Nasty Nate Dominates, Leads Yanks to 4-2 Victory

     The New York Yankees bats came to life tonight as they attempted to avoid being swept at the hands of the Arizona Diamondbacks in The third and final game of the series. Taking the ball for the Yanks was one of, if not the best starter for New York, Nathan Eovaldi. Nasty Nate came into tonight with a 3-2 record and a 4.85 ERA, and notably a 2-0 record in Chase Field. The struggling Shelby Miller took the ball for Arizona, sporting a disappointing 1-4 record and an ugly 6.94 ERA. The Diamondbacks spent quite a bit to get Miller this past off-season, sending four players to the Atlanta Braves for the right-hander, including number one overall draft pick Dansby Swanson and right-handed starting pitcher Aaron Blair, who pitched in Atlanta's series against the Pirates this week. Another phenomenal outing by Eovaldi and a myriad of Yankee baserunners made for a winning recipe tonight in Phoenix.
      Millers struggles were evident as early as the first at bat of the game, walking Jacoby Elsbury to lead of the night. Then, Miller gave up his ninth homerun of the season, a 418 foot blast off the bat of Brett Gardner, pushing the Yankees ahead by two. Arizona would get one of those runs back in the bottom of the first, when Paul Goldschmidt grounded out to third base, scoring the red hot Jean Segura, who had doubled off of the second base bag to lead off the inning. from third. 2-1 New York.
     Shelby Millers struggles would continue, this time coming in the top of the sixth inning. With one out, Miller served up a single to Chase Headley, who was bunted to second base by pitcher Nathan Eovaldi. With one out and a pitch count of 101, Elsbury reached base for the third time, lining a single into left-center that scored Headley, giving the Yankees a 3-1 lead and chasing Miller from the ball game. The right-hander allowed baserunners in every inning of the game and left with a final line of 5.2 IP, 10 H, 3 ER, 2 BB and 5 K's.
     Eovaldi, on the other hand, cruised tonight against Arizona, retiring 18 consecutive batters after allowing the leadoff double to Segura. In fact, if that ball hadn't have this second base bag, Eovaldi would have been tossing a perfect game into the seventh. When instead, Nate gave way to "No-Run DMC" and leaving with a final line of 84 pitches in six innings of work, with one hit and one earned run while striking out five.
     Girardi's decision to lift Eovaldi while he was pitching exceptionally well would be justifiably questioned at the end of the night. Delin Betances walked the first two batters he faced before escaping the frame unscored upon. Andrew Miller followed with an equally shaky appearance, allowing Arizona's second hit of the night, a solo homerun by centerfielder Chris Owings, pulling the Diamondbacks within one, 3-2 Yanks, but, Chapman would close the door on the night, pitching a perfect inning and salvaging game three of a disappointing series.
     Look for the Yankees to continue their hot hitting as they embark on a four game set in Oakland, with first pitch at 10:05 PM EST.