By Derek McAdam
April 6, 2023
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It was slated to be a pitching duel between Gerrit Cole and Aaron Nola, but the New York Yankees won the rubber game match against the Phillies yesterday by a score of 4-2, giving them the series win and improving their record to 4-2. Quick Stats: W: Cole (2-0); 6.1 IP, 3 H, 3 BB, 1 ER, 8 K L: Nola (0-1); 6+ IP, 7 H, 1 BB, 2 ER, 5 K S: Clay Holmes (1); 1 IP, 3 K Big Story: The Yankees were coming off a Tuesday night loss against the Phillies, in which they managed only one run. However, it did not take long for the Yankees to get on the board yesterday, as Gleyber Torres lined a broken bat single into left in the 1st to score Aaron Judge and give the Yankees a 1-0 lead. Torres would extend the Yankee lead to 2-0 in the 6th with an RBI single to score DJ LeMahieu. The Phillies were able to score a run in the 7th to cut the Yankee lead to 2-1, but Jose Trevino came right back in the bottom of the inning with a two-run home run to give the Yankees a 4-1 lead. For the second day in a row, Kyle Schwarber hit a solo home run to cut the Yankee lead to 4-2 in the 8th, but it ultimately was not enough for the Phillies to come back from. Cole was not at the top of his game yesterday, but he still managed to give the Yankees a second quality start of the season in as many outings. As for Nola, he was also keeping the Phillies in the game for a good chunk of the time. For Cole, it’s been a great start to his short season. For Nola, it was a much improved outing from his Opening Day start against the Texas Rangers. The Yankees’ first big injury during the regular season also came yesterday, as Josh Donaldson was removed from the game in the 2nd inning with a hamstring injury. Donaldson was replaced by Isiah Kiner-Falefa, who will most likely see the field every day for the foreseeable future. It is still not yet known how severe the injury is, but at this point in the season, an IL stint seems very likely to occur. Player of the Game: Gleyber Torres was 3-for-4 in yesterday’s game, with two RBIs and two stolen bases to go along with it. It is very early in the season, but Torres looks excellent at the plate. He has shown patience at the plate and has been coming through with some big hits already. He is very deserving of this honor, and hopefully can keep it up going forward. Notable Performances: Gerrit Cole gave the Yankees another start that they will gladly take any day of the week. While he wasn’t at his best, he still managed to pitch better than most of the other pitchers would be able to on their “off-days.” Nola also deserves some credit for his start, as he gave the Phillies a quality start and kept them in the game for a good while. Better to Forget: Kiner-Falefa has yet to record a hit in his first 10 at-bats, and has yet to reach base this season. However, I’ll give him the benefit of the doubt, simply because he has not consistently been in the lineup. Now that this is likely to happen, the hits will most likely begin to come for Kiner-Falefa. My Take: By no means was it the prettiest win, but the Yankees were able to squeeze out a win and take the series. Yesterday’s win will likely give them a little morale boost heading off on their first road trip of the season, even though it is not a long one. There were many things that I liked from yesterday’s game. LeMahieu is continuing to hit the ball well, Torres looks great at the plate, the pitching had another solid outing. Specifically, Holmes coming in and striking out the side was big for him, as he was able to notch his first save of the year and also build some confidence in himself. I also love that the Yankees are staying active on the base paths. Torres had two steals out of three attempts, while Judge also had a stolen base of his own in the 1st, which was vital to the Yankees scoring their first run. They will most likely find that throughout the season, this can be a key to their success. Sure, the larger bases and the limited throw-overs from the pitcher have an effect on that, but they must take advantage of it. Let’s see if they keep that going. And here’s what I don’t like. I know it’s only six games in, but this is really bothering me. The Yankees were presented with several opportunities in yesterday’s, and several before that, to score with runners in scoring position… and failed to do so. Specifically, yesterday in the 8th, Torres led off the inning with a double and then stole third with no outs. With the Phillies bringing the infield in, Kiner-Falefa grounded out, Oswaldo Cabrera popped out to shortstop and Franchy Cordero grounded out to second base. Torres, as you might expect, did not score. As I mentioned, we’re only six games in, but this has is something that has to change. By no means is it a new problem, though. The Yankees have struggled to hit with men on base on the past few seasons, and has been a big reason as to why they have not made it to a World Series since 2009. The Yankees have to improve upon this throughout the season. What’s Next?: The Yankees will head off on their first road stand of the season to face the Baltimore Orioles on Friday. This game was originally scheduled for today, but the Orioles postponed the game well in advance on Wednesday. Clarke Schmidt is scheduled to start for the Yankees, while Dean Kremer is set to go for the Orioles. The game is scheduled for a 3:05 p.m. EST start from Camden Yards.
