The Yankees had lost 4 straight. All 4 of them were, in varying ways, bad. None of them could be assuaged with, "Well, at least they played well/hard, the (other team) were just better on the night." They needed a win last night, at home to the Cleveland Guardians.
They sent the right starting pitcher out: Gerrit Cole. He pitched 6 innings, allowing 2 runs on 5 hits and 3 walks, striking out 8. That should have been enough for the Yankee bats to...
Stop laughing. I said should have been enough. Yes, I know: Both Aaron Judge and Giancarlo Stanton are on the Injured List. It should still have been enough.
It wasn't. The Yankees left a runner on 1st base in the 1st inning, and one on 2nd in the 5th. That was it: One hit and one error. Finally, with 1 out in the bottom of the 6th, Anthony Volpe hit a home run, Gleyber Torres doubled, and Anthony Rizzo singled him home. That tied the game, 2-2.
Harrison Bader returned from injury, and played center field. He went 1-for-4.
Cole had already thrown 108 pitches through 6, so Aaron Boone turned to the bullpen. Somehow, Ron Marinaccio, Wandy Peralta and Michael King got through the last 3 innings, allowing no runs, 1 hit and 2 walks.
And in the bottom of the 7th, Willie Calhoun, who has been mostly a hole in the lineup since he began substituting for Judge in the outfield, hit a screaming line drive that just cleared the short-porch fence in right field. Volpe led off the 8th with a single, and stole both 2nd after the 1st out and 3rd after the 2nd. DJ LeMahieu singled him home.
Yankees 4, Guardians 2. WP: Peralta (2-0). SV: King (2). LP: James Karinchak (0-4). A much-needed win.
The series concludes tonight. Clarke Schmidt starts against Shane Bieber. So, enjoy last night's win while you can, unless Schmidt has learned how to pitch since his last lousy start. The Yankees then have a day off, which will be a good rest for the bullpen in case Schmidt starts the way he usually does. Then comes the 1st big test of the season, away to the 1st-place Tampa Bay Rays. I'm not lookin' forward to this.