This was one of the most awesome pitching performances I’ve seen in my 27 years as a Yankees fan (yes, I was born a fan, don’t question it). Corey Kluber’s non-hitter and Gerrit Cole’s complete game masterpiece in Houston are the first on the most recent list. However, given all that Jameson Taillon has experienced in his career, bringing a perfect game offer to Lou Gehrig’s eighth inning of the day is just the best of them all. Thanks to a final rally topped by an Anthony Rizzo single of pinch-hit, two outs, two hits and two-run pinch-hit, Taillon’s masterpiece was preserved in a 2-1 victory.
While the Yankees were able to jump on Shohei Ohtani early and often in the first game, eliminating the superstar from his fourth outing with three homers alone, the same could not be said against Reid Detmers. They wasted a couple of golden opportunities in the second and third, putting the first two runners in each inning, only to have the next batsmen ruin themselves with missed throws and not get any runs.
Base referee Clint Vondrak (summoned by the minors) did his part to help the slow Yankees on the plate, pressing Detmers to the top of the area all night.
While the Yankees were unable to take advantage of the losing stakes of those missed calls, at least he pulled Detmers out of the game with an out in the fifth. The rookie’s pitch count had already risen to 86, so Jimmy Herget took over.
It was in that inning that it looked like the Yankees would finally open up, with Marwin Gonzalez advancing with a quick double, while Mike Trout escaped by throwing the ball back inside the field. Aaron Judge continued with a unique walk. However, neither Gleyber Torres nor Miguel Andújar were able to pass.
Games of this type usually have a dazzling defensive play to preserve the offer and this did not disappoint. With an out in the seventh, Ohtani burned a shot in the middle. However, Isiah Kiner-Falefa came close, gloved him and made an accurate throw during the race to get one step closer to one of the fastest base runners in the league.
Unfortunately, all good things have to come to an end, and unfortunately, that end came before the ninth entry came. At the head of the top of the eighth, Jared Walsh hit a strong round on the left side that bounced off an IKF diving glove, allowing Walsh to head to the second and break the perfect game and offer no hit. The Angels would take the lead later that inning with a Kurt Suzuki single with two outs, but that was all Taillon would give up on his outing.
Seeing the evolution of Jameson Taillon the pitcher since joining the Yankees has been a truly rewarding experience. Helped in particular by a cutter who added this season, Taillon in my mind really exemplifies the art of throwing, filling the strike zone, throwing six different throws located in all quadrants and commanding the plate and cutter on both sides. of the dish. He may have missed the perfect game offer (the team’s deepest since Chien-Ming Wang in 2007), but he has nothing to do after this outing: eight innings with a two-hit run, without walks and five strikes in 101 plots.
The Yankees had their best goal chance in the end of the eighth, loading the bases with an out by Oliver Ortega by a double from Andújar and walks from IKF and Aaron Hicks. This brought Joey Gallo to the plate and, in the typical Joey Gallo way, he put a swinging ball with a quick full ball into the area. However, batsman Anthony Rizzo came to the rescue, scoring a quick 1-2 ball from Archie Bradley in the middle for a two-run single to make sure Taillon’s Herculean effort was not in vain. .
Clay Holmes came in to close out the ninth, and although he was a little more nervous than usual – he loaded the bases with two outs walking Ohtani and throwing Trout and Walsh – he finally got Luis Rengifo to tie. , tying. victory goes down. Holmes has now pitched 25 consecutive goalless innings.
Thus, the Yankees sweep the double head and the series, delivering to the Angels their eighth consecutive defeat. New York is now the best 21-game season above .500 at 36-15. Tomorrow they welcome the Tigers to the city for a set of three games, with Gerrit Cole ready to face Elvin Rodriguez. The first release is scheduled for 7:05 PM ET, so be sure to join us in the game thread.
Box Score