YANKEES LEAD ON AL EAST NARROWING

Last week the Yankees had a series of not just losses but were shutout multiple times causing their lead over the AL East to drop to 2.5 games.

They started out the week of June 16th losing 3 out of 4 games against the Los Angeles Angels. They were all very close games as the Yankees pitchers performed well but it was the lineup that couldn’t deliver.

Game 1 was a pitching battle between Clarke Schmidt and Jose Soriano. Schmidt pitched a solid 7 2/3 innings and only allowed 4 hits. Soriano also pitched 7 innings and allowed 6 hits. Giancarlo Stanton made his return to the team and was 2-4. The score was 0-0 and both bullpens continued the double shutout into extra innings. It wasn’t until the 11th inning that a run scored. Nolan Schanuel hit a RBI double off Jonathan Loaisiga to win the game. The Yankees had a glimpse of tying the game but Paul Goldschmidt was thrown out at home plate and with the bases loaded Anthony Volpe grounded out into a fielder’s choice. Angels won 1-0.

Game 2 was another pitching battle between Kyle Hendricks and Will Warren. Hendricks pitched six shutout innings and struck out 9 while with the assist of 3 relievers held the Yankees to only 4 hits. Warren pitched six innings as well but allowed 3 runs despite striking out 11. Those 3 runs were RBI singles in the second and third innings. Ian Hamilton loaded the bases in the sixth inning and Nolan Schanuel hit a ground out that allowed another run to score. The Angels won 4-0. This was the Yankees third straight shutout and fifth loss in a row.

Game 3 was Ryan Yarbrough versus Jack Kochanowicz. Yarbrough allowed 2 runs on 5 hits in 5 1/3 innings. Kochanowicz also allowed 2 runs in 5 1/3 innings but also struck out 8. The game was tied 2-2 until the eighth inning. Nolan Schanuel continued to perform for the Angels hitting a solo home run in the first inning. Jazz Chisholm Jr. answered that with his own home run in the second inning. Cody Bellinger hit a home run in the fourth inning but Jo Adell answered with a home run in the sixth inning. Fernando Cruz struggled in the eighth inning allowing 3 walks to load the bases. Tim Hill came in to relieve him but a throwing error by Anthony Volpe and Adell grounding out into a fielder’s choice allowed a run to score. The Angels won 3-2. Aaron Judge was 0-4 for the second night.

Game 4 the Yankees bats came back to life. Carlos Rodon pitched against Tyler Anderson. Rodon pitched a solid six innings, allowing only 3 runs on 4 hits and struck out 7. Anderson also pitched six innings and allowed 4 runs while only striking out 4. Mike Trout put the Angels in the lead early hitting a solo home run in his first at bat but the Yankees tied it with a RBI ground out by Giancarlo Stanton. Jo Adell hit a home run in the second inning putting the Angels back in the lead but it didn’t last long as the Yankees scored 3 runs off back to back home runs by Trent Grisham and Paul Goldschmidt. Neither team scored again until Taylor Ward hit a solo home run in the sixth inning putting the Angels down by 1. Grisham hit a double in the seventh inning and scored on a single by Cody Bellinger before he was thrown out at second base to end the inning. The Yankees loaded the bases in the eighth inning and scored 2 more runs to win 7-3 and avoided the series shutout.

Yerry De los Santos was placed on the injured list with right elbow discomfort.

The weekend went much better as the Yankees won 2 out of 3 games against the Baltimore Orioles.

Game 1 saw the return of Luke Weaver who skipped rehabbing. Max Fried got the start against Tomoyuki Sugano. Fried pitched six innings, allowed 3 runs and struck out 7. Sugano pitched only 3 2/3 innings and allowed 3 runs. The Orioles used 4 relievers to finish out the game. Former Yankee Gary Sanchez hit a 2 run RBI single in the first inning putting the Orioles in the lead early. The Yankees tied the game in the first inning. With two walks and a single to load the bases, 2 runs scored off a single by Jazz Chisholm Jr. and a sacrifice fly by Jasson Dominguez. Aaron Judge broke his hitless streak in the third inning with a solo home run. Rookie Coby Mayo hit a RBI single in the sixth inning to tie the game. Weaver pitched the eighth inning and gave up a home run to Ramon Urias on a 3-2 count. He walked another batter and gave up a single before being relieved by Tim Hill. The Orioles scored another run on a single by Gunnar Henderson. The Orioles won 5-3.

Game 2 the Yankees shut out the Orioles with a score of 9-0. Clarke Schmidt had another stellar performance with a no hitter in seven innings. Aaron Boone made the call to pull Schmidt in the eighth inning due to a high pitch count and Schmidt being injured earlier in the season. JT Brubaker finished out the game but broke the no hitter by giving up a hit to Gary Sanchez. Zach Eflin pitched only 3 innings and allowed 6 runs. The Orioles used 3 relievers and their shortstop Luis Vazquez to close out the game. Trent Grisham, JC Escarra and Ben Rice all hit home runs in the first two innings. Jazz Chisholm Jr. scored in the third inning due to a series of errors and Oswald Peraza hit a RBI single. The Yankees scored two more runs in the eighth inning with a home run by Anthony Volpe and a triple by Rice. Escarra hit a RBI single in the sixth inning which was the last run the Yankees scored despite Vazquez throwing lob pitches in the eighth inning.

The Yankees head to Cincinnati Monday, June 23rd, for a 3 game series against the Reds before heading back to New York for a 3 game series against the Oakland Athletics to close out the week.

Let’s go Yankees!