Last night the long-awaited Field of Dreams game took place in Dyersville, Iowa. The New York Yankees faced the Chicago White Sox in that epic game. Yesterday I predicted that the Yankees would lose that game because both the pitching and lineup stats comparison said so. What I didn’t predict was that it would be a ninth-inning heartbreaker.
Nevertheless, disregarding the outcome, it was a wonderful game in a beautiful iconic setting in the cornfields of Iowa that will not be soon forgotten by any of the players who played in it or those in the stands or watching television.
Andrew Heaney hung out to dry
Since acquiring him, Andrew Heaney, who has not pitched well for the New York Yankees, was the only pitcher available to pitch last night’s game. In addition, both Gerrit Cole and Jordan Montgomery are on the Covid list, and Domingo German is nursing a sore shoulder. Add to that Corey Kluber and Luis Severino are not yet ready to return to the rotation.
With his 5.45 ERA, Heaney had to face the White Sox’s best pitcher, Lance Lynn, with his 2.26 ERA and not having allowed more than three runs in any game in July and August. Heaney gave up five runs in the first four innings, which would usually be the end for a starting pitcher, but manager Boone brought him out again in the fifth inning to save the already overworked bullpen for the rest of the series; he gave up another two earned runs.
Ninth inning heartbreaking loss
After Andrew Heaney gave up seven runs in the game and the Yankees average of fewer than four runs per game, it looked pretty dismal for the Yankees. They carried a three-run deficit into the ninth inning. But in the ninth, Tyler Wade, who has been playing great ball, led off by hitting the first pitch for a single. LeMahieu struck out. Gardner struck out. Aaron Judge, with one out, left for the Yankees and one on, hit his second home run of the game, bringing the Yankees within one. Joey Gallo walked. Giancarlo Stanton homered for his 18th of the year, and just like that the New York Yankees took the lead.
At the bottom of the ninth, Zack Britton was charged with holding the White Sox down and winning for the Yankees. Danny Mendick led off and ground out to second. Zavala walked. Anderson hit a homer crushing the Yankees for a walk-off loss. It was a tear-jerking loss for the Yankees.
It must be mentioned that the Yankees did have opportunities in the game to blow it open but failed to do so. The Yankees were 1 for 7 with men in scoring position and only got 8 hits in the game. Gardner in the game went 2 for 5 with a home run. Judge went 2 for 4 with two homers, Stanton 1 for 5 with a home run, and Wade went 2 for 4. Both Voit and Gallo were hitless in the game.
Joey Gallo continues to struggle as a Yankee
Before the trade deadline, the Yankees acquired the power-hitting Joey Gallo from the Texas Rangers. But after two weeks, Gallo has failed to make his mark as a Yankee.
“I’m still, like, kind of getting used to it. You know, sometimes I’ll see like a sign that says ‘Yankees.’ Oh Yankees, I’m on the Yankees. You spend so much time with one organization that you kind of forget sometimes, but it’s just crazy. It’s crazy when people say I’m a part of the New York Yankees. And when they’re doing the lineup, I’m in the same lineup with Aaron Judge, DJ LeMahieu, and Giancarlo Stanton, all those guys, it’s like, you know, it’s crazy. It’s like a dream.â€
So far, with the New York Yankees, Joey Gallo is hitting .140 in fourteen games with one home run, and 23 strikeouts in his nightmare start with the Yankees. In the Field of Dreams game, he went 0-3 with two walks.