N.Y. Yankees: Bronx Bombers Complete Successful Sortie at Progressive Field

From the desk of: BLAME CARLOS MAY

NEXT STOP: SAN DIEGO

Yankees defeat Indians; 2-0

I - NYY 12; CLE 3

II - NYY 10; CLE 9

Yankees Bats Go WILD at Cleveland

Nothing WILD about this series.  The Bronx Bombers play to their strength and the Cleveland Indians do not.

Through two games the Yankees face eleven different pitchers (Phil Maton is the only Tribe pitcher to appear in both games) and score against all but three of them.  They pound out 18 hits and 22 runs in 18 innings of play.  Eleven hits go for extra bases: seven home runs, three doubles and one triple.  Shane Bieber and Carlos Carrasco join to yield eleven runs on eleven hits and five walks in just 7.2 innings pitched.  Neither starter lasts five full innings.  All Indians pitchers join together for an 11.00 earned run average.  In game two they issue twelve walks.  Brad Hand, who does not blow a save in 23 regular season appearances, blows his first game at the worst time.  At the plate Cleveland hits .253 in 71 at-bats, with seven extra base hits and just one home run.  They play with the lead for just three innings out of eighteen.

Gio Urshela's grand slam in the fourth flips the tables on Cleveland and embattled catcher Gary Sanchez gains a measure of vindication with a home run, a game tying sac-fly and three runs batted in.  Urshela's great diving play at third and ensuing 5-4-3 double-play in the fourth is a game changer.

Now the bad news ...

Masahiro Tanaka does not pitch well.  He allows six earned runs on five hits (four doubles) and three walks with three strikeouts in four innings pitched.  He faces 20 batters and throws 77 pitches with 50 (65%) going for strikes.  

The Yankees move on to San Diego where they will take on the A.L. East champion Tampa Bay Rays.  The Rays finish the season with an American League best 40 wins, eight of which come against the Yankees.  Not coincidentally, the Rays win the division by a seven game margin over the Bombers.