Source: FanGraphs
And just like that, the 2014 season is over. The Yankee closed out the year with a 9-5 win over the Red Sox on what amounted to Yankees Appreciation Day at Fenway Park on Sunday afternoon. Let’s recap the final game of the season:
- Two Innings: The Yankees scored all nine of their runs in just two innings. They plated four in the third on Ichiro Suzuki’s two-run triple, Derek Jeter’s one-run infield single, and Mark Teixeira’s sac fly. Then, in the seventh, they scored five runs on Jose Pirela’s two-run double, John Ryan Murphy’s one-run single, Austin Romine’s one-run double, and Chase Headley’s one-run single. The Yankees went 11-for-16 (.688) with a three doubles, a triple, a walk and a sac fly in the fourth and seventh innings and 1-for-22 (.045) with a walk in all other innings.
- Large Michael: What a finish to the season for Michael Pineda. He held the BoSox to three singles and no walks in 6.1 innings while striking out ten. (He was charged with a run after Esmil Rogers made a mess in the seventh.) Pineda finishes the season with a 1.86 ERA (2.71 FIP) in 13 starts and 76.1 innings. The question at the end of the season is the same as the question coming into the season: will he stay healthy? At least now we know Big Mike is a force when he’s on the mound.
- Bullpen Schmullpen: As always, the Yankees are not allowed to have easy wins. Rogers replaced Pineda, allowed five of six batters to reach base, and was charged with four runs. Adam Warren allowed a two-run double to Mookie Betts to cap that rally off. Warren threw a perfect eighth and David Phelps threw a perfect ninth to end the season. Chris Young caught a routine fly ball for the final out.
- Leftovers: Jeter went 1-for-2 with the infield single and was lifted for a pinch-runner in the third. Here’s the video of his final at-bat and exit … Young and Pirela both had two hits apiece while Ichiro, Jeter, Murphy, Brett Gardner, Romine, and Headley had one each … the Yankees went 7-for-11 (.636) with runners in scoring position.
MLB.com has the box score and video highlights, FanGraphs some other stats, and ESPN the updated standings. The Yankees finished the season in second place in the AL East at 84-78 with a -31 run differential, 12 games back of the Orioles and one game up on the Blue Jays. Joe Girardi will hold his annual end-of-season press conference on Monday and then that’s it until the spring. Thanks for riding out the season with RAB. Should be an interesting winter.
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