CLEVELAND, Ohio (92.3 The Fan) – Walks can crush a ballclub, especially against a team like the New York Yankees.
The Bronx Bombers took advantage of seven free passes by Guardians pitchers and used a pair of four-run outbursts to separate themselves from the Guardians in a 13-4 win in Game 1 of Saturday’s twin-bill at Progressive Field.
Kirk McCarty, who was making a spot start as the 27th man due to another double-header, logged five innings, giving up six hits, four earned runs and four walks while striking out three.
“They’re a good lineup top to bottom. They’re patient, they hit mistakes. They’re a professional lineup,” McCarty said.
McCarty made just his third MLB start, the second of the season, as Guardians Manager Terry Francona juggles a lineup and pitching rotation during one of the ballclub’s busiest stretches. Cleveland is in the midst of three double-headers in six days and made a handful of Game 1, including sending Oscar Gonzalez to the 10-day IL with an abdominal issue.
“The one inning really kind of hurt him. He started out aggressive, throwing some fastball, changeup for strikes,” Francona said. “The inning where he got in trouble, after the home run. He wasn’t scatter in balls.
"But they’re not going to chase. They’re pretty disciplined You start getting deep in counts and you don’t have anywhere to go.”
New York sent eight batters to the plate in both the third and sixth innings, plating four runners in each. Six different Yankees recorded an RBI in Game 1.
"Innings like the third, you hate when they happen, but they happen. I thought LeMahieu hit that one hard and the other guys just found holes,” McCarty said. “You mix in a couple of walks there that leaves you four runs.”
The seven free passes are the most issued by the Guardians staff since 11 walks handed out to the Red Sox on Sunday. beginning with D.J.
LeMahieu’s 8th home run of the season. The Yankees lead MLB with 128 homers this season, roughly 70 more than the Guardians.
“It’s unfortunate and really thought I made some good pitches throughout the inning,” he said. “They put together some good at bats and led to some runs.”
Despite the loss the left-hander gave his club a lift. McCarty said like any player trying to break into the Major Leagues, he’s trying to learn as much as he can. He’s relied on Cleveland’s other young arms for advice and going up against the vaunted Yankee lineup was a learning experience.
“I think for the most part today, a positive I take away is to try to stay out of the heart of the plate. And when I got into those counts where I fell behind just to remain competitive without seeing too much the heart,” McCarty said. “That's something I’ve struggled with in the past and it led to the homers. So that's a positive to build on today.”
Yankee starter Gerrit Cole wasn’t particularly sharp early but settled in and was no-less effective in six innings of work in his 250th career start. Cole tossed six innings, giving up three hits, two earned runs and while striking out six.
He surrendered back-to-back home runs to Josh Naylor and Franmil Reyes in the second inning and nothing more.
Naylor and Ramirez gave the Guardians an early lead with back-to-back home runs in the second inning. It was just the second time this year Cleveland has hit consecutive homers, the first coming on June 8th when Naylor and Jose Ramirez went yard against the Athletics.
The power surge in the second inning, particularly from Reyes, is one Francona and company have been waiting for. Reyes fifth long ball of the season went deep into the right field seats.
“Anytime somebody does that it’s a good sign,” Francona said.
Aroldis Chapman made his return from the IL after missing more than a month with tendinitis in his left Achilles tendon. It was a brief outing as Chapman immediately walked the bases loaded.
The left-hander made only 19 pitches, seven were for strikes, but the Guardians only notched two more runs.
New York answered by plating a pair of runs of their own in the bottom of the seventh, followed by a run in the eighth and two more in the ninth. Jose Trevino and Matt Carpenter hit back-to-back home runs of their own to bring the Yankees MLB leading total to 131 long balls.