Thursday, April 19, 2018

Game #18 Toronto Blue Jays (12-6) @ New York Yankees (9-8) - game recap

Catcher Luke Maile was 2-3 at the plate, scored a run and threw out two base runners in a losing cause as the Yankees won the opener of this 4 game series 4-3.

The red hot Toronto Blue Jays, winners of 4 straight games began a 4 game series vs. division rivals NY Yankees today. The Bronx Bombers are playing .500 baseball. Newcomer Giancarlo Stanton is off to a horrible start with just 3 hits at home and hitting .197 for the season, a far cry from his MVP season a year ago. This will be the second to last game without DH Kendrys Morales, who is scheduled to come off the DL on Saturday. Here is today's game recap.

Game Highlights

  • The Yankees opened the scoring on a Tyler Wade ground out that scored Aaron Hicks 
  • A batter later Ronald Torreyes singled to left, scoring Neil Walker 
  • Luke Maile scored on a passed ball to put the Blue Jays on the board
  • Maile tied the game on a single that scored Yangervis Solarte 
  • CC Sabathia pitching line: 4.1IP 4H 2R (none earned) 1BB 1K 71 pitches (50 for strikes)
  • Didi Gregorius gave the Yankees the lead in the bottom of the 5th with a 2 out single that plated Torreyes
  • Aaron Sanchez pitching line: 6IP 7H 3R (all earned) 2BB 2K 99 pitches (60 for strikes)
  • Aaron Judge doubled the Yankee lead in the bottom of the 7th with a homer to left
  • Pinch hitter Curtis Granderson cut the lead to one with a single that scored Teoscar Hernandez
  • Aroldis Chapman struck out the side in the 9th for his 3rd save of the season
  • Final score: Yankees 4 Blue Jays 3
My Take

  • Key play in the 6th inning when Devon Travis flipped the ball to Aledmys Diaz for a force out. Diaz dropped the ball in transferring to throw to first. Unlike the play with the Royals yesterday, Diaz clearly had control of the ball. Had Aaron Hicks been ruled safe on the play, it would have been 1st and 2nd with nobody out. Instead, Neil Walker was on first with one out and Sanchez got the next 2 batters out.
  • Catcher Luke Maile had another terrific game. He scored on a passed ball and drove in a run and was 2-3 at the plate. He also threw out two Yankees runners, including Hicks on a strike 'em out, throw 'em out to end the 8th inning to keep the Yankee lead at 1 and giving the Jays an opportunity to come back in the 9th. Assuming there are no ill effects from a foul tip which bent his wrist back, he's earned another start behind the plate. Expect Russell Martin to be at 3rd base if Maile is fit to play.
  • Aaron Sanchez battled through his 6 innings of work. The Yankees battrs did a good job in working the count today and getting Sanchez's pitch count up. However, there was a lot of soft contact today and plenty of ground ball outs. This is just one of the better lineups the Blue Jays have faced early on.
  • The Blue Jays manufactured another late run in the 8th inning but were unable to get more than the one run despite having the bases loaded on David Robertson. Chapman came on in the 9th inning and literally blew the Blue Jays hitters away. His last pitch was 101mph.
  • Up next, the Blue Jays look to even the 4 game series with Marco Estrada taking on Sonny Gray.