Saturday's doubleheader against Boston started about as ugly as it gets. Carlos Rodon, back from elbow inflammation, gave up 2 earned runs over 4.2 innings, but it was the defense that really sank Game 1 -- Amed Rosario got thrown out trying to score from first, then booted a throw in the fifth that let another run in, and things unraveled late as the Red Sox broke it open for a 6-0 win. By the time Game 2 rolled around that night, the frustration was obvious.
Impressive to follow up a well played game last night with such a slop fest. Good way to piss away your momentum. Tonight is massive.
Max Fried took the ball for New York in the nightcap, and Boston picked right up where it left off. The Red Sox got on the board first with a home run, and for a few innings it looked like the Yankees were headed for a second straight loss.
Sox strike first!
Then the Yankees found a gear. Heliot Ramos got hit by a pitch to help load the bases, Luis Garcia Jr. delivered with the situation on the line, and Spencer Jones drove in a run to help flip the game. From there the Yankees' pen -- with Fried's outing intact -- didn't need to touch closer David Bednar, and Boston's bullpen fell apart late enough that New York actually took advantage. It was the kind of response Barstool's baseball desk had been begging for after the Game 1 mess.
Sunday's finale was a different kind of grind. With the season series on the line, manager Aaron Boone rolled out a lineup that had backup catcher Ali Sanchez behind the plate and Heliot Ramos batting third -- with Ben Rice (Benny) on the bench. Sanchez has been a defensive liability for most of the year and reportedly could lose his roster spot to Triple-A options like Mitch Garver or J.C. Escarra once September call-ups hit, but Sunday he was in the lineup out of necessity, not preference.
All important season series on the line and we got Ali Sanchez and 3 hitter Heliot Ramos in there with Benny on the bench. Gotta win ugly today.
On the mound, Will Warren -- who came in second on the Yankees in wins behind only the front-line starters -- got the ball for the series-deciding game, and every scoreless frame he turned in felt like it mattered a little more given the shorthanded lineup behind him.
Every inning you survive with Warren today feels like a prayer. One down.
The lineup's lack of pop meant New York had to lean on defense to stay in it, and Jazz Chisholm Jr. delivered exactly that kind of play at second base, ranging to turn a tough one into an out and drawing praise even from Dave Portnoy for the effort.
If you're not gonna hit, you gotta make an impact in the field. Great play by Jazz
None of it is pretty right now for the Yankees, who are trying to protect a shrinking wild-card cushion over the very team they're playing. But erasing Saturday night's deficit and then holding on Sunday with a diminished lineup is the kind of stretch that either becomes a turning point in September or a sign the roster is stretched too thin to survive the stretch run.