Thursday, June 22, 2023

Brito, Homers Get Yankee Job Done vs. Mariners

Last night was another injury-forced "hole in the rotation" game for the Yankees, the middle game of a 3-game home series with the Seattle Mariners.

Into this hole stepped Jhony Brito. He has been inconsistent, looking like the next great hope of the Yankee rotation one game, and looking like just another feeble attempt to fill that hole the next.

This time, he got the job done, going 5 2/3rds shutout innings, allowing only 2 hits and a walk. He only threw 81 pitches, and was taken out immediately after that walk, with 2 outs and no other baserunners.

There was absolutely no reason to take him out, but Aaron Boone did it anyway. Fortunately, Jimmy Cordero got the last out in the 6th inning, and pitched a scoreless 7th.

Anthony Volpe led off the bottom of the 3rd with a walk, and Jake Bauers hit a home run. Homers were added by Billy McKinney in the 4th and Volpe in the 7th. It was 4-0, and the Yankees were cruising.

Then Boone's musical chairs with the bullpen, no doubt ordered by Brian Cashman, nearly cost the Yankees the game. The unreliable Wandy Peralta was brought in for the 8th, and he allowed a home run. 

Michael King had to be brought in to finish the inning. He got in trouble in the 9th, and a run was allowed before Tommy Kahnle finished it off.

Yankees 4, Mariners 2. WP: Brito (4-3). SV: Kahnle (1). LP: Luis Castillo (no, not that one;  fortunately, this one was bad enough, 4-6).

The series concludes tonight. Domingo Germán starts against Bryan Woo. He won't also be hitting, so we can't say, "Woo's on first."

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