Thursday, September 8, 2016

Austin Walk-Off Gives Yanks Important Series Opening Victory, 5-4

The New York Yankees made it five in a row as they defeated the Tampa Bay rays in game one of the four games set tonight in the Bronx. While C.C. Sabathia and Alex Cobb got the start for both sides, neither would factor into the decision as this game, dominated by the homerun ball, would go back and forth until an unbelievably special moment took place in the bottom of the ninth.

It didn't take long for Tampa to hit the scoreboard as the second batter of the game Kevin Kiermaier launched a deep blast into the second deck in right for a solo shot that gave the Rays a one run lead.

After the Kiermaier homerun, Brad Miller was hit on his throwing elbow during his at-bat. As a result of the HBP, Miller moved from his original position of shortstop over to first base and switched with the original first baseman Nick Franklin, who in turn moved to short.

The Miller move to first would prove costly as the Yankees came back to take the lead in the bottom of the first. Jacoby Ellsbury and Brett Gardner started the inning with back to back soft singles to centerfield. After a Gary Sanchez ground out that advanced both runners up a base, Didi Gregorius smoked a single to right field that scored Gardner and tied the game at one. During the next at bat, Cobb tried to pick off Gregorius at first, and when he did so, Miller dropped the ball at first which allowed Ellsbury to score from third, giving the Yankees a 2-1 lead. After that inning, Miller was pulled from the game and taken into the clubhouse for further evaluation.

The longball continued to be a major theme of the game as the lead changed hands multiple times in a matter of a few innings. Steven Souza Jr. led off the second with a solo homerun to deep left that tied the game at two. Brian McCann followed suit by leading off the bottom of the second with a Monster solo homerun of his own into the right field suite-level seats that put the Yanks back up by a 3-2 score. Leading off the top of the third, Kiermaier recorded his first major league multi-homerun  game, blasting another solo shot to right that pulled the Rays back even at three apiece. And then in the bottom of the fourth with one out, not to be outdone by the Rays centerfielder, Brian McCann unloaded on a Cobb fastball that ricocheted off the facing of the second deck in right for HIS second homerun of the night, giving the Yankees the lead back at 4-3.

Sabathia just did not have his good stuff tonight as he was pulled in the top of the fifth after giving up  back to back leadoff singles to Logan Forsythe and Kevin Kiermaier. Rookie call up Jonathan Holder came on in relief of the big lefty and immediately got the Yankee killer Evan Longoria to ground into a HUGE double play, and then got the new shortstop Alexi Ramirez to ground out to third to end the threat and the frame.

Steven Souza Jr. joined The multi-homerun  party as he blasted his second homer of the game in the top of the sixth, clearing the restaurant in centerfield to pull the game back even at 4-4.

After the Souza blast, both bullpens kept the game scoreless as they headed into the top of the ninth inning. Kirby Yates got Forsyth to strike out, gave up a single to Kiermaier( his fourth hit of the night) and got Longoria  to pop out before getting pulled for Tommy Layne. Layne proceeded to strike out the pinch-hitter Logan Morrison to end the frame, in line for the win if his offense could put one more run on the board in the bottom of the frame.

And Layne did get the victory as the Baby Bomber Tyler Austin walked off the Rays with a clutch opposite field homerun to right center that not only won the game, but pulled the Yankees to within three games of the AL east league.

The boys from the Bronx will try to make it six in a row tomorrow as they face Tampa Bay in the second game of the four games set, with first pitch scheduled for 7:05 PM/EST.

2 comments:

  1. I love to be proven wrong. Not the first time either!

    After throwing in the towel, back in early May, for being angered
    at mgmt's do nothing off season tactics. While boasting that their
    worth was 3 billion......I'm kind of amazed at what is happening today.
    Very amazed !

    Joe Girardi is no longer dumb, and the rebuilding took two days. Not
    two years. Only in New York.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Still a ways to go patrick, next year will tell the story. We have too many good players that must be protected from the #5 draft. We also have a glut in the outfield and middle infielders.
      It looks like there will be some more changes come winter/spring.

      Delete

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