Yankees drop 14-inning marathon 7-3

Coming off a 5-2 loss against the Orioles on Thursday night, the Yankees looked to bounce back as C.C. Sabathia took the bump for his first home start of the season. However, the exact opposite happened as the Yankees played in a gut-wrenching 14-inning marathon that saw multiple players go down with injuries, sloppy baseball, and a 14th inning grand slam that sealed the deal.

 

Photo Credit: AP

Coming in it was well known that Manny Machado has had CC’s number when the two faced off. Friday night was no different. The O’s struck first by way of a Machado long ball, his first of the season. Fast-forward to the top of the third and Machado got Sabathia again for his second big fly of the game. Just one inning later Chris Davis powered one into the seats for the third solo homer of Sabathia in just four innings. Sabathia’s stuff did not look too bad, and his pitch count was relatively low (58 thru four innings), but he was taken out after four innings with what was later found out to be “right hip soreness.”

Tommy Kahnle took over for Sabathia in the fifth and immediately got into a bind via an error and walk. With runners on second and third with one out, Kahnle struck out Jonathan Schoop and got Adam Jones to pop out to get out of the inning. Kahnle went on to pitch the sixth, not allowing any runs, but threw an astronomical high 48 pitches (20 over last season’s high). Brandon Drury was also taken out of the game in the sixth in favor of Ronald Torreyes, due to migraines and blurred vision.

Dellin Betances entered the game in the seventh and had a relatively quiet inning, giving up no runs while tallying a strikeout and walk. David Robertson followed that up with a 1-2-3 eighth, putting together his second straight quality appearance following the meltdown against the Blue Jays.

To start the top of the ninth, Aaron Boone took Tyler Wade out, moving Neil Walker to second and bringing in Tyler Austin to play first. Wade had looked like he was in some pain since his seventh inning groundout. It was later discovered that he is battling an illness.

Aroldis Chapman took the hill in the top of the ninth, looking to keep the O’s off the board of a 3-3 game. After 26 pitches, two walks, a mound visit AND an injury delay, Chapman struck out Trey Mancini to keep the game knotted at three.

Chad Green took over to start the tenth looking to bounce back from his Thursday night performance (.2IP, 3 H, 2 ER). He allowed a leadoff walk to Manny Machado, but eventually was able to work out of trouble, getting Colby Rasmus to strikeout to end the inning. Green’s 47 pitches over the past two days will most likely keep him out of Saturday’s matchup.

Chasen Shreve came on and did a solid job in the eleventh, setting down the O’s in order. Shreve came back out for the twelfth and did not fare as well. A two-out single by Adam Jones gave the Orioles first and third. Shreve proceeded to walk Pedro Alvarez, loading the bases. In a seven-pitch at bat, Shreve sent Colby Rasmus packing with a splitter out of the zone, a big win for Shreve, Boone, and Yanks fans everywhere.

Boone brought in Jonathan Holder to start the thirteenth, his third appearance this season. Holder calmly retired the first two batters, but when the number nine man in the order Caleb Joseph sent one deep to right Yanks fans everywhere held their breath… until Aaron Judge came down with the ball! He robbed Joseph of a home run, sending the game into the bottom of the thirteenth, still knotted at three. Holder came out for the fourteenth and immediately found himself in a no out, bases loaded situation facing veteran hitter Adam Jones. After a crucial strikeout of Jones, Pedro Alvarez stepped to the plate. The bullpen’s luck could only last so long, as Alvarez tanked a ball to right-center, a grand-slam, giving the Orioles a 7-3 lead in the top of the fourteenth.

On the offensive side of the ball, the Yankees sputtered throughout most of the night. They answered the Machado first inning homer with some promise in the bottom of the first that saw the first three Yankee batters reach base. A Brett Gradner walk followed by an Aaron Judge HBP led to a bloop single from Stanton to tie the game at one. O’s starter Kevin Gausman came back to retire the next three batters.

A leadoff double to start the third from Gardner had the Yanks looking to get back the run surrendered in the top half of the inning. Judge gave it to them with a ball that floated in front of centerfielder Adam Jones, allowing Gardner to score from second.

Gausman held the Yankees pat in the fourth and fifth, but a leadoff single by Giancarlo Stanton to start the sixth sent Buck Showalter to the pen. Newly entered reliever Richard Bleier was met by a Didi Gregorius single to make it first and second with no outs. Back to back fielder’s choices left the Yankees with first and third with two outs for pinch-hitter Ronald Torreyes. Torreyes grounded out to end the inning, leaving fans to question yet another decision by Aaron Boone.

After a non-threatening bottom of the seventh, Didi Gregorius stepped to the plate and sent a laser down the right field line that just got over the wall, tying the game at three in the bottom of the eighth.

The bottom of the ninth and tenth saw the Yankees go down in order, but a leadoff walk from Didi in the eleventh gave the Yankees their first base runner since the seventh inning. Gregorius followed his walk up with a quick swipe of second base, his first of the season (19th of his career). A ground out from Gary Sanchez followed by an intentional walk of Neil Walker left recently entered Ronald Torreyes up with first and second with one out. He bounced into a fielder’s choice, but not all was lost as the Yankees still had a runner on third with two away. Baltimore relief pitcher Mychal Givens had Tyler Austin in an 0-2 hole, when he yanked a slider. You have to just watch this one folks: https://www.mlb.com/video/c-1911139383 

Gregorius was nabbed at home on a close, controversial play.

 

Photo Credit: AP

The Yankees went 1-2-3 in the twelfth and thirteenth and found themselves down four when they took the plate in the fourteenth. Brad Brach, the Orioles closer for the time being, took over and retired the Yankees in order, ending the five hour and twenty-minute game.

Winning Pitcher: Pedro Araujo (1-1): 2.0 IP, 0 H, 1 K, 0 ER

Losing Pitcher: Jonathan Holder (0-1): 2 IP, 2 H, 1 K, 3 ER

Notables

Didi Gregorius: 2-for-5, 1 HR (3), 1 RBI, 1 BB

Brett Gardner: 1-for-4, 2 BB, 2 R

Manny Machado: 4-for-5, 2 HR (2), 2 RBI, 2 BB

Pedro Alvarez: 2-for-2, 1 HR (1), 4 RBI, 1 BB

What’s Next?

The Yankees will look to bounce back Saturday afternoon with a 1:05pm first pitch in game three of four versus the O’s. Sonny Gray is expected to face off against Chris Tillman. Look for at least two pitchers to be brought up from Scranton for tomorrow’s game.

Article by: Shane Black

Follow @shaneblack_ Follow @BronxBomberBall