The New York Yankees won their fifth straight game yesterday and swept the Orioles series. J.A. Happ had another good outing, pitching a game that he allowed just one run, his fourth game out of five giving up two or fewer runs. It was a day that Gleyber Torres had a productive day off from the lineup. He came in, to pinch-hit and drove in two runs, winning the game for the Yankees.
At the top of the second inning, J.A. Happ would give up a home run to Renado Nunez just past the glove of Clint Frazier, it would be the only run Happ would allow in the game. At the bottom of the frame the Yankees Tyler Wade would answer, sending a long ball almost into the exact same spot as the Nunez homer, off of Orioles starter John Means, and the game was tied at one.
At the bottom of the fourth inning, the Yankees would load the bases with just one out, and blow a big opportunity to blow the game open, as Kyle Higashioka and Thairo Estrada both popped out, leaving the bases loaded with Yankees. At the bottom of the fifth inning, Happ got out of a men on the corners jam with a strike ’em out, throw ’em out double play. In the sixth, Adam Ottavino who hasn’t pitched well of late, came in to replace Happ and allowed a hit and a walk, before being replaced by Jonathan Holder who got the final out of the inning.
At the top of the eighth inning Zack Britton, the Yankees setup man came in and with the score still tied at one, pitched a clean inning. Helping Britton was DJ LeMahieu, he made his second spectacular defensive play of the game. At the bottom of the frame, manager Aaron Boone sent in Gleyber Torres, who had the day off, to pinch-hit for Brett Gardner. Torres with two on base, hit a long single bouncing off the right-field wall, driving in Aaron Hicks and Clint Frazier for the Yankees 3-1 win. At the ninth Yankee closer, Aroldis Chapman shut down the Orioles to seal the deal.
The winning pitcher was Zack Britton, the loser was Dillion Tate, and Aroldis Chapman got the save, his second in a row. Unfortunately for J.A. Happ, it was his second game in a row that he pitched well dominating the opponent, but failing to get the win.
The New York Yankees have now won five games in a row, reversing their slide earlier in the month, that put them back to only third in the East. But then the Yankees started to play good baseball, pitching well and hitting well, with a mixture of long balls and small ball play. A good example of it is when Torres singled in two Yankee runners in last night’s game. The win put the Yankees just a half-game behind the Toronto Blue Jays for second place in the East.
The New York Yankees will have the day off today, before meeting the Blue Jays for a three-game set at the Stadium, that will decide who is in second place. After that the will have a weekend set with the Boston Red Sox at Fenway Park, before moving on to another meet up with the Jays. The Yankees will then end the season back at home, up against Derek Jeter’s Miami Marlins.
In a separate story, that became news during the game, I explain how Clint Frazier has finally earned his spot in the Yankee lineup.