Thursday, August 10, 2017

Yanks Overcome Shaky Pitching to Pound Jays

After a lousy start to their series against the Toronto Blue Jays at the Rogers Centre, the Yankees needed to win last night. And it looked like they would, but then it looked like they would blow it.

Masahiro Tanaka, not that long ago the obvious best pitcher in New York, was shaky again. He lasted just 4 innings, throwing 88 pitches. He managed to hold the Jays to 3 runs (2 of them earned) on 2 hits, but his control failed him, and he issued 5 walks. At least he only allowed 1 homer, a solo job to Jose "Test Him For Steroids Even Though He Follows Me On Twitter" Bautista.

The 2nd inning featured Gary Sanchez hitting his 18th home run of the season, and Todd Frazier his 19th (his 3rd since the Yankees traded for him). Didi Gregorius hit his 18th in the 3rd. The Yankees went into the bottom of the 5th leading 6-2.

But Tanaka let 2 batters on, and Joe Girardi decided that he had seen enough. He brought in Chad Green, and he wasn't a whole lot better. When the 6th inning was over, they were only leading 6-5. Yankee Fans online were all, "Oy vey, here we go again."

But Tommy Kahnle, David Robertson, Dellin Betances and Adam Warren pitched the last 3 2/3rds innings, allowing 2 hits, a walk, and no runs. And the Yankee hitters put the game away. In the 8th, Ronald Torreyes singled home 2 runs. In the 9th, a Jacoby Ellsbury groundout got a run home, and a Garrett Cooper single drove home 2 more.

Yankees 11, Blue Jays 5. WP: Green (2-0, and he didn't really deserve the credit, but somebody had to be credited as the winning pitcher in a game the Yankees won when their starter didn't go 5 full innings but left with the lead). No save. LP: Nick Tepesch (0-2).

The Boston Red Sox also won last night, so the Yankees remain 4 games behind them in the American League East, 3 in the loss column, with 50 games to go.

The series concludes tonight, with Sonny Gray starting against Marco Estrada. Then, home, to face The Scum.

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