What started as a night of hope after Jameson Taillon’s Yankees debut ended with what is perhaps one of the most frustrating losses of the season. Taillon was mostly impressive in his first start since May 2019, allowing two runs on three shots with seven shots and no runs in 4.2 overs. However, what happened after he left the game is mostly what will be remembered from this game.
While the Yankees’ bullpen set up pointless turn after pointless turn, their offense just couldn’t do enough. They scored 3-for-14 with runners in the standings while leaving 12 at their base. It was not as if they did not sign a good contract – 13 balls of more than 100 km / h – they just always hit people or did it at the wrong times.
After that, the bullpen could hang on just as long. A combination of defensive errors, throwing errors and the rule for extra innings ultimately cost the Yankees. They eventually fell 4-3 to the Orioles in a 11-game waste.
After several hard-hitting balls to no avail in the first two innings, the Yankees climbed to third on the board. First, Brett Gardner and DJ LeMahieu started the innings with a single track each. Two batsmen later Aaron Hicks came on the board. Hicks was starting the season, but this time he came up with the goods and sang Gardner on the board.
However, the lead would not last long. Taillon was in top form for the first time through the order, nine up, nine down. In the fourth time, however, Cedric Mullins and Anthony Santander got him for a solo shot each, which Baltimore put forward.
Taillon would leave the next innings, but not before hitting two more batsmen. In total, he recorded 11 swing-and-miss in a very nice Yankees debut.
Thereafter, several of the above-mentioned RISP battles took place, bringing the Yankees closer to a loss. They finally changed the pattern in the eighth.
After the Orioles’ Shawn Armstrong got the first two heats, Gary Sánchez kept the innings alive with a single. With the team last four times, Mike Tauchman was sent off as a pinch runner. It turns out to be a wonderful move. Gio Urshela then slammed a hit in the gap. Tauchman drove all the way and was aggressively sent home. He only managed to get in front and under the label and level the game:
To Taillon’s relief, the Yankees bullpen could not have been much better. Nick Nelson hit two in his 1.1 innings. Darren O’Day threw a perfect frame, just like Jonathan Loaisiga. Aroldis Chapman strikes the edge in the ninth, with the Orioles looking mostly stupid against him. From Taillon’s final in the fifth to the ninth, the Yankees retired 14 holders in a row.
Chad Green brought the total to 16 when he came in 10th place, but thanks to the “second on second in extra innings” rule, Baltimore’s runner advanced to third place. Pedro Severino then kicked one to short. Gleyber Torres imported it cleanly, but he nail she throws to first, and it jumps past Bruce. The run passed and put the Yankees back in a pit.
The Yankees had their own chance with a runner-up in second place, but they were about to squander it as the first two hits pass in the 10th. It passed the match to Kyle Higashioka, who delivered with an opposing field breaker to get Tyler Wade the pinch:
In the 11th, the Orioles decided to kick the runner to start the innings with Green still. Chance Sisco got Baltimore’s first hit since the fifth innings and blew a single in no-man’s land to give it the lead again. Luis Cessa came in and managed to keep the deficit to just one run.
The Yankees then also started the innings by bumping the runner-up to third place and placing LeMahieu on the point. He flew one to the right, probably too shallow to steer the runner. However, Urshela was sent off and was easily thrown to the board to end the match.
Whether you want to be angry at the offense, the defense, the rules, or, more accurately, all of the above, that’s fair. Baseball is great, but also very dumb.
The Yankees will launch tomorrow and play next Friday at Tropicana Field as they face the Rays for a three-game set.
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