The Yankees made a short trip to their Spring Training home of George M. Steinbrenner Field in Tampa, which the Tampa Bay Rays are using as their emergency home field, after Hurricane Milton wrecked their usual home, Tropicana Field in St. Petersburg, last October 10. As "Dr. Funkenstein," George Clinton, would have said, it tore the roof off the sucker.
Incidentally, you know how Rays fans have said that they would have higher attendance if they played in Tampa instead of St. Petersburg? Well, they're averaging 9,872 fans per home game at The House The Boss Built. It seats 11,026. In other words, even with a good team in a good location, they can't even fill a minor-league stadium on a regular basis. It is time to move the Rays.
The Yankees? Currently averaging 42,683, 1st in the American League, 2nd in all of Major League Baseball behind the defending World Champions, the Los Angeles Dodgers, at 49,961. The Mets are averaging 39,371, 3,312 fewer than the Yankees, although closer to a sellout at their place, and good enough for 4th in the National League, and 5th overall.
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Anyway. On Tuesday night, how many times did the Yankees hit a home run?
Yup. It's the 2nd time this season they've hit 9 home runs in a game, tying the team record, and 1 off the MLB record set by the 1987 Toronto Blue Jays.
Trent Grisham began the Tuesday night game with a strikeout. This was followed by a home run by Aaron Judge, a home run by Cody Bellinger, and a home run by Giancarlo Stanton. Back-to-back-to-back. José Caballero hit one in the 2nd inning. Jazz Chisholm hit one in the 3rd. Stanton and Ben Rice hit back-to-back jacks in the 4th. Bellinger hit another one in the 6th. And Caballero hit another one in the 9th.
Carlos Rodón was the beneficiary of all this unloading of lumber. He cruised for 6 innings, and 3 relievers kept the Rays from mounting a comeback. Yankees 13, Rays 3.
The Wednesday night game was the opposite: Grisham led it off with a home run, but the rest of it would be considerably harder. Austin Wells added a home run in the 5th. Cam Schlittler had a perfect game after 6 innings. But after a single and 2 walks, Aaron Boone lifted him with 2 outs in the 7th, and Luke Weaver ended the threat with a strikeout. Grisham hit another homer in the top of the 8th, and it was 3-0 Yankees.
But Weaver gave up a home run in the bottom of the 8th, and David Bednar gave up a walk, a single and a double in the 9th, and it was on to extra innings. Stanton and Wells began the top of the 10th with back-to-back homers. Counting the "ghost runner," it was 6-3 Yankees.
Boone trusted the bottom of the 10th to Devin Williams. From Albany in the north to Cape May in the south, from Montauk in the east to Scranton in the west, Yankee Fans said, "Boonie, are you out of your mind?" Williams allowed a single to make it 6-4, and then a double. The winning run had come to the plate. But then, he struck out the side, nailing down the win. Between them, the Yankee pitchers had 16 strikeouts on the night.
Stanton is the active leader in career home runs, with 444. Mike Trout of the Los Angeles Angels has 398. Paul Goldschmidt, currently on the Injured List with the Yankees, has 372. Manny Machado of the San Diego Padres has 363. Freddie Freeman of the Los Angeles Dodgers has 358. Bryce Harper of the Philadelphia Phillies has 357. And Judge has 355.
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The Yankees have 36 games left. They trail the Toronto Blue Jays by 4 games, 3 in the all-important loss column. The Boston Red Sox trail the Jays by 5 1/2, the Rays trail by 12 1/2, and the Baltimore Orioles trail by 14.
Tonight, the Yankees return home, to face the Sox. The Auld Enemy. The Scum. That lot up I-95. Here are the projected pitching matchups:
* Tonight, first pitch scheduled for 7:15, on Fox: Luis Gil vs. Lucas Giolito.
* Tomorrow night, 7:05, on Amazon Prime: Max Fried vs. Brayan Bello.
* Saturday afternoon, 1:05, the only game of this series that will be on YES: Will Warren vs. Garret Crochet. Atrocious Pun Alert: I wonder how soon Crochet will get the hook?
* Sunday night, 7:10, on ESPN: Rodón is slated for the Yankees, while the Sox have not yet chosen a starter.
Come on you Pinstripes!
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