Rage, rage until you’ve won the battle.
How about saying goodbye at the start of this successful series? Aaron Hicks saved the contest with a game-changing three-run homer in the ninth, setting up Aaron Judge‘s walk-off single to earn the 7-6 win. This matchup always promised fireworks, and boy did both teams deliver tonight. Many viewed this series as a litmus test for the top two teams in the American League, and if this game was any indication of what lies ahead over the next three days…well, all I can say is, “Buckle up the belt,” Friends.”
This game got off to as terrifying a start as Jameson Taillon could have imagined. The Yankees right-hander put up the first two batters he faced, hitting Jose Altuve and delivering a single to Michael Brantley. Early traffic can lead to big innings, and Alex Bregman proved that dictum to be true, throwing a cement mixer pusher left to put the Yankees in a 3-0 hole before anyone had a chance to bat . Thanks to Taillon, he retired the next three batters in six pitches, but it was certainly an unfavorable start.
One of the things Yankees manager Aaron Boone emphasized when discussing the team’s success was the ability to react immediately when the opposition scored. DJ LeMahieu and Judge followed Altuve and Brantley, each achieving a walk and a single. After an Anthony Rizzo groundout, Giancarlo Stanton casually threw a 1-0 half-half curveball for his own game-defining three-run bomb.
Doing oppo second deck on a slow breaker seems impossible, but this is Big G we’re talking about. It was his 10th home run to tie or lead the Yankees, a feat he accomplishes with the highest frequency of any slugger in the game.
Taillon settled down in the second inning, retiring the Astros 1-2-3, including an incredible Joey Gallo catch in right to end the inning. Unfortunately, the reprieve would only be for a short time.
Apparently, both teams were only allowed to score on the triple home run. Altuve and Bregman each hit two singles while Taillon’s tough fights continued. Advanced was baseball’s best hitter, doing exactly what you’d expect from watching Yordan Alvarez all season. He smashed a 1-0 turn in the right seats in an absolute rocket that never climbed more than 42 feet off the ground. It was his fourth home run in the last three competitions and his . His 904 slugging percentage over the last 20 games keeps increasing.
Lucas Luetge, Albert Abreu and Miguel Castro combined for 3.1 shutout innings to keep Yankees hopes alive. There wasn’t much to cheer for the Yankees fans in innings two through eight, with the only excitement coming in the form of a 16-pitch walk by Rizzo in the sixth (the Yankees’ longest plate appearance). the last 34 years). and a wall-jumping grab by Tucker on the right to end the eighth and rob Rizzo of a run-scoring extra base hit. All in all, if last week has taught us anything, it’s not to write these Yankees off until the finals of the game.
Isiah Kiner-Falefa prevailed to keep the game going but was ejected trying to capture second place on a call that was eventually confirmed on replay. Rather than be distracted by that moment, the Yankees maintained their focus, with Jose Treviño scoring a lone hit down the middle to knock Pressly out of the game.
Ryne Stanek came in and knocked out Gallo, but DJ LeMahieu walked with two outs to give Judge a chance to be the hero like there was any question. After seeing three straight splitters below the zone, Judge lasered a 3-0 pitch cut down the center left line to give the Yankees a 7-6 win.
The Yankees proved that they are the rightful owners of a 52-18 record just when it appeared that they had met their match in the AL. It’s their 15th straight home victory, their longest streak since 1961.
It’s difficult to imagine a game surpassing the drama of this one, but with Luis Severino facing Justin Verlander tomorrow, I believe we’re in for another nail-biter. First pitch is at 7:05 p.m. ET, so make sure to join us in the game thread.
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