The Yankees labored through much of the first half of the season, putting together a disappointing 46-43 performance in what is considered one of the most surprising narratives in baseball this year, as a team expected to be a contender is on the outside looking in at a playoff spot.
Despite the mounting frustration that returned in full force on Sunday with an epic ninth-inning choke against the Astros, there have been some unforgettable finishes for the Bombers, including historic performances that hadn’t been provided by the franchise in over two decades.
So, before the season resumes, here are the five best games of the Yankees’ season so far:
Cole Goes the Distance
We’ll start with the most recent selection, which came on Saturday, when Gerrit Cole reminded everyone of the ace label that he carries.
After allowing 10 runs in his previous 8.1 innings, Cole came into his first start back in Houston since signing with the Yanks with a load of questions in tow, specifically how he would fare as a pitcher in a world without sticky substances. Those questions were silenced in the form of a complete game shutout, one that was finished off after a fiery Cole refused to leave the game with the tying run on base in the ninth. Cole struck out Yordan Alvarez to finish the job and give the Yanks a huge series win.
Aaron Judge provided the only run of the game in a 1-0 win, and made sure to troll the rival Astros on his way around the bases.
Downtown Goes Frazier
The Yankees were looking to avoid a fifth straight loss on June 1, while the Rays entered the night winners of 16 of their last 17 games. But Clint Frazier, mired in an awful offensive season, made sure the Yanks got a much-needed win in the Bronx.
Trailing 2-0 after an Austin Meadows home run, the Yankees fought back to tie the game, and with the score knotted at three apiece in the eighth, Frazier laid out for a diving catch to end a Tampa rally, and in the 11th, blasted a two-run home run to left to win it for the Yanks.
Gary is Scary
Gary Sanchez started the night on the bench on June 16 against the Blue Jays, but down by one in the seventh, Aaron Boone called his number in a pinch hit role, and Sanchez responded with a go-ahead two-run blast before taking over behind the plate to catch Cole for the first time since Opening Day.
Cole went eight innings and exited with a lead, one that seemed to be in serious trouble when Toronto put runners on second and third with nobody out against Aroldis Chapman in the ninth. But Chapman, not quite yet reaching an all-out implosion on the season, struck out Randal Grichuk, caught Vladimir Guerrero Jr. in a rundown between third and home, and retired Lourdes Gurriel Jr. to end the rally, and the game.
History for Kluber
Pitching in Texas, where he lasted just one inning before losing another season to injury in 2020, Corey Kluber turned back the clock to his Cy Young days on May 19, throwing the first no-hitter in Yankee history since David Cone was perfect in 1999.
Kluber gave up just one walk and struck out nine on his way to history, overcoming a close call with one out in the ninth when Tyler Wade, playing a somewhat unfamiliar position in right field, chased down a sinking liner before a routine grounder to Gleyber Torres sparked the celebration, and a particularly sweet one for Kluber, who had pitched just 36.2 innings the previous two seasons combined due to injuries.
Another Triple Play
We’ll squeeze two in one for this last entry, as the Yanks have already turned three triple plays this season, two of them coming in particularly dramatic fashion. The first came against the White Sox on May 21, when Chapman put the first two runners on before a hard grounder to Gio Urshela at third sparked the improbable triple play to keep the game tied heading into the bottom of the ninth, when Gleyber Torres walked it off with an RBI single.
Less than a month later, Chapman was in the weeds again, having thrown eight balls and just one strike to put runners on first and second and nobody out against the A’s. Once again, a hard grounder right to Urshela at third started the around-the-horn triple play once again, finishing off a 2-1 win at The Stadium and finishing the team’s third triple play of the season, tying a major league record.
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