The Yankees thought they wanted some youthful power to get out of their funk. Maybe all it can take is a few savvy veteran hitting. After making a beauty shake-up to their roster Wednesday by citing two prospects, it was 36-year-old struggling slugger Josh Donaldson that gave this crew their first large win in a month. Donaldson hammered a Tenth-inning, walk-off grand slam to beat the Rays 8-7 at Yankee Stadium.
“The guys were pumped,” Donaldson stated of the celebration on the sector. “I definitely think that was some kind of release of some joy and some frustration over the past couple weeks for sure.”
The Yankees snapped a three-game dropping streak and gained simply their third recreation of their final 14. They are 9-17 for the reason that All-Star break and 12-22 since reaching their high-water mark of 38 video games above .500. They moved again to 10 video games forward of the Rays (62-54) within the American League East.
With Aaron Judge because the ghost runner within the backside of the Tenth, Gleyber Torres singled and Anthony Rizzo walked to set the stage for Donaldson.
Donaldson’s grand slam was simply his third homer on the Stadium this season. It was the Tenth walk-off grand slam in Yankees historical past and simply the third with the Bombers trailing by a minimum of three runs, becoming a member of Jason Giambi and Babe Ruth.
“I think that’s who we are as a team. I don’t think the last two weeks is who we are,” Donaldson stated. “I think that’s a little more of a blip more than anything. For us to be ourselves and go out there and compete to the last final out and pick each other up. That’s what we do.”
It is what the Yankees did a number of within the first half of the season. Wednesday’s walk-off was their thirteenth of the season. It was their thirty first come-from-behind win. The Yankees needed to battle again twice Wednesday night time.
Jose Trevino led off the eighth with a single and DJ LeMahieu, pinch hitting for Estevan Florial, lined the primary pitch he’s seen since Saturday into proper discipline to place the tying run on base. Andrew Benintendi drew a stroll after which Pete Fairbanks walked Aaron Judge on 4 pitches to chop the Rays’ result in 4-3.
Torres, who had snapped an 18-game homerless streak with a two-run shot within the sixth, grounded right into a double play to finish the menace. It was the eleventh inning-ending double play with the bases loaded for the Yankees this season. Anthony Rizzo, nevertheless, led off the eighth together with his twenty eighth dwelling run of the season to tie the sport.
But then after getting 1.1 scoreless innings from Scott Effross, Aaron Boone went with Aroldis Chapman with one out within the prime of the Tenth. The Yankees’ former nearer got here in and walked back-to-back batters to load the bases with one out. He struck out Jose Siri and acquired forward 0-2 in opposition to Francisco Mejia earlier than the Rays catcher chipped a 101 mph fastball down the proper discipline line for a three-run double.
“I mean, that’s one of those gut punches, with what we’re going through, especially when it felt like Chappy was kind of righting the ship there,” Boone stated. “He will get Siri on the strikeout and has two good heaters to begin out Mejia after which it’s that type of block hit over there and it’s simply inside the road.
“It’s kind of a gut punch right there. But credit to the guys it’s like ‘Hey, let’s keep fighting.’”
It has been a battle for the Yankees the final two weeks. They have misplaced 5 straight collection. Without Giancarlo Stanton (Achilles harm) and LeMahieu (missed three video games with large toe irritation), their lineup has regarded lifeless. Donaldson, the previous AL MVP the Yankees took in a commerce to amass Isiah Kiner-Falefa, has struggled. He’s slugging .391 with an OPS of .698, nicely beneath his profession averages of .496 and .859 respectively.
“He’s been grinding a lot, as a lot of these guys have, especially lately, trying to get on track,” Boone stated. “He’s a great player and a great hitter. And, I keep believing that that’s going to show up in an extended period here and you know, that’s about as big as one you can get right there.”
Donaldson’s struggles, together with these of Kiner-Falefa and Aaron Hicks, in addition to the crew’s current slide had them including prospects Florial and Oswaldo Cabrera to the roster Wednesday. Florial made an incredible catch at his shoelaces to finish the seventh and went 0-for-2 in his twenty fifth main league recreation. Cabrera went 0-for-4 with two strikeouts in his main league debut.
“Today was amazing. Today was so amazing,” Cabrera stated. “I didn’t get my base hit, but we got the big win. … I was so excited to be a little part of it.”
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Source: www.bostonherald.com