The Yankees now have a decisive lead over Baltimore, and Baltimore have a wild card qualification. The outcome of the series between the two teams could not really have worked out better for both participants. The Orioles really couldn’t expect to catch the New York team on the season, but just simply to leave town having taken the 3-game set, 2-1 gives them something of a psychological edge should the two meet again in the playoffs.

Really, only one matter remained for the New York Yankees. That was to clinch the top seed spot. This too seems likely to be the outcome, but the Yankees were balancing the need to do that with the need to rest players and keep them fresh. It is a difficult equation because the Yankees were likely to have the rest they needed if they did not play in the wild card series and rested everyone through that “bye” period,

What to do…

And the decision taken, far from inevitable and may not even necessary, was to sit Aaron Judge and not even to introduce him as a late inning pinch hitter.

Carlos Rodon was to be the starter of record for New York and the rookie, Jared Jones would begin for the Pittsburgh Pirates. Rodon, whilst still uneven, is very much improved on his first season in the Pinstripes. Then (2023), he finished 3-8 with an ERA closer to 7 than 6. This year, he had a career best 16 wins with 9 losses and an ERA that was hovering around his career average. Jones at 6-8 is still rather an unknown quantity and his first year in the Majors has been rather overshadowed by the debut year of Paul Skenes who is likely to take the National League Rookie of the Year award. It rather seemed that the winner did depend on how much the Yankees were going to miss Judge.

Pittsburgh got off to a strong start with leadoff hitter, Nick Gonzales hitting a single into leftfield where Jasson Dominguez was unable to take the line drive cleanly. However, the rest of the inning was to prove a little up-and-down for Pittsburgh. First, Brian Reynolds struck out on three pitches. Then a Joey Bart single swung the game once again in Pittsburgh’s favour. With runners on first and second, Rodon requiring only six pitches to get the next two batters to strikeout. Former Yankee, Andrew McCutchen went on a foul tip and Bryan De La Cruz went on a rather wild swing.

If the Pittsburgh half of the inning was uneven, so it was with the New York time at bat. There was perhaps a little more optimism for the Yankees, in that whilst Rodon gained three strikeouts in nine pitches, it took Jones 15 pitches to strike out the first two batters he faced with both Gleyber Torres and Juan Soto striking out swinging.

The Yankees had more to give. Jazz Chisholm Jr. hit a double. This clearly hit Jones’ confidence as he then walked Dominguez on four pitches, Noticing Jones’ distraction, Chisholm took off for third for an easy steal. So, runners on first and Alex Verdugo coming to bat. This year, Verdugo has once again shown himself to be accomplished in the field, but his standards at the plate have fallen below what the Yankees were hoping for. He could only manage only a gentle pop up straight back to Jones and the innings came to its conclusion.

The top of the 2nd was a little more straightforward, as it looked possible that the Yankees might have enough in their tank to keep Pittsburgh’s batters where they wanted them to be. First, another former Yankee, Isiah Kiner-Falefa hit a flyout to left field. There was a moment of concern when Rodon walked Connor Joe on six pitches, but it was only a moment as it was followed by Nick Yorke hitting a flyout to Trent Grisham, who was in centerfield this evening in Judge’s absence. Billy Cook was dominated by Rodon, and it took Carlos only four pitches to strike him out looking.

The Yankees could not dominate at the plate in the way that Rodon was doing from the mound, In the bottom of the second, they made no impact at all. Firstly, Anthony Volpe hit an unconvincing flyball to De La Cruz in right, which he took cleanly and without hesitation. Secondly, Grisham, despite Jones allowing him to get the advantage on the count, was called out on strikes. Finally, De La Cruz took a line out from Jose Trevino which ended any opportunity the Yankees might have had.

In the 3rd, Rodon gave up a walk to Reynolds on 5 pitches after striking out Gonzales. After that it was plain sailing with Joey Bart flying out to rightfield and then Reynolds being thrown out at second when trying to advance a base.

The Yankees did little better, although it looked for a moment like they might. After Oswaldo Cabrera hit into a 6-3 ground out, both Gleyber Torres and Soto hit singles. Once again though, it was to come to nothing with Chisholm lining out and Dominguez facing seven pitches before striking out.

The top of the 4th was largely a tale of the two former Yankees, First, McCutchen grounded out, hitting to Chisholm who threw across to Cabrera. Then, after gifting a walk to De La Cruz, Rodon got Falefa to hit into a second to first double play to end the inning.

The game started to tip in Pittsburgh’s favour in the bottom of the 4th with Jones striking out all three batters (Verdugo, Volpe, Grisham).

And so, it seemed that, psychologically at least, the Pirates had the edge but that is what is so difficult to difficult to judge in these MLB games – especially at this point in the season. In the top of the 5th, Rodon gave up a walk to Joe in 6 pitches, but the Pirates couldn’t build on any of this. Yorke lined out to Grisham in centerfield and then Joe was thrown out trying to steal second, as Trevino fielded excellent and threw powerfully to second to nail the runner. A weak pop up from Cook to Volpe rounded out an inning that offered so much promise.

And then even more surprisingly it was the Yankees who put a first run on the board. Trevino, whose throwing arm turned the balance in Pirates’ half of the inning, contributed even more as he opened the Yankees’ at bats with a single, and then Cabrera hit a strong double into right field to put runners on second and third. A 6-3 groundout for Torres, surprisingly failed to put a run on the board, but the Pirates were getting weak at the knees and decided to intentionally walk Soto. This gave them time to prep Joey Wentz, who surprisingly came on for Jones who until a few moments earlier had not put a foot wrong.

Wentz’ introduction didn’t seem likely to achieve much good when he gave up a single to Chisholm on only his second pitch. This resulted in both Trevino and Cabrera scoring. Soto headed to second and the hitter was at first.

Then things got even murkier as Soto stole third, Chisholm stole second and Dominguez was walked. The Yankees though couldn’t round this out as Verdugo hit a fly out and Volpe a line out. Innings over. 2-0.

If, perhaps, the Pirates lifted Jones a little early, then the Yankees stayed with Rodon a little too long. First of all, he gave up a homer to Gonzales which went to leftfield and then one to right-of-centre to Reynolds. 2-2.

The Yankees instructed Ian Hamilton to start warming in the bullpen. Until he was ready, Rodon continued and achieved one out with Bart hitting a ground ball in the general direction of Volpe. When Hamilton entered, he quickly changed the direction the inning was going in with McCutchen grounding out and De La Cruz striking out swinging.

In the bottom of the 6th, Wentz was kept in place to get Grisham, who has been very ineffectual with the bat, before he was replaced by Colin Holderman. Trevino then hit a weak pop up into foul territory which the opposition’s pitcher, Bart fielded cleanly, and Cabrera hit a flyout into centrefield.

Figuring out what Clay Holmes will do next has been quite a conundrum for the Yankees. Now having decided; he can no longer be their closer, he seems to have settled more than a little and today was a good day for him as he replaced Hamilton. Kiner-Falefa lined out to centerfield. Then with Oneil Cruz coming in to pinch hit for Joe, all Cruz could achieve was a grounder back to Holmes. The inning ended with a 5-3 groundout for Yorke.

Then the Pirates decided to maximise their chances by introducing some fresh blood. The pinch-hitter Cruz took over at centerfield. This necessitated Cook switching from centre to firstbase. A new pitcher, Carmen Mlodzinski was also introduced. Mlodzinski (4-5, 3.22 prior to today) made it look easy. Torres grounded out and then Carmen got both Soto and Chisholm to strike out.

In the 8th, it was the Yankees’ turn to make a pitching change. They introduced the normally ultra-reliable Tommy Kahnle, only to see him struggle. He gave up a single to Cook, before getting Gonzales to strike out on a foul tip. With the runner on first, Reynolds slammed one over the centerfield wall. 4-2. The call went to the bullpen, this time for Scott Effross to begin going through his warm-up pitches. In the meantime, the lack-lustre Kahnle got Bart to hit into a second foul tip out. Effross entered thereafter and got McCutchen to ground out.

With Mlodzinski likely to be the winning pitcher of record, the Pirates lifted him to bring in Dennis Santana who only a few months earlier had been a regular on the Yankees’ roster, albeit only for a little while and only as a struggling member of that roster. Cook must have become tired of the changes he was making as after moving from the outfield to first base, he now found himself leaving the field entirely with Jared Triolo taking over at first.

Santana continued in the same fashion as Mlodzinski with a 1-2-3 succession of outs. Dominguez struck out, Verdugo flied out to left and then Volpe hit an easy pop out to Kiner-Falefa.

Effross continued through the 9th and kept the score exactly where it was. De La Cruz lined out as did Kiner-Falefa. There was a moment’s hesitation with Oneil walking on the 7th pitch, but Effross recovered, getting Yorke to ground into a forceout.

The Yankees, therefore, entered the 9th needing two runs to get back into the game. When they saw another familiar figure heading in from the bullpen – Aroldis Chapman – their chances seemed even slimmer. And indeed, Chapman quickly took control. Grisham, who is just dead space in the offensive line-up, struck out swinging. Trevino hit one back to the mound. The last opportunity disappeared when Cabrera also struck out swinging.

So, the Yankees, with two games remaining, are 93-67, and 4 games ahead in the American League East, and still haven’t clinched the top seed. We’ll see what tomorrow brings.