July 4th Late Game Fireworks!

The Yankees win 8-4, seems like a solid win!

However, while it was ticketed as such going into the 9th, it was not solid.

Happ struggled with good pitches in the first inning but only allowed one run.  After that, he was pretty good but walked 3 guys.  I don't want to dismiss walks, but his feel was good yesterday and the end stat line was only that one run in 5.1 innings and 3 hits. 

Ottavino came in with one out and walked his first batter, but then got the next 2 guys.  Kahnle got himself going after a few rough outings and pitched an excellent 7th.  Britton allowed a double but left him there and that set up the 9th inning with a 3-1 lead and Chapman coming in with good rest.

Here is where I got aggravated.  I have said this to people I have watched the game with and I might not have written it, but I think Chapman needs to throw more in the bullpen so he comes in sweating and ready.  It appears he gets himself in trouble and then usually pitches his way out of it.  To be fair, he seems to lose it and then get it back quickly; perhaps he is just wildly inconsistent but has electric stuff (probable).

Anyway, he comes in and with a 2 run lead against the team closest to you and walks the first batter.  Not only that, but a lefty batter, and he walks him on 4 pitches.  How can you come into a game and walk the first guy you face on 4 straight pitches to now put the tying run to the plate without them doing anything???

Further, he was throwing 96-97 with his fastball, which is another reason he needs to work up a lather before he gets to the mound so that he can throw 99+

After a strikeout, Chapman allows a double and for some inexplicable reason, Tampa send the runner from 1st home and it is a close play but the runner did beat the throw, however, I am not sure he ever touched the plate with his hand.  It was very close and no replay could make it definitive, but in what was a worthwhile challenge they upheld the safe call (if he were called out for not touching home I don't think you could overturn that either as they never zoomed in enough to see if he caught a piece of the corner.  If anyone else saw that differently, please post a note or send it to me as I was watching from an outdoor TV and didn't have the greatest view.

Now it is 3-2 with the tying run on 2nd base and one out.

Chapman is now in trouble and starts to reach back and throw 99-100 and gets the 2nd out on a fly out.  The next pitch misses Sanchez badly to move the runner to 3rd base with one out (ugh).  Now a sac fly ties the game, but Sanchez makes sure that doesn't matter as he extremely poorly misplays a low fastball into a wild pitch.  I thought this was a passed ball, even if it was 100 MPH.  With the score tied and 2 outs Chapman allowed a broken bat bloop single and then a ground ball single.  Chapman makes us even less comfortable as he walks the next batter on 4 pitches to load the bases and increase the likelihood that a wild pitch, PB, walk, HBP or anything, not an out, loses the game for us.

Chapman struck out Meadows on 6 pitches to give us a chance.

We took advantage of it as Urshela walked on a 3-2 count (those dreaded inning starting walks).  Judge was brought in to pinch hit and had a tremendous 10 pitch AB where he ended up walking as well.  With 1st and 2nd nobody out the play was clearly to bunt Gardner and after fouling one off put down a good bunt in between teh pitcher and 3rd and neither went after it hard so we had a huge break and were in business with the bases juiced and nobody out.  With the bases loaded Tampa had the infield in and DJ was able to ground a ball past the drawn-in infield for two runs.  Gardner went to 3rd and was safe on a close play, but I liked the play because Judge for some reason had a slow start at 2nd base and while he probably would be safe, Gardner drawing the throw as well as probably being safe was not a bad play (usually making the 1st out at 3rd base would be a bad play).  He was safe and we were still in business.  Hicks struck out and then Sanchez absolutely crushed a low and in slider for what they said was a 461-foot shot, but it seems closer to 500 than 461 to me.

Courtesy of MLB; you can judge yourself

https://www.mlb.com/news/yankees-beat-rays-in-10-innings

So with a 5 run lead, we should be good and Chapman gets a win for his terrible outing. 

That was the outcome, but Cessa got two outs in between 2 singles and 2 walks to allow the tying run to come to the plate.  Hale was brought in and came through getting a ground out to end the game (and get his 2nd save).  Hale has been effective for us!

I hope everyone enjoyed the amazing day (at least in NJ)