by Tamar Chalker
July 18, 2022
***
The Yankees ended the first half of 2022 with an exclamation point, pummeling the Red Sox 13-2 and taking a 64-28 record into the All-Star break. Strong pitching from Gerrit Cole combined with another commanding performance by the offense put them in control early and they never relented.
Quick Stats:
Gerrit Cole picked up his ninth win with a strong seven innings start. He gave up two runs on one homer and four hits, allowing no walks and striking out 12. Despite some big breaks between pitching, Cole stayed sharp and took advantage of the run support.
Chris Sale took the loss, which is literally adding insult to injury. Aaron Hicks smashed a comebacker in the first inning that caught Sale in the pitching hand, breaking his pinky. It was ugly and I can't help but feel bad for the guy. His line for the day was .2 IP and three runs (two earned) on two hits. This also led to the Red Sox using nine pitchers in just eight defensive innings.
Tim Locastro had a day! He went 3-5 with two runs scored, two singles, a homer, and two stolen bases.
Big Story:
I suspect the big story coming out of this game may, unfortunately, be Chris Sale. I don't know how long this broken finger will set him back, but I would guess he is about to miss another good chunk of the season. The oft-injured pitcher can't catch a break, having only returned to action on July 12th after missing most of 2021 with TJ surgery and the start of this season with a stress fracture in his rib cage.
Player(s) of the Game:
Gerrit Cole pitched well and didn't let some long offensive innings let him lose focus. Cole came up with big-time Ks and didn't let anyone walk.
Tim Locastro came back strong today, with his 3-5 day at the plate and a big homer. He definitely provides his own spark for the offense.
DJ LeMahieu went 3-4 with three runs scored, a walk, and a RBI. He ended up leaving the game a little early after being hit on the elbow with a pitch.
Better to Forget :
Anthony Rizzo didn't have a great game, but this is getting nit-picky. Gleyber Torres went 0-5 with eight runners left on base, but he still picked up a RBI and scored a run.
My Take:
I think this game closely mirrored the Yankees' dominant first half. They had a couple of small stumbles, but for the most part, they were in control from start to finish. For the second day in a row, the Yankees battered Boston, leaving their AL East rivals in 4th in the division and 16.5 games back. Toronto is the closest in the standings, but they still sit 13 games behind New York.
The Yankees won this game in the same way they've done for most of the season. Strong starting pitching followed by an offense that used small ball and big hits gave the bullpen a pretty easy day. Here are a few of the reasons the Yankees are dominating 2022:
After the game ended the Yankees were tied with the Chicago Cubs for 3rd most stolen bases in MLB. The Yankees have 63 stolen bases thus far, which is how many they had in all of 2021.
Aaron Judge's 33 homers, 70 RBIs and 74 runs scored.
Yankees' pitching is holding opposing hitters to a .214 average and has a 3.08 ERA, the third lowest in MLB.
Matt Carpenter has been an excellent pick up. He is currently hitting .354/.469/1.380 with 13 homers and 34 RBIs in just 31 games.
Next Up:
Most of the Yankees get a quick respite for the All-Star break, though a bunch of your favorites will be suiting up for the Midsummer Classic. Tonight is the Home Run Derby and Tuesday will be the All-Star Game at 8pm.
