Top Play (WPA): Down 2-0, it looked as if New York would be held scoreless for the fourth straight inning by the cruising Hisashi Iwakuma. Mark Teixeira delivered the Yankees’ second hit of the game with two outs in the fourth. Brian McCann made Iwakuma pay, knocking a two-run, game tying shot, increasing New York’s chances of winning by 26 percent.
Bottom Play (WPA): The Yankees haven’t gone away all year, and refused to again in this one. Down two runs, Mark Teixeira led off the ninth by shooting a double to center. Mariners reliever Carson Smith proceeded by fanning McCann and Chase Headley, but the second of the two K’s escaped catcher Mike Zunino, allowing Headley to reach first. Garrett Jones grounded out, driving in a run, but resulting in the second out. It all came down to Didi Gregorius, who battled Smith well, like the previous batters all had. However, Gregorius grounded out to second, ending the game and decreasing the Yankees’ chances of winning by 13.2 percent.
Key Moment: Seattle’s production today can be summed up in two words: Robinson Cano. The former Yankee delivered a pair of two-run blasts, including the game-winning homer in the eighth, which stands as today’s key moment. While the Yankees recovered from a similar feat by Kyle Seager yesterday, they couldn’t climb all the way back for the victory.
Coming Next: The series concludes Sunday at 1:05 with what would have been a dream matchup about three years ago. Former ace C.C. Sabathia (4-8, 5.47 ERA) will grab the rubber to face current ace, Felix Hernandez, who has impressed (even for Felix standards) at Yankee Stadium throughout his career. His 5-1 record and 1.37 ERA in the Bronx will be difficult to turn around, unlike Sabathia this year. Although it sounds cliché, each game in this series has been fun to watch. Expect this one to be no different.
(Photo: Adam Hunger-USA Today Sports)