Wednesday, August 24, 2016

Masahiro Masterful, Bomber Bats Stay Hot In 5-0 Route of Mariners

On an absolutely beautiful afternoon in Seattle, the Yankees won their second straight series with their sound victory over the Seattle Mariners. Masahiro Tanaka delivered the win today with seven exceptional innings of shutout baseball, lowering his ERA to 3.11 while improving his record to 11-4 with his series clinching victory. Taking the ball and the loss for Seattle was fellow Japanese right-hander Hishashi Iwakuma, who fell to 14-9 while getting knocked around the ball park all afternoon. Tanaka was a tremendous, Sanchez was on base four times and the Bomber bats stayed hot as the Yankees close out their road trip with a 4-2 record.

The Baby Bombers were at it again as they opened it up against Iwakuma in the first two frames of the contest. The red hot Baby Bomber Gary Sanchez made some history by becoming the first Yankee ever to hit nine homeruns in his first 19 games by Launching an absolute bomb to left in the first inning to give the Yankees an early one run lead. And then in the top of the second, Aaron Judge was drilled by a way-ward fastball, advancing to second on an Aaron Hicks single to right. The next batter Baby Bomber Tyler Austin grounded a single into left that scored Judge to open their lead up to two.

More quality at-bats from the Yankee offense led to the manufactured third run of the game in the top of the fourth. Aaron Hicks stayed hot with a single, advancing to second when Tyler Austin hit a sharp ground ball to the third baseman Sean O'Malley , who tried to get the lead runner at second, but did so unsuccessfully as all runners were safe. The big man from last night Ronald Torreyes laced a single to left, loading the bases with one out. Brett Gardner plated Hicks with a sacrifice fly to right that made it a 3-0 ballgame.

Iwakuma was pulled to begin the seventh for flame throwing right-handed reliever with the best name in baseball, Arquimedes Caminero. Brett Gardner started the seventh with an infield single, advancing to second on a Didi Gregorius sacrifice bunt. With first base open, the Mariners decided to intentionally walk may be the hottest hitter on the planet Gary Sanchez. The next batter Mark Teixeira lined a single to left. Scoring Gardner and widening the Yankee gap to 4-0. The RBI was Tex's 29th of the season in over 350 at-bats. By comparison, Sanchez now has 16 RBI in just over 70 at-bats on the season; a true statistical testament as to the unbelievably amazing start for the rookie and the abysmal swan song for the seasoned vet.

For the second straight game, yankee fans were treated to another tremendous outing from their starter as Tanaka was simply masterful this afternoon. Tanaka pitched in only five three-ball counts in his seven brilliant innings of shutout baseball, allowing six hits, issuing his first walk in 34 innings and striking out five. Clippard recorded two outs and was pulled when allowing a two-out single to Robinson CanĂ³. Delin Betances came on and got out of the two on two out jam, notching his 106th strikeout in 59.2 innings by fanning pinch-hitter Mike Zunino. After the Yankees added another run in the top of the ninth on a Starlin Castro sacrifice fly, Betances worked a scoreless ninth as he locked down the Yankees second consecutive series victory. In fact, with his strike out of Zunino worked a scoreless ninth as he locked down the Yankees second consecutive series victory. And because the tying run was in the on deck circle when Betances struck out Zunino, he was credited with the rare four out, five run lead save.

The Pinstripers fly home tonight and have the day off tomorrow. Friday, they welcome in division rival Baltimore Orioles for a three-game weekend set, with first pitch scheduled for 7:05 PM/EST.

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Sorry for the Capatcha... Blame the Russians :)