About Last Night: BOS 6, NYY 3
- Ethan Semendinger
- 2 days ago
- 9 min read
By Ethan Semendinger
August 22nd, 2025
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The KEY to the Yankees winning is CHAINING together hits and walks. Instead, they allowed 10 hits, 9 walks, and gave up 4 errors.
Quick Stats -
Winning Pitcher: Greg Weissert (5-4, 3.00 ERA)
Losing Pitcher: Luke Weaver (3-4, 2.77 ERA)
Save: Aroldis Chapman (23)
Home Runs (Boston): Roman Anthony (5)
Home Runs (New York): Ben Rice (20)
Big Story - The New York Yankees are still making additions! Before the game yesterday, the Yankees announced that they have signed RHP Paul Blackburn, while fellow RHP Alan Winans has been optioned down to Triple-A.
Blackburn comes to the Yankees from the New York Mets, where he had posted a 6.85 ERA (59 ERA+) over 7 games (4 starts) with 23.2 innings pitched, 31 hits allowed, 8 walks, and 18 strikeouts. While not the best statistics, the Yankees have been able to get production from players with worse metrics in the recent past. It also helps that Blackburn has a semi-recent All-Star Game appearance (2022, while with the then-Oakland Athletics) on his resume.
If the Yankees will keep Blackburn in a starting role or move him into the bullpen is yet to be announced, though I would expect at least one start while the Yankees are waiting on Ryan Yarbrough to return, and potentially others down the stretch to save their other starting pitching arms. (Maybe as a way to skip a spot for a starter in September.)
In other news, it is RIVALRY WEEKEND against the Boston Red Sox. Specifically, last night was "Seinfeld" night in the Bronx as early attendees were rewarded with a George Constanza bobblehead giveaway. (The Yankees bobblehead giveaways have stepped up this year. I hope they do more like this in the future.)
Anyway, before I start with more "yadda yadda yadda", here was the Yankees' line-up to start a 4-game weekday series against the Red Sox:
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Player of the Game -
Ben Rice: 2-3, Run, Solo Home Run, Triple, RBI, BB [Error]
Notable Performances -
Mark Leiter Jr.: 0.2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 0 K
Jazz Chisholm: 2-4, Run, RBI, K [Error]
Paul Goldschmidt: 2-3, RBI, BB [Error]
Aaron Judge: 1-4, Run, BB, K
Cody Bellinger: 1-4, BB
Better to Forget -
Luis Gil: 5.0 IP, 4 H, 2 R (1 ER), 5 BB's, 3 K's [Error]
Camilo Doval: 0.1 IP, 2 H, 1 R (1 ER), 1 BB, Blown Save
Luke Weaver: 0.2 IP, 2 H, 1 R (1 ER), 2 BB's, 1 K, Loss
Yerry De los Santos: 1.1 IP, 1 H, 2 R (0 ER)
Trent Grisham: 0-5, K
Ryan McMahon: 0-4, 2 K's
Anthony Volpe: 0-4, K
Giancarlo Stanton: 0-4, BB
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The Game - In honor of the game (at the stadium) being Seinfeld-themed, I have attempted to describe each inning from last nights game as a reference to a moment from the show. Wish me luck!
Warning: There are LOTS of spoilers for the show Seinfeld in the game summary this morning.
First Inning:
Seinfeld Moment: Mr. and Mrs. Ross go along with George's Hamtons House Lie
Luis Gil started the game for the Yankees and he immediately struggled to find the strike zone. He allowed two walks among his 25 pitches thrown in the inning before escaping with no damage done.
Meanwhile, Lucas Giolito started the game strong for the Red Sox. Cody Bellinger notched a single, but that's about it.
Why? Right before the game, I found out that Lucas Giolito's grandfather (on his mom's side) is the late actor, Warren Frost, who played Mr. Ross in Seinfeld. Thus, I needed to find a moment where Mr. Ross was absolutely in control, and what better moment then in Season 9, Episode 15 ("The Wizard") when he gets to enjoy slowly watching George Costanza have a meltdown from his lies about his fictional house in the Hamptons? (With two solariums!)
Second Inning:
Seinfeld Moment: Elaine borrows, and then throws, Jerry's $20 out the window.
Luis Gil continued to struggle with finding the zone as the Yankees defense completely self-imploded to allow a Red Sox run to score. First, Luis Gil was unable to field a weak groundball back to him, allowing Masataka Yoshida to reach base safely. Then, when the next batter grounded to Gil, he started to turn the double-play...before Jazz Chisholm airmailed the ball into the stands. Later, after a David Hamilton walk, (to set up the Red Sox with runners on first and third), Ben Rice threw away the ball into the outfield on a stolen base attempt, allowing a run to score and Hamilton to reach third base.
However, Hamilton was caught walking and talking with his third base coach off third base on a slick pick-off maneuver by Ryan McMahon and Luis Gil to end the threat and soon after, the inning. And, when Ben Rice came to bat in the bottom half of the inning, he made up for his mistake by hitting a solo home run to tie the game at one apiece!
Why? In Season 5, Episode 22 ("The Opposite"), Jerry talks about how his life always finds a way to even itself out. To test this theory, Elaine then borrows a $20 bill and chucks it out the window to see if Jerry will somehow find another $20 to "even out". Originally, I picked this moment because the Yankees were throwing the ball all over the place, akin to throwing money out a window. Then, it worked out even better with things balancing out for Gil and Rice after the three errors! Things really do even out!
Third Inning:
Luis Gil settled down...a bit. Alex Bregman hit a grounds-rule double to right field (further than Giancarlo Stanton could get to) start the inning, but a strikeout between two easier flyballs to Stanton made this inning end relatively easily.
Meanwhile, Lucas Giolito started to work himself into a little bit of trouble by issuing back-to-back two-out walks to Cody Bellinger and Giancarlo Stanton. But, he managed to escape the inning without damage.
Why? Last nights game was broadcast on FOX, which meant I had to sit through listening to noted Yankee-hater John Smoltz and his co-announcer Joe Davis for three hours. John Smoltz- a former ballplayer- and Joe Davis- an experienced broadcaster- prove Jerry's point about announcers being "former ballplayers and people that are in broadcasting" when listening to George contemplate potential future jobs in Season 2, Episode 7 ("The Revenge"). But, the main reason I went for this clip was because Ken Rosenthal started his during-the-inning manager interviews this inning...the most pointless and annoying staple of modern baseball (and sports) broadcasts.
Fourth Inning:
Seinfeld Moment: Jerry's opening monologue about "Cheering for Clothes"
Another lead-off double off of Luis Gil (this time by Masataka Yoshida) ended up going nowhere for the Red Sox. Through four innings, Luis Gil managed to escape lots of difficult situations while not allowing much damage. He also managed to get his pitch count in (relative) control to give himself at least another inning after 72 pitches thrown.
In the Yankees half of the inning, Jazz Chisholm lead-off the inning with a single and managed to make up for his earlier error after stealing second base and taking advantage of a loose ball to take third. This allowed Chisholm to score easily after a Paul Goldschimidt RBI single to give the Yankees a 2-1 lead.
Why? As was custom for Seinfeld episodes, Season 6, Episode 12 ("The Label Maker") started off with a stand-up bit that had some connection to what the episode was going to be about. In this opening monologue, Jerry talks about how fans of specific teams really only root for the laundry on the field and not the players themselves. This could not be more clear after the fourth inning, where Yankees fans were cheering for two guys who weren't Yankees going into the 2024 season (Chisholm and Goldschmidt). I'll admit it, I'm not too worried about who is wearing the pinstripes...as long as they win.
Fifth Inning:
Seinfeld Moment: Elaine and David Puddy's relationship
My goodness, Luis Gil's luck is unmatched. After allowing a lead-off walk (Roman Anthony) and back-to-back singles (Alex Bregman and Jarren Duran) to load the bases with no outs, somehow the top of the fifth inning ended without the Yankees being in a deep hole. The Red Sox were able to put another run across the board via a Nathaniel Lowe sacrifice fly, but that's not a lot of damage given the situation.
The Yankees nearly found themselves in a similar situation in the bottom half of the inning, with also failing to plate any runs after getting the bases loaded. However, Aaron Judge working a lead-off walk, stealing second base, and scoring on an RBI single from Jazz Chisholm ahead of the bases getting loaded did allow the Yankees to recapture the lead at 3-2.
Why? The Yankees and Red Sox have been going back and forth with the lead all game, unable to decide who wants it more. Though there are many occasions in Seinfeld of relationships starting and ending, nothing tops the ever tumultuous relationship between Elaine and David Puddy. In particular, I wanted to highlight Season 9, Episode 1 ("The Butter Shave") for the flying home scene from Elaine and Puddy's trip to Oslo, Norway.
Sixth Inning:
Seinfeld Moment: George gets caught double-dipping
Camilo Doval came in start the sixth inning in relief of Luis Gil, and he immediately continued following the script from the game as a whole. After allowing a 1-out single to David Hamilton, Doval disengaged one too many times, allowing Hamilton a free base on a balk. (This same situation happened against the Yankees earlier this week, but Jose Caballero was not awarded a free base.) Ultimately, after a walk and another single, the run came across to tie the game again.
The Yankees in the bottom half of the inning had nothing going beyond a 2-out Aaron Judge single.
Why? In Season 4, Episode 19 ("The Implant"), George follows along his girlfriend to a wake. While at the wake, George is then caught when he dipped a chip, took a bite, and then dipped it again. Unfortunately for George, he took one too many dips. Unfortunately for Doval, he took one too many disengagements.
Seventh Inning:
Seinfeld Moment: Elaine can't stand going back to watch "The English Patient" again
What is it about Yankees-Red Sox games that make them go on forever? The Yankees finished the top of the seventh inning just minutes before 10:00 PM. And, they finished that inning while, yet again, escaping potential disaster! While the Red Sox were able to get across another single run off a lead-off single and RBI double to give them a 4-3 lead, they also left the bases loaded after getting a full stack with just 1-out and not getting any of those runs across. It's crazy! The Red Sox (as of writing this, after the top of the seventh) are just 2-for-16 with runners in scoring position! The Yankees are escaping having this game blow up in their faces by the skin of their teeth.
The Good? Ben Rice hit a triple! The Bad? The Yankees are still losing 4-3. That's about all you need to know of the bottom of the seventh inning.
Why? The storyline about "The English Patient" is about how romantic and passionate the movie is. In a way, the Yankees-Red Sox rivalry should be the same way. It should be must-watch. Unfortunately, with how this game has gone (and gone...and gone...on forever) I am feeling very much like how Elaine felt when having to re-watch the movie. It is too long. And they've tried to shorten the time of the games! Somehow those changes did not affect the Yankees and Red Sox. (Likewise, this game summary is also getting to be a bit too long. I'll apologize to everybody except George Costanza.) (Two references at once! Wow!)
Eighth Inning:
Seinfeld Moment: George tells Jerry to stuff his sorries in a sack
The Red Sox didn't do much in the top of the eighth: Single, Groundout, Walk, Groundout, Lineout.
The Yankees did even less: Groundout, Flyout, Groundout.
Why? Last inning I was complaining about how long it felt the game was going. I was rewarded with a super quick eighth inning. So, even though I already said I wasn't going to apologize to George Costanza (a reference to Season 9, Episode 9 ("The Apology")), he still told Jerry to stuff his sorries in a sack in Season 9, Episode 8 ("The Betrayal"), which is known also as the "backwards" episode. Arguably it is one of the most daring ideas of an episode in TV history and deserves a mention in a thread like this.
Ninth Inning:
Seinfeld Moment: "That's a Shame"
Welp. Game's over. I'm calling it now. Roman Anthony hit a 2-run home run to give the Red Sox a 6-3 lead.
The Yankees went down 1-2-3 in the bottom of the ninth.
Why? The Yankees lost. They could've won. If they didn't make mistakes, they should've won. In the words of Jerry Seinfeld, "That's a shame."
All told, the Yankees blew it tonight.
4 errors in the field is horrible.
9 walks allowed is horrible.
3 hours and 30 minutes for that?
It's horrible.
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Next Up - The Yankees will continue their 4-game weekday series tonight against the Boston Red Sox, in the Bronx with the game set to start at 7:05 PM (EDT). Max Fried will take the mound for the Yankees (13-5, 3.26 ERA) against Brayan Bello (9-6, 3.23 ERA). The game will be broadcast on Amazon Prime.
