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The Yankees (54-42) beat the Nationals (48-49), 5-3 the final score, earning the road series sweep headed into the All-Star break.
The team still trails the Tampa Bay Rays in the AL East Standings by three games.
-- Surging young star James Wood opened the scoring in the first inning with a leadoff home run for the Nationals, hammering a Will Warren fastball 434 feet to center field, Wood's third homer in this three-game series against the Yankees.
-- The Yankees offense woke up to take the lead in the fifth inning. Cody Bellinger doubled to left field off of Nats starter Cade Cavalli, and Jazz Chisholm Jr. promptly singled him home to tie the game. With two outs and Chisholm having moved up to second base on a wild pitch, Yankees catcher Austin Wells singled to bring Jazz home and make the score 2-1 in New York's favor.
-- Warren exited the game after pitching five full innings. He allowed just four hits and one earned run - the aforementioned Wood solo shot - while striking out two and walking two over the course of 83 pitches. Warren was relieved by lefty reliever Tim Hill, who surrendered a pinch-hit home run to Curtis Mead in the sixth to tie up the game at two runs apiece.
-- With reliever Angel Chivilli having recorded two outs the seventh, Chisholm kept the inning alive for the Nationals with a throwing error on a potential inning-ending groundout, allowing pinch runner Nasim Nunez to score from second base to make the score 3-2. Lefty bullpen arm Ryan Yarbrough entered the game andlimited the damage there.
-- The Yankees engineered a two-out rally in the eighth. Max Schuemann got things going with a single, promptly stealing second base before Trent Grisham kept the line moving with a walk. Up next for the Yanks was exactly who they want in these big spots, Ben Rice, who came up clutch with a long fly to the opposite field which Nationals outfielder Daylen Lile couldn't nab as he leapt up against the left-field wall. Rice motored around for a triple as both Yankees runs scored, retaking the lead 4-3. Rice was stranded at third base by a Jasson Dominguez infield flyout.
-- In the top of the ninth, the Yankees opened the inning with a single by Bellinger and a double by Chisholm. With nobody out, Jose Caballero hit a fly ball just deep enough to score Bellinger on the sacrifice. After a Paul Goldschmidt walk loaded the bases with one out, the Yankees were unable to pad the lead, and entered the bottom half of the final frame up 5-3.
-- With high-leverage relievers Fernando Cruz and David Bednar given the day off, Paul Blackburn was handed the ball in the bottom half of the eighth inning, retiring the heart of the Nationals order without allowing a baserunner, notching two strikeouts in the process. He kept it rolling in the ninth, facing the minimum number of opposing batters yet again to seal the 5-3 Yankees victory.
Rice has been the offensive MVP of the first half of this Yankees season, and today was no different. His bases clearing triple with two outs in the eighth inning reclaimed the lead, and the Yanks held on to complete the sweep of the Nationals.
The Yankees are off for the next four days due to the MLB All-Star break.
They return to action in the Bronx on Friday to kick off a three-game series against the Los Angeles Dodgers, with first pitch set for 7:05 p.m.
The pitching matchup for that series opener is yet to be determined.
Continue reading...
The team still trails the Tampa Bay Rays in the AL East Standings by three games.
Here are the takeaways....
-- Surging young star James Wood opened the scoring in the first inning with a leadoff home run for the Nationals, hammering a Will Warren fastball 434 feet to center field, Wood's third homer in this three-game series against the Yankees.
-- The Yankees offense woke up to take the lead in the fifth inning. Cody Bellinger doubled to left field off of Nats starter Cade Cavalli, and Jazz Chisholm Jr. promptly singled him home to tie the game. With two outs and Chisholm having moved up to second base on a wild pitch, Yankees catcher Austin Wells singled to bring Jazz home and make the score 2-1 in New York's favor.
-- Warren exited the game after pitching five full innings. He allowed just four hits and one earned run - the aforementioned Wood solo shot - while striking out two and walking two over the course of 83 pitches. Warren was relieved by lefty reliever Tim Hill, who surrendered a pinch-hit home run to Curtis Mead in the sixth to tie up the game at two runs apiece.
-- With reliever Angel Chivilli having recorded two outs the seventh, Chisholm kept the inning alive for the Nationals with a throwing error on a potential inning-ending groundout, allowing pinch runner Nasim Nunez to score from second base to make the score 3-2. Lefty bullpen arm Ryan Yarbrough entered the game andlimited the damage there.
-- The Yankees engineered a two-out rally in the eighth. Max Schuemann got things going with a single, promptly stealing second base before Trent Grisham kept the line moving with a walk. Up next for the Yanks was exactly who they want in these big spots, Ben Rice, who came up clutch with a long fly to the opposite field which Nationals outfielder Daylen Lile couldn't nab as he leapt up against the left-field wall. Rice motored around for a triple as both Yankees runs scored, retaking the lead 4-3. Rice was stranded at third base by a Jasson Dominguez infield flyout.
-- In the top of the ninth, the Yankees opened the inning with a single by Bellinger and a double by Chisholm. With nobody out, Jose Caballero hit a fly ball just deep enough to score Bellinger on the sacrifice. After a Paul Goldschmidt walk loaded the bases with one out, the Yankees were unable to pad the lead, and entered the bottom half of the final frame up 5-3.
-- With high-leverage relievers Fernando Cruz and David Bednar given the day off, Paul Blackburn was handed the ball in the bottom half of the eighth inning, retiring the heart of the Nationals order without allowing a baserunner, notching two strikeouts in the process. He kept it rolling in the ninth, facing the minimum number of opposing batters yet again to seal the 5-3 Yankees victory.
Game MVP: Ben Rice
Rice has been the offensive MVP of the first half of this Yankees season, and today was no different. His bases clearing triple with two outs in the eighth inning reclaimed the lead, and the Yanks held on to complete the sweep of the Nationals.
Highlights
What's Next
The Yankees are off for the next four days due to the MLB All-Star break.
They return to action in the Bronx on Friday to kick off a three-game series against the Los Angeles Dodgers, with first pitch set for 7:05 p.m.
The pitching matchup for that series opener is yet to be determined.
Continue reading...
