Yankees rewrite the history books
It was a hot, muggy night in Atlanta, Georgia, last night. It would be a night that the New York Yankees created history by winning a game against the Atlanta Braves. It wasn’t just any win; it was their 11th consecutive win, the first time the Yankees have done that since 1985. If that wasn’t enough to delight Yankees fans, they won their ten series in a row, the first time that has been done by the Yankees since 1954.
Knowledgeable Yankee fans knew that the winning streak couldn’t last forever and that if they were to lose a game, it would likely be last night. It didn’t look good with the Brave’s best pitcher on the mound and the Yankees starting their least effective starter. But forget about all of that; the Yankees’ confidence that has carried them so well recently took over, and the Yankees found a way to get it done. With good pitching and powerful hitting at key moments, the Yankees pulled out the win and created history. The Yankees won the game 5-4.
The Yankees pitched, and the hitters hit
Although Yankee starter Andrew Heaney may not have been stellar, he found a way to keep the Braves’ powerful lineup down. He gave up 2 runs in four innings of work before the Yankee bullpen came in to help. The usually good Albert Abreu gave up another run in the fifth. Joely Rodriquez came in and cleaned up for Abreu, not allowing a run and getting his 12th hold of the season. Just off the Covid list, Clay Holmes pitched a clean 6th getting the win in the game. Chad Green pitched two scoreless innings before turning it over to closer Aroldis Chapman.
Meanwhile, the New York Yankee hitters got busy wearing down the Braves starter, Charlie Morton, causing him to throw 88 pitches before being knocked out to the game early. Giancarlo Stanton started the fun when he greeted Morton with a second-inning solo home run to the farthest part of Truist Park in center. Then, in the fifth inning, DJ LeMahieu crushed a two-run home run to left field. Finally, Brian Snitker, the Braves manager, had seen enough and pulled Morton from the game. Then, in the seventh inning, Rougie Odor hit a solo home run of his own that would turn out to be the winning run.
The two newest members of the Yankees disappointed; both Anthony Rizzo and Joey Gallo went hitless in the game. However, the old guard won the game. DJ LeMahieu got 2 RBIs in the game. Aaron Judge got 2 hits scoring once. The on-fire Giancarlo Stanton got his RBI, Gary Sanchez and Rougie Odor both got RBIs. Andrew Velazquez, the spark, stole a base keeping the Yankees with the most stolen bases since the All-Star break.
Aroldis Chapman creates a nail-biter
If you didn’t watch the game, you missed an exciting, tense, nail-biting ninth inning last night.
At the bottom of the inning closer, Aroldis Chapman came to close it out for the Yankees. Facing him was d’Arnaud, who ground out to Velazquez. Duvall singled up the middle. Heredia pinch-hitting for Pederson went down on a Chapman slider, two outs. Ehire Adrianza pinch-hit for pitcher Will Smith, he walked. With two on and two outs, the dangerous Ozzie Albies came to the plate as the winning run and singled to left to load the bases with Braves. Then with the bases loaded and two outs Jorge Soler with sweat dripping from Chapman’s cap, walked, bringing in the fourth run and knocking Chapman out of the game.
Wandy Peralta came in to get the save for the Yankees. Peralta, with the bases, still loaded, faced Freddie Freeman with the game on the line, the winning streak on the line. Freeman flew out to Gallo in left for the Yankee win and the 11th straight win for the first time since 1985. The final score was the New York Yankees 5 and the Atlanta Braves 4. The winning pitcher was Clay Holmes, and the loser was Charlie Morton. The save went to Wandy Peralta (5).