What’s a beat writer’s worst nightmare? Aside from Bruce Springsteen quitting music, it’s an extra inning game on a getaway day before a long cross country flight. But, thankfully for the scribes on the Yankees’ beat, the boys in Pinstripes avoided extra innings by the skin of their teeth and won this afternoon’s contest against the Texas Rangers.
Now, before we talk about the ninth inning, let’s talk about Michael Pineda’s performance. It looked as if it would be an iffy Pineda start when he surrendered a lead-off home run to Shin-Soo Choo, but he settled down and didn’t allow another run even with a single and walk sprinkled in there. He struck out Rougned Odor swinging to end the first and then struck out the side swinging in the second. This was a theme. Pineda has six straight strike outs at one point, all swinging, but that string was broken by a Nomar Mazara grounder for the third out of the third inning.
He started off the fourth by walking Adrian Beltre, got Prince Fielder to fly out, struck out Odor swinging again, walked Jurikson Profar and then got Mitch Moreland to strike out swinging. That was another theme.
Pineda finished his day with 12 strike outs in six innings. He threw 92 pitches, 60 of them were for strikes, and every strike out was of the swinging variety. He unfortunately wouldn’t pick up the win, but it was a great performance from Pineda.
The Yankees were able to tie the game in the bottom of the fifth inning on a home run by Didi Gregorius who probably doesn’t want the month of June to end. He was batting .337/.369/.510 with three home runs and 17 RBI coming into Thursday’s game.
They also had a chance to take the lead in the bottom of the seventh, but Brett Gardner grounded out with the bases loaded to end the inning and the threat. He’s batting .173 with runners in scoring position this season.
Dellin Betances, Andrew Miller, and Aroldis Chapman all pitched scoreless frames which set up the action in the bottom of the ninth. Oh, and Betances had two swinging strike outs, Miller one, and Chapman got Odor swinging. It was Odor’s third of the day.
In the ninth, Tony Barnette came in to pitch for the Rangers and Chase Headley started things off with a single. Then, a somewhat controversial play caused most of the Yankees’ fanbase to scratch their heads. Gregorius came up with Headley on first and bunted Headley over to second. I already posted Gregorius’ numbers for the month, and I already mentioned how he hit a game-tying home run earlier in this contest, so why on earth would anyone have him hit a sacrifice bunt with Aaron Hicks coming to the plate?
Well, it all ended up working out because Hicks walked, Starlin Castro grounded out, but the runners, Headley and Hicks advanced, and when Jacoby Ellsbury was at the plate with runners on second and third with two outs, Barnette unleashed a passed ball, Headley scored and the Yankees won.
The Play: Didi Gregorius’ game-tying home run WPA 1.00
Top Performers
Rangers: A.J. Griffin who pitched five innings and struck out eight.
Yankees: Pineda, of course.
Notes
—The last time the Yankees won a game on a passed ball was against the Tigers on April 27, 2012. Thursday was only the second time they have won a game on a passed ball in the last 50 years.
—Pineda is the fifth Yankees pitcher to strike out 12 in six or fewer innings. The last one to do it: Ivan Nova in May 2012.
—The Yankees are heading out to San Diego to play three against the Padres who just traded Fernando Rodney to the Miami Marlins. Also of note, CC Sabathia’s start was pushed back to Monday so he can pitch in Chicago and not have to bat in San Diego. Chad Green will get Sunday’s start instead.
Photo credit: Adam Hunger / USA TODAY