Yankees Sink Pirates 2 Out of 3

The Yankees closed a homestand with an Interleague series against the Pittsburgh Pirates. The Bucs' ace, Paul Skenes, had pitched on Sunday, so the Yankees avoided facing him.

Ryan Weathers started on Monday night, but allowed 5 runs, and didn't get out of the 5th inning. The bullpen pitched shutout ball the rest of the way, though, including Angel Chivilli: The Dominican righthander, who turns 24 next week, was picked up in a trade with the Colorado Rockies this past January. Wearing Number 57, he got his 1st win as a Yankee by finishing the 5th inning and pitching a hitless 6th.

Jazz Chisholm had 2 home runs and 5 RBIs. Austin Wells and José Caballero each had 2 hits, and Caballero added 2 RBIs. The Yankees won, 8-5.

The Tuesday game was postponed due to rain. That set up an odd doubleheader for the Yankees, as Gerrit Cole was set to pitch the opener, while Max Fried came off the Injured List to pitch the nightcap. I was concerned that Fried might have been put back in the rotation too soon, as Cole seemed to be.

Over the 1st 6 innings, Cole looked great, taking a perfect game into the 5th inning, while striking out 8 batters. Then he allowed a single and a home run. With 2 out in the 7th, he had allowed 2 runs on 3 hits and no walks, striking out 11. Then he gave up another home run, and was losing, 3-0.

Ben Rice tied the game in the 7th, with his 30th home run of the season. But, after saving the Monday night game, Fernando Cruz fell apart in the 10th inning this time, and the Pirates won, 5-3.

But Fried was brilliant. He was allowed to go only 5 innings, throwing 57 pitches. He allowed a leadoff single in the 1st, and a leadoff walk in the 2nd, and that was it: 1 hit and 1 walk. He struck out 7. The bullpen allowed 2 hits and 2 walks the rest of the way.

Meanwhile, the Yankees scored 2 runs in the 7th inning, on a walk to Cody Bellinger, a double by Jasson Domínguez, and a single by Anthony Volpe. Yankees 2, Pirates 0. Paul Blackburn pitched the 7th and the 8th, and was awarded the win. So the Yankees took 2 out of 3, and were 1 run away from a sweep.

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With 60 games left in the regular season, the Yankees are 2 1/2 games behind the Tampa Bay Rays in the American League Eastern Division. Their 15-game winning streak snapped -- but leaving us wondering what their new method of cheating is -- the Boston Red Sox are 7 back. The Baltimore Orioles trail by 10, and the Toronto Blue Jays by 13 1/2.

The Yankees begin a roadtrip tomorrow night, with 3 Interleague games with the Philadelphia Phillies, followed by a week in Chicago: 4 against the White Sox, and 3 Interleague games against the Cubs.