This 2-game series against the Atlanta Braves at Yankee Stadium II brought back memories of 2 World Series against the Braves at Yankee Stadium I (and Fulton County Stadium, and Turner Field).
The Yankees continue to be careful with Masahiro Tanaka as he comes back from injury, and only let him pitch 4 innings on Wednesday night, allowing 2 runs, both in the top of the 2nd. But the bottom of that inning began with back-to-back home runs, each by a guy who really needed to hit one: The badly slumping Gary Sanchez, then the returning Clint Frazier.
In the 4th, a DJ LeMahieu single, an Aaron Hicks double, and a Gleyber Torres single gave the Yankees a 4-2 lead. Jonathan Loaisiga then pitched shutout ball over the next 3 innings. Luis Avilan pitched a scoreless 8th. Jonathan Holder got into trouble in the 9th, allowing a run, so Zack Britton was brought on, and he got the last 2 outs.
Yankees 6, Braves 3. WP: Loaisiga (2-0). SV: Britton (7). LP: Tyler Matzek (2-1).
So, the Yankees are now 12-6, 1 game ahead of the Tampa Bay Rays, a game and a half ahead of the Baltimore Orioles, 4 1/2 ahead of the Toronto Blue Jays, and 6 1/2 ahead of the Boston Red Sox.
But in the all-important loss column, the Yankees are 1 game ahead of the O's, 2 ahead of the Rays, 3 ahead of the Jays, and 7 ahead of the Sox. This is because the COVID-19 epidemic has thrown the schedule completely out of whack. It's August 14, and the Jays have played just 15 games, the O's 17, the Yanks 18, the Sox 19, and the Rays 20. It could be worse: Due to postponements, the St. Louis Cardinals have only played 5 (2-3).
At any rate, tonight, the Yankees start a 3-game home series against the Sox. The Scum. The Cheaters Before the Astros Learned How to Cheat. Here are the projected pitching matchups:
* Tonight, 7:05: Gerrit Cole vs. Colten Brewer. With a name like that, he should either be playing baseball in Milwaukee or football in Baltimore. Or Indianapolis.
* Saturday, 7:15: James Paxton vs. former Yankee Nathan Eovaldi.
* Sunday, 7:00: The Yankees will start J.A. Happ, and the Sox are currently undecided.
Come on you Pinstripes! Beat The Scum!