Yesterday's series finale between the Yankees and the San Diego Padres at Yankee Stadium featured each team's ace starter: Gerrit Cole against Yu Darvish. But anyone expecting a pitchers' duel came away sorely disappointed. Anyone hoping for a slugfest came away very pleased. Especially if they were a Yankee Fan.
Each team hit a home run in the 1st inning, Jake Cronenworth for the Padres, and Aaron Judge for the Yankees. A rare error by Harrison Bader helped give the Padres 2 more runs in the top of the 3rd.
But the Yankees broke out in the bottom of the 3rd. Kyle Higashioka doubled, Anthony Volpe singled him home, Gleyber Torres singled, Judge singled Volpe home, Anthony Rizzo singled Torres home, DJ LeMahieu flew out, a Bader grounder led to a force play that brought Judge home, Willie Calhoun doubled Bader home, Isiah Kiner-Falefa singled Calhoun home, and Higashioka doubled again, scoring IKF. It was 8-3 Yankees.
Cole's weakness has been giving up home runs. In the 7th, he gave a 2-run homer up to former Yankee Rougned Odor, and was taken out. Jimmy Cordero gave up another run in the inning, and it was only 8-6. The Yankees thought they had the game put away in the bottom of the 8th, when Bader homered, and they built another run that came home on a single by Higashioka, who went 3-for-4 with 2 RBIs in the game.
Clay Holmes didn't listen to my warnings about leadoff walks, and did a great Aroldis Chapman impression. He walked the 1st 2 batters in the top of the 9th. A groundout moved the runners over, and a sacrifice fly brought a run home. But he got a grounder for the last out, and what should have been a low-scoring game ended as a high-scoring one: Yankees 10, Padres 7. WP: Cole (6-0). No save, although, had Holmes been relieved, it would have been a save situation. LP: Darvish (3-4).
The Yankees go into Memorial Day 7 games behind the Tampa Bay Rays in the American League Eastern Division. If the current standings hold to the end of the season, the Yankees would have the 6th and final Playoff seed in the AL.
They Yankees have flown out to Seattle to play the Mariners. Tonight, Domingo Germán returns from suspension, and starts against Bryce Miller.