The finale of the Yankees' home series with the Tampa Bay Rays felt, for most of its length, like one of those games. The promotion from the minor leagues of center fielder Estevan Florial and, making his major league debut, 3rd baseman Oswaldo Cabrera, didn't feel like they were going to make a difference. Sure enough, neither one of them got a hit, and Florial, batting .286 at Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre this season, is now 0-for-13 at the major league level this season, although he did draw a walk and steal a base last night.
Domingo Germán didn't get out of the 5th inning, allowing 3 runs on 5 hits and a walk. He struck out 6, but who cares? Lucas Luetge allowed another run, and the Yankees went to the bottom of the 6th trailing 4-0.
Aaron Judge drew a walk in the 1st inning, Jose Trevino singled in the 2nd, Andrew Benintendi doubled in the 3rd, Josh Donaldson was hit by a pitch in the 4th, and that was it: Over the 1st 5 innings, the Rays' starter allowed just 4 baserunners. That starter was Corey Kluber, who pitched for the Yankees last season, including a no-hitter, but got hurt, and general manager Brian Cashman got rid of him. That's how dumb he is.
Over their last 32 innings, the Yankees had scored just 1 run. That had to stop.
Finally, in the bottom of the 6th, it did: Judge led off with a double, and Gleyber Torres, as responsible for this 6-week slump as anybody, hit a home run, bringing the Yankees within 4-2. Trevino led off the 7th with a single, DJ LeMahieu (another long slumper in serious need of a breakout hit) followed with another, Benintendi walked to load the bases, and Judge walked to force home a run. And Anthony Rizzo (yet another long slumper) homered to lead off the 8th. Tie game, 4-4.
Neither team could score in the 9th. In the 10th, Aroldis Chapman got a groundout that forced the ghost runner to stay on 2nd, and a strikeout. But, in between, he walked 2 batters to load the bases. And then he allowed a double to clear the bases. 7-4 Tampa Bay.
A "Fire Boone" chant went up. Chapman got the last out, but got the hell booed out of him as he walked off the field. Of the 42,512 people listed as being in attendance, there might have been 5,000 left as Judge took 2nd as the ghost runner for the bottom of the 10th.
But Torres let loose a single, to the wonderment of all. Rizzo drew a walk to load the bases. And Donaldson, the much-despise-d, tore the cover off the ball. Walkoff grand slam.
Yankees 8, Rays 7. WP: The undeserving Chapman (2-3). No save. LP: Jalen Beeks (2-2). Boy, did the Yankees ever need this: From 1 run in 32 innings to 8 runs in 5 innings.
Tonight, the Yankees begin a 4-game home series with those pesky Toronto Blue Jays. Frankie Montas starts the opener, against José Berrios. Clay Holmes will not be available, as he has been placed on the 15-Day Injured List.
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