by Cary Greene
July 13, 2022
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Quick Stats
● Winning Pitcher: Reiver Sanmartin (2-4, 8.10 ERA) 1.0 IP / 0 H, 0 ER / 1 K, 3 BB / 17-9 PC-ST (53% Strikes)
● Losing Pitcher: Clay Holmes (4-1, 1.37 ERA) 6.0 IP / 6 H, 1 ER / 7 K, 3 BB / 94-59 PC-ST (31% Strikes)
● Yankee Home Runs: None
● With last night’s loss, the Yankees “dropped” to 23-6 in series openers this season.
Re-Cap:
After a DJ LeMahieu single and a Gleyber Torres double set the table in the bottom of the first-inning, Anthony Rizzo got the Yankees on the board with a two-run single.
In the bottom of the third-inning, Josh Donaldson added a run-scoring single to knock in Torres and extend the Yankees lead to 3-0.
The Yankees rode Gerrit Cole’s seven shutout innings from there, cruising into the ninth inning as the Stadium crowd began filtering out, thinking the game was in hand. They couldn't have been more wrong!
In short-order, Yankees closer Clay Holmes promptly loaded the bases and then imploded. The Reds scored first on an infield single by Tyler Naquin that was just past the diving Kiner-Falefa’s reach.
Then, Kyle Farmer was hit by a Holmes pitch to score another run, after which Wandy Peralta relieved Holmes as the Yankees clung to a 3-2 lead. Peralta got two outs and was in position for a Houdini-like save, taking the Reds' Jonathan India down to his last strike, but India ground out a tough at-bat and hit an unlikely two-run single to center field to give the Reds a 4-3 lead.
The air had gone out of what was left of the Yankees crowd at that point and the Yankee offense went quietly into the night from there as Alexis Diaz held the Yankees in check to pick up his third save of the season.
Player of the Game:
Jonathan India, the Reds Second baseman and leadoff hitter earns the nod here as he came through with the clutch, game winning two-run single.
Notable Performances
● Yankees Ace Gerrit Cole pitched 7 shutout innings, allowing only 4-hits while striking out 11 batters and walking only one. The Yankees squandered a masterful performance! Cole even touched 101 mph on his 11th strikeout of the game - getting the Reds Mike Moustakas on a 4-Seam fastball that was foul-tipped into Yankee catcher Jose Trevino’s adept glove.
● Gleyber Torres extended his hitting-streak to six games, going 3-4 with one walk last night.
Better to Forget:
Clay Who? An uncharacteristic blown save from a man who will represent the Yankees in the All-Star game in a few days time. It’s not quite time to send him back to Pittsburgh but his performance was borderline inexplicable, based on the bar he’s set for himself. It just goes to show, even the best players are indeed human. Holmes simply had an off night.
My Take:
It was a shocking loss, but it just goes to show that no lead is ever safe. The Yankee offense played a dangerous game of roulette by scoring quickly and then going completely dormant and things uncharacteristically came unraveled for Clay Holmes in the ninth-inning.
If there was a silver lining, it was the gem of a game that Yankees ace Gerrit Cole turned in. Without Aaron Judge and Matt Carpenter, the Yankee offense looked very human last night, but I have to tip my cap to the Reds pitchers who collectively shut down the Yankees from the fourth-inning on.
Next Up:
Game Two of the series tonight will feature Yankees right-hander Luis Severino, who will make his 16th start of the season. “Sevy” will be pitching on extended six days' rest and he needs only needs 9 strikeouts to reach 700K in his career!
Severino last pitched on July 6th against the Pirates, when he earned the win after allowing just four hits over 6.0 scoreless innings with 0 walks and 3 strikeouts. Sevy is 3-3 with a 2.60 ERA this season, over 55.1 innings-pitched. He’s allowed only 16 earned runs while tallying 63 strikeouts over his last nine starts, since May 16th. Opponents are hitting just .173 (34-for-196) over that stretch against
Severino will be opposed by Cincinnati's left-handed Mike Minor, who is 1-6 with a 6.63 ERA with 32 Strikeouts this season.
Game time will be 7:05 tonight, the skies will be partly cloudy with air-temperatures at a balmy 81 degrees.
