YANKEES SWEEP JAYS, BUT GET SWEPT BY RED SOX

- April Claudio, Contributor

June 10th started the 3 game series against the Kansas City Royals. The Yankees swept the Royals with great pitching and strong hitting.

In game 1 Max Fried earned his ninth win, giving up only 2 runs in 7 innings. The Yankees took the lead early with a monster 469 foot 2-run home run by Aaron Judge in the first inning. The Royals scored 1 run in the second inning after hitting a few singles but Austin Wells hit a 3-run home run in the fourth inning. The Yankees scored 5 more runs in the sixth inning off a double by Wells and a few singles by Trent Grisham, Judge and Cody Bellinger. Jonathan India hit a home run in the ninth inning for the Royals but it was a little too late and not enough. The Yankees won 10-2. This was Judge’s third longest home run of the season and he finished the night with 5 RBIs.

Game 2 saw Aaron Judge hit another home run and Clarke Schmidt give up only 2 hits to the Royals. Schmidt pitched six innings and struck out 7. The Yankees took the lead early again scoring 5 runs in the second inning. A run scored when Anthony Volpe grounded into a fielder’s choice, another on a double by Austin Wells, two more on a single by Paul Goldschmidt and the last on a single by Ben Rice. They didn’t score again until Judge hit a home run in the seventh inning. The Royals were held to a total of 4 hits until Mark Leiter Jr. pitched. The Royals scored 3 runs in the ninth inning before Devin Williams relieved Leiter and closed out the game. The Yankees won 6-3.

The last game of the series was a pitcher’s dual between Will Warren (shockingly) and Seth Lugo. Warren pitched 5 2/3 shutout innings and only gave up 4 hits. The Yankees bullpen consisting of Tim Hill, Mark Leiter Jr., Jonathan Loaisiga and Devin Williams combined held the Royals to 1 hit. Lugo pitched 5 2/3 shutout innings as well and allowed 2 hits. The Royals bullpen held the Yankees to 3 hits and 1 run. Pablo Reyes scored in the eighth inning on a throwing error during Paul Goldschmidt’s at bat. The Yankees won 1-0.

The Yankees are 6-0 against the Royals this season.

And now the bad news. The Yankees went to Boston for a rematch against the Red Sox only a few days later since their first series of the season where they got swept for the first time this season. All 3 games were close but the Yankees lineup just couldn’t deliver enough runs.

Game 1 started with the Red Sox pulling out the win in the tenth inning after a pitching battle. Ryan Yarbrough pitched 4 2/3 innings and allowed 1 run on 4 hits. The Yankees bullpen held the Red Sox to 2 hits the rest of the game. Garrett Crochet, who is having a good season for the Red Sox, allowed 1 run on 4 hits in 8 1/3 innings and had 7 strikeouts. Ceddanne Rafaela hit a RBI single in the second inning and Aaron Judge tied the game in the ninth inning with a home run. The Red Sox won the game with Carlos Narvaez’s RBI single. With 2 outs in the tenth inning Aaron Boone challenged a foul ball call and was ejected from the game. Final score 1-2.

Game 2 was between Carlos Rodon and Hunter Dobbins. Rodon allowed 4 runs, only 3 earned, in seven innings while Dobbins pitched 6 shutout innings and allowed only 2 hits. The Red Sox scored first in the first inning on a throwing error by Anthony Volpe. Trevor Story hit a RBI double in the fourth inning putting the Red Sox up 2-0. Romy Gonzalez hit a RBI double in the fifth inning adding another run for them. Marcelo Mayer hit a RBI sacrifice fly in the sixth inning adding another run. Down by 4 runs, the Yankees scored 2 runs in the seventh inning, Jasson Dominguez and Austin Wells each hit a RBI single. The Yankees tried to rally in the ninth inning. Paul Goldschmidt hit a double to start the inning and scored on a ground out by Volpe. Dominguez also hit a double but couldn’t score. Final score 3-4.

Lastly, game 3. Max Fried earned his second loss of the season, despite only giving up 2 runs in six innings and striking out 9. The Yankees lineup couldn’t back up Fried as Brayan Bello and the Red Sox bullpen shutout the Yankees and held them to 5 hits. Bello had 8 strikeouts as well. Trevor Story hit a RBI single in the first inning and Rafael Devers hit a solo home run in the fifth inning. The Yankees had a glimpse of hope in the eighth inning when Paul Goldschmidt and Trent Grisham hit a pair of singles but DJ LeMahieu struck out looking and Aaron Judge hit into a double play. Judge was 0-4 this game and 1-12 for this series. Final score 0-2.