Source: FanGraphs
Gosh, do the Yankees look like a completely different team or what? They overhauled their roster earlier this month, mostly by calling kids up from the minors, and the result is a fun and exciting team that has become must see television. The Yankees blew the Orioles out for the second straight day Saturday afternoon, this time by the score of 13-5. It’s Saturday, so let’s bullet point this recap:
- Constant Pressure: Unlike Friday night, when the Yankees took the lead thanks to one huge inning, they spread the offense out Saturday. They scored in six of eight offensive innings: one run in the first, three in the third, one in the fourth, four in the fifth, three in the sixth, and one in the eighth. The starting 4-9 hitters went a combined 14-for-26 (.535) with ten runs scored and ten runs driven in. That’ll do.
- Chad Struggles: Not a great outing for Chad Green. He threw a ton of breaking balls — PitchFX says he threw 34 sliders and 27 four-seam fastballs — even though it was clear early on he wasn’t locating it well. The O’s are a fastball hitting team and Green stuck with his slider. He allowed four runs on seven hits (three homers) and two walks in 4.2 innings, and it could have been worse had he not escaped a bases loaded jam in the first. Shake it off, Chad.
- All With Two Outs: The Yankees were down 2-1 heading into the third, and the first two batters of the inning made quick outs. It was looking like an easy 1-2-3 inning for Dylan Bundy, but New York responded with four straight two-out hits. Who are these people and what have they done with the Yankees? Starlin Castro singled in a run, Didi Gregorius stole home (!) when Matt Wieters threw to second on Castro’s steal attempt, and Brian McCann doubled in another run. Just like that, the 2-1 deficit became a 4-2 lead.
- Too Many Homers: Following that nice two-out rally in the third, the Yankees did some yard work the next few innings. Gary Sanchez went deep yet again, this time for a solo shot into the short porch in the fourth. In the fifth, both Castro and Aaron Hicks clubbed long two-run homers. Sanchez’s just barely cleared the wall. Castro and Hicks went way deep. The three homers stretched the lead to 9-4. That still didn’t feel very comfortable given Baltimore’s dinger prowess.
- All With No Outs: The Yankees officially turned the game into a laugher in the sixth inning. The first six batters they sent to the plate reached base. Two didn’t make contact (walk, hit-by-pitch) and one didn’t hit the ball out of the infield (infield single). McCann, Hicks, and Brett Gardner all singled in runs that inning. Baltimore pitchers needed 161 pitches to get the first 18 outs of the ballgame. What a job by the offense.
- Leftovers: Sanchez is the first player in the history of the universe to hit eleven home runs in his first 22 MLB games. Not even the most optimistic of Sanchez fans saw this coming … everyone in the starting lineup had a hit and eight of the nine starters reached base multiple times. Gardner was the only exception … Tommy Layne (one inning), Adam Warren (1.1 innings), Tyler Clippard (one inning), and Kirby Yates (one inning) closed the game out without making it interesting … the Yankees have scored 10+ runs in back-to-back games for the first time since last August … they’ve scored 5+ runs in five straight games for the first time since September 2013.
Here are the box score, video highlights, and updated standings. With the win, the Yankees are only 2.5 games back of the Orioles for the second wildcard spot with five weeks to play. Unfortunately the Tigers, Mariners, Royals, and Astros are right there with them. Anyway, don’t miss our Bullpen Workload and Announcer Standings pages. The Yankees will try to finish the sweep Sunday afternoon, when CC Sabathia gets the ball against Kevin Gausman. RAB Tickets can get you in the door if you want to catch that game before the Yankees head out on the road.
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