Yankees takeaways from Saturday's 9-2 loss to Brewers, including bullpen's late-inning meltdown
What started out as a day to celebrate with Yankees Old Timers’ Day ended in disaster as the Bronx Bombers, following a two-and-a-half-hour rain delay, fell to the Milwaukee Brewers on Saturday, 9-2.
Here are the takeaways...
- Things started out fine for the Yanks and Michael King, who got the start. Despite walking the first batter of the game, King ended the inning with two strikeouts and struck out five of the first nine batters he faced. Sal Frelick had the game’s first hit in the third, a two-out single, but a sharp flyout by William Contreras put a stop to the potential rally.
However, those last two at-bats were a sign of things to come for King, who allowed a one-out single to Mark Canha in the fourth before a run-scoring triple to Willy Adames. Adames came around to score on the play as well thanks to a throwing error to third base by first baseman DJ LeMahieu, giving the Brewers a 2-0 lead. King struck out the next two to leave the score where it was.
- Still without a hit of their own, the Yanks capitalized on a walk and an error in the fourth inning when Anthony Volpe snuck a single through the infield to get New York on the board. A second walk in the inning loaded the bases before the Yankees’ hustle scored them another run on Oswald Peraza’s fielder’s choice. The routine grounder was hit to Adames, who threw to second base to get the force out, but Everson Pereira beat the throw and the game was tied at two.
- That was all for Brewers starter Wade Miley, as reliever Elvis Peguero came in and recorded the final out of the inning. Meanwhile, King kept rolling along, striking out two more in the fifth with a runner on third base. He finished his day by going five innings, giving up two runs (one earned) on four hits and one walk while striking out nine to lower his season ERA to 2.82.
- Both bullpens matched zeros up until the eighth inning when Jonathan Loaisiga entered the game and just didn’t have it. On the second pitch he threw, Loaisiga gave up a solo shot to No. 9 hitter Tyrone Taylor that broke the tie. He then allowed four straight singles that produced another run to make it 4-2 before finally getting the first out of the inning at home plate on a force out. Victor Caratini added the third run of the frame with a sacrifice fly.
- As bad as the eighth inning was for New York, the ninth was even worse. A walk, single, double, steal and walk loaded the bases for Matt Krook, who began the inning. Contreras’ two-run single blew the game wide open at 7-2 and ended Krook’s outing. Ron Marinaccio replaced Krook and after a flyout, the young righty allowed two more runs without allowing a hit. Marinaccio hit a batter to load the bases, recorded a pop-fly out and then walked in two runs to make it 9-2.
- The Yankees managed just four hits on the day, two of them coming in the ninth inning, and lost their third straight game.
Highlights
What's next
The Yankees and Brewers close out their three-game series at The Stadium on Sunday at 1:35 p.m. with a battle of aces.
RHP Gerrit Cole (13-4, 2.90 ERA) goes for New York, opposite Milwaukee's RHP Corbin Burnes (9-8, 3.63 ERA).
