Tanaka dazzled and led the Yankees to their third straight win.
The New York Yankees opened up a quick two-game series with the Baltimore Orioles on Trade Deadline Tuesday.
The Orioles have given the Yankees many fits this year, earning a 5-5 record on the Bombers on the season entering this week’s action. The Boston Red Sox, conversely, have gone 10-2 against the Orioles this year, so that’s the difference in the division race.
The Yankees needed to handle the Orioles now, though, as they have traded off almost every player of value since they last played. Manny Machado, Zach Britton, Kevin Gausman, Darren O’Day, and Jonathan Schoop are all off their roster. It’s go time.
Should we start with the offense?
The Yankees scored early and often. They broke the seal in the first inning on a Gleyber Torres single that was preceded by walks from both Brett Gardner and Aaron Hicks.
GLEYBER DOING GLEYBER THINGS! #YANKEES TAKE A 1-0 LEAD IN FIRST! pic.twitter.com/rMK2vLnAHt
— Max Wildstein (@MaxWildstein) July 31, 2018
They tacked on another in the third. Brett Gardner singled and stole second and some base running that was either smart or fortunate by Gardner led to an error by Orioles shortstop Tim Beckham and allowed Giancarlo Stanton to reach base as well as put Gardy at third.
Didi Gregorius then knocked in Gardner with a perfectly placed bloop single to left and the Yankees extended their lead to 2-0.
They broke it open in the bottom of the fifth. They loaded the bases on a Stanton hit-by-pitch, a Didi single, and a Hicks walk. The Yankees have struggled a bit lately with the bases loaded, ever since Greg Bird’s grand slam, they don’t have a bases loaded hit.
Yankees Last 18 PA with Bases Loaded:
Sac fly (tonight)
Popout (tonight)
Groundout RBI
Sac fly
Sac fly
Lineout
Double play
Double play
Sac fly
Groundout
Groundout
Groundout
Flyout
Groundout
Double play
Strikeout
Groundout
Popout (July 11)— Katie Sharp (@ktsharp) August 1, 2018
Gleyber popeed out, but luckily Greg Bird came through with the Yankees’ MLB-leading 41st sac fly of the season.
BIRDY SAC FLY! #YANKEES UP 3-0! pic.twitter.com/uxH9A6YB1P
— Max Wildstein (@MaxWildstein) August 1, 2018
Immediately after that, though, Bird’s sac fly didn’t matter, because Miguel Andujar clubbed a three-run shot 410 feet to make it a 6-0 game.
http://twitter.com/BarstoolHubbs/status/1024463254066790402
As for the pitching, Masahiro Tanaka was on the mound for the Yankees. He turned in another good performance coming off of his complete-game shutout in Tampa.
Tanaka ran into a little trouble in the first inning, hitting a batter and walking another, but ultimately got out of it unharmed, although he did have to throw over 30 pitches in the frame.
He settled down completely after that and still managed to go 6.0 shutout innings for the Yanks, surrendering just three hits, but registering eight strikeouts. He hasn’t allowed a run in over 15 innings, and, more importantly, hasn’t allowed a homer in either of his last two appearances.
AJ Cole came in and worked a 1-2-3 seventh inning, but earned three runs and wasn’t able to get more than one out into the eighth before manage Aaron Boone turned to Dellin Betances to get out of the jam.
It was the first time Cole was not really good since coming over to the Yankees.
Aroldis Chapman came in to strike out the side in order in the ninth and the Yankees won the game.
Featured Image via Flickr/Arturo Pardavila III
