Earlier this season, the Yankees lose this game. The bullpen doesn’t keep the other team down, the offense doesn’t muster anything late … we saw lots of that earlier this year. Now? Now the Yankees seem to win games like this on the regular. They found a way to win their fifth straight game Thursday night, this one a 5-4 victory over the Rays.
Old Man Sabathia
Right from the start of the game, CC Sabathia looked absolutely awful. There was no power behind his pitches and his location wasn’t good at all. It seemed like he was out there with nothing. He was going to have to really work for each out. Giving up solo home runs in the first (Kevin Kiermaier), second (Steven Souza), and third (Kiermaier again) innings wasn’t exactly unpredictable. Sabathia did not look good by any stretch.
The big man finished the game with those three runs allowed in four innings plus two batters. I thought sending him out to face the top of the lineup a third time in that fifth inning was a really dicey decision by Joe Girardi. I know none of the top relievers were available, but even a fresh mediocre reliever was a better option than a fatigued Sabathia throwing nothingballs. The three runs scored on seven hits and no walks.
According to PitchFX, Sabathia averaged only 88.5 mph with his sinker, down from his 90.7 mph season average and 90.2 mph in his last start. I don’t know if this was just one of those games or what. Hopefully that’s all it was. Sabathia looked really bad, like he might be pitching hurt, and that’s the last thing the Yankees need right now. Hopefully he comes out full throttle in five days.
Reverse Jinx
A few days ago I wrote about Brian McCann’s lack of power in the second half, so I’m going to take credit for his recent home run surge. McCann has now hit three homers in his last eleven plate appearances, including two in this game, after hitting two homers total in his first 37 second half games. Who should I reverse jinx next? I’m thinking Michael Pineda but am open to suggestions.
Before McCann’s two dingers, the Yankees scored two first inning runs against Alex Cobb on a series of singles and one mistake. Brett Gardner and Jacoby Ellsbury started the game with back-to-back bloops, and Didi Gregorius drove in the first run with a single to right. The second run scored when first baseman Brad Miller couldn’t handle Cobb’s pickoff throw, allowing Ellsbury to trot home from third.
The Rays took a 1-0 lead on Kiermaier’s first homer, the Yankees took a 2-1 lead after that bottom of the first, then the Rays tied things up 2-2 on Souza’s homer. McCann broke the tie in the second with a bomb of a solo home run. It landed in the suite deck in right field. It’s been a while since we’ve seen one hit there. After Kiermaier tied the game in the third, McCann untied it with a second deck homer in the fourth. The Yankees led 4-3 after four.
A Battle of the Bullpens
We all knew the bullpen was going to be shorthanded coming into this game. Well, shorthanded is a relative term. Rosters are currently expanded and the Yankees have 12 relievers in the bullpen, but Dellin Betances, Adam Warren, Tyler Clippard, and Luis Severino were not going to be available Thursday. The team’s four best relievers, basically. The other eight guys were going to have to hold down the fort.
With Sabathia bowing out of the game in the fourth, Girardi was going to have to dig deep into his bag of relievers. First out of the bullpen was Jonathan Holder, who stranded the two runners he inherited from Sabathia. Something amazing happened that fifth inning: Girardi got a balk call reversed. Holder was called for a balk when he moved his glove, allowing the tying run to score. Girardi convinced the umpires to talk it out, and they determined Holder was simply telling McCann to cycle through the signs again. The balk was overturned.
I can’t remember ever seeing a balk call reversed like that. The balk rule is so damn ambiguous. When stuff like that happens, you know the Yankees are living a charmed life. They’re getting every break, it seems. The balk reversal saved the Yankees a run, but Souza did tie the game was a monster home run in the sixth inning. It hit up the restaurant in Aaron Judge territory. After all of that, the game was tied 4-4 in the sixth.
Four relievers combined to get nine outs in the seventh, eighth, and nine innings. Chasen Shreve got one, Blake Parker got five, Kirby Yates got two, and Tommy Layne got one. Parker is slowing moving into the Circle of Trustâ„¢, isn’t he? He retired Evan Longoria and Souza as part of his outing. Tampa’s most dangerous hitter and a guy with two home runs on the night.
Five relievers, four of whom spent time in Triple-A earlier this season and another who was released by a division rival, combined to throw five innings of one-run ball after Sabathia exited the game. They allowed the run on five hits and walk while striking out five. Pretty? Nah. But give me this kind of performance from these dudes every day of the week. They held down the Rays long enough for Tyler Austin to do this:
Austin had a single earlier in the game and is now 6-for-12 with two doubles and two home runs in his last four games. That’s after a lengthy 5-for-37 (.135) slump that saw him on the bench more often than not. All three of Austin’s big league home runs have been opposite field shots at Yankee Stadium. He has right field pop and that’s going to serve him very well in this ballpark.
Leftovers
For only the second time in his 20 starts as a big leaguer, Judge did not strike out. He went 1-for-3 with a hard-hit single and was thrown out stealing second, though replays showed he may have been safe. The Yankees didn’t challenge though. Judge’s at-bats have been much better the last few days. He seems to be coming around. Hopefully it’ll be dinger time soon.
Gardner (two singles) and Ellsbury (single, walk) both reached base twice. Ellsbury drew a walk leading off the eighth inning and never tried to steal second. Well, that’s not true. He ran on the final pitch of the inning, which Starlin Castro swung through for strike three. That was annoying. The game was tied 4-4 in the eighth and Ellsbury didn’t budge. Argh. Those are the bases he was brought in to steal.
Gary Sanchez went 0-for-4 and is in a 6-for-35 (.171) slump. That was bound to happen. The slump has lowered his season batting line all the way down to .336/.410/.689 (188 wRC+). He’ll be fine. McCann had three hits total, it should be noted. Between the dingers and selling the umps on Holder not balking, it was a productive night for McCann.
Box Score, WPA Graph & Standings
Go to ESPN for the box score, MLB.com for the video highlights, and ESPN for the updated standings. The Yankees are now four games back in the AL East and two games back of the second wildcard spot. They haven’t been this close to a postseason spot since April 25th, 18 games into the season. Pretty awesome. Don’t miss our Bullpen Workload and Announcer Standings pages. Here’s the win probability graph:
Source: FanGraphs
Up Next
This series is only getting started. The Yankees and Rays will reconvene at Yankee Stadium on Friday night for the second game of this four-game set. Pineda and rookie Blake Snell are the scheduled starters. RAB Tickets can get you in the door for any of the 12 home games left this season.
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