by Tamar Chalker
April 11, 2023
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Continuing their first roadtrip of the season, the Yankees faced the Guardians in Cleveland last night. New York jumped out to an early lead, but with a disappointing outing from Domingo Germán and a sparse bullpen, it wasn’t enough. Cleveland managed to put together just enough offense to beat the Yankees 3-2. Quick Stats:
Domingo Germán lasted only 3 innings and gave up two runs on five walks and two hits.
Ian Hamilton pitched the last two innings and gave up the winning run on three walks and one hit. He took the loss.
Giancarlo Stanton had both Yankee RBIs, going 1-4 with a big double.
Shane Bieber shook off a shaky start and threw 7 innings, allowing two runs on three walks, four strikeouts, and five hits. He got the win and Emmanuel Clase got the save.
Big Story: Germán picked up eight Ks in his first outing of the season, but last night he failed to get any. His curveball was not working for him at all, as he ended up walking five batters. Germán gave up two runs - only one of which was technically earned, however, I’d say he earned them both given his error led to the other run. Player of the Game: Gleyber Torres went 2-3 with a walk and a run scored. He had a double and a triple. The triple started off the eighth, giving the Yankees a great opportunity to at least tie up the score, but Judge, Rizzo and Stanton failed to get him across the plate. He had a nice play in the field as well. Notable Performances: Colton Brewer came into the game after Germán got pulled with runners on second and third. Brewer walked the first batter, loading the bases. Brewer fielded a grounder and got the out at the plate before getting the next batter to hit into an inning-ending double-play, escaping the inning unscathed. He went three innings and gave up just one hit and one walk. Better to Forget: Domingo Germán. Aaron Judge had a rare quiet night at the plate. He went 0-3 and struck out twice. With Torres sitting on third and no outs in the eighth, Judge check swung at a ball that ended up as an easy infield fly. It just wasn’t his night. My Take: Considering the Yankees were facing Cleveland ace Shane Bieber, had limited arms available, got a shaky start from Germán, and no offensive output from Judge - this game could have gone a lot worse. It was a frustrating game, no doubt. Stranding Torres on third in the eighth was the nail in the coffin and Judge’s check swing pop-up was just adding insult to injury. Still, the Yankees were in the game until the end and while Hamilton couldn’t quite hold the tie, the bullpen managed to minimize a lot of the damage the Guardians could have inflicted. Some heads up defensive plays also kept the game close. Next Up: Gerrit Cole gets the start for New York tomorrow, looking to even the series. He’s off to a solid start this season with two wins and a 0.73 ERA and 19 Ks over 12.1 innings. Opposing batters have a .150 average against the Yankees’ ace this season. Cleveland will send Hunter Gaddis, who is in search of his first win of his young career. He has a 3.72 ERA in two starts, along with eight Ks. First pitch is at 6:10pm in Cleveland.
This was a very winnable game. Missing was a killer instinct. Bieber was against the ropes and kept damage to a minimum, then shut the door. 6 hits and 8 Ks is not a winning formula. Cleveland only K'd 4 times, put the ball in play, and made yanks throw strikes and make plays. Let's hope this was an aberration and not who they are. It resembled too many 2022 games. First game without a home run, and they only score 2. They should have scored more than 2 runs. Brewer pitched well, but was taken out after only 28 pitches. German was lost most of his 3 innings. Turn the page and get at it today.