Dominguez Called Up For Strech Run
Photo: Special to the NY Beacon
By Matthew Kennedy
It’s been a good September to be a Yankees fan. After battling back-and-forth with the Orioles for the division for months, New York has now taken a commanding 3 game lead with just 12 games left to play. This is the largest division lead for either AL East team in over 2 months, as New York looks to make a final push to avoid a Wild Card berth. Although they’ve only posted a solid 8-6 record, New York has won 3 crucial series so far this month, with the offense scoring more than 5 runs in 8 out of 14 games, and the pitching holding opponents to 2 runs or fewer, in 7 games. Top prospect Jasson Dominguez was called up on September 9th to replace DJ LeMahieu, after recovering from two serious surgeries in Triple A. The youngster hit 4 big ones in 8 games for the Yanks last season, and the club is looking for him to add a home stretch spark that will ignite their push into October.
Most recently, New York took 3 out of 4 games from their division rival Boston Red Sox in a series that showed hope that the Yanks are playoff ready. In the first game of the series, the Yankees won 2-1 in extras, as Juan Soto produced his first walk-off in pinstripes. The Yankees had previously walked it off the night before against the Kansas City Royals, winning 4-3.
In game 2, MVP favorite Aaron Judge, who was home-run-less for 16 games (the longest streak of his career), hit an 8th inning go-ahead grand-slam in game 1 of the series to put New York up one run. Luke Weaver, who has been filling in for the struggling Clay Holmes, pitched 2 scoreless innings to close out Boston in a 5-4 victory. Weaver was dominant, striking out 5 batters in the midst of New York’s uncertain closer situation. Holmes leads the league with 11 blown saves, and New York has finally begun to test the waters with another closing option in Weaver, just weeks away from the playoffs. In game 2, the Yankee offense mustered just 1 run and 5 hits, losing 7-1. Gerrit Cole had the worst start of his shortened season, giving up all 7 runs, after holding offenses to 1 run or fewer in 5 of his last 6 starts.
New York bounced back in game 3, as home runs from Gleyber Torres and Aaron Judge gave the Yankees an early, commanding 4-0 lead. The Sox could not come back against Carlos Rodon and the bullpen, and New York went on to win 5-1. Rodon has now had 3 impressive starts in a row, and continues to make necessary adjustments to bounce back from his mid-season slump. In the final game of the series, Clay Holmes turned boos to cheers, successfully closing out, as New York won 2-1. Perhaps the biggest question heading into the postseason is who New York’s go-to closer will be at the most crucial point in the season.
The Bronx Bombers began a 6-game west coast swing this past Tuesday. Traveled to Seattle (77-73) to face the Mariners before heading to Oakland (65-86) to face the Athletics. Their 6 games will be played at home against the Orioles and Pittsburgh Pirates.
Sports Editor Andrew Rosario contributed to this article.
Recent Comments