Torres Sparks Yankee Comeback In Washington, But Fear Floats In Philly

The Yankees were totally flat on Saturday night at Nationals Park, so they needed a big rebound game yesterday afternoon. And, for most of the game, it looked like it wasn't going to happen.

With Masahiro Tanaka unavailable due to concussion comeback protocol (he pitched a simulated game in Scranton), and Domingo Germán unavailable due to being suspension without the due process of law (based on the word of one man who is too much of a coward to identify himself or his evidence), it was another "cast of thousands" pitching performance. Or, as Brian Cashman calls it, "All part of the plan."

Jonathan Loáisiga went 3 innings, allowing a run on 2 hits and a walk. Not bad, if your team will hit for you. David Hale allowed a run in the 4th. The Yankees got a scoreless 5th inning from Adam Ottavino, and Chad Green, frequently the starter in a situation like this, pitched a hitless 6th and 7th.

But you gotta score runs. And Patrick Corbin, a Yankee target each of the last 2 seasons but stinking with Washington, retired 18 of the 1st 19 batters he faced. It looked like it wouldn't be our day.

With 1 out in the 7th, Gleyber Torres, recognizing once again the words of the poet Robert W. Service -- "Now, a promise made is a debt unpaid" -- hit a home run. Nats manager Dave Martinez decided it was time to pull Corbin. This "Cashman made me do it, but I can't actually say that, so I, as the manager, have to look like an idiot before the public" move backfired, as Martinez brought in Will Harris, and Luke Voit homered off of him to tie it.

Cliche Alert: Walks can kill you, especially the leadoff variety. Aaron Hick walked to lead off the top of the 8th. Gary Sanchez struck out, but DJ LeMahieu singled. Aaron Judge flew out to left, but Torres came through again, singling home Hicks to make it 3-2 Yankees.

Tommy Kahnle got into a bases-loaded jam in the bottom of the 8th -- partly thanks to an error by Cashman's golden boy Torres, putting the hero in position to be the goat instead, and I do mean goat, not "G.O.A.T." -- but worked out of it. Zack Britton, in place of the COVID-afflicted but recovering Aroldis Chapman, finished it off.

Yankees 3, Nationals 2. WP: Green (1-0). SV: Britton (1). LP: Sean Doolittle (0-1).

Now, the Yankees have to go to Philadelphia, where the Phillies just played the Miami Marlins, who had a COVID outbreak, and will be using the same visitors' clubhouse.

I am not blaming the Phillies. After all, the Marlins are in Florida, which, right now, is "the front" in this war, because Governor Ron DeSantis is a Trump-pandering asshole.

And Trump canceled his August 15 first ball ceremony at Yankee Stadium, because he says he's focusing on the pandemic. The real reason is that he doesn't want to see the players kneeling in a Black Lives Matter gesture. The coward.

Just our luck, half the team will come down with it -- and the Scranton callups will come through, until they don't, which will be when the regulars would come back, but they'd reach the postseason, and then..

Let's not get ahead of ourselves. It's 2 games in Philly, followed by 2 games with the Phillies in The Bronx. Come on you Bombers!

Back in New York, the Mets got clobbered 14-1 by the Atlanta Braves, after a 9th-inning bullpen meltdown the night before.

So, it's a typical season for the Mets: The highlight was a win on Opening Day, and now, it's late July, and they're terrible.