Today was the rubber game between the New York Yankees and the Baltimore Orioles. The Yankees won the first game in the 11th inning and lost yesterday’s game 4-3. To come away with the series win, the Yankees sent Corey Kluber to the mound to face the Orioles’ Keegan Akin. Being only a half a game ahead of the Red Sox for the first spot of the wild card, the Yankees really needed the win. Unfortunately, Gary Sanchez’s six RBIs couldn’t save the Yankees from an 8-7 loss.
To start, the first Kluber faced Cedrick Mullins, who worked a walk. Mullins stole second and, on a bad throw by Sanchez, advanced to third. Anthony Santander went down on strikes. Trey Mancini struck out swinging. DJ Stewart struck out; that was three strikeouts in the inning for Kluber. At the bottom, DJ LeMahieu faced Akin and singled to center. Joey Gallo struck out looking. Aaron Judge struck out swinging. Giancarlo Stanton struck out. No score.
The top of the second inning was led off by Austin Hays, who solo homered to right-center. Ramon Urias worked a walk. Pedro Severino struck out as Kluber got a strike em out throw em out. Jorge Mateo struck out to end the half. Anthony Rizzo led off the bottom by grounding out to second. Luke Voit walked. Gleyber Torres got a base hit to left, moving Voit to second. Rougie Odor was hit by a pitch loading the bases. Gary Sanchez, with the bases loaded and one out, hit a Grand Slam. LeMahieu flew out to center. Gallo walked. Aaron Judge ended the inning by striking out. New York Yankees 4 Orioles 1.
Kelvin Gutierrez led off the third by chopping to third. Mullins singled to right. Santander popped out to short. Mancini walked, moving Mullins to second. Stewart flew out to Judge in right to stand two. At the bottom, Stanton led off by who flew out to center. Rizzo ground out to second. Voit tapped back to pitcher Akin. New York Yankees 4 Orioles 1.
The fourth inning was led off by Hays, who flew out to Judge in center. Urias singled to right. Severino doubled down the left-field line, moving Urias to third. Mateo flew out to Gallo, but Urias scored on the throw, with Severino holding at second. Gutierrez was hit by a pitch ending Kluber’s day. Mullins faced the new Yankee pitcher Joely Rodriguez and went down on strikes leaving two on base. In the bottom, Torres went down on strikes. Odor ground out to second. Sanchez flew out to center to end the inning. Yankees 4 Orioles 2.
Anthony Santander led off the fifth by flying out to Gallo in left. Mancini walked. Stewart walked, ending J-Rods day. Manager Boone argued with the home plate umpire and was thrown out of the game. Hays faced the new Yankee pitcher Albert Abreu and ground out with the runners moving up. With a man on second and third and two outs, Urias ground out to first, with Abreu making the assist. LeMahieu led off the bottom against new pitcher Conner Greene by working a walk. Gallo walked. Judge flew out to center. Stanton went down on strikes. Rizzo faced the new O’s pitcher Fernando Abad and singled, driving in LeMahieu. Voit flew out to right to end the inning. New York Yankees 5 Orioles 2.
The sixth inning was led off by Severino, who struck out. Mateo popped out to Rizzo at first. Gutierrez beat out Torres’s double-clutch throw for a single. Mullins homered to right-center driving in two runs, making Torres’s bad throw even most egregious. Santander hit a long one, but Stanton made a long run and diving catch to end the half. Torres led off the bottom by singling to center. Torres went to second on a wild pitch. Odor flew out to left field. Gary Sanchez faced the new Orioles pitcher Marcos Diplan and got his second homer of the game, a two-run shot. LeMahieu flew out to center. Gallo popped out to end the inning. New York Yankees 7 Orioles 4.
Mancini led the seventh inning, who faced new pitcher Andrew Heaney and got hit by a pitch. Stewart singled to left. Hays, with two on and one out, singled, loading the bases. Jahmai Jones, as the go-ahead run, singled, driving in two runs and bringing the O’s within one. Severino popped out for the first out of the inning. With two on and one out, Mateo got a bloop single, tying up the game at 7. Gutierrez faced new Yankee pitcher Wandy Peralta and singled to give the O’s the lead in the game. Mullins, still with only one out, popped out. Santander flew out to left to finally end the half.
At the bottom of the seventh, with the game tied at 7, Aaron Judge walked to the plate and flew out to the warning track in right. Stanton worked a walk. Rizzo faced new O’s pitcher Tanner Scott and walked. Voit with two on and one out went down on strikes. Torres ground out to end the inning. Baltimore Orioles 8 New York Yankees 7.
The eighth inning was led off by Mancini, who against the new Yankee pitcher Chad Green and flew out to Stanton at the right-field wall. Stewart went down on strikes. Hays struck out to end the half as Green put down the O’s in order. At the bottom, Odor lined a rocket for an out in right. Sanchez ground out to second. LeMahieu reached on a ball off the pitcher. Gallo went down on strikes. Orioles 8 Yankees 7.
Leading off the ninth inning was Jones, who struck out against Green. Severino lined out right at Urshela at third. Mateo popped out to catcher Sanchez to end the half. With last licks on the line for the Yankees in the bottom, Aaron Judge came to the plate facing new O’s pitcher Tyler Wells and flew out to far-right. Stanton popped out to second. Rizzo flew out to left to end the game.
The final score was the Baltimore Orioles 8 and the New York Yankees 7. The winning pitcher was Marco Diplan, the loser was Andrew Heaney, and the save went to Tyler Wells.