This was one of the most impressive promotions I’ve seen in my 27 years as a Yankees fan (yes, I was born a fan, don’t doubt that). Corey Kluber’s no-hitter and awesome Gerrit Cole from the full game in Houston are the latest on the list. However, given everything Jameson Taeyeon has been through in his career, a perfect 8th inning showing of the game on Lou Gehrig’s day is best with the best of them all. Thanks to a late run culminating in a one-hit, two-hit, two-hit one from Anthony Rizzo leading in two rounds, Taillon’s masterpiece was preserved in a 2-1 win.
While the Yankees were able to vault Shohei Ohtani early and often in the first game, knocking the star out in the fourth round by three singles runs, the same couldn’t be said against the Reid Detmers. They squandered a pair of golden opportunities in stages two and three, putting out the top two runners in each run, only for the next hitters to pounce on waste courts and failing to capitalize on any runs.
Clint Vondrac (a summons from the palace) did his turn to help the stagnant Yankees in the dish, pressing Detmers at the top of the area all night long.
Although the Yankees failed to take advantage of the beneficial charges these missed calls resulted in, they pushed Dettmers out of the game by one in the fifth. The pitch count for the Novice had already swelled to 86, so Jimmy Hergett came in relieved.
In that inning it appeared that the Yankees would finally come out, with Marwin Gonzalez narrowly ahead. double hustle While Mike Trout slowed as he threw the ball into the court. Then Aaron Judge followed him with a solo career. However, neither Gleber Torres nor Miguel Andujar were able to get through.
Games of this type tend to play an impressive defensive game to keep up the show and this did not disappoint. With one exit on the seventh, Otani burned a mill in the middle. However, Isiah Kiner-Falefa went the distance, put on the gauntlet, and made an accurate throw in the run to take home one of the fastest starting players in the league with a half-step.
Unfortunately, all good things must come to an end, and unfortunately, that ending came before the ninth inning. Over the top of the eighth, Jared Walsh hit a sharp left-sided hitter who just bounced off the IKF diving glove, allowing Schull to head into second and break up the perfect game and unsuccessful bid. The Angels would take the lead later in the inning on Kurt Suzuki’s single, but that was all Taillon gave up on his outing.
Watching the development of bowler Jameson Taeyeon since joining the Yankees has been a truly rewarding experience. With the help of a cutter added this season in particular, Taillon really captures in my mind the art of pitching, filling in the strike zone, throwing six different pitches located in all quarters, and driving the excavator and cutter on either side of the board. He may have missed out on the perfect game show (the team’s deepest showing since Chien-Ming Wang in 2007), but he has nothing to hang his head on after this match: eight runs with one run on two strokes, no walks, and five strokes in 101 pitches.
The Yankees had the best chance of scoring at the bottom of eighth, holding the bases by one lead from Oliver Ortega via Andújar’s double and walks from IKF and Aaron Hicks. This brought Joey Gallo to the plate and, in typical Joey Gallo style, swinging on a fastball full-count in the area. However, Anthony Rizzo came to the rescue, lining up 1-2 of quickie Archie Bradley in the middle for a one-off to make sure Taillon’s massive efforts were not in vain.
Clay Holmes came in to close out the ninth, and although it was a little more tense than we’re used to — loading the bases two pieces by walking in Ohtani and pulling Walsh’s trout — he eventually made Louis Renjivo kick off the ground, tying down the win. Holmes has now thrown 25 consecutive goal-free runs.
And so the Yankees swept the double-header and the series, handing the Angels their eighth straight loss. New York is now a top 21 game of the season over .500 at 36-15. They welcome the Tigers into town tomorrow in a group of three matches, as Gerrit Cole prepares to take on Elvin Rodriguez. The first pitch is scheduled for 7:05 PM ET, so be sure to join us on the game thread.
Result square