About Last Night: Yanks Win in 10!

by Paul Semendinger

September 12, 2024

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About Last Night:

The Yankees won in extras for the second consecutive game. Juan Soto drove home Jon Berti.

Quick Stats:

• Yankees: 10 men left on base

• Yankees: 1-for-6 with runners in scoring position

• Juan Soto has 101 runs batted in for the season

The Game Story:

The Yankees got on the scoreboard first with a Gleyber Torres leadoff homer in the bottom of the first inning. Through nine innings, that would be the last time they scored.

The Red Sox got the run back in the fifth inning. Danny Jansen homered off Nestor Cortes. Through ten innings, that would be the only run they scored.

Ripley's Believe It Or Not then arrived in the Bronx and documented that Clay Holmes pitched a scoreless 10th inning.

The Ghost Runner (Jon Berti) scored on a Juan Soto hit in the 10th inning.

Player(s) of the Game:

Nestor Cortes: 5 innings, 3 hits, 1 run, 9 strikeouts

The Yankees Bullpen: 5 innings, 1 hit, 0 runs, 5 strikeouts

Juan Soto: Game winning hit

My Takes:

This might be the best lineup the Yankees can put out there. It's certainly a deep lineup, at least in "names" and the hopes for something good. I know he hasn't hit well since the concussion, but when Anthony Rizzo is your 8th hitter, that's a pretty deep lineup, at least in theory.

I had the feeling (nothing more than hope, but the feeling nonetheless) that Aaron Judge would hit two homers and break out of his slump. I was certain I saw the first one in the first inning, but he flew out to the warning track. He wouldn't come that close again. His slump is perplexing. If the Yankees can win games when he's not hitting, that's a good sign.

It is interesting that heading into the game that both Rafael Devers and Aaron Judge came with long homerless streaks. Both streaks continue on.

You know, these darn Yankees are starting to make me believe in them. When I start to believe they go out and break my heart, so I'm very reluctant to believe.

I was 100% (actually one gazillion billion percent) against trying Jazz Chisholm as the third baseman in the middle of a pennant race. I am not in favor of the Yankees' propensity to move players to positions they never played before. But, you know what, ol' Jazz is playing a sparkling hot corner. In this case, it seems, the Yankees made a very good decision. I still think my original premise is correct - I don't like moving players' positions all the time. At the same time, I am quite happy to be wrong about Chisholm. In fact, if he plays the position this well, I'd allow Caleb Durbin and Oswald Peraza to fight it out at second base next year. If the Yankees have to save money, Chisholm, Volpe, and a kid at second base helps a great deal towards that end.

I'm not a big fan of John Smoltz as a commentator, but when I am typing and listening to the game from another room his voice sort of reminds me of Jim Kaat's. Kaat did a much better job, but there is a similarity to the way their voices sound.

I want to believe in the Yankees and then they have the bases loaded 437 times and they fail to score. It is very frustrating.

Jazz Chisholm cannot get picked off first late in the game because he's not paying attention or whatever. I know everyone loves him, and are very frustrated with a different player, but that's the type of blunder Gleyber Torres makes and gets criticized up and down for.

I've written this a million times, but the ghost runner in extra innings is so lame. It's kid stuff. It's a joke. But, the ghost scored and the Yankees won.

Next Up:

The Yankees and the Red Sox will continue this series tonight at 7:05 p.m. The greedy hands are putting the game on one of the pay sites as a way to thank all fans for their loyal support (or not). Clarke Schmidt takes the hill for the team from the Bronx. Most people won't see the game. How nice.