Back to attending the games in person…

And so back in the Bronx, and just or more significantly, the Yankees were to face the Baltimore Orioles.

Prior to this game, the Yankees were 6 games clear in the American League East. There were six games to play which meant that if Baltimore won all their remaining games and the Yankees lost theirs… Well, you can do the math. If Baltimore swept the Yankees here, the two teams would be a few steps closer to an unlikely one game playoff to see who would rule the division. Both teams are going to be in the post-season, now it is a battle for home advantage in the playoffs, and to see who would play who – plus the little things like a division title and how many games the Yankees would have in the wins column at the end of the season. They couldn’t make 100, but 98 was not a bad target.

The starting pitchers on the mound would be Dean Kremer for the Orioles and Clarke Schmidt for the New York team. Kremer had appeared in 24 games and taken 7 wins. Schmidt, who had struggled with injuries this season, had ony 13 starts (he had missed the whole of June, July and August) , and taken 5 wins although he had a higher win percentage than Kremer. From compraing just the pitchers’ records this one could go either way.

Schmidt started confidently and found that the first two Orioles’ batters were misjudging his pitches. Both Gunnar Henderson and Adley Rutschman struck out swinging, Third batter, Anthony Santander managed to connect but only for a flyout to Alex Verdugo in leftfield.

In the other half of the innings, the Yankees immediately hit their stride with Gleyber Torres hitting a fly ball to right field evading Anthony Santander. However, they couldn’t build on that start. Juan Soto hit a flyout to Colton Cowser in left. Aaron Judge hit into a 5-4 forceout with Torres out at second whilst he reached first. Austin Wells, who continues to struggle, went deep in the count, only to groundout to first baseman Ryan O’Hearn.

In the second, Cowser struck out swinging on four pitches. But things began to look up for Baltimore with Jordan Westburg hitting safely on a line drive to leftfield. Another more powerful line drive followed, again to leftfield, resulting in a ground rule double for O’Hearn with Westburg moving up to third.

Baltimore then seized their chance but gave up their second out in the process. Heston Kjerstad hit into a 4-3 ground out which meant Antony Rizzo was able to get him out, but only at the cost of Westburg scoring.

The inning end with a Ramon Urias flyout to Verdugo in left. 1-0 to the Orioles.

The Yankees made not impact in their half of the innings. Giancarlo Stanton struck out swinging on 4 pitches. He is persistently swinging for the fences (which frequently works) but if he doesn’t connect he ends up flailing. Everyone is aware that a single from Stanton, because of his lack of running ability, brings as many problems as advantages.

Then Jazz Chisholm jr. lined out to Anthony Mullins in centerfield. Rizzo could only produce a 4-3 groundout and the Yankees half of the innings was over without them closing Baltimore’s lead.

In the top of the 3rd, Schmidt regained his composure causing Cedric Mullins to strike out swinging (Schmidt’s 4th already). Returning to the top of the line-up, this time Henderson grounded out Torres to Rizzo and Rutschman hit a fly out to Judge in centerfield.

The Yankees’ bats really needed to come alive. It did not begin well with Anthony Volpe going deep into the count but only to strike out swinging. Another blow followed with Verdugo hitting a flyout to Cowser in left. And then for a moment it looked like the game might turn. Torres who had singled in the first followed this with more of the same as he produced a sharp line drive into centerfield and was safe at first. Hopes were dashed when Soto grounded out to O’Hearn at first.

The Orioles were having no such problems turning their men on base into runs. A very patient at bat by Santander ended in him taking his base. It looked as though Baltimore were going to be able to add to their lead as a flyout to centerfield from Cowser was followed by Westburgh striking out swinging with Schmidt racking up his 5th in just over three innings.

Suddenly though Schmidt lost sight of his strikezone and a wild pitch moved Santander to second. With the pitcher unable to calm himself, O’Hearn hit a single on a ground ball to leftfield, the outcome of which was that Santander crossed home plate.

Another swinging strikeout closed the top of the fourth as Heston Kjerstad was unable to connect. 2-0 Orioles.

The Yankees really needed something that would produce momentum and it looked likely to be coming as the very familiar sight of Aaron Judge thanking the heavens as his hit cleared the wall in left centerfield. 2-1.

Now, let’s see what the Yankees could produce… Well, nothing really as it happens. Wells grounded out as he hit back to the pitcher’s mound softly. Stanton, trying to exhibit a little more patience, was this time called out on strikes and Chisholm hit a flyout to Santander in rightfield. The suspicion tha this wasn’t going ot be the Yankees’ night was growing.

Fortunately, the Orioles were now starting to struggle to get on base. In their half of the fifth, Urias hit a weak little popup to Chisholm, Mullins hit a flyout to Soto in right. And Schmidt’s 1st called strike out but his 6th strikeout overall ended the Baltimore teams turn at the bat.

In the bottom of the 5th, the Yankees were gifted a chance. First, Rizzo was walked by Kremer on four pitches. Then five pitches later, there was another walk with Volpe moving to first base. But a chance is one thing. Taking that chance is another. Alex Verdugo hit into a double play. The ground ball hit moved Rizzo up to 3rd, but both Volpe and Verdugo were out. A flyout by Torres to Cowser in left ended the inning.

In the 6th, Rutschman fit a fly out to left. Next up was Santander and he hit a homer to rightfield off a pitch which was to prove to be Schmidt’s last of the game. The relief pitcher who came in was Tim Mayza who hasn’t exactly set the world alight since moving from the Blue Jays to New York. 3-1.

Mayza saw Cowser called out on strikes, but then walked Westburg. The Orioles brought in Ryan Mountcastle to pinch hit for O’Hearn and Mountcastle hit a sharp line drive to centerfield. The Orioles couldn’t build on this with Kjerstad ending the inning with a ground out.

Mountcastle remained in the game at first base and more significantly Keegan Akin came in replacing Kremer on the mound.

A nothing pop out by Soto to Mountcastle was the first out. However, Akin then walked Judge on 4 pitches before getting Wells to place another pop out this time to Westburg at second. Jacob Webb then replaced Akin.Once more the over eager Stanton struck out swinging and the game moved into the 7th.

Ramon Urias opened the inning with an home run over the left centerfield wall. This power drive couldn’t have boosted Mayza’s confidence but Mullins hit into a 4-3 ground out which might have settled matters a little if it hadn’t been followed by a powerful double. It was deflected in his journey by Chisholm and ended in leftfield. That was all for Mayza who was replace by another struggling late season acquisition in Mark Leiter jr. The score was now BAL 4 NYY 1.

Leiter began by issuing a walk to Rutschman on 6 pitches, but he was dug out of the two on base, 1 out hole, when Santander hit into a 4-6-3 double play.

Another new face on the mound when Cionel Perez replaced Webb. The first batter he faced was Chisholm who grounded out Henderson to Mountcastle. However, that smooth start was as calm as it got for Perez as he gave up a ground-rule double to Rizzo which managed to stay fair as it went down the leftfield line. Perez did get Volpe to pop out, but then a single to second base from Verdugo moved Rizzo up to 3rd.

With runners on first and third but with two outs,another call to the bullpen saw Yennier Cano on the mound. He didn’t improve matters – another ground rule double, this time from Torres scored Rizzo and moved Verdugo to third. NYY closed the gap to 4-2.

A single from Soto added to New York’s domination but the play was hindered by messy baserunning and some difficult fielding choice. Having hit to rightfield, Verdugo scored but Torres also tried to make for home and was out at the plate on a 9-2-6-2-5 (!) play. In the midst of all this, Soto was also out trying to advance to 2nd. 4-3.

In the 8th, Leiter’s brief appearance came to an end, and Ian Hamilton took his place on the mound. Hamilton whose form has been patchy saw his fourth pitch of the at bat clear the rightfield wall as Cowser celebrated. Thankfully, the pitcher then settled as he saw Westburg fly out, Mountcastle ground out and Kjerstad also flyout as they went down in order. 5-3.

The Yankees were nearing the last chance saloon as they came up to bat but the heart of the line-up were going to be coming to the plate. Regrettably, Judge could only sky one to right field where Santander was waiting for the first out. The Orioles then decided to make another pitching change with Gregory Soto being called from the ‘pen. The tactical pitching changes were coming thick and fast. Wells as you might have predicted hit a lame groundout and even more predictably and anticipated Stanton struck out swinging.

It was still a close game and with one innings to go, anything might happen – although there was that creeping feeling tha the outcome would favour Baltimore. Their time at bat began with Urias striking out and then it was Tommy Kahnle replacing Hamilton in yet another tactical switch. Kahlne got Mullins to fly out to right field. He then gave up a walk to Henderson before Rutschman lined out to Chishom.

So what would happen next – 1 or more runs for the Yankees or three outs? It was far from straightforward, but despite the Yankees moving their pieces around it was to be the latter. Chisholm grounded out. Rizzo then worked a walk on 8 pitches and was lifted for the speedier Oswaldo Cabrera. The Yankees had faster runners on the bench but I think they were thinking that if it did go to extra innings they would have somebody at first base who they could feel confident in. At the same time, Jasson Dominguez was put in at shortstop for Volpe and in response Seranthony Dominguez came to pitch in place of Gregory Soto. All the pieces on the chessboard were settled and things would land as they saw fit.

The shuffling of the Yankees’ line up was to no avail. Dominguez grounded out (albeit with Cabrera moving to second), and Verdugo hit a flyout to Cowser in leftfield. 5-3

The Orioles closed the gap at the top of the division with five games left and we would be back tomorrow to see if there would be another tight game.