The New York Yankees faced off against the Oakland Athletics in the final game of a three-game series on Wednesday afternoon. The Bombers featured Jameson Taillon on the mound, who struggled significantly to open the game. This was Taillon’s second consecutive tough outing, giving up 17 hits and nine runs in his last two starts.
Jameson now hosts a 3.32 ERA on the season but still managed to pitch 5.0 innings and strike out six batters over 101 pitches. With his location a bit off, the bullpen needed to come in and lock down the Athletics, which they did without any difficulty.
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The Yankees smacked around the A’s starter:
Oakland starter Cole Irvin allowed six hits and five earned runs over 7.0 innings, including two homers, one to Giancarlo Stanton and another to Aaron Judge.
Judge recorded his 29th homer of the season in the bottom of the 1st inning, launching it 429 feet to deep left field. Judge now joins an impressive list of players to hit over 26 homers through the first 76 games of the season. Both Mickey Mantle and Babe Ruth achieved that feat long ago, but Judge entering the fold indicates his value. Just another accolade to justify a long-term extension from management.
Offensively, the Yankees combined for six hits and five runs, including two walks and six strikeouts.
Thankfully, starting second baseman Gleyber Torres managed to return after an injury scare several days ago, tweaking his ankle. Torres looked perfectly fine against Oakland but did strike out twice and failed to get on base.
The Yankees now feature a 56–20 record, including a 13-game lead in the AL East. The Yankees will travel to Houston for one game on Thursday before heading to Cleveland, Pittsburgh, and then Boston. Luckily, the team will have a day off on July 4, providing much-needed rest after playing 20 straight games.