Yesterday's conclusion of the 3-game series against the Detroit Tigers at Comerica Park was the 1st time since I started my new job that the Yankees were playing while I was at work, so that I couldn't see it. But I could still see what was coming.
Jordan Montgomery started, and got through the 1st 2 innings without allowing a run. In the 3rd, he allowed a single and a double, and the Tigers went up, 1-0. He was allowed to pitch through the 6th inning -- at this point, that, alone, is a good sign -- and he allowed just 1 more baserunning. He had pitched well enough to win.
But the Yankees hadn't scored. Former Yankee Michael Pineda started for the Tigers, and, since he was pitching against the Yankees, not for them, of course he was not checked for illegal potential pitching enhancements. And he shut the Yankees down.
The Yankees wasted a 1st and 3rd with 1 man out opportunity in the 5th. And that was pretty much all they did until Josh Donaldson led off the top of the 8th with a double. Gleyber Torres singled him over to 3rd. But Aaron Hicks popped up. Aaron Judge walked to load the bases. But Anthony Rizzo grounded into a force play, and Donaldson was forced out at home. And Giancarlo Stanton grounded out.
Once that happened, I could see it coming. (See what coming, Uncle Mike?) Not just that they would fail to score in the top of the 9th, but that they would allow more runs in the bottom of the 8th.
Sure enough, Miguel Castro loaded the bases by giving up a double to Victor Reyes, a single to Robbie Grossman, and a walk to Jonathan Schoop. Aaron Boone brought in Lucas Luetge, and he induced Jeimer Candelario to ground into a rare pitcher-to-catcher-to-first, 1-2-3 double play.
This left 1st base open, for the dangerous Miguel Cabrera, who was 1 hit away from his 3,000th. They walked him intentionally. The Detroit fans booed the Yankees intensely. And then the oh-so-predictable came: Austin Meadows doubled 2 runs home.
Also oh-so-predictable, the Yankees went down oh-so-quietly in the top of the 9th. Tigers 3, Yankees 0. WP: Pineda (1-0). SV; Gregory Soto (3). LP: Montgomery (0-1).
The Yankees took 2 out of 3 at Comerica, usually a tough place for them to play. But the finale of this series left me feeling rather underwhelmed.
Tonight, the Yankees do something they've never done before: They will play the Cleveland Guardians. They were named the Cleveland Indians from 1915 to 2021. Jameson Taillon starts tonight, against Eli Morgan.