After winning the 1st 2 games of a roadtrip in Pittsburgh, the Yankees lost the last game of the series. They went on to Detroit, for 3 games against the Tigers at Comerica Park. All 3 games were played in the afternoon, the 1st of them the Tigers' home opener, and all 3 were cold: 38, 34 and 42 degrees. The Yankees' bats went cold, too.
Carlos Rodón started on Monday, but he allowed 6 runs in 6 innings. Aaron Judge singled home a run in the top of the 5th inning, and the Yankees got another run on an error in the 8th, but that was it. The Tigers won, 6-2.
Carlos Carrasco started on Tuesday, but allowed 4 runs in 4 1/3rd innings. Tarik Skubal, who won the Triple Crown of Pitching and the American League's Cy Young Award last year, pitched 6 innings, followed by 3 from Brant Hurter, combining on a 6-hit shutout: 3 by Paul Goldschmidt, 2 by Judge, 1 by Ben Rice. The Tigers won, 5-0.
But yesterday, it was Max Fried's turn to pitch superbly. He went 7 innings, allowing 5 hits and no walks, and struck out 11. Luke Weaver pitched a scoreless 8th. The Yankees got 2 runs on a home run by Rice in the 7th, and another 2 on a single by Judge in the 9th. New closer Devin Williams was sent out to protect a 4-0 lead -- and, unlike its predecessor, Tiger Stadium, Comerica Park is a pitcher's park, and it was cold. Circumstances seemed to make for an easy inning.
It wasn't. Williams brought back memories of Clay Holmes, Aroldis Chapman, Boone Logan, Scott Proctor and Kyle Farnsworth. Cliché Alert: Walks can kill you, especially the leadoff variety. Williams allowed a leadoff walk. He struck out the next 2 batters, then allowed a single and a walk. He threw a wild pitch that scored a run, and allowed a single that scored 2 more.
Aaron Boone saw enough: He pulled Williams, and brought in Mark Leiter Jr. He got a pop-up to end it. Yankees 4, Tigers 3.
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The Yankees are 7-5, half a game behind the Toronto Blue Jays in the AL Eastern Division. The Boston Red Sox and the Tampa Bay Rays are 2 back, and the Baltimore Orioles 3 back.
It's not a bad place to be in, given that 3 starting pitchers are injured, Gerrit Cole for the season, Luis Gil for probably another month, and Clarke Schmidt might be back a little sooner than that; and that Giancarlo Stanton is also still out with an injury; and that there still isn't a closer, because Boone trusts Williams too much and Weaver not enough.
They are off today. Tomorrow night, they begin an Interleague series with the San Francisco Giants. At 10-3, they have the best record in baseball.
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