The New York Yankees opened up a three-game series with the Toronto Blue Jays at Yankee Stadium on Friday, taking the game 7-5 in a game shortened by the weather.
It looked like it was going to be a lot more bad stuff, like we have seen the last couple of games, when starter Lance Lynn, who has been a stopper since coming over from the Twins, struggled and allowed four runs in the first inning.
The Blue Jays got key RBI hits from Kendrys Morales, Kevin Pillar, and Aledmys Diaz to do their scoring, but Lynn also walked three batters in the inning. It looked like Lynn was having a lot of trouble with his grips, wiping his hands several times between each pitch.
The Yanks battled back, though, when Aaron Hicks worked a two out walk in the bottom of the first inning off of Blue Jays starter Marcus Stroman. Didi Gregorius followed up with a run-scoring triple that scored Hicks from first. It probably should have been a single or maybe a double, but for some reason Pillar took a really weird route to it in center field.
https://twitter.com/MaxWildstein/status/1030600569403203584
The Yanks would immediately tack on one more on a double by Miguel Andujar to right field, plating Didi.
https://twitter.com/MaxWildstein/status/1030601203556790273
Lynn settled down after that ugly first inning. He worked a 1-2-3 second inning, faced the minimum in the third due to a double play, and worked a 1-2-3 fourth inning.
The Yankees got their big scoring done in the bottom of the fourth. Gleyber Torres hit a one-out double that hopefully means he is out of his slump, Greg Bird worked a walk, and the Neil Walker came up huge with his first go-ahead homer in pinstripes, crushing a three-run shot to right field.
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In the fifth, Lynn gave up a leadoff double to Curtis Granderson and Devon Travis singled him in to end Lynn’s night and tie the game, 5-5.
Lynn’s final line: 4.0+ IP, 6 H, 5 ER, 3 BB, 5 K.
He’s still missing bats well enough, even though this was obviously his worst appearance as a Yankee. I’ll chalk this up to being a rainy evening and having difficulty gripping the ball. It didn’t cost them the game so I’ll live with this if it is a one-off performance.
Manager Aaron Boone turned to Chad Green after that, and he looks to have his swagger back. He worked 2.0 innings of 1-hit ball.
The Yanks were able to get the lead back when Gleyber hit into a timely RBI fielder’s choice, so the Yankees went back up 6-5.
David Robertson pitched the top of the seventh and it seems like he has his dirty curveball back, striking out two.
Here is every pitch of D-Rob's strikeout of Granderson #yankees pic.twitter.com/FaYQ3Vj106
— David Mendelsohn (@BigBabyDavid_) August 18, 2018
The Yankees added an insurance run on a Giancarlo Stanton moonshot to right center field, extending the lead to 7-5.
Like that?
Yeah basically like that. pic.twitter.com/felP2Zr9DI
— Jomboy (@Jomboy_) August 18, 2018
The grounds crew brought the tarp onto the field a batter later and the game never resumed. It wasn’t pretty, but a win is a win and the bullpen did not have to be too taxed. The Yankees will look to clinch the series win Saturday afternoon with Luis Severino hoping to finally break his slide.
Featured Image via Flickr/Keith Allison
