
Psychologically, it can be much bigger than that. Especially when you had a 15-game lead that could be cut in half. Especially when you have lost 11 for your last 13 games. Especially when you look as terrible as the Yankees (73-45) have looked lately.
If the Yankees get back on track and start playing better baseball, last night’s 8-7 win may be looked at as the defining moment of their season, for there was nothing indicating that a miracle win was going to happen.
But Josh Donaldson’s walk-off grand slam in the bottom of the 10th gave the Yankees a much-needed victory.
Before the game, the Yankees sent Miguel Andujar and Tim Locastro down to AAA and brought up Estevan Florial (who made a nice shoestring catch in this game) and Oswaldo Cabrera. They also put Clay Holmes on the injured list and brought back Ron Marinaccio.
The Yanks fell behind 4-0, and with the team only scoring 9 runs in their last 7 games, it felt like 400-0.
A walk and a one-out double gave Tampa Bay a run in the third inning. With one out in the fifth, Yankees’ starter Domingo German gave up a double, single and 2-run double to make it 3-0.
Lucas Luetge gave up a HR in the top of the sixth, and it was 4-0 Rays. The way the Yanks have played lately, it didn’t look good.
Gleyber Torres hit a 2-run HR (17) in the bottom of the sixth to cut Tampa Bay’s lead to 4-2. But in the seventh, he made a mistake that I thought would be fatal.
In the seventh, shortly after a one-hour rain delay, Jose Trevino led off with a single. D.J. LeMahieu PH for Florial and singled. After Isiah Kiner-Falefa lined out, Andrew Benintendi walked to load the bases. The Rays then made a pitching change and Aaron Judge walked on four pitches to force in a run. 4-3. Then Torres did something that makes you mad. Right after seeing a guy walk on four pitches, did Torres take a strike? Make the pitcher throw strikes? No. He swung at the first pitch and GIDP. Inexcusable. The previous guy walked on four pitches. You have to make that pitcher PROVE he can throw strikes. At that point, I thought Torres may have blown the game for the Yankees.
But Anthony Rizzo tied the game in the bottom of the eighth with his 28th HR of the year and the game eventually went into extra innings.
In the top of the tenth, Tampa Bay started with that ghost runner I hate. After Scott Effross got an out, he was replaced by Aroldis Chapman, and the Chapman that came in was bad, wild Chapman. Two walks loaded the bases as Chapman was all over the place. He recovered with a strikeout, then got an 0-2 count on the next hitter. One strike away from getting out of the inning, Chapman gave up a bases-clearing double and the Rays were up 7-4. The way the Yanks were playing lately, losing 11 of 13, you figured game over.
But no. Aaron Judge was the ghost runner for the Yankees in the bottom of the tenth. Torres singled Judge to third. Rizzo walked to load the bases. Donaldson then hit a grand slam (12) to win the game, 8-7. Going into the game, Donaldson was hitting something like .167 at Yankee Stadium and .266 on the road. Who’d have thought?
It’s the biggest win the Yanks have had all year so far. They needed that win BADLY.
Torres 2 hits, 2-run HR (17)
Rizzo solo HR (28)
Donaldson GW, Walk-off Grand Slam (12)
Trevino 3 hits
German 4 2/3 IP, 3 R, 5 H, 1 W, 6 K. 1 HBP 4.45
Luetge 1 1/3 IP, 1 R, 2 H, 0 W, 1 K. Gave up 1 HR. 2.88
Trivino 1/3 IP, 0 R, 1 H, 1 W, 1 K. 5.73 (combined A’s/NYY ERA)
Marinaccio 1 2/3 IP, 0 R, 0 H, 1 W, 2 K 1.91
Effros 1 1/3 IP, 1 R, 0 ER, 0 H, 1 W, 2 K. 2.81 (Combined Cubs/NYY ERA)
Chapman (W, 2-3) 2/3 IP, 2 R, 1 H, 2 W, 1 K. 4.45
Ex-Yankee Dellin Betances announced his retirement yesterday. Betances pitched for the Yankees (2011-2019) and Mets (2020-2021). A 4x All-Star, he finished 3rd in ROY voting in 2014 and 14th in CYA voting in 2015. He was injured in 2019 and only pitched in one game that season. In that game he struck out both batters he faced but tore his Achilles and was never the same after that. He retires with a 21-23 record, 36 saves, and an excellent ERA of 2.53 (ERA+ 165). From 2014-2018 Betances went 21-22 for the Yankees with an ERA of 2.22, ERA+ 188, as one of, if not the best, setup guys in MLB. Best wishes to him.