The Yankees Shut Me Up And Won Two in Chicago
Photo Via: USATSIAfter the Field of Dreams Game, I got on my soap box and yelled about momentum. I thought that by winning a nationally televised game against one of the most talented teams in baseball, the Yankees would get a little bit of that Evil Empire feeling back heading into a big week of games. I certainly did not think there was a chance in the world that the Yankees would take the remaining pair of games in Chicago. I was truly hoping for a split there.
But the Yankees shoved it down my stupid face and took the season series 5-1 against the White Sox.
You thought that meant it was easy? Oh… no, no, no. We had to sweat out every last pitch, no matter what the lead was late in the game. Saturday featured a Chad Green save opportunity. He even made it to the final strike! Then he hung a curveball to José Abreu, who was absolutely sitting on the breaking ball. Abreu smashed it to tie the game and eventually send it to an extra inning. But before we get to that, let’s talk about the sequence by Green against Abreu. Chad started the at bat with a get-me-over curveball and got the strike. So Abreu had seen the curve once. Then the next three pitches were fastball-curveball-fastball and all missed the strike zone for a 3-1 count. Chad then went back to the curveball again and got a swinging strike. That means the count was full and Green had thrown three curves and two fastballs, with an every other pitch alternation going. Green continued that trend and threw a fastball, which Abreu was late on and fouled off. Green went back to the fastball again and Abreu fouled it off a second time. Both times, Abreu was very late on the fastball because he was clearly sitting on the breaking pitch he had seen three times. Well, Higgy called for the curve on the next pitch, Chad hung it, and Abreu clobbered it. Chad also refused to throw his fastball inside, which probably would have been his best chance at a strikeout.
In the top of the 10th, Aaron Judge hit a clutch single to regain the lead, but with the automatic runner rule you knew another run was a must. Joey Gallo stepped to the plate and saw a 2-0 fastball that he liked. He pummeled it into the South Chicago sky for a 2-run homer. The Yankees took a 7-4 lead. Finally, we can breathe, right? Wrong.
Just one day after Zack Britton told manager Aaron Boone to not use him in save situations since he has been so bad this season, the lefty was called on to get the final three outs in the 10th inning. To be fair, Boone did not plan on using Britton in a save situation. But it was still not exactly the best time to give Britton his first action since blowing the Field of Dreams Game. The inning went exactly how you would expect it. Britton got the first out, but allowed a walk, a single, and another walk. The score was now 7-5. The bases were loaded. Britton did not have it. Boone made the necessary pitching change and went to Albert Abreu for what would be his first career save. After a hard-hit lineout, it came down to Abreu against none other than Tim Anderson. The rookie impressed by getting Anderson to ground out. It did not come easy, but the Yankees got themselves a win.
The next day was a similar story. After getting six impressive shutdown innings from Nestor Cortes Jr., the Yankees jumped out to a 5-1 lead in the 9th inning when Luke Voit blasted a 2-run shot.
Lucas Leutge was called upon for the save opportunity, but like Britton, he could not close out the game. He allowed a walk, a single, and a double with a fly-out sandwiched in there. Wandy Peralta was next in line and he entered the game with runners on second and third with one out in a 5-2 game.
Of course, Tim Anderson was up. Peralta induced a sift ground ball to first base. When LeMahieu tossed it to Peralta covering first, Wandy lost the footrace to the bag — Anderson was safe. Now there runners on the corners and one out in a 5-3 game. Peralta bounced back by getting a tailor-made double play ball from Cesar Hernández. The Yankees made the play and survived another scare.
I will admit it, I did not think for a second that the Yankees would win both games. I also did not think they would get out of both of the final innings without blowing the leads. As it turns out, the Yankees did not completely carry all of the postgame woes from Iowa to Chicago. It sure would have been nice to grab a sweep of the White Sox, but all things considered I will take the series win.