I am always grateful for a walk-off win. But the last two have been because the Yankees failed to get the job done when they had the opportunity. In Saturday's game, the Yankees scored their only two runs on an Anthony Volpe rocket in the bottom of the 8th after Gerrit Cole kept the Toronto Blue Jays at bay for 5 2/3 innings, allowing only four hits and lowering his ERA to 0.79. But just like that the Yankees couldn't hold that lead as the Blue Jays tied the game with a pinch hit two-home run by Danny Jansen. It took a heroic bottom of 9th inning to push the Yankees to the rubber game after a disappointing loss to rival Toronto on Friday night. That walkoff win is what we are going to dive into just a bit more, but it is more meaningful than you think.
"Intrigue began even before the first pitch. Just as Cole was about to start the game, he was forced to wait, crouching behind the mound as Manoah and Kirk slowly walked from the Blue Jays bullpen down the left-field line to the dugout," reported ESPN. This is the kind of pettiness we have traditionally seen from the Red Sox, but they are a non-entity over the last few years despite their storied history of well, hating the Yankees.
Replacing that fierce relationship has been the Blue Jays led by Vladimir Guerrero Jr. who clearly has a dislike for the Yankees based on his remarks and antics anytime he plays or is asked about the Yankees. But today, it was about Gerrit Cole and Alek Manoah— who have had an ugly relationship for some time and that saga continued in Saturday's game.
"Last Aug. 21, Manoah threw an inside pitch early in the game that went near Yankees star Aaron Judge, then hit Judge on the arm guard above the left elbow. Judge glanced at Manoah as Cole started yelling and a few other Yankees came over the dugout railing. Cole was intercepted by bench coach Carlos Mendoza before reaching the umpires," reported ESPN. Manoah believes Cole is the biggest cheater in baseball, calling out his sticky substance history on NBA player Serge Ibaka’s YouTube show “How Hungry Are You?”
According to MLB.com, "Cole said he derived no additional juice from Manoah’s presence; they exchanged words last August, and Manoah spoke publicly about Cole again this past offseason. “I get all of my motivation from inside of this clubhouse,” Cole said."
The drama culminated when Volpe hit the two-run home run to put the Yankees up 2-0 in the 8th "The afterglow of Volpe’s moment was interrupted a few minutes later when Danny Jansen tied the game again with a pinch-hit two-run homer off Wandy Peralta. Jansen’s homer ending up being but a footnote after the Yanks rallied in the home half," reported MLB.com.
The game's hero was DJ LeMahieu whose base hit cemented the Yankee lead for good in walk off fashion. But the unsung hero in this game is Cole, who battled those birds like the true ace he is. He seems completed focused on his craft, ignoring the banter and complimenting the Jays and their starting pitcher.
“They’re tough,” Cole said. “They grind; they don’t give a pitch up. They’re shifty, and obviously Alek was on his game today. He threw tremendous. I would have liked to get deeper. … It did feel like I kind of faded a little bit, but I gave it everything I had,” reported MLB.com. Thatta boy Gerritt, take the higher road.
It will be another battle in the stadium on Sunday as the Yankees will once again send Clarke Schmidt to the mound despite his 8.79 ERA in the afternoon rubber game against the Jays. One thing is for sure, the Yankees need to prove they will not go away easily and that they can comeback and win series, which is what they have done all seven times this season. They have to take the opportunities when they come and make the Jays pay. That is how this modern day rivalry will continue to fuel itself—if they play with everything they have and take the higher road while doing it.
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--Suzie Pinstripe
BYB Senior Managing Editor
Twitter: @suzieprof
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