walks. “What really hurt me was the walk to Langford.”

NY falls to 60-54 and are now hanging onto a wild card spot, a half game over Texas, 6.5 behind Toronto and 3.5 behind Boston. Texas improves to 60-55.

1. Warren Good

The good news for the Yankees is that Will Warren continues to throw down. He has become one of the Yankees’ most dependable starters. He is the 2nd best rookie pitcher in the American League this year (the leader is Noah Cameron of KC, who is 5-5 2.68; and #3 is Shane Smith of the White Sox, at 3-7 4.25)

He escaped trouble in every inning in this game — a 2-out double in the 1st, two leadoff walks in the 2nd, a leadoff double in the 3rd, a leadoff double in the 4th, and a 1-out walk in the 5th — but each time bore down and got outs for a shutout inning.

Warren matched Eovaldi zero for zero for 5 innings. His line: 5 IP, 3 hits, 0 runs, 5 K’s, 2 walks. He doesn’t get a decision of course but lowers his ERA. He is now 6-5 4.44 on the year.

2. Doval Good

Camilo Doval came in for the bottom of the 6th of the 0-0 game, and allowed consecutive leadoff singles — but got a double play and groundout to end the inning.

Good!

3. Weaver Good

Luke Weaver pitched the bottom of the 7th in the 0-0 game, and got a fly out to deep left center that Trent Grisham made a terrific catch on.

Weaver then got a strike out, before yielding a line-drive double down 3rd to Josh Smith.

But Weaver struck out Corey Seager to end the inning. Great!

4. Eovaldi Scintillating

But Nathan Eovaldi was simply scintillating all evening. Untouchable. Getting outs quickly and keeping a low pitch count.

Eovaldi retired the first 8 batters of the game before Anthony Volpe got him with a 2-out double in the 3rd.

He then retired the next 16 batters in a row. Lots of groundouts and some easy flyouts and 6 strikeouts, no walks.

5. Devin & The Martian Blow It in 8th

And so it was to the bottom of the 8th and Yankee fans on Twitter were restless as word came out that Devin Williams — who blew the save the night before — was warming in the pen. Someone posted a picture they took off the tv.

And indeed Williams took the mound to start the bottom of the 8th, and got Marcus Semien to ground out to start the inning. This wasn’t to be bad at all!

But next batter Adolis Garcia hit a catchable line drive to left that bounced off the glove of Jasson Dominguez. Runner on 2nd.

Devin then lost it — walking Joc Pederson (who had hit the HR off him the night before) on 4 pitches, and Wyatt Langford on 5 pitches.

Next came a 10-pitch duel with 1st baseman Rowdy Tellez — Tellez fouling off 4 straight 2-2 pitches — Devin could not quite put him away. Finally on pitch #10, a 3-2 changeup, Tellez ripped a single to center for 2 runs. Texas 2 NY 0.

Devin got catcher Johah Heim to ground out and was yanked for Mark Leiter Jr., who got a fly out for the final out.

6. Yanks Get Runner on in 9th

Texas finally took out Eovaldi after 8 innings of 1-hit shutout ball, and brought in their Ace reliever Phil Maton to pitch the top of the 9th.

Ryan McMahon led off with a single and here came the Yankees and Giancarlo Stanton!

But Giancarlo hit a sharp grounder to the hole at shortstop that Corey Seager made a terrific diving play on, turning it into a double play.

And then Maton struck out Trent Grisham for the old ballgame.

The Boxscore

https://www.espn.com/mlb/boxscore/_/gameId/401696613

 

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