YANKEES vs RAYS (live mlb) AUGUST 18 2025 (NEW YORK YANKEES vs TAMPA BAY RAYS) MLB THE SHOW 25
It’s the New York Yankees taking on the Tampa Bay Rays. All right, we’ll be back to get this one started after this. Just about set to go and today’s starter, Ryan Pepio. And Singi, we were talking earlier about how he’s doing a great job navigating through tough spots. I’ve just been so impressed with when it seems like there’s more pressure, he’s more calm and settles in. He’s done an incredible job with runners in scoring position. Most guys, they get a little tight, they start to aim the baseball, but for some reason he gets looser. The ball comes out of his hand with more life, and he’s able to wiggle off the hook of, you know, tough situations and get his team back in the dugout. Trent Gish leading things off and takes a strike. [Applause] Next offering is fouled back. and he couldn’t hold back. He’s run up on strikes. Well, big power guy right there and generating so much bat speed. It’s hard to bring that to a halt once you’ve committed. They tried to check the swing, just couldn’t do it. And now Ben Rice. One down, base is empty. Comes up empty as he chases that one in the dirt. Just a bit late on that 01 breaking ball. 02 hole now. He’s going to have to shorten up, tighten things up if he’s going to have a good at bat. Strike three. And that’s two in a row. Well, anytime you can punch out the top two guys in a lineup to start an inning, got to be feeling pretty good out there on the mound because when you think of just having a distraction, table setters on the base paths and all of a sudden you’re dealing with a number three hitter. Any distraction can cause you to serve up a cookie and instead of it being a solo shot, it’s a two or three-run homer. It’s Aaron Judge now. Another solid power season and a foul ball. Pepio 27 years old and he was a third round pick back in 2019. Judge waits and Judge spoils that one. battling here as he fouls it away. Swinging a highf fly ball out there towards left field. Makes the grab and that’ll end the inning. Yankees nothing. Tampa Bay coming up. You’re watching Major League Baseball exclusively on the show back here at Tropicana Field. And today’s starting pitcher, Luke Weaver. How about a scouting report on him? Well, he brings into this one an excellent strikeout to walk ratio on the season. And when you consider the amount of swings and misses that he gets and the fact that he’s not issuing free passes, that’s going to make him more economical in his pitch count, allow him to move into the middle and deeper part of ball games. So, we’ll see if that remains true in this one. Number 14, the leadoff batter, as he looks at ball one. just missed. Was good pitch there. Billy had some run and finished little up and end just on the edge. And that’s one of those if you swing at it, hit a broken bat as you jog back to the dugout. Swings and chases a low one there. Man, he really sells the change up with that arm action. Fly ball down the line. Dominguez on the move. Puts it away for the out. Now a look at Kevin Cash’s lineup for the Tampa Bay Rays. Not a whole lot going their way offensively the last few games, Chris. Yeah, Booan. that can put more pressure on the pitching staff to try to limit the opponent to just one or two runs a game knowing that their offense is not scoring right now and that never really works well because you try to be too fine and you end up giving up a lot of runs. So, we’ll see if everybody can just relax, bring things together and perform at a level that they’re capable of. Yandi Diaz batting with one down takes a strike. Next pitch is outside. One out. Base is empty. That’s a little low. Well, this is a guy that can be frustrating for pitchers because he fouls off so many pitches and grinds out the at bat. I’m sure there’s sometimes where a pitch would rather just give up a first pitch single than to have to waste six or seven pitches on one hitter. Swing and a miss. Struck him out and there’s two down. Just indecisive in that at bat. He couldn’t commit to the slider. Tried to sit in between. Just not able to put the bat on the ball. Two down, base is empty. Lao at the plate. Good power. Not great in the OBP department. Basketball for a strike. Two out. Base is empty. And that is out of play. breaking ball in there. Got him looking and it’s a three up, three down inning. Nothing in the Tampa first. Onto the second now for Tropicana. Still nothing nothing. Second inning set to go and up to the plate comes Cody Bellinger. That one. Pepio back to work and immediately pumps in a strike to the left-handed hitter. No ball, one strike. Next pitch misses way outside. Woody Keller making the calls behind home for us today. And Boo, something to keep an eye on is how pitchers utilize the top part of the strike zone. We see a lot more of that in today’s game with pitchers going up there with hard stuff. Keller definitely an umpire that isn’t afraid to call strikes and that part of the strike zone. Two fights that one away. Still one and two. That wasn’t an easy pitch to hit. It’s much easier to do damage against mistakes, but that’s not what that pitch was. Down to the dirt, swinging a miss. Catcher has it. fires the first. Got him one away on the strike out. Chris, as we look back at the pitch sequence, he hadn’t seen that curveball at all. How tough is it to adjust to something like that with a bunch of break when you haven’t had a look at it yet? Yeah, I mean, you’re dialed up for something firm. You never want to take a called third strike as a fast ball. So, you’re going to be a little anxious before you recognize the pitch. And right there, clearly didn’t see what was coming. And first off is fouled off. No score here in the second. Swings and misses. He notches strikeout number 150 this season. Oh, he’s really dialed in and this offense is going to have to do something to try to break that rhythm. Maybe it’s square around the bond, step out of the box, agitate him a little bit, do something that just changes what’s happening right now because at this pace it’s going to be a long game. So, you got to figure it out quickly. Two down. Doan fought off foul. Swings through that. He has a tendency to chase out of the zone and that slider that’s down. That’s one of his money pitches to get that swing and miss. Next pitch misses. Two balls, two strikes. Two, two count. Knocks that one away. And we’ll do it again. [Music] and a payoff pitch. Draws the walk there and that’s their first base runner of the game. Well, two out walks are never good, especially when you’re trying to get back into that dugout. But he’s still in a good spot. He’s just got to refocus and deal with the bottom of this order. Now, here is Jason Dominguez breaking ball through there for a strike. And a bat like this is almost over as it begins. In this situation, you have no idea what the next pitch is going to be. You just got to hope that you can make contact. Got him looking. That’s a strike. So, no runs, no base hits, no errors, and a runner left. Now to the bottom of the second. No score. [Music] And welcome back to the ballpark. Bottom half of inning number two. Now it’s going to be Junior Camro. and misses inside. As a veteran out there on the ball, you’re trying to establish both edges of the plate right here. He’s working inside. the one outside corner. There’s a strike. Well, it looks like he’s wanting to work the upper part of the strike zone. What does that mean? Top hand better be working for the hitters. Adjust that side a little bit. Give yourself a chance to hit. And here it comes. Falling behind two and one. He’s an intimidating presence in the batters box. I mean, even when he’s swinging and missing, I still don’t know how confident pitchers are that, hey, when he walks to the plate, this guy’s an out. I know there have been some tough times, but I think each pitcher knows that, yeah, I could be the guy where he gets everything right and he hits it 500 ft. No doubt. [Music] [Applause] [Music] fans another and that’s three straight strikeouts. frustrating end to the at bat for the hitter and I’m sure that’s going to sit on him for a little while. You want to be ready to hit the fast ball. Sometimes you can overthink things and I think that was the case right there. The batter now Jake Mangum had ball one to the right fielder. [Music] That’s in for a strike. One-1. One down. Base is empty. That one lifted to left. Dominguez. He’s there. He’s got it. And there’s two down. So up next, Hassan Kim. This is a guy who’s in the line of first and foremost because of what he contributes defensively, Chris. And when you talk about preventing runs from being scored, this guy is a big contributor. A short stop takes a ball. I was always told it’s hard to take you off the field when you play really good defense, especially at a premier position. And that’s what he does. Ground ball up the middle. That’s a base hit. So a two out knock keeps the inning alive. Batting seven catcher. Hunter. Here’s the catcher. Hunter Feducha. The hitting’s going to come around. He’s going to figure it out. But right now, his big asset is the way he plays the game on defense. [Applause] Weaver with a move to first and he’s back safely. Runner on the goal. Pitch misses. Safe at second. easily steals the B. [Applause] And another ball. [Applause] swing and a miss. Strike one. Two balls, one strike. [Music] Man on second, two down. That one catches the zone. Two and two now. Oh, two strike [Music] inside. Almost got him. And that one is lifted in the air. Caviierro sizing this one up and makes the grab and that is the third out of the inning. So no runs here on a base hit, no errors and one left. We head on down to the top of the third. We’re tied nothing. No nothing. And we’re back. Top half of the third inning. Ryan McMahon steps to the plate. And there’s a ball. And there’s a foul ball. The 1-1 is fouled off. the one two. So he picks up his six strike out of the ball game. Kind of a weird pitch and a weird swing on that strike out. It’s just a slider that caught a lot of the play. I’d say a very hitable location, but in the box, I think he just gave up on it way too early. And by the time he realized it was dropping into the zone, he just fires off a really poor swing. And now the right fielder Jos Caviierro swinging a ground ball up the middle fires over to first and a couple of quick outs. Now batting center Trent Gisham. So the batting order turns over. Here’s the center fielder Trent Gisham. Three pitch strikeout last time up. Got to put up more of a fight in this one. That’s in there and it’s 0 and one. Fast ball the inside corner for the strike. He doesn’t seem to like to pitch up. Hasn’t offered on either one of those pitches. 02 count now. I think the guy’s going to climb the ladder out there. 0 and2 now. Gets a piece and stays alive. Top of the third, no score. Swinging a miss. Struck him out. And it’s a one, two, three inning. Yanks held in check and we are still scoreless. Bottom of the inning. And now Ever Pereira, center fielder. Everson Pereira and a first pitch fastball is in for a strike. Well, we call that keyholeing. Even though it’s right there and looks pretty good, if he doesn’t love it, he’s not going to swing that early in the count. [Applause] I understand you want to try to gauge that guy’s fast ball, but you also have to be aggressive and ready to hit in your zone. Now you’re in a tough spot. [Applause] And that’s ruled a swing. It’s a strike out. Well, he just went right after him there. No messing around with the off speed stuff. Here’s my fast ball. If you can hit it, go for it. Three fast balls. See you later. Definitely builds your confidence out on the mound. And the batter now, Bobby Seymour. Fast ball for a strike at 95. [Music] That misses the zone. That’s ball one. just missed. 2-1. [Music] The two on fouls one off out of play back to our left. [Music] goes down looking. Now batting. Here’s the Rays leadoff hitter. He’s over for one. Feels like it’s less common today that you see a guy like this. The speed component, the contact component, but lack of power. And the first pitch misses for ball one. He just has to understand that his skill set is unique and he’s very valuable for any ball club. If he does that, he’ll play a long time in this league. Two outs. Ground ball right side and that chance handled. Rays retired in order. Nothing doing for Tampa and we’re still knotted at zero. New inning getting started. Here’s the power hitting catcher, Ben Rice. Roll picked out of the dirt body save. Now it’s Aaron jump to the plate. Scoreless here, but now he’s got to deal with a guy who’s got some power. Got to be careful when you’re talking about a hitter with this type of slug and these type of home run totals. The shorts stop takes a ball. One ball, no strikes. Fourth inning underway. No score [Applause] and that misses and it’s two and0 and another ball way to lay off that pitch down. Cody Bellinger in the deck circle hoping to get a chance to make a big impact here. [Music] And that is ball four. And the Yankees are in business. Well, we’ve seen this recipe cook up a big inning plenty of times. Two runners on, nobody out. And they’re in the heart of their order. It’s just a great opportunity to put up a crooked number. And here comes Bellinger. He’s been really clutch with runners in scoring position this season. So, they’ll have to be extra careful in this matchup. That one finds the zone going to wall to the right side over to Kim. One back to first out in time. Well, he’s doing a nice job of keeping the ball out of the air. Lets the defense work behind him with another ground ball. Good execution. Jazz Chisum Jr. now he’s been such a good hitter with runners in scoring position. Some guys just take it to another level. For him right now at the plate, it’s like everyone else is in slow motion and he’s in full speed. And that drops in for a strike. In this situation, the batter’s got to know what the pitcher is trying to do to him, and that’s trying to get him to hit the ball on the ground, get two for one. You got to look for something up in the zone, and worst case scenario, you deliver the sacrifice fly. That’s in there. And it’s nothing at two. Big pitch right here. He’s going to try to make a pitch. It’s going to produce a strikeout or a ground ball double play. Rice the runner at third. Bellinger at first. One gone. Look out. And it hit him. He had two strikes on him and he hit him. Paul Goldman now. Golden opportunity right here. Paul Goldman. Well, all eyes on the double play ball in this spot. No better way to get out of this inning. That pitch in for a strike 0 and one. Tough situation right here. So important as a pitcher to get ahead in the count as he did right there. Swing and a miss. Looked off balance that time. Well, you got the hitter already chasing that nasty slider. If you’re on the mound, you just want to expand the zone right now. Get a swing and miss and get through this at bat. Squirts away a little bit. Nothing happening on the bases though. [Applause] Spoils a two strike pitch and he’ll see another [Applause] misses. It’s a strike out. Certainly a strikeout situation right there. The infield playing back and this pitcher has to step up and get the swing and miss. Really nice job of attacking the hitter at the plate. Pretty big two out at bat coming up now. Jason Dominguez getting ready to hit right through there for a strike. Two outs. Bases are full. [Applause] [Applause] Strike three. Got him swinging. That’s his ninth strike out so far. A lot of adrenaline. We can see it right there. And sometimes you just got to let it out. It’s an outstanding job of taking that, executing, and getting out of a tough inning. [Applause] [Music] Back now in Tampa Bay. Yandi Diaz. Now hitter. Gandhi Diaz in his seventh season, 33 years old, and he’s usually a first baseman, but today he’s the designated hitter. And the pitch is outside. Ball one. Some people say that first baseman kind of have the day off regularly because they don’t run around a whole lot. But when you think about it, they are involved in just about every single play and there’s a lot of stress that gets put on their legs. So, a well-deserved day at the DH spot for him. Fouled off left side. at 96. That pitch is in for a strike. and that’s outside. Really good take especially with two strikes. keeps the atbat going with a foul ball. Still two and two after the foul ball. Oh, he’s desperately looking for that swing and miss. She’s going to have to just change speeds a little bit. Try to move it around. Create just a little bit of illusion at the end. And down on strikes. He didn’t make it easy for him on the mound, but they still get the strike out. That was a pretty fun at bat right there, but you kind of hate to see a long battle like that end on a questionable call. I think he was right letting it go. Frustrating result after he fought so hard at the plate. And now it’s Brandon Laauo caught looking his first time up. That one’s in there. 0 and one. He’s pitching well, but not throwing a ton of first pitch strikes. Usually doesn’t work out for success, but you can never predict baseball. [Music] That one missed. [Applause] [Music] [Applause] The 1-1 is fouled off. I wouldn’t throw him another breaking ball. Try to go again with a fast ball. Slightly elevated. He just having a hard time catching up. Let’s go. Let’s go. Let’s go. Strikes him out for the second time today. Quite the start to this game on the mound. Looking very dangerous to these hitters. Seven punch outs already. So, this lineup hasn’t had much success trying to figure him out. I’m impressed with what we’re seeing here. Camero in the box with two gone and takes a look at a called strike. [Applause] And now the count is even. strike. He’s been very consistent with his command out there on the mound. Consistently throwing at the knees. Pretty impressive when a guy can repeat his delivery like this. cuts on it and misses. That’s a strike out. And he strikes out the side for the second time today. Down in order go the Rays. Still no score. Back here at Tropicana Field. Digging in. Ryan McMahon. Ryan McMahon. Pepio back to work. That one almost got him. Yeah, that’s fouled off. [Music] That one finds the zone. That’s strike two. He’s been able to go inside as well as outside. Effectively working both sides of the plate in this at bat. The next offering misses. The countdown now two and two. Breaking ball misses down and away. Full count. Swing and a miss. Strike him out. Now at 10ks with still a few innings left. So expect him to add on to that total. And pitchers are looking to have a strikeout per inning. I mean that’s excellent work. uh the way it looks now, I mean, he’s going to have a better rate than that in this one. So, really good stuff working on the mound in this one. Now, it’s the right fielder Jose Cabierro. And first pitch fast ball is in for a strike. All tied up and we’re in the top of the fifth. Fouled off down the right side. [Applause] One down. Base is empty. May get four strikeouts in a row. Just cruising along. Well, I’d say that was a really nice pitch right there. And if it weren’t for the call, you could say it was a great take, too. I mean, it’s close enough to where you probably need to protect, but it looked to end up just off the corner. So, the lineup flips over now. It’s Trent Gisham to the plate. Just missed. One ball, no strikes. [Music] And that’s outside. struggled a little bit in this one. Couple of strikeouts earlier, but doing a much better job in this at bat to get ahead and find a good hitters count at 2 and 0. Center field. And that is that. Halfway through this one, still no score. Out of the bullpen for the Yankees, Brent Hedrickk still pretty early in the ball game. So, this bullpen has some work to handle. York. Best case scenario might be if he can come in here and get several quick outs, kind of bridge the gap. That starter left for him. And now Jake Mangum fly to left his first time. Mango first off and it just misses. Movement in the Yankees pen. Will Warren getting loose out there for Aaron Boon out to center. Gisham on the move and he hauls it in. That’s just a really nice catch on the run right there. He saved extra bases for sure. If the pitcher’s his friend, he’ll give him a second to catch his breath before he’s ready to deal the next pitch. Swanging a highf fly ball pulled foul and that’s out of play. Well, Kim is one of those players that it’s just hard to take your eyes off of him. And not many players in the 2023 World Baseball Classic had more fun than he did. He hit a grand slam in a win against China and earlier in the tournament had a two homer game. Delivered some special moments for Korea. The shorts stop takes the ball. Base is empty. One away. Last half of inning number five. Next offering in there for a strike. It’s two and two. Ground ball right side and he can’t come up with it. Still able to fire over and they get him. The misplay made it a bit messy but they clean things up for the out. And now the catcher comes up to hit. Hunter Fiducha flyed to right his first time. Close one. Doesn’t get the call. Ball one. And another ball. [Applause] [Music] That one well upstairs. And that’s ball three. Well, I would expect in this three 0 count, you’re taking all the way. See if he’ll walk you. Slider for a strike. And that one is in for a strike at 95. And the count’s full. hanging in there pretty good against the lefty. [Music] [Applause] [Music] Swang at a highf fly ball. Well struck back there. Say goodbye to that one. He circles the bases and that gives him the lead. It’s one- nothing. [Applause] knew what pitch he wanted to hit. Spent on some other pitches in this at bat. Was very patient and it paid off. [Applause] And now the center fielder Everson Pereira. That one’s in there. Strike one. [Applause] There’s a swinging miss one. I don’t think he was trying to miss by that much in an 02 count. Just tried to overthrow that Two down, base is empty, but one run across. The Rays leading on the solo homer. in the air pretty deep out to center field. Gisham sizes this one up and that’ll do it. One in the inning and it comes from a rather unlikely power source. It’s now one- nothing. You’re dialed into the show. All right, we go to the top half of inning number six. Now the number two hitter Ben Rice [Applause] outside low and that’s ball one and that’s too high way to lay off that fast ball up right there. You’re looking for something you see well that you can handle, but you also have to keep the discipline so that you’re not popping up pitches that are just a little too high. [Applause] And that one fouled off. and a swing. Now, a dozen strikeouts for him in this one. You know, variant speeds can be just as useful for a pitcher as movement. As you see right there, it really wasn’t a great location, but the fact that the velocity change had the hitter off balance, and that’s all you got to do sometimes. Here is Aaron Judge. This guy with light tower power and that drops in for a strike. The Rays leading by a run and we’re in the top half of the sixth. Next one misses. One and one. One ball, one strike. Swinging a ground ball. La sends it to first. Two quick outs to open the top of the six. Now batting designated hitter Cody Bellinger. Bellinger up to hit. Bowl for two in this one. Swinging a foul straight back. That’s outside and it’s a ball and a strike. There’s a strike. Not sure if he could be in more of a groove. Looks really relaxed. He’s retired seven straight. This guy’s feeling it right now. This one blasted the other way down the line and it’s a foul ball. That’s a foul ball. Swinging a miss. That one in the dirt. Gets to it onto first. Throws sails on him and it takes off down the line. So he’s able to reach first base despite the strike out and that extends the inning. Kind of a tough turn of events for the defense there. Yeah, that’s maybe a little bit of a morale killer for a second. You think you’re about to go hit, but really quickly you have to refocus and be ready for the next play. We’ll see if they can work around it. Jazz Chisum Jr. stepping Bellinger goes. That’s in for a strike. And that’s a stolen base. Not even close. Yeah, I like being aggressive right there with two outs. It’s kind of a classic steel situation. You get thrown out, no big deal. That guy at the plate leads off the next inning. Now a single to the outfield can push a run across. Bellinger at second with two down. Swang going to grounder. Foul base side. Well struck deep right field. Way back and out of here. That one’s got to feel good. That’s his 99th career homer. And they lead it. It’s 21. We take another look as Stackcast tells us that ball took off at 110 mph and plenty of distance as well. I mean, that was an impressive home run. Boog. He squared it up and knew it was gone. Paul Goldmid will climb in. A strike out and a walk. That’s in there. [Applause] [Applause] And that’s off the inside edge. And it’s one and one bullpen movement for the Rays. Garrick Clevenger warming up for manager Kevin Cash. Jacks getting loose as well. [Applause] Just missed. [Applause] And the slider just misses. First pitch strike from the pitcher, but then no panic at all by the hitter. very patient, showing good discipline. Now he’s in the driver’s seat with a 3-1 count. That’s in there and the count’s full. Full count [Applause] on the ground to third. Over to first that ends the frame. Two-run blast for the Yankees this inning. And it’s now a two-1 ball game. It’s Major League Baseball and it’s on the show. Bottom of the six. And now the first baseman, Bobby Seymour. [Applause] Pitch misses. One and0. Meanwhile, activity in the bullpen. Tim Hill preparing to come on if needed. Dval getting cranked up as well. [Applause] Swing and a highf fly ball out towards right center field. Gisham is there. Makes the catch and there’s one down. Now batting left fielder Chandler. Here’s the Rays leadoff hitter. You know, this is kind of a tough matchup as a left-handed hitter facing a left-handed pitcher. What you tell yourself is I want to stay square to the plate. Try to hit the ball over the shorts stop’s head. Swing and a ball lifted in the air. That’s out number two. Now batting Diaz next to hit for the Rays. There’s for two with a pair of strikeouts. Right through there for a strike. Raised down by a run. [Applause] Ground ball. Goldie. He takes it himself to the bag. And that’ll do it. Rays go in order. 1, two, three. And our score remains 2-1. New pitcher on here, Garrick Clevenger. 50th time he’s come into a game this year. He’s been relied on out of the pin quite a bit. Number 16, one-run game at the plate. Jason Dominguez Clevenger in his fourth year, 30 years old now, and he’s one of the few players in Major League Baseball born in Kansas. [Applause] This one lifted in the air left field and there’s one down. Just pulled off of it a little bit right there. That front shoulder coming open instead of staying closed. If he does that, he’s going to be able to go up the middle the other way with some authority instead of a fly out to left. McMahon in the box for the third time today as he takes that one off the plate. Check swing. Did he go? No, he didn’t. That one misses ball three. Rio [Applause] And he walked him on four pitches. Definitely lost the handle during that sequence. Four pitches for the walk. And that last one didn’t even threaten the zone. Catcher might want to go talk to him. One down. And stepping in for the Yankees, Jose Caviierro. Ball one, no strikes. Maybe losing command a little bit after the walk. Next pitch, not even close. McMahon the base runner at first with one out. A swing and a miss. And that’s strike one. One ball, one strike. swing and a miss as he was late that time. I think he was sitting off speed there. Foul ball still a one and two count. Good job to fight that one off. Cuts and misses. It’s a strike out. Definitely made him chase a little bit out of his own right there. I don’t think that’s a strike if he takes it. Pretty textbook pitching. Get ahead in the count. get the guy in the box on his heels and then force him to chase your pitch where he doesn’t have much of a chance to do any damage. So the batter now will be Trent Gisham. a pair of strikeouts and he’s flyed to center. And that’s outside, two outs, and that’s in for a strike. Let’s see if he’s willing to use the whole field right here. Definitely pounding him away. And a swing and a miss. There’s that slider. Going to really need to hang in there with that front side against this left-handed breaking ball. Outside low and the count is two and two. [Applause] Next offering is outside. Great RBI spot here. Just got to stay focused on the pitch. The runner will be in motion, so something in the gap should definitely score it. fights it off. You’ll see another. So now two on and two outs. A breaking ball in that 3-2 count kind of tells you that that’s the pitch he has the most confidence in right now. just couldn’t find the strike zone. First and second, two outs. Ben Rice digs in now. Splits the plate. It’s 0 and one. There it was. Oh, here it is. Hit it. He gets a take. Gets ahead and a count. Two on, two outs. That misses the zone and a count even. One and one. Two walks in the inning already and he just doesn’t seem comfortable out there like he can find the right mechanics and then repeat them. Could be some action here on this next pitch. Couple runners on. Probably a challenge pitch coming. [Applause] And there’s the ball. Back to back breaking pitches away. You get the feeling as a hitter that the pitcher is afraid of you, that he doesn’t want to challenge you. So, I think the confidence level is raised right here. First and second, two down here in the top half of inning number seven. And that’s pushed foul off to the left and out of play. [Applause] Swing and a miss and he’s down on strikes. That ends the inning as they squander a chance to pick up some insurance. Yank strand a pair as they’re unable to add to their 2-1 lead. Now pitching for a new pitcher here to start the bottom of the seventh. He’s having a ton of success facing left-handed hitters this season. So this seems like a smart move to turn to him with a left. Wow. [Applause] La up to the plate for the third time as he looks at one down low. [Applause] looking to get the tying run on base and he grounds one to the right side into the outfield. Base hit. [Applause] Always feels amazing getting a job done when the team needs you to come through. It’s just bigger than your own individual stats. pull that one right in the direction of the shifted defense, but no one could make a play on it. I mean, that’s his approach and it’s probably not changing. No outs. Runner at first. Junior Camro next to hit for the Rays. No, just missed. [Applause] [Music] [Applause] Hit on the ground. Might be two. Can’t bl it cleanly. Still fires to first and the throw is late. Missed opportunity there thanks to the misplay. I think he just rushed that one. Great chance to turn two. And as an infielder on a play like that, I think guys can get a little excited and forget to make the play one step at a time. Could have been two outs. Instead, they get none. And now it’s going to be Jake Mangum. Corner infielders up on the grass expecting a bunt. Squares, pushes at it, misses it. It’s a strike. 0 and one. [Applause] And a sack bunt here. Off balance throw in time. And that’s an out on the sacrifice. Those plays can be tricky. They’re routine, but that doesn’t mean it’s always going to be smooth. He delivered a good play right there. Hassan Kim next to hit for the Rays. One for two. You have to stay disciplined in these at bats. Try not to chase. A strike out here is the last thing you want in the infield at the corners. Don’t be surprised to see them come home first and prevent that run from scoring. Just missed. He’s got a base open. So, the pressure to come in and really attack this hitter not as great as it would be if the bags were sacked. [Applause] Line drive caught. Here comes the throw. Tag Valentine. He’s safe. We are tied at two. Well, he hit that one pretty well. I think he would have been a lot more than a sack fly if not for that nice play by the outfield track down. Good job of getting the And here’s the catcher, Hunter Feducha. He’s already homerred here in this one. Surprised you don’t see a pinch hitter here with the lefty lefty matchup. [Applause] first pitch and he just misses. You don’t want to get beat by a fast ball in and he spits on that one [Applause] and fouled off. Two down. Go ahead run in scoring position and a swing to miss. Talk about tying a guy up. That was ugly. [Applause] Man at second. Bows it back with two strikes. [Applause] out towards right center field. Caviierro and that’s the inning. One run, one hit, one error and one left. Eighth inning coming up. We are tied 2-2. Welcome back and a new arm on the mound to start the eighth. Ian Seymour. Should be a good first match up for him here. He’s been doing a great job against right-handed bats so far this season. They’ve had a lot of trouble squaring him up. Aaron Judge at the plate. Known for his late inning heroics. If you don’t get ahead in the count, you can forget about having any success against him. [Applause] And ball one to Judge. Tampa Bay’s bullpen with some action. Pete Fairbanks getting ready to go. Jacks warming up as well. [Applause] Next offering is downstairs. And another ball. Almost feel like he’s frustrated a little bit. He wants to be challenged. Cody Bellinger in the deck circle hoping to get a chance to make a big impact here. [Applause] That one finds the zone. Three and one. 3-1. [Applause] It’s a lead off walk and that’s the go-ahead run. Pretty easy walk right there. Last pitch wasn’t even much to think about. Substitution now at first base on a pinch run. Anthony number 11. Go ahead run on base. Here’s Cody Bellinger 0 for three with two strikeouts and a ground out. [Applause] Fast ball is outside. Ground ball right side could be two to second. That’s one and two in time to first for the double play. Oh man, what a smooth double play. That was a thing of beauty from start to finish. [Applause] And next for New York, Jazz Chisum Jr. possibly thinking about home run number 100 here. He’s just one shy of that milestone. Ball one there. Chisum needs just one more homer to reach 100 in the big leagues. Two down, nobody on. And we’re in the top of the eighth. Swings through that one out in front that time. Yeah. And making it to a 100 homers would be quite the career accomplishment for him. Out of the more than 20,000 players to take an at bat in the majors, less than 5% have ever hit 100 dingers. Clips the corner. One and two. on the ground right side. He takes it himself to the bag and that’ll do it. Down in order goal to Yankees. Score remains deadlocked to 2-2. And welcome back to the ballpark ready to go for the last half of the inning. Here’s the center fielder Emerson Pereira. Hill back to work right through there for a strike. Well, on paper it’s favorable to have a fairly quick inning here with two of the three hitters he’s set to face batting from the left side, same side he throws from. And that one fouled off. [Music] [Applause] Got him swinging. Man, that slider bearing in on your hands like that. It’s just so tough to fight off. It’s kind of like a cutter. It just can eat you off, saw you off. Tell you what, hitters have nightmares about that pitch. Perfectly executed out there on the mound. So, digging in, Bobby Seymour. There’s the strike. [Applause] One down. Base is empty. Highf fly ball. And that one curling foul down the right side. [Music] [Applause] fights that one away and the count remains 0 and two. Yeah, with two strikes here, you really want to miss outside the zone with that breaking ball [Applause] down the line and that drops foul. [Music] [Applause] Foul ball. It stays nothing and two [Applause] and ball one. All tied up near the bottom half of the eighth inning [Applause] and a ground ball to first. Takes it himself and that quickly two away. Well, there’s a lot of writing on that at bat right there. Nice job of the pitcher to bear down, make the pitch, get the ground ball. Excellent piece of work. Here’s the Rays leadoff hitter outfield playing pretty shallow. Now, this guy, a player that if he gets on base, has the ability to really be aggressive getting around the base paths and a foul ball. Trying to keep good speed off the bases. [Music] Swinging a foul out of play. The O2. That’s down and in. One ball, two strikes. swing and a high-fly ball left field. Makes the catch and over. It’s the ninth and we are tied. All set for the start of the inning. Here’s Paul Goldmith. Paul Goldmith. [Applause] Base hit center field. Should be extra bases in safely with a leadoff double. Go ahead runs in scoring position. Everything came together perfectly for him right there. Just an awesome swing of the bat. Quick hands and just launched the baseball. 108 on the exit velocity. Man, that is coming off the bat pretty good. I know he’s feeling good about it. A lot riding on this next at bat now as they look to take the lead at a critical point in this one. Runner in scoring position. No outs. Now the left fielder Jason Dominguez in for a strike and it’s 0 and one. [Applause] man at second and that is out of play. [Applause] looking for the K. Well, he’s going to have some thinking to do when he leaves the ballpark after this one. It was his third strike out and this one looking obviously. So, he’s been a little overmatched. He’s got to find a way just to be more competitive up there at the plate. So, the go-ahead run in scoring position. Here’s Ryan McMahon now. A walk and a pair of strikeouts. First pitch doesn’t find the zone. One, one out. The go-ahead run is at second. That misses. And that’s ball two. Two ball. No strike. Line drive. And this might be trouble. Here comes Goldie around third. He will score and they take the lead. He was all over that one. Loud contact leads to the double. I mean, you could tell it had extra bases written all over it as it jumped off of his stick. Jose Caviierro stepping in now for the Yankees. And a fast ball in there for a strike at 91 out in front. Rip foul. [Applause] [Applause] check swing on an 02 appeal to first and Ed Drummond right on it says he held up base hit stop sign goes up at third runners at the corners with one out. Well, that certainly feels good when you can win the at bat after being down in the count up against it with two strikes right there. Really nice job staying inside with his hands to fight off that pitch. Man, that cover was bearing in on him, but he found a way to stay with his approach. Didn’t spin off it and he hit it pretty well. Runners at the corners here. One away. And now the center fielder Trent Gish and a foul ball. [Music] [Applause] [Music] Lefty out of the stretch. Runners at first and third. Puts a bunt down on the run. Throw to first on the money. Nice play. Well, the safety squeeze can be tough to defend, especially with a good runner at third. You can’t risk trying to be overly aggressive and make a play at the plate and give up that easy out at first. And the Rays manager making his way towards the mound now as he will make the move. Ian Seymour won’t go any further. Two-run ball game as he heads for the dugout. And we’ll be back with a new pitcher. Now pitching. Now a new pitcher for the Rays. Griffin Ch2. Pretty tight game, so they’re looking for quality pitches out of him right here. Got to do his best to keep the score right where it is. Ben Rice stepping in now for the Yankees in this situation with first base open. He shouldn’t give him anything to hit. There’s a right-hander on deck. 10. This one in the dirt. Runner at second. Two down here in the top of the ninth. [Applause] And that drops in for a strike. [Applause] [Applause] Base knock center field. Could be extra bases. Throws to second. He’s in safely at second. And a run comes in to score. Comes through with the RBI. Everything was on time and fluid in that swing. got a pitch he could get the barrel on and lined it into center for the knock. Those always feel good. And up next for New York, Anthony Vulpi. And that’s through there for a strike. It’s 0 and one. Yankees up by three. [Applause] Next offering is in for a strike. Action in the pen down there. Mason Angler appears to be getting loose. Baker also getting ready. Foul ball still 0 and two. stays alive. Gets a piece and it stays 0 and two. Tough to take a two strike change up that just missed. I think it get frozen. And now two and two. Good battle here. About to be the eighth pitch of the at bat. That one down the line. The throw to first and that’s the third out. So they get three and jump ahead late. 234 set to hit in the bottom of the ninth. It’s the Yankees five, the Rays two. Back now and on the mound, the closer Devin Williams. I think the closer has to be one of the toughest jobs in baseball. We see a pretty high turnover rate because of it. Every outing seems to be high pressure. This one included. We’ll see if he can wrap up the win and get himself a save. Now it’s the DH. Yandi Diaz 0 for three in this one. And that one clips the corner. 01. [Applause] Really good cutter that he’s able to front door and back door. That pitch is devastating. gets under and pops it up. Chisum hauls it in for the out. Now batting second baseman Brandon. He’s two outs away. Here’s the second baseman Brandon Loud. One for three. [Applause] Swinging a foul straight back. Base is empty, one away. We’re in the last half of the ninth inning. And that’s in the dirt. [Applause] Right through there for a strike. Ball two. Two balls. Two strikes. [Applause] And that’s down and away. And it’s fouled off. They’ll do it again. and that is low for ball four. It wasn’t easy, but he earned that walk after a long bat. They’re not ready to go home quite yet. here in the bottom of the ninth, one out. Next to hit, Junior Camero [Applause] and that’s in there for strike one. There it was. A high velocity fastball in the zone. But I think a little frustration from walking the previous hitter. He’s got good stuff. Pitch inside the zone and trust it. Liner snagged it first. That swing right there tells me he’s seeing the ball pretty well. I know it didn’t produce a hit, but he made solid contact. And that’s all you’re looking to do anytime you’re at the plate. So, it’s their last chance in this one. So, next to the plate for Tampa Bay, Jake Mangum. He’s someone that you might not describe as having elite level speed, but he can absolutely move and it is a factor in his game. Outside ball one. Well, this guy’s definitely a plus runner. But what I love about him is that from inside Tropicana Field here in Tampa Bay, the show has an AL East matchup. It’s the New York Yankees taking on the Tampa Bay Rays. First pitch coming your way next. All right, just about set to go and towing the slab in this one, Ryan Pepio. Well, coming into this game, hitters are batting under 250 against this starting pitcher. So, it just shows you how effective he’s been. He’s been able to move his pitches around, add in some track, change up the look so that hitters don’t get too comfortable and start squaring up the baseball. We’ll see what he’s got in this one. Trent Gish leading things off and takes a break. That one not close. And one and one. [Music] Yeah, that skips in the dirt. First pitch strike from the pitcher, but then no panic at all by the hitter. Very patient, showing good discipline. Now he’s in the driver’s seat with a 3-1 count. Swings through the fast ball up in the zone. Foul. We’ll see another payoff pitch. I wouldn’t throw him another breaking ball. Try to go again with a fast ball. Slightly elevated. He just having a hard time catching up. [Applause] The wind of the pitch. That one misses. So a lead off walk. Opted to go with the off speed stuff on that 32 with the bases empty. Close pitch, but now he’s got to work out of the stretch. Ben Rice stepping in now for the Yankees. Low one in the dirt. Blocked. Pepio in his third season. He features a four seam fast, a change up, a slider, a cutter, and he occasionally uses a curve. Offbalance feed. There’s one to first. Not in time. Great effort there. Tough play right there. Didn’t really have enough time to set his feet and make a strong, accurate throw. Had to rush it, but he got it off and he got it there in time to get that out at second base. And now big number 99, Aaron Judge. What a season it’s been for him. He has supplied a lot of power and that average. Judge rips that one way back there. Gone. He sends it out of here. Home run number 40 on the year. And just like that, they’re out front. It’s two nothing. He only needed one swing to square it up. Not wasting any time. And that is Bat Boo. aggressive and it paid off. Well, he did a really nice job of letting that ball travel. Wasn’t too quick. He kept the shoulder square to home plate, which allows you to drive the ball to the opposite field with power. We see the power and the authority. And fortunately, he was lucky enough to keep it fair. Here comes Cody Bellinger. [Applause] Next pitch in for a strike and it’s one and one. That one missing inside. Still only one out here in the inning. Two two down and a foul ball. He stays alive. [Music] Got him looking. That was pretty nasty. Well, he froze him with a great fast ball right on the corner. It’s kind of like bowling when you think the ball’s going to get into the gutter and somehow just hangs onto that edge and knocks down a pin. Well, he got the outside corner of the plate and got that called third strike. Two out, space is empty. Jazz Chisum Jr. stepping in now for the Yankees and the first pitch misses for ball one. He’s given up a couple of runs, but the pitch count really not as high as you would think. Might be able to get through this one under 25 pitches. [Applause] That one is upstairs. Two count to a guy like this at the plate. You’ve got to throw a pitcher’s pitch. Don’t just try to get a strike. He could make you pay. Just off the inside edge. After giving up that home run earlier, it just doesn’t seem like he wants to challenge him. [Applause] There’s the strike and the count is three and one. Thought the green light might be on right there, but maybe not. If you’re looking to swing in that count, that’s the pitch you want. In there at the knees for a strike. This one popped up. Foul ground first base side. Seymour brings it in for the third out. Another look at the long ball for the Yankees and it’s two zip. It’s Major League Baseball on the show. And we’re back. And on the hill, Luke Weaver. Chris, it’s a little more common these days, but still he’s a strikeout per inning type of guy. Well, I hear you about the strikeouts. A lot more guys striking out today, but when you consider having the ability to get that strike out, particularly when you need it, a man on third, less than two outs, situations where, yeah, maybe you’re not a real high strikeout guy, but just knowing you have the swing and missed stuff in a big spot, I think it’s real critical. And he’s got it. number 14 leading things off and takes a strike. Fast ball for a strike. 0 and2 quickly down 02 in the count. I think you got to choke up a little bit. Spread out the feet. You don’t know what the velocity or the location of this next pitch is going to be. BS it off. Still one and two. That wasn’t an easy pitch to hit. It’s much easier to do damage against mistakes, but that’s not what that pitch was. Swing and a miss. Pulled the string of the change up. Well, that’s always the key to effective pitching is getting ahead in the count. And as a pitcher, it really allows you to start expanding the zone. Hitters become defensive and all of a sudden that plate starts to get really wide. And what happens is because of the pressure, you end up committing to a pitch as a batter before you recognize what it is. And that’s what leads to the strikeout. At the plate now for the Rays is the DH. Yandi Diaz outside with a breaking ball. [Applause] The one bottom of the zone and a called strike. One out. Base is empty. Foul ball. and that’s a strike out. Ed Drummond says he won around. Well, there appears to be no problem settling in on the mound out there today. It looks pretty tough to start this one. punching out the first two hitters of this ball game and somebody’s going to have to put the bat on the ball, put it in play and get something going. And here is Brandon Laauo and first offering is fouled off. Two out. Space is empty. And there’s a ball. First two hitters get punched out on strikes. Take some notes from the dugout. When you get your chance, go up there and hit the ball hard somewhere. Delivers a pitch in for a strike at 95. line drive. He dives, but he can’t make the catch. And that keeps the inning going. Now here’s the Tampa Bay cleanup hitter, Junior Camro. [Applause] Swinging a foul back. That’s out of play. That’s a slider for a strike. He must have been looking for something else cuz he gave up on that pitch a little early. It was right down Main Street. Probably not going to see a better pitch to hit in this at bat. Next offering upstairs. Good purpose pitch right there. trying to tease him, get him to raise his sights, pop something up and make it an easy out. Cut on and missed. And it’s a strike out. And that is the inning. No runs, one hit, no errors, and a man left. We head to the second here at Tropicana Field. It’s the Yankees two. The Rays nothing. Second inning set to go. Here is Goldmith. Paul Goldmith. Pepio back to work and a big swing and a miss. No, there’s a certain point where you have to commit to what you think you see. And he guessed wrong right there. Nasty slider with just terrific bite at the end. Inside just missed. Ed Drummond behind the plate calling balls and strikes. Maybe one of the most respected umpires around the league. He’s not the kind of umpire that you’re likely to notice back there. And that can be a huge compliment really. So if you’re just kind of quietly doing your job, staying consistent with your calls, hitters, pitchers, managers, even fans, they’re all going to appreciate you. Ed Drummond, he’s that kind of umpire. One and two now. Here’s a high-fly ball out to center. Pereira has this one sized up. Hauls it in. And there’s one away. And stepping in for the Yankees. Jason Dominguez. He’s already set a new career best for stolen bases in a season. Chris foul ball there. [Music] Swing and a ball drilled in the air towards right center field. Pereira makes the play. Out number two, batting eight, third base. Two down, base is empty. Ryan McMahon steps to the plate. And immediately pumps in a strike to the left-handed hitter. The strong second inning is a confidence builder for him. A relief for his manager. Doesn’t have to get into that bullpen quite as early. Now one to one check swing. He went too far and it’s a strike. Battling here as he fouls it away. way inside and that hit him. He had him one, two and he ends up hitting him with a pitch. So a man aboard and now the right fielder Jos Cabierro close one doesn’t get the call and that’s ball one. Gets the slider in there for a strike. Dangerous spot for that slider right there. didn’t seem to quite finish out front and get that sharp break. Tell you what, he doesn’t want to throw that pitch again. And now two balls in a strike. Swing and a miss. And that’s strike two. Instead of letting the hitter get his arms extended, tied him up a little bit. Slightly up, slightly in. Swing and a miss. Struck him out. And that will end the inning. So it’s no runs on no hits, no errors, and one left on base. We go to the bottom of inning number two. It’s the Yankees two. The Rays nothing. Back now in Tampa Bay. And stepping in is the speedy Jake Mangum. Jake Mangum. And ball to the right fielder. [Music] Beeha. joined by my partner Chris Singleton. I’m John Shami. The first half of the All-Star break is behind us and partner, it’s go time in the second half. And if you want to be playing meaningful games at the end of September, you got to put your head down and grind for the next eight weeks. It’s the New York Yankees taking on the Tampa Bay Rays. All right, we’ll be back to get this one started after this. First pitch moments away and on the mound for Tampa Bay in this one. Ryan Pepio. And a guy like this is going to keep you in the ball game. He’s going to go out there, compete. Not going to see a whole lot of flare and flash, but he’s going to hand it over to the bullpen at some point. And if you’ve been able to score a few runs, you’ll be in it late. So, we’ll see if he’s able to do that for his glove in this one. All right, ready to go here. Here’s the center fielder, Trent Gisham. [Applause] Yeah, that’s in for a strike. And that’s how this game gets started. Now, the one just missed. Definitely a swing and miss slider down and in. He finished that really well. just couldn’t get him to offer at it. That’s off the mark. Two and one. That one missed. That one misses. So, a lead off walk. I don’t think he really wanted to pitch to him right there anyhow. Catcher Ben. Here’s the catcher, Ben Rice. Swing and a miss as he was out front that time. Strike two. Sometimes being lucky is a swing and miss. If he makes contact with that pitch, probably hits into a double play. Righty delivers, spoils a two- strike pitch and he’ll see another. Runs it up to 96 to record the punch out. That was a pretty good pitch. top of the strike zone. Seeing more fast balls in that location. Hitters, especially with two strikes, have to be ready to pull the trigger. Here comes Aaron Judge. Big time power. Judge rips that one. Pereira under it. And there’s two away. Batting fourth, the Here’s a look at Aaron Boon’s lineup for the Yankees. Chris, this is a lineup offensively that could be really good for years to come. They’re deep first and foremost, but the way that they can manipulate their personnel for matchups and everything else. It’s uh very intelligent the way that they use their team. And I I think it creates a little bit of uh uncertainty for opposing teams, especially in a big game, big series. Cody Bellinger stands in now and watches strike one. Wow, just a beautiful back door slider right there. If you’ve got any chance of hitting that pitch, you have to wait until the absolutely last millisecond. Just a tough pitch to hit and not an easy one to throw either. Swinging a ball lifted to center field. Pereira makes the catch and that is that. The Yanks leave one. Now it’s the Rays turn. No score. You’re watching Major League Baseball on the show. Back here at Tropicana Field and starting this one, Luke Weaver. Base runners are tough to come by with him out there, Chris. Well, he’s been a real quality starter for his club. And coming into this one, what stands out for me is that right-handed hitters have really struggled batting below 200 on the year. It seems that they have a hard time picking up his release point and tracking the ball into the zone. So, we’ll see how right-handers do against him in this one. [Applause] line drive and that’s a base hit out of the center field. So a man on base to start the inning. Just so sound in his mechanics hits against a firm front side and the hands just continue to carry through the middle of the field. Yanni Diaz now And that’s in there at the knees. [Applause] [Applause] That one is absolutely Belgian hits the top of the wall. Round third headed to the plate. He’ll score easily. Well done. Drives in the run. Just a very nice approach and swing right there to use the big part of the field. Everything was on time. He stayed balanced through the entire swing and just launched that one into center. Wow. At the plate. That one back up the middle and it gets through. Coming home. He’ll score. It’s an RBI single and they lead by two. Well, that started and ended pretty quickly. No messing around right there. Really nice job staying up the middle with his approach. He didn’t try to do too much with the pitch. just shot it through the infield. Junior Camroero next to hit for the Rays. That misses and it’s one and0. Nobody out. Runner at first. [Applause] Right through there for a strike. [Applause] Just missed. [Applause] [Music] [Applause] Brother takes off. And one fouled off. [Music] [Applause] Swings and misses. Struck him out. Came inside with that two- strike fast ball nicely and just bunched him up over in the inside part of the plate. Couldn’t get around on it and catch it out front. Many times if you do, it’s a foul ball. And you know, a lot of pitchers, they really don’t like working inside with two strikes because they do not want to hit that batter. And when they’ve got him up against the ropes, got to figure out a way to put them away. Did a nice job right there. And here is Jake Mangum. And that’s a strike. [Applause] fouled off. He was late. Little tardy on that fast ball. He’s going to have to get it going a little quicker. Get that front foot down. [Applause] Knocks that one away and we’ll do it again. That wasn’t an easy pitch to hit. It’s much easier to do damage against mistakes, but that’s not what that pitch was [Applause] in the dirt. [Applause] fights that one away. Still one and two. [Music] And there’s a ball. This guy’s a fun guy to watch taken at bat. He just battles up there. He doesn’t take a pitch off at all. makes it so difficult on the pitchers out there. You can tell they get frustrated with how long it takes to put him away. Fast ball is outside. [Applause] Ninth pitch of the at bat do next. [Applause] Fouled off again and it remains three and two [Applause] on the ground. Right side. Four, six, three, double play and the inning is over. But two runs for him and they jump ahead. We head to the second here at Tropicana Field. It’s the Rays two and the Yankees nothing. And welcome back to the ballpark. Jazz Chisum Jr. now singing when the year’s over he’ll have a new careerhigh for RBI’s in a season. Sliced hard but fouled down the left side. Look out. That ball was smoked. Man, I am so relieved that they have this netting down the line just ensure safety for the fans. Last thing as a player, you want to look up and see a fan get hit. Pitch misses and now it’s even one and one. Clyde Washington with home plate duties in this one. Little bit of a low zone boo from Clyde. Nothing crazy though. Pitchers that work consistently down around the knees and are able to command their offsp speed stuff tend to have some pretty good success with him back there behind the plate. Two balls, one strike [Music] and a strike in Sing. What kind of strike zone is most frustrating for hitters? I’d say off the plate, away and down. And why? Those are the toughest locations to hit the baseball. Perr makes the catch and there’s one gone. As the game has moved along, we see more and more information supplied by teams about the umpires. I’ve been in clubouses where they have pictures of all four umpires, nicknames, hometowns, and as well hobbies listed just so you can kind of small talk the umpire a little bit. That’s great. swing and a miss. There’s the change up. No ball. Two strikes and that just misses. Good spot there, but didn’t get the strike at the knees and doesn’t seem too convinced by the call out there on the mound as he tries to get a better sense of the umpire strike zone. [Music] Slider misses outside. spoils that one and it remains two and two. One out. Base is empty in the air right side. Mangum and it’s caught for the out. [Applause] Jason Dominguez stepping in now for the Yankees. Chris, he’s already set a careerh high for runs scored this season. That one in the dirt and that is ball one. Dominguez goes 5’9 in 190 lbs and he was born in the Dominican Republic. One ball, one strike. [Applause] [Music] Almost got him. up the middle and that one handled. Whips it to first on the run. It’s there and that’s a great play. One, two, three go the Yankees. They trail things here. Two nothing. [Applause] And we’re back and the batter will be the shortstop Hass [Music] takes a ball. One ball. No strikes. Next offering is fouled back. Up and in at the count two and one. swings through that one. It’s a strike out. Well, pitchers have become so much better at commanding that high fast. It used to be that a lot of pitchers didn’t like to throw it because it threw off their release point and their mechanics and they’re aimed at keeping everything at the knees, get ground balls. But because hitters get a swing path that can lift balls at the knees up in the air and over the fence, this pitch has come back into play and they are doing some special things with it. And another ball. [Applause] In today’s game, not that many fast ball counts, but hitters still in the back of their minds. They’re looking for one. Two change up call right there. Excellent pitch selection to go with two-1 now. Just missed. 3-1. Swings and misses and we’re filled up. Full count. Fouls that off to the left and will do it again. [Music] Strike three. And that’s two in to a row. I think he might have gotten away with one right there. That was a very hitable pitch right over the heart of the plate. And I know that batter is kicking himself right now. Would like to get that pitch again. Just pulled the string on it and the deception gets him the K. Now Ever Herrera. First pitch misses. One ball. No strikes. Strike one. Benny really sells the change up with that arm action. And that one misses up and in. And it’s two and one. Hit in the air right field. Cabierro and makes the play and that’s out number three. After two, it’s a two nothing ball game. On to the third inning. There’s Ryan McMahon. Now, Ryan McMahon. Pepio back to work. And a breaking ball drops in for a strike. at 96. That pitch is in for a strike. Absolutely frozen on that heater right down the middle. And that’s a pitch you’re just not getting back now. He’s in a tough spot, especially after falling behind on a good first pitch. Tap dances out of the way of that one and it remains two and two miss. Strike him out and one gone. Right. Jose Cavierro stepping in now for the Yankees. And a first pitch fast ball is in for a strike. And it’s foul away. just misses with that one. One ball, two strikes. fouled off and they’ll do it again [Music] on the ground right side. He’ll do it himself. First two batters retired here in the top of the third. Now batting the center fielder Trent Gisham. Back to the top of the lineup. And now here is Trent Gisham. walked his first time and immediately pumps in a strike to the left-handed hitter. Two out. Base is empty. And that’s in the dirt. So a foul ball makes it one and two. bounce to the right, tosses to first, and the Yanks go quietly. Three up, three down for him. There we head now to the home half of inning number three. It’s the Rays two and the Yankees nothing. Back now in Tampa Bay. down the rookie first baseman, Bobby Seymour. Bobby Seymour. And that drops in for a strike. 01. Next offering misses. One ball, one strike. The 1-1 is fouled off. Hit on the ground to short sneaks through base head and that turns the lineup over. Now batting left fielder Chandler. So the Rays batting order turns over. Here’s the left fielder. One for one with a single so far. Chris, his skill set straight out of the mid 80s. Good contact, not much power, and he could run. He always uses the wheels to his advantage. His biggest challenge in this day and age is to not get caught up in trying to hit home runs because so many people are right through there for a strike. I think baseball’s starting to understand that those guys are valuable like they once were. They need them in this game today. Fouled off left side. Rudder at first with no outs here. [Applause] That one ran inside. Almost got him. Seymour gets his lead at first. Nobody out. [Applause] Gets a piece there. We’ll do it again. [Applause] swing and a ball lifted in the air. Shallow right field. Gisham on the move and he hauls it in and there’s one down. Nothing instills more confidence in a team than a center fielder who makes a great play like that on the run. They can feed off the energy he brings just from his playmaking abilities. So now here’s the DH. Yandi Diaz one for one with a double and a run scored. Drilled out towards left center field. That’s well struck and it one hops the wall headed for the plate. He’ll score easily. He has had such a good day today. I think he’s going to want to leave when it’s over. Couple of doubles today for the DH. And now it’s Brandon Laauo RBI single his last time up [Applause] and first offering is fouled off. Well, that ball was hit pretty hard and sure had home run distance, but if you’re the pitcher out there on the mound, you execute it. Just a long strike. You go after him and finish him off. Comes up empty. That’s strike two. Activity in the bullpen for the Yankees. Will Warren getting loose out there for Aaron Boon. Bednar also throwing. [Applause] [Applause] Good eye right there. Was good pitch there. Had some run and finished little up and in just on the edge. And that’s one of those if you swing at it. He had a broken bat as you jog back to the dugout. Snags it for the second out. It’s never fun going back to the dugout after hitting a line drive that finds a glove. But you will get some high fives. You know, when you make great contact, you feel like you’ve done everything right. But in this game of baseball, not everything is in your control. Manager out of the dugout now, and it looks like we’ll see a change on the mound. Luke Weaver will depart. Not what they were hoping for from the opener. So, we’ll see a new arm on the mound when we get back. Now, pitching for the new pitcher for the Yankees, Will Warren. Just trying to keep this one close here. And this is where a bullpen can give their players a chance to fight back into the game. Next to hit, Junior Camro for one. He struck out swinging last time. [Applause] That one off the mark. One and0. [Applause] There’s your strike. [Music] Runner at second. Two down here in the last half of the third. [Applause] It’s a strike out, but a run will score in the inning on this RBI double. It’s now 3 nothing. You’re watching Major League Baseball on the show. Back here at Tropicana Field, stepping in, Ben Rice. Ben Rice. and first offering is fouled off. You know, these Yankees just lacking discipline at the plate in this ball game. They’re chasing a lot of pitches outside the zone and those chases are turning into a bunch of outs. Can they turn that around and stay within the zone? We’ll see. But I think they have to. swing and a miss as he was late. One, two. That’s off the inside corner and it’s two and two. Two balls, two strikes, and that’s down and away. Now in this three ball count down in the ball game, you got to be very selective. Take your walk if they’ll give it to you. [Music] keeps the atbat going with a foul ball. [Music] Chases the change up in the dirt onto first. Gets him out one away on a drop third strike. He came out of his mechanics there. Typically likes to shoot the ball the other way, but that time little anxious. Now it’s Aaron Judge up to the plate. Fly to center. His first time. He’s 0 for one. That finds the mark on the inside corner. Ball. One ball, one strike. Just missed. Ripped into left center. Base hit. So a man aboard now with one away. Now batting designated hitter. That ball was absolutely ripped 111 off the bat and I’m pretty sure it started to whistle after it left the bat. I think I heard that too, Boo. And these are the moments we appreciate when we can look at Statcast and just see exactly what the data is. Always so much fun to see what numbers pop up. And up to the plate comes Cody Bellinger. In there and it’s 0 and one. fought off foul. Foul ball. It stays nothing and two. Judge the runner at first with one gone in the inning. Got him looking and he didn’t like the call. So he gets the call and picks up the strike out looking. Sometimes with a good hitter at the plate, he’ll be the one to get the benefit of the doubt if he lays off on a close pitch like that, but just not right there. Strike zone definitely expand a little bit with two strikes. Jazz Chisum Jr. stepping in now for the Yankees. 0 for one with a fly out to center and that misses ball one. Just missed. Two count to a guy with this much pop at the dish. You better expect him to be turning on something. It’s going to either get hit hard to the pull side or the fans better look out in the stands. The Rays leading by three. Top half of inning number four. still two and two after the foul ball. swings through it and that’s a strike out. So one hit is all they get to the bottom of inning number four now. raise three and the Yankees nothing. And welcome back to the ballpark, John Chabi and Chris Singleton with you. And leading off the bottom of the fourth, Jake Mango. that catches the top part of the zone. That’s strike one. One strike and downstairs. Just missed with that back door breaking ball. If he gets a swing and miss or called strike 02 count instead it’s 1-1. Look for him to go back to that pitch later in this at bat. The 1-1 is fouled off. Look out. That ball was smoked. Man, I am so relieved that they have this netting down the line just ensure safety for the fans. Last thing is a player you want to look up and see a fan get hit. Gets a piece and stays alive. I wouldn’t throw him another breaking ball. Try to go again with a fast ball. slightly elevated. He just having a hard time catching up. And that one almost hit him. Full count. [Music] [Applause] [Music] now. One out to right. No trouble here. Puts it away for the out away. Shorts stop Hassang Kim. Hass Kim next to hit for the Rays. Went down on strikes his first time through. Ripped towards third. Throws to first in time. Now batting catcher Hunter Feducha. Two outs. Space is empty. Hunter Feducha next to hit for the Rays. His first at bat was a strikeout. And that’s a little high. Just missed. He looks more focused at the plate and working the count after that first at bat strikeout. Next offering is down low. Well, I would expect in this three 0 count, you’re taking all the way. See if they’ll walk you. That’s ball four. Tried another fast ball, but missed the spot. That just came apart right there. Four pitch walk and guy at the plate was not going to help him out by swinging at something out of the zone. Two outs, runner at first. And stepping in for the Rays, Everson Pereira. He’s 0 for one. Lifted in the air down the left side. And that’ll fall for a base hit. And now first and second with two outs. Now up for Tampa Bay, Bobby Seymour. [Applause] And a first pitch fast ball is in for a strike. And ball one [Applause] on the ground right side and foul ball. Two outs. Two two [Applause] spoils that one and it remains two and two. [Music] Two on, two outs. Him out looking. So the Rays strand a pair, but they’re on top by a count of three to nothing. Ready [Music] now for the fifth inning. Goldie steps into the box. Paul Goldman. Goldie goes 6 feet 3 in over 1,000 runs batted in in his career and he was drafted in the eighth round back in 2009. Tapped softly on the ground and it goes just foul. You know, these Yankees being a little too patient at the plate in this game. Sometimes it’s a good thing, but today they’re continuing to fall behind in the count and that’s adding a ton of pressure to their offense. Next offering is fouled back. And that one is downstairs. Two and two fans. Another. And that’s three straight strikeouts. [Applause] Now batting. And next for New York, Jason Dominguez. Grounded out his first time up. Well, I think key I mean if he can get through one more inning. Anything after that, a hitter or two is bonus, but they should be lined up good enough to get to the finish line. The Yanks trailing by three and we’re in the top of the fifth. Now fly ball to right center. Mango brings it in with a nice run and grab. Well, those can be pretty fun as an outfielder. Got to put it into his highest gear and go a long way to track that one down. Nothing better than that. You feel like a wide receiver playing football. McMahon at the plate and takes high there. That one close rule to ball and the count is 2 and 0. And another ball. No strike. And that’s ball four. Tried another slider, but it missed the plate. He did not take the bat off his shoulder the entire bat. O. So, a man at first. And up next for New York, Jose Caviierro. He’s over for one. That one misses. That’s five straight. In the air, right field. Mangum on his way over. And that is that one left for the Yankees. They trail in this one. Three nothing. And we’re back. We head to the bottom of the fifth. Digging in. It’s the speedy outfielder number 14. First pitch doesn’t find the zone. 10. Now a drag bun. Third base side. Bare hand has to hurry. Not in time. He bunks his way aboard to lead off the frame. This is a big part of his skill set and he puts himself into situations where he can rely on his speed to impact the ball game and this is just another example of it and we’ll see what else he can do now that he’s on first. Yandi Diaz the next to hit [Applause] runner. Runner on the goal. Push in for a strike. Safe and second with a stolen base. Chris, his wheels were the difference maker on that play. Just got in there. Yeah, with Statcast help, we see his top speed on this stolen base. And that’s a big number. I mean, man, he really made his athleticism work for him on that one. [Applause] Swinging a liner foul off to the right. Just trying to protect, keep the atbat alive. One, two in the dirt, but kept close. Tag save. He’s into third on the wild pitch. Even with a good secondary lead, sometimes it’s hard to see just how far that ball’s gotten away from the catcher. And if you can make it to third base, pretty much standing up. Well, that time he seemed to have a pretty good read, gets to third safely, and now he’s just 90 ft away from scoring. [Music] up the middle. Chism there for the eye. Runner scores from third. Now it’s the second base, Brandon Loud. base Brandon. Wow. [Applause] And takes low for ball one. One ball. No strike. [Applause] There’s the strike. [Applause] swing and a miss as he was out front. This guy’s got such a good sinker. As a hitter, you got to look up in the zone. If you look down, you’re going to be chasing stuff in the dirt. One down. Base is empty. fights it off. He’ll see another [Applause] popped up right side. Goldie and there’s two away. Oh, that’s a frustrating end to the at bat for the hitter right there. I mean, that pitch was right down the middle. I think he got a little too excited. Came out of his mechanics and instead of driving that ball somewhere, he popped it up. Unfortunate for him. [Applause] Camro in the box again, takes the strike. Man, this guy’s got a great feel for his breaking ball today. And that one upstairs, ball one. He really committed to that fast ball up at the top of the zone. He knows that if he makes a mistake in the zone, it gets hit hard by a power guy like this. That’s a nice miss right there. Two down, base is empty, but one run across. Last half of inning number five. Not close with that one. Now two and two. [Applause] Swing and a ball popped in the air. And that is foul. [Music] Foul ball. Another 22 upcoming. [Applause] BS it back with two strikes. misses the zone and he gets him to chase. Up with it, fires to first in time. The two-3 strikeout ends the inning, but they push across one run on one base hit. No errors and nobody left on. Five innings complete. It’s the Rays four and the Yankees nothing. Top of the sixth inning. Now here’s Trent Gisham taken high in the draft. He’s had that top prospect label over him since he put on a professional uniform, but at some point that starts to go away and you’ve got to produce at the big league level. Activity in the pen for the Rays. Garrick Clevenger up and throwing. Jacks a right-hander loosening up as well. Yan, they’ve got a potent lineup and when you think about teams capable of rallying from this kind of deficit, they’re right at the top of the list and delivers outside. 2-1 in the air out towards right center. Pereira on the move and there’s one down. Every day during batting practice, these outfielders get about 10 minutes of balls in the gaps. They practice this and when the game comes, they make the play perfectly. And now the catcher comes up to him. Ben Rice 0 for two in this one. That misses off the outside edge. 10. That’s in there. Strike one. Base is empty. One away. And we’re in the top half of the sixth. Oh, he doesn’t get the call. And a count. Two and one. stays alive. Pitcher having a pretty tough time getting that swing and miss. Third foul ball in a row. Swing and a fly ball in the air out towards right center field. pulls it down and he makes the catch. Two away now. Up next for the Yankees, shorts stop, Aaron Judge. Two down, base is empty. It’s Aaron Judge now. One for two. He’s a guy who does it all with the lack of contact in today’s game. This guy hits for contact, so he delivers average. But there’s on base and slugging, too. Delivers a pitch in for a strike at 95. Early in the count, you have to be real careful because of that power. But then if this hitter gets a strike or two on him, he’s still very comfortable. And because he has the ability to get the barrel to the baseball, he’s a threat deep into the count as well. That’s off the mark. Two balls in a strike. Two balls, one strike. Swinging a foul. Pushed off to the right. And that will get out of play. Judge waits and that one upstairs. Cody Bellinger waiting to hit for the Yankees. Swing and a miss and he got him. And good work there as he gets a one, two, three. Make it six shut out innings for him out there. Now it’s the Rays four and the Yankees nothing. Now pitching for York Hedrick gets the call for the pen. Well, he’s a big time strikeout guy out there this season, averaging more than one per inning. Digging in is the switch inning outfielder Jake Mango. Right fielder Jake Mangum. Next offering popped to the air. Right field going up one down. Really nice job to get your first out of the ball. Batting shortstop Hassang Kim. So next to the plate for Tampa Bay, Hassan Kim. There’s the strike. Movement in the bullpen. Yi de los Santos getting loose out there for Aaron Boone. Next offering is fouled back. One down. Base is empty. Foul ball left side. He’ll see another. Good eye in that spot. Really good take, especially with two strikes. And now it’s even up. Two ball, two strikes. Highf fly ball out to center field. Gisham under it. Hauls it in. And there’s two away. Now batting catcher Hunter. Two outs. Space is empty. And here’s the catcher, Hunter Feducha. He is struck out and he is walked. That one ripped and that’s just foul. Two down, nobody on here in the bottom of the six. Check swing and he went and it’s 0 and two. And a swing and a miss. And that’s that. Nothing doing for Tampa, but they’re in front nothing. Now pitching. Welcome back. We’re in the seventh. We have a new pitcher on the minger. Well, he’s been excellent against left-handed hitters this year, and that’s his first test. This looks like a good move to the pin in terms of the matchup. And here comes Bellinger Yankees. The Yankees in striking distance but have some work to do. Boo. It starts with the laid-off man. Need a good at bat out of him right here. And immediately pumps in a strike to the left-handed hitter. The Yankees looking to rally. Yo one ball one there. That one inside. Two and one. Two-1. And there’s the ball. First pitch strike from the pitcher, but then no panic at all by the hitter. Very patient, showing good discipline. Now he’s in the driver’s seat with a 3-1 count. And a 3-1 on the way. And there’s a foul ball. Swing and a fly ball. Well struck left field. He makes the grab and there’s one away. Now batting second baseman Jazz Chisum Jr. So up next, Jazz Chisum Jr. First pitch and that’s in for a strike. 01 [Music] You see the velocity 97 with that fast ball. [Applause] Got him looking. Two out. [Applause] Now it’s Goldid up to the plate. Having a lot more success on the road this season. Misses outside. Ball one. One ball. No strikes. And that one fouled off. Swing and a miss. Wow. No fair right there. I mean, that slider didn’t move till the very last moment. Incredibly difficult to pick that up. Just going to have to tip your cap on that pitch. That one inside. Look out. Two down. Nobody on swinging a ball hammered left field on the warning track and holds it in. Oh man, amazing catch to end the inning. As a former outfielder, I’m feeling proud right now. Saw the wall, didn’t get afraid, held on to the ball. Bottom of the seventh and stepping in for the Rays. Everson Pereira Hedrickk back to work. Fast for a strike. Well, these Rays, simply put, are producing a lot of quality swings. We’ve already seen eight line drives from them, and it’s always a good sign when the ball is jumping off your bat. And that’s what this offense has been doing so far today. Out there to center. Gisham on the move. And he hauls it in. And there’s one away. That’s just a really nice catch on the run right there. He saved extra bases for sure. If the pitcher’s his friend, he’ll give him a second to catch his breath before he’s ready to deal the next pitch. [Applause] And one breaking ball in there for a strike. No ball. Two strikes. Swing and a miss. Struck him out of the slider. And there’s two gone. And he’ll be beating himself up on the way back to the dugout. Got a pitch to hit and just couldn’t get to it. I think that slider really caught way more of the plate than it was supposed to. Two down, base is empty. Here’s the Rays leadoff hitter. He’s one of the faster guys just by pure sprint speed in the majors. First pitch and he just misses. 10. Swaging a ball hit out towards left center field. No trouble here. Puts it away for the out. And that ends the inning. Now pitching now on the mound for the Rays. Griffin Jack number 22. And he’s got a nice lead to work with. So he should come in throwing strikes, attacking these hitters. And stepping in for the Yankees, Jason Dominguez. Jason Dominguez. J in his fourth year, 30 years old now. And they traded for him earlier this year. J pretty much every manager’s dream coming out of the pen. High strikeout, low walk. That is a recipe for success. So, two balls and no strikes. Well, for a manager when you can have that one special arm in the bullpen that you know is just reliable. Tell you what, that makes his job a whole lot easier to manage a ball club. [Music] Two balls in a strike. Here it comes. Oh, and it hits the base. Oh, can’t pick it up cleanly and it’s in time. It wasn’t the smoothest play you’ll see today, but they still get the Hello baseball fans and welcome. The show has an AL East matchup. It’s the New York Yankees taking on the Tampa Bay Rays. And we’ll be back with the first pitch right after this. So, just about set today’s starting pitcher, Ryan Pepio. Well, he’s been a very dependable starter for his club. And what stands out for me is that left-handed hitters have really struggled batting below 200 against him. And it just tells me they have a hard time tracking the baseball. Maybe it’s the release point, maybe it’s the motion, but just some way somehow they’ve got to figure out a way to pick it up and try to have some success from the left side. Inside corner and that’s called a strike. One ball, one strike. [Applause] foul ball. Still a one and two count towards first. Seymour takes it himself. One up, one down. And time now to check out the New York Yankees lineup. An offense that knows how to mash, Chris. Lots of power throughout the lineup. They’re leading the league in homers right now. Yeah. And I think when you’re facing a team like this, pitchers coming in, they see the stats, they end up trying to nibble, trying to work on the edges, trying to expand the zone. And so I think the key if these hitters can stay within themselves, obviously they have the ability hit the ball a long way and score runs quickly. So, we’ll see how it goes in this one. Ben Rice in the box now. No balls in a strike. It affects the game in so many ways, right? Your ability to come back is usually tied to power. If you can deliver a huge hit with one swing of the bat, it really changes your capability when you fall behind. Two out, space is empty. Aaron Judge at the plate. in there for strike one. Judge working on a massive campaign right now. Putting up some big home run numbers. Two outs. Base is empty. The Judge takes a strike. Well, we’ve seen him flex some impressive power this season and there’s still a lot of time to go. If he can keep up this pace he’s on, we could be in for something really special. K and deals foul ball still 0 and2. That wasn’t an easy pitch to hit. It’s much easier to do damage against mistakes, but that’s not what that pitch was. It’s through for a hit and that extends the inning for Cody Bellinger. Well, he found himself behind in the count right there, but he didn’t give in. Really good swing right there. He got a pitch that he knew he could handle. Allowed himself to stay back just a tad bit longer, and he hit the ball on the screws. Bellinger up to hit. It’s been a tough stretch for him at the plate under the Mendoza line so far this month. Judge off of first with two away inside and it’s a ball to strike. That’s a little bit low. just off the inside edge. Oh, he never moved cuz he never had time to. But that kind of velocity, you’d prefer that pitcher work away. Next offering is fouled back. 3-2, two out, runner on first. Lot of movement in the infield. Hitters got to stay focused on the pitch. And ball forward to a board. You know, Boo, it’s been said these guys are savages in the box. Can see it right there with such tight plate discipline. Jazz Chisum Jun. First and second, two outs. And next for New York, Jazz Chisum Jr. And there’s the strike. Two on, two outs. Slapped hard the other way, but fouled. I wouldn’t throw him another breaking ball. Try to go again with a fast ball. Slightly elevated. He just having a hard time catching up. Swing and a miss. And that is that. No runs a hit. Two left. And now the Rays will get their first opportunity in a scoreless ball game. [Applause] Back here with my pal Singi. And on the mound today, Luke Weaver. Well, this guy’s just been filthy out there on the mound. Hitters batting under 200 against him. And they’re just having a hard time squaring up anything, doing any type of damage. The only way he hurts himself is if he gives up the free passes and surreners a rare home run. But outside of that, it’s going to be a tough job for the opposing lineup today. Yeah, that’s fouled off. That fast ball at the bottom of the zone can be very effective. Just got to keep it on the corners. [Music] just off the inside edge. See if he can go upstairs a little bit. Make sure you miss up and out of the zone since you’re heading to count one, two. Don’t miss in the zone cuz that’s where you get hurt. And that one hit to first. Goldie steps on the bag. Going up, one down. All right, let’s take a look at the Rays lineup. And one to watch, of course, their three-hole hitter, Brandon Laauo. Yeah, definitely someone I always enjoy, you know, when I get a chance to watch him, whether he’s hitting in a game or even taking swings during batting practice, man, this guy is always so focused on what he’s doing on that task at hand. He’s got so much attention to detail that when he steps in the box, his success rate is really high. Yandi Diaz batting with one down. Takes a strike. One out. Base is empty. That one hit to right. Cabierro. Two down. Batting third. Second baseman. Two down. Base is empty. Brandon Loud now at the plate. Good power. Not great in the OBP department. And a base hit right there. Joey gets on base and keeps it going. Batting fourth, third baseman, Junior Junior Cabanero getting ready to hit. He has, as they like to say, let me guess, boo. Light tower power. That’s right. Missed with a change up. And that’s ball one. Right through there for a strike. Off the mark there and it’s two and one. He’s great hitting the ball the other way and that pitch did a good job to straighten him up a bit. Mission accomplished. Two outs. And that’s outside. And that’s ball three. 3-1. So now two on and two outs. Maybe a little loss of focus on the mound right there. Pretty much gifted in first base with a quick free pass. Jake Mango digs in now. not getting the results he’s wanted at the plate recently. Barely hitting over the Mendoza line this month. And that one fouled off. [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] Two on, two outs. Man, I’m pretty impressed out there on the mound right now. I mean, these are tough spots where pitchers really got to bear out. Those last two pitches were well executed. And there got him looking and that one split the plate. He’s in a tough spot. Had to make a great pitch. Did it. Got the strike out. Gets out of the jam. Clearly, he’s happy with those results. Back now in Tampa Bay, Paul Goldmid now. Paul Goldman. Pepio back to work. There’s the strike. Not sure if he was expecting for the pitcher to come right at him, but he got a nice cookie there and just watched it the entire way. [Music] [Applause] [Music] Outside low and it’s one and one. Time to check on our umpires. Earl Hendrickx calling balls and strikes. Yeah, well liked umpire Boo. Pretty consistent with his zone. So if you’re familiar with him and how he works, you won’t get too surprised by anything. Sometimes he’ll give a little bit off the corner, but nothing too crazy at all. [Applause] And it’s fouled off. They’ll do it again. battling here as he fouls it away. Knocks that one away and will do it again. clearly hoping he could get a swing and miss on that, but doesn’t fool the hitter with that breaking ball. Nice job. Just couldn’t keep it fair. Next pitch is downstairs. Really good take, especially with two strikes. [Applause] fouled off and they’ll do it again and a popup right side foul territory. Seymour calls it in and there’s one away. Batting seventh, left fielder Jason Dominguez. Jason Dominguez will hit next, singing he’s never finished the season with more stolen bases in his entire career. And that’s downstairs and outside. Pepio, he has a reputation, I don’t know, maybe a knack for working himself out of tough situations that he finds himself in. You know, you like that in a relief pitcher, but when you have it for a starting pitcher, a guy that can get out of a tight spot, that is pretty valuable. That one misses and it’s three and0. And you won’t see the skipper rush to get somebody up in the bullpen as soon as he starts to see some signs of trouble. This guy’s earned a longer leash. And because of that, confidence grows with the players and teammates playing behind him that when things get a little rough out there, they know he’ll find his way through it. How much of the ability to do that in a tight spot is the mental approach? I think it’s very much being able to have a laser-like focus, slow everything down, stay right in that moment, pitch to pitch execution, and focusing on that catcher’s mid. Second inning here, no score. in the air out towards left center. He makes the catch and there’s two down. Batting eight, third baseman Ryan McMahon. Ryan McMahon steps to the plate. Fast ball on the inside corner for a strike. That missed by a lot and the count even one and one. That clips the corner. Yeah, it’s even up. cuts and misses. It’s a strikeout. Nothing across here this half. Down now to the bottom of the second. No score back here at Tropicana Field. Bottom of the second now up for Tampa Bay. Hassan Kim [Music] gets the outside corner with that one. It’s amazing to look up and see 88 mph on that change off. Back in the day, that was a pretty good fast ball, but with high velocities these days, that speed differential is right where it needs to be. way out front for strike two. O2 the O2 that 95 to finish him off. Dominating strike out there on just three pitches. And that’s what a good power pitcher can do to you. If he’s hitting his spots, filling up the strike zone, sometimes he bats over before it really begins. Now a chance for Hunter Feducha and the first pitch misses for ball. No strike. [Music] That one missed. There’s the strike. Was good pitch there. Had some run and finished little up and end just on the edge. And that’s one of those if you swing at it. He had a broken bat as you jog back to the dugout. Got the bat going too soon. It’s strike two. Two strikes. And it remains two and two fans. Another and that’s three straight strikeouts. back-to-back strikeouts to start the frame and that’s now three in a row. Yeah, he’s really settling in and getting a feel for his pitches, throwing them where he wants to right now. So, we’ll see how long he can keep this streak going. So, two down now and here is Everson Pereira and that’s in there for strike one. No. One ball, one strike. Swing and a foul out of play. and that’s way high. And the count’s even at two. Up the middle. Judge tosses to first. Three up, three down. Inning over. Rays held in check here. We’ll move to the third with no score. Well, here we go. Top of the third scoreless game. Now it’s the right fielder, Jose Caviierro. Cabierro hitting ninth in today’s lineup and he was drafted in the seventh round back in 2017. Just off the outside edge. Ball two. High in the air out to right. Mango. Puts it away for the out. Now batting center fielder Trent Gisham. Back to the top of the Yankee order. And now the center fielder Trent Gisham grounded out his first time up. Fast ball in for a strike. 0 and1. Top of the third. No score. [Applause] Pitch misses there. Going to count one and two. Recognize that change up right out of the hand. just spit on it outside. Make it four strikeouts for him on the bump today. Really love the pitch sequence right there. I’m telling you what, pitcher and catch are on the same page right now. [Applause] Now the number two hitter, Ben Rice. And there’s a breaking ball that drops in there. The change up missing and one and one right through there for a strike. One ball, two strikes. Fouls it off. Still one and two. just misses the mark outside the zone. [Applause] [Music] And there’s a ball. Wow, this guy’s really battling up there as if his run is the game-winning run. I love his tenacity. ripped right field. That’s back there. That one way back and it’s gone. His 19th home run of the year. The Yankees score first. It’s one- nothing. He kept swinging and it paid off. Well, that was a battle, Boo. And he just kept taking his cuts. Finally squared one up. knew what pitch he wanted to hit. Spent on some other pitches in this at bat. Was very patient and it paid off. Base is empty with two away. Here’s the shortstop at the plate. Aaron Judge. The shorts stop takes the ball. Two down, base is empty, but one run across. We’re here in the top half of inning number three. [Applause] That misses the zone. Now two balls in a strike. [Applause] Judge rips that one out of the track and he makes the catch. The Yanks do get one on the solo homer. It’s now one- nothing. And welcome back to the ballpark set for the bottom of the third. And here’s the first baseman, Bobby Seymour. Bobby Seymour. That misses. And that’s ball one. next offering is fouled back. Instead of letting the hitter get his arms extended, tied him up a little bit. Slightly up, slightly in. That misses the zone and that’s ball two there. There’s the strike. [Music] Swings and misses. struck him out. Well, I’m not sure what he was waiting on right there. You got the change up and still laid on it. You rarely see that. It almost makes you think that he was trying to set the pitcher up. I mean, if you can’t catch up to the off speed stuff, there’s no way you’re going to touch a fast ball. That’s a base hit. Just kind of slice that one into center. Oh, no waiting around right there. He was ready to swing it on the first pitch. I can watch base hits like that one all day long and so could every hitting coach in the league. Just a nice line drive into center field. And now let’s see if they force some action with good wheels on the bases. Now at the plate, Yandi Diaz. Throw save. That’s a stolen base. [Applause] on the ground to the left and foul ball. Hitter’s got some good opposite field power. What I like about something being hit to the right side into the outfield is that the base runner at second has a very good read and can determine whether or not he can and he chases that one now. Five strikeouts for him on the mound. Now batting second. Here’s the second base. One for one with a single so far. As a pitcher, you know the runner on second is ready to push things with the speed. A base hit probably going to be a big run. So you really have to execute on that and ball one runner at second. Two down [Applause] and another ball. Well, no need to go right at this guy. First base is open. He can hurt you. So make him expand his zone. If he doesn’t, give him a walk. [Applause] Next pitch, a slider that misses outside. Get ready for some action here. Good RBI guy at the plate. Runners in scoring position. The hitters count. Junior Camroero would be next. Big back with a potentially huge opportunity. Let’s see if he gives him anything to hit here. Lifted in the air right center field. D for it. Got it. Makes the play. We take another look at that great catch on this turf field. You really have to be sure because there is no forgiveness. He sacrificed. It’s going to hurt, but it was totally worth it. And we’re back. Here’s Cody Bellinger. the designated hitter, Cody Bellinger. That one to first and it goes just foul and that is out of play. He’s been pitching well, but we’ll see what kind of adjustment the hitters make this second time through the order. We’ll know if he’s got really good stuff in this one or not. Swing and a highf fly ball deep left field. That one back there and it hops over the wall for an automatic double. That ball exploded off his bat and off the warning track as well as it bounced over the fence. It sounded really good, too. He just put together a really nice swing and just missed a home run. Runner in scoring position, no outs. Now it’s the second baseman, Jazz Chisum Jr. Foul ball there. Bellinger at second with nobody out. Now one and one. on the ground right side. Lao throws the first in time. That’s the first out in the top of the fourth. That’s a good piece of hitting right there. It’s early, but you still want to move the runner up and give your team a chance to score. That’s exactly what happened. So, you better believe your teammates are happy with you after that at bat. Goldie now in the box. Comes up empty with a swing there. [Music] Next offering is fouled back. cut out. Struck him out. He picks up his fifth strike out on the hill. Well, that’s a curve ball that people like to describe as a hammer or Uncle Charlie. And you can see why. It’s not a looping slow curve. He throws it hard and it gets plenty of bite on the end. Dominguez in the box with two gone. and takes a look at a called strike. [Applause] Ball one there. That misses. Two and one. Two balls, one strike. Fast ball for a strike at 95. brother at third. Two away the other way. Cammonero that’s out number three. A double in the inning, but they leave him stranded. We’re midway in the fourth. Yankees won. The Rays nothing. Ready to go. Bottom five. And now Junior Camro. Junior Camero. and a foul ball. Well, these Rays as this game goes on have to be more disciplined at the plate. They’re chasing a lot of pitches outside the zone and those chases are turning into a bunch of outs. Can they turn that around and stay within the zone? We’ll see. But I think they have to. Swinging a high-fly ball right field and out number one on the grab. Now batting right now. Now here is Jake Mangum. He was a strikeout victim his first time. Fast ball for a strike. No balls. One strike. [Applause] And that’s in there for a strike. And quickly nothing at two. He doesn’t seem to like to pitch up. Hasn’t offered on either one of those pitches. 02 count now. I think the guy’s going to climb the ladder out there. Off the mark there. And it’s one and two. spoils a two- strike pitch. And he’ll see another [Applause] misses and it’s two and two. Well, this is a guy that can be frustrating for pitchers because he fouls off so many pitches and grinds out the atbat. I’m sure there’s sometimes where a pitcher would rather just give up a first pitch single than have to waste six or seven pitches on one hitter. Swing and a miss. Struck him out. Well, when you commit to throwing an inside fast ball to your glove side across the strike zone, especially with two strikes, if you’re going to miss, you want to miss off the plate in. You do not want to leave it out over the heart of the plate. So that was excellent execution on that pitch. Really tied him up and he couldn’t get a piece at all. Kim the batter now as he swings and misses for strike one. In the on deck circle, you really want to use that opportunity to see some pitches and time up the fast ball. Last thing you want to do is miss a good hitable fast ball early in the count. Raised down by a run. Out and down on strikes. Make it seven strikeouts for him. Down in order go the Rays. And it remains one- nothing. Back now in Tampa Bay. New inning getting started. And stepping in for the Yankees. Ryan McMahon. Pepio back to work. Swinging a foul straight back. And that one fouled off. Next offering upstairs, activity in the bullpen. Garrick Clevenger getting loose out there. Angler getting loose as well. [Music] ball. Two balls, two strikes. And he couldn’t hold back. He’s rung up on strikes. Jose Cavierro stepping in now for the Yankees. Flyed to right his first time. [Applause] There’s the strike of the knees. [Applause] That one not close. Ball one. The one-1 is fouled off. Base is empty, one away, and we’re in the top of the fifth. And that’s off the inside edge. Two balls, two strikes on the ground, right side, slides for the stop, and that’s a great play for the out. Now batting the center fielder transition. So the batting order turns over. Now it’s Trent Gisham to the plate and there’s a fly ball deep right field. See you later. He’ll circle the bases. His 22nd homer of the year. And they add a run. It’s two nothing. He absolutely feasts on right-handed pitching and devours that one for a homer. And you can see that’s what he expects of himself at bat after at bat. He’s that confident. Love to see a hitter aggressive on the first pitch of an at bat. You watch him from the on deck circle. So when you step in the box, you’re ready to pull the trigger wherever it’s at. Really good job by the hitter. Total conviction on that swing. Swinging a foul back. That’s out of play. [Applause] And that one hammered. That’s back there. And that one is gone. They do it again. Backto back homers. His second home run of the game. And they add on. It’s 3 nothing. That’s a swing that’ll boost the win probability for sure. Backto back jacks. And this club is fired up right now. Boo. I mean, this is the kind of thing where you really start to notice hitters in a lineup feeding off each other and the collective confidence just continues to grow. Here comes the manager out of the dugout and he’ll make a move for the bullpen. Ryan Pepio out of the game and the home run really bit him today as he exits on the hook for the loss. New arm coming on after the break. Now pitching for the and we’ve got ourselves a pitching change. Garrick Clevenger still pretty early in the ball game. So this has some work ahead of him. Best case scenario might be if he can come in here and get several quick outs kind of bridge the gap that starter left for him. Here is Aaron Judge one for two. [Applause] first offering and it just misses. One ball, no strikes. Yankees up by three. [Applause] liner base hit and that keeps the inning alive. That’s now three hits in a row for the offense. There are a lot of nicknames people have attached to hits like that. Blooper, flare, ducks, snort, lawn dart, etc. But whatever you want to call it, it’s a knock. And those are the ones that’ll make you smile as a hitter just about every time. Here comes Cody Bellinger. And the first offering is not close. Judge the runner at first with two gone. There’s the strike. [Applause] Hard grounder into the outfield for a knock. Throw stops the lead runner at second. Two on and two out. Wasting no time. Two for two now on the night. And just a triple and home run away from the cycle. Seriously, we’re starting with this already. Jazz Chisum Jr. the next to hit. First pitch just misses. Two aboard, two outs. [Applause] Pitch is in there and it’s one and one. on the ground. They take the force out. They limit the damage here, but two round tripers in this inning. The long ball was working. It’s now 3 nothing. Major League Baseball is on the show. Back here at Tropicana Field, John Shabi with my buddy Chris Singleton. And set to get us started. Bottom five. Hunter Fucha. Pitch is in for a strike. Go and one. Well, he’s been incredibly efficient in this one. first pitch strike percentage over 70%. That’s well above league average and that’s what’s allowed him to pitch well up until this point. And now the count is even. Well, these Rays just aren’t putting great swings on the baseball in this one. They’re trying to find ways to drive the ball with some authority, but it’s just not happening for them so far. Zero extra base hits in the game, so it’s been tough for him to get anything going. Tapped at the plate, but it’s a foul ball. chases that one out of the zone and he’s up to eight strikeouts in this one. Now back and here comes the Yankees manager to the mound. Pitching change coming. Luke Reaver gives way and that’s an excellent job from the reliever in the starting role today. Gave him some length. Back with a new arm after this. Now pitching for the for the Yankees, Brent Hedrick. And this is an important part of this game. Tight score and still a lot of outs to get. So they’re looking for a big outing out of them right here to get some critical outs. And now Everson Pereira 0 for one so far. Sometimes you have to keep chipping away until you break through. But it’s a lot easier to put runs on the board when you have guys in scoring position because they put themselves there. One down base is empty. Two 02. The Yanks leading by three. Last half of inning number five. Hit in the air. Center field. Gisham drops into the glove. Two down. Now batting first base. Two out. Space is empty. And now the first baseman, Bobby Seymour. 0 for one. He struck out swinging last time. And first pitch fast is in for a strike. Well, in this one, the offense has sputtered. Somebody’s got to find a way to get on. keep the line moving and manufacture at least one run. Then maybe you get two or three and he hits a ground ball right side. He takes it himself to the bag and that’ll do it. So no runs, no hits, no errors and no one left. We’re through five. Yankees three, the Rays nothing. And welcome back to the ballpark. And here’s Paul Goldman. With this kind of lead, he can swing freely, try to hit the ball out of the park, do what he loves to do. Goldie in his 14th season, 37 years young. He’s one of the few Major League Baseball players born in the state of Delaware. You know, these Yankees putting together some really good at bats in this game. There’s been a lot to like with how they’re approaching their chances at the plate. They really made that opposing starter work in this one. Ran his pitch count up and now they’ve got an opportunity to continue making things difficult on the bullpen. And no, they haven’t broken through in a big way in the runs column, but with the way they’re grinding out at bats, it definitely feels like there’s potential for more coming. Ground ball to the right side. He steps on the bag and that’s one out as they get the lead off hitter in the six. Good sinker low in the zone right there and produced exactly what he was looking for. Ball on the ground. Nice ground out. Now the left fielder Jason Dominguez for two in this one. Cut on and missed 96 of that fast. Good late sink on that fast ball out of the hand. Looks so good. And then by the time he gets in the hitting zone, hard to get the barrel to it. One down. Base is empty. Inside gets out of the way. [Music] That hit him. Now the batter down, Ryan McMahon, who’s 0 for two with a pair of strikeouts. Going to really need to hang in there with that front side against this left-handed breaking ball. Cut on and lifted in the air. And there’s two away. [Applause] And now the right fielder Jose Caviierro. Right fielder Jose Cavierro. out towards right center field and that is that no runs on no hits no errors and one left on top of the order do up in the home half of the six Yankees three the Rays nothing and we’re back well we Bottom six and now number 14. If there’s nobody on in front of him, you know, a single for him many times is a double. This guy is off to the races, ready to steal a bag when he’s on first base. And there’s a foul ball. [Music] Trying to find his way on. can’t pick it up with the bare hand. Save at first. No play. We’ll see how they score this. The designated hitter. Maybe a little small ball is exactly what the doctor ordered to rev up this offense. And they’ve been pretty quiet all game. So maybe this wakes him up a bit and helps him get on the board. To the plate now for the Rays is the DH Yandi Diaz. First pitch misses. Yeah, this team is definitely looking for a big swing of the bat right here. Try to close that gap. But, you know, at the very least, if you could find a way to manufacture that run from first, it feels like it’s really important to getting back into this ball game. [Applause] Next offering is in for a strike. Nobody out. Runner at first. fights that one away. Still one and two. [Music] gets a piece and stays alive. [Music] Foul ball still a one and two count. Also really good at bat. What I like about this guy, his bat stays in the zone for a long time. and gives him the ability to foul off tough pitches. Swing and a miss for the strike out. Couldn’t catch up to the heater. I’m not sure that was the exact location the pitcher wanted, but it worked. He got the swing and miss and I’m sure a bit of sigh of relief after seeing that one go through the zone. [Applause] Lao lays off down low as he digs in for the third time. No strike. That one finds the zone and the count one and one. Well, I think that pitch surprised all of us. Right down the middle. Doesn’t get a swing. Not very often you see a hitter lay off a cookie like that. [Music] Fouls it off. Still one and two. Man at first. One away. swinging a high-fly ball out towards right field. Caviierro makes the grab for the second out. Maybe caught that one off the end just a little bit. Couldn’t quite barrel it up enough to really drive it. Junior Camro. Junior Camo next to hit for the Rays. He’s 0 for one. That one’s in there. And that is strike one. Now, if he’s going to steal second, you want him to go early in the count. That way, he’s not a distraction to the hitter at the plate. Go ahead and get it out of the way so the hitter can focus on the pitch. [Music] The kick and the pitch. Runner goes strike in there. Safe at second. And he easily steals the bag. [Applause] in the air. Foul off first. Goldie squeezes it and that’ll do it. One left for Tampa. They trail it here. 3 nothing. Now pitching. Welcome back. We’re in the seventh. We have a new pitcher on the mound. Griffin Jacks. Well, he’s struggled quite a bit. So, this is another opportunity to get on the right track. He’s given up more than one hit per in any pitch so far this season. Back to the top of the order now. So the batter now will be Trent Gisham. He’s already homerred in this game. First pitch doesn’t find the zone. [Applause] [Music] Next offering is fouled back. Swang and a miss. Missed that by a mile. And count one and two. comes up empty as he chases that one in the dirt in time to get him. One away in the strike out. Now that catcher Ben Rice, here’s the Yankees catcher now. Ben Rice, he’s got a couple homers already. So, can he possibly do it again? Come on, man. Of course he can. Those two he hit were legit. And he looks pretty locked in right now at the dish. on the ground of first. Seymour takes it to the bag, steps on first, and it’s out number two. Now batting shortstop, Aaron Judge. Two down, base is empty. And now big number 99, Aaron Judge. He’s not going to get cheated up there. No, he’s not. He’s looking to do damage with every swing he takes. Clips the corner and that’s strike one. Some hitters are just more confident if they can track that first pitch out of the hand of the pitcher. They don’t care if they fall behind 01. It’s in and out of his glove. Still finds a way to get off and throw. That’s the third out. So, the Yanks go in order, but they lead it three nothing. [Music] Now, pitching. We’re back in a new pitcher here to start the bottom of the seventh. Tim Hill coming on to face a righty here. And he’s been fantastic against him this year. His numbers in those matchups are very good. Now it’s the switch hitting outfielder Jake Mangum. Right fielder Jake Mangum. That one in there across the letters. Definitely not a pitch location you’re expecting up there as a hitter when you know the guy’s got a good sinker ball. If he can get in that location, boy, you’ve got to look top to bottom and that’s going to make it very difficult to hit. Cabierro sizes this one up. He’s got it. And there’s one down. Now batting shortstop Hung. Now it’s the shortstop Hassang Kim. Just missed. Movement in the Yankees pen. Camo Dval getting loose out there for Aaron Boon. Warren getting cranked up as well. [Music] [Applause] [Music] One down, base is empty. Swings and hits one in the air out towards right field. Caviierro calls it in. Two away. Now batting catcher. So next to the plate for Tampa Bay, Hunter Fucha. Foul ball and it’s fouled away. [Music] fights that one away and the count remains 0 and2. Two down, nobody on here. The bottom of the seventh. That’s the third. Zips it to first. Inning over. Nothing doing for the offense that time. We look ahead to inning number eight. Yankees three. The Rays nothing. We’re in the top of the eighth. And now the DH Cody Bellinger hitter Cody Bellinger. Jacks back to work. He had a foul ball. That one inside. One and one. Ripped on the ground to second and Bellinger is out. Now batting second base Jazz Chisum Jr. And up next for New York, Jazz Chisum Jr. 0 for three with two ground outs and a strike out. And that is downstairs and it’s one and0. Base is empty, one away and we’re in the top of the eighth. There’s a swing and a drive. And that gets down into the gap. Makes the turn and heads for second. And that’s a two bagger. Seems like he got exactly what he was looking for right there. You connect and it jumps off your bat like that. You’re thinking double at the very least. Put a great swing on it and man, he wasn’t fooled at all. One out, runner at second. Goldie now at the plate. Runner takes off for third. Pitch in for a strike. Transfer bobbled and there’s no throw. Chisum stands at third with one gone in the inning. and he’s down 02 as he swings through it. When you throw a fast ball by a guy like that, I imagine it’s got to feel incredible. Look for him to throw it again at some point. And that one is popped in the air. Shallow center and that’ll fall for a base hit. Well, those kind of lucky soft hits will always make you smile. He clearly didn’t catch that one on the big part of the bat. Just kind of muscled it out there. And you know, on the mound, it can be pretty frustrating for a pitcher, but you just kind of have to expect those to drop in there sometimes. And next for New York, Jason Dominguez. [Applause] And the first pitch misses for ball one. 10. [Applause] Swings through that one for strike one. Meanwhile, activity in the bullpen. Brian Baker warming up for manager Kevin Cash. Angler warming up as well. [Applause] hit on the ground to the right side and it’s through for a hit and now to a board. Couple of singles back to back. Just one of those scene high base hits through the infield. He just kind of rolled over on it a little bit, but sometimes those can find a hole and get you a knock. First and second, one out. And stepping in for the Yankees, Ryan McMahon. 0 for three with two strikeouts and a fly out. [Applause] That’s way outside. And that is ball one. One out. Runners at first and second. in there for a strike at the bottom of the zone. One [Applause] that one fouled off. Two on, one out. Worm Burner into the outfield for a knock. coming home. Here’s the throw to the plate. It’s off the mark and he scores and the lead is up to five. Next for the Yankees rightiel, here comes the skipper and we’re going to see a pitching change in this spot. Griffin Jacks done for the night and the line not closed on him yet as he’s responsible for the runners on base. Back with a new pitcher after this. Now pitching for the They go to the bullpen. Mason Angler. And he’s had a struggle so far this year. As you can see, the inflated RA looking to bring that down a little bit right here. Two on, one out. Caviierro getting ready to hit. 0 for three with two fly outs and a ground out. And the first pitch misses for ball one. One ball, no strike. inside. Just missed. Could be some action here on this next pitch. Couple runners on. Probably a challenge pitch coming. [Applause] That one’s spoiled. And the count now two and one. Swings through that one. base hit and a run comes in. Now batting center fielder Trent Gisham. Trent Gisham stepping in now for the Yankees. He’s already homered here in this one. And that drops in for a strike. Runners at first and second with one gone. [Applause] Swing and a miss. He was late. Strike two. Foul ball. It stays nothing and two. [Applause] Yeah, that’s outside. One ball, two strikes. Next pitch just misses. Two and two. And that skips in the dirt. Still only one out here in the inning. And that’ll load the bases. Pretty good spot on the outside, but just couldn’t quite clip the zone. That’s a stone cold tape. Ben Rice. Here’s the catcher to hit. Ben Rice. Swaging a ball hit out towards left center field. Got it. Nice grab. Runner tagging from third. He scores on the sack fly. It’s seven to nothing. Man, there’s a sack fly to bring home another run in this inning. These hitters are just piling it on. We’re seeing some really quality at bats out of this team right now. Here comes Aaron Judge. Sing, you talk about a guy that has all the skills. The range is really good, but the arm just stands out and he makes all the plays. Delivers a pitch in for a strike at 95. And because of that big power arm, is able to play a little bit deeper, make throws from the outfield grass all the way across the diamond and still get a pretty good runner. That’s impressive. First and second, two down. [Applause] Chopper right side. La onto first. Judge out on the play. And they’re happy to just get off the field after that frame. So, nine batters come to the plate. Four of them score. Last half of the eighth coming up. It’s the Yankee 7. The Rays nothing. It’s a bit of a blowout now, which gives us a bit more freedom here in the booth. I’m not sure that’s a good thing. All right, Sydney. When you played, how much of a fashionista were you? Would you come to the ballpark dressed to the nines? No. Outside. Even on the road trips, I was, you know, pretty average. There were some guys that would dial it up and there’d be some outfits where you’re kind of double taking and saying, “Where in the world are you going?” But overall, I’d say I kept it lowkey. swing and a miss and the count is one and one. Yeah, you see some guys into the fashion nowadays and big on uh on the gram as the kids like to say post their their fits, right? That’s what that what you say that is that what it is. Your fit. Your outfit. You’re fit. Got a little drip around the neck, too. Yeah. Believe it. Scale of 1 to 10, how old do we sound right now? Uh really old. Like close to social security benefits. Yeah. Scale of 1 to 10, how good a barber were you? For a non-professional, I’d say I was probably a seven. But if I was comparing to professionals, I’d be like a three. I’ll never forget the time that I cut Joseé Conco’s hair. He had a pretty big melon boo. And uh big dome. It It took a while. Yeah. There’s a little pressure there, too, because he had a big date that night and he wanted me to make sure that everything looked good. Wow. Yeah. He’s a big guy, too. I didn’t want him to hurt me. Yeah, he’s large. Fouled off the plate. They’ll do it again. Swings and misses. He battled for a long time, but it finishes with a strikeout. You can’t be mad at yourself after an event like that one. And stepping in for the Rays, Bobby Seymour. First pitch misses. 10. and that’s outside. [Applause] [Music] Ball three. The Yankees up big in this one here in the bottom half of the eighth inning. Now a screamer into the outfield, reaching for it, makes the catch. He was all over that fast right there. I tell you what, if he gets under it just by a fraction of an inch or a little bit more, that’s way back. Here’s the left fielder. From inside Tropicana Field in Tampa Bay, the show has an AL East matchup. It’s the New York Yankees taking on the Tampa Bay Rays. And now, first pitch coming your way next. Tippa Bay Ray. So, just about set now. Getting the nod on the mound. Ryan Pepio and Singy. We were talking earlier about how he’s doing a great job navigating through tough spots. I’ve just been so impressed with when it seems like there’s more pressure, he’s more calm and settles in. He’s done an incredible job with runners in scoring position. Most guys, they get a little tight, they start to aim the baseball, but for some reason, he gets looser, the ball comes out of his hand with more life, and he’s able to wiggle off the hook of, you know, tough situations and get his team back in the dugout. First pitch 736. They tried to get him to chase on a slider down and away. Tried to back door him with that slider right there, but just missed off the plate. Good pitch though. And there’s the strike outside. That one misses. So a lead off walk. His ability to draw walks has been something That’s been part of his career since day one. Here’s the Yankees catcher now. Ben Rice. First pitch doesn’t find the zone. Pepio in his third season. He features a fourseam fast ball, a change up, a slider, a cutter, and he occasionally uses a curve. Fast ball. Almost got him there. Straighten him up a little bit. Ruer at first with no outs here. Swing and a miss. Strike one. Benny really sells the change up with that arm action. That’s outside and the count is three and one. 3-1. And that’s in for a strike. [Applause] Foul ball and it remains a full cow [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] in the air left field down the line and that’s a fair ball. Lead runner holds up. They’re at first and second with nobody out. Showed a lot of fight with two strikes in that AB. Pitch was in and off the plate. So hard to do anything with a pitch in that location, but somehow he got the barrel to it and hit it well. Pretty amazing. First and second, no outs. Aaron Judge stepping in now for the Yankees. That misses the zone. Ball one. And that’s in there at the knees for a strike. It’s a tough pitch, but in terms of the best pitch you’re going to get to hit in the at bat, that fast ball was down enough where you’re going to catch up to one, that’s the one. When he elevates, guys aren’t touched. Over to Lao. Plenty of time in first. That’s a double blow. Is so good at coming across the bag and snagging it with the bare hand to throw. I like the flare that he brings day in and day out. So, the go-ahead run in scoring position. Cody Bellinger stepping in now for the Yankees. And a first pitch fastball is in for a strike. Gisham at third with two away. That’s a ball. This one in the dirt and well done to keep it close. [Applause] The pitch and that’s off the outside edge and a count. Two and one. [Music] misses just off the outside edge. I think that was a strike. Good pitchers make pitches in big situations. And right here with a middle of the order hitter up, runner in scoring position. He’s got to find a way to throw a quality strike. Out to short. Kim slings it across and Bellinger is out. Out number three, Yankees nothing. Tampa Bay coming up. You’re watching Major League Baseball exclusively on the show. Back now in Tampa Bay. And towing the slab, Luke Weaver. Singing. He’s kind of a road warrior. Yeah, I definitely say so. You know, some guys shrink a little bit on the road. They’re so used to just, you know, having the comforts of being at home and having the fans behind them, but this guy seems to thrive in adversity and being in some hostile environment. So, when you have a player like this on your team that goes out there and competes, you definitely like your chances away from your home ballpark. Number 14 leading things off and takes a strike. and that’s downstairs. And that’s ball one. swinging a ground ball into the outfield. Base hit. Once you get the ball by the pitcher, there’s a lot of base hits up the middle. He hit ground ball. So, a nice job to use that big hole and get himself a hit. And now they’ve got some speed on first. So, we’ll see if they try to get him into motion. Yanni Diaz. Now there’s the strike. [Applause] [Applause] Ouch. That got him. Take first. batting third. Wow. At the plate, Brandon. Wow. And the first pitch misses for ball one. [Music] [Applause] That one missed. Could be some action here on this next pitch. Couple runners on. Probably a challenge pitch coming. [Applause] Got it started a little too early. Strike one. Wow. That’s 89 on the gun and it’s a change up. It’s like good hitting if you’re looking for it, but because of the speed differential between the fast ball and that pitch, really hard for a hitter to get on time with it. [Applause] And that’s fouled all. [Applause] No outs. Runners at first and second. [Applause] Blind drive out towards left field. That’s a base hit. The throw in. It’s offline and he scores and it’s one nothing. Well, there you go. The RBI machine. Another clutch run scoring at bat. Yeah, he’s been so good in these situations. Call it clutch if you want, but his resume speaks for itself. Next to bat will be the Rays four hitter Junior Camero check swing called strike. Strike one. This might be the most pressure you put on this guy today. You got one run in. You got to try to get another one or maybe two. First and second here. No outs. [Applause] Fouled off. He was late. [Applause] line to left. Dominguez makes the grab. One away. That is fifth. Right fielder. Now a look at Kevin Cash’s lineup for the Tampa Bay Rays. a guy who’s been huge for them over the last month plus. Junior Camroero and Boo. He’s a big time run producer for these guys, man. Leading the team in homers, runs batted in, doing damage on the regular, man. Making opposing pitchers just sweat out there. It’s kind of fun to watch. Get ready for a show when he steps into the box. [Applause] Jake Mango in the box with one away as he takes ball one. It’s great to get on the board in the first frame of the ball game, but here’s an opportunity for them to really open things up with a couple of runners on. Let’s see if they can cash in. [Applause] Swinging a foul out of play. One out. Runners at first and second. [Applause] That one misses and it’s two and one. [Applause] Foul ball there. [Music] [Applause] That wasn’t an easy pitch to hit. It’s much easier to do damage against mistakes, but that’s not what that pitch was. [Applause] Two on, one out. Got him swagging. He chased the change up. Two down. Oh, I’m not sure what he was waiting on right there. He got the change up and still laid on it. You rarely see that. It almost makes you think that he was trying to set the pitcher up. I mean, if you can’t catch up to the off speed stuff, there’s no way you’re going to touch a fast ball. Hassan Kim digs in now trying to get the raise of the board. [Applause] Highf fly ball shallow right field. Cabierro coming on and that will end the inning. Two men left stranded but they do push across one. We head to the second here at Tropicana Field. It’s the Rays one and the Yankees nothing. Back here at Tropicana Field all set for the start of the Jazz Chisum Jr. now. in for a strike and it’s 0 and one. Swanging around foul first base side. [Music] and a swing and a miss. Now away. He’s locked in at the break when he’s using the whole field. He’s out in front there. Just needs to let the ball travel a little more and his timing will be back on track. Good pitch for the strike out. and Paul Goldmid will come up to hit. Here’s the swing and a line drive and a base hit into right field. So they get a man aboard with a one out single. Went up there looking to be aggressive and got something he can handle. Just a cookie down the middle. I mean, those are the ones you dream about. Ones in the cage you’re just hoping you get in the ball game right down the middle. Not a whole lot of velocity. right on top of it. Runner on at first with one gone. Jason Dominguez stepping in now for the Yankees. It weekly on the ground towards second off balance feed. There’s one and he’ll eat it and be happy with the outing. Tough play right there. Didn’t really have enough time to set his feet and make a strong accurate throw. had to rush it, but he got it off and he got it there in time to get that out at second base. There’s Ryan McMahon now. And that misses. And that’s ball one. One ball. No strikes. And there’s the ball. Chris, with that distraction and the speedy guy at first, he’s in a favorable hitter’s count. Well, if nothing else, I mean, this is a great spot for a hitter to be in. Lays out, but he can’t squeeze it to first and he beats it. Everyone’s safe. Batty ninth right fielder Jose Caviero. [Music] First and second, two outs. Jose Caviierro stepping in now for the Yankees. [Applause] And that one just misses a ball and no strokes. Dominguez over at second. McMahon on first with two down and that’s downed away. Love how this guy grinds out at bats. I mean, he’s down there at the bottom of the lineup in the nine hole, but he’s worked himself into a really good hitter count. Try to pick up a two out RBI. Swings through that. I wouldn’t throw him another breaking ball. Try to go again with a fast ball. Slightly elevated. He just having a hard time catching up. Next off, bring in for a strike. Two outs. Couple of base runners at first and second. Ground ball left side and it’s just fouled. That was close. [Applause] The 22 is that ends the ring. Well, this guy competes hard. We see the emotion there. I love it. Great job getting out of the jam. And welcome back to the ballpark. Here’s the catcher, Hunter Fucha. Hunter Fucha. That one’s upstairs. Ball one. [Applause] Just missed. Making the calls behind the plate in this one is Woody Keller. Yeah, and Woody does a pretty good job back there, Boo. He’s got a pretty fair strike zone. most of the time. Maybe some inconsistency here or there, but usually he’s back there doing a solid job. Pitch misses and out 3 and0. Fans don’t really understand the familiarity and relationship players and coaches have with umpires. I mean, you see them a lot. Yeah, but they’re all out there trying to do their best and perform at a high level. So, when you respect that, I think over time you can develop a relationship with them. [Applause] That one finds the zone. And now three balls and a strike. Hit in the air. Left field. One away. Batting eight center fielder Everson Pereira next to hit for the Rays. Pereira inside. Almost got him. H. The 1-1 is fouled off. One down. Base is empty. Fights that one away. Still one and two. Good eye right there. Was good pitch there. Billy had some run and finished little up and end just on the edge. And that’s one of those if you swing at it, he had a broken bat as you jog back to the dugout. And a foul ball. He stays alive. Swing and a miss. Luke Weaver. The strike out. Boogie just ran out of patience there. He took a couple of pitches to even that count up at two balls and two strikes, but that time chased outside the zone. And now Bobby Seymour. That one misses. Ball one. One ball. No strikes. Two outs. Base is empty. [Applause] Check swing called strike. The one one swings through that one out in front that time. One, two. Two down. Nobody on fights it off. He’ll see another. Breaking ball in there. Got him looking. And he’s registered three Ks in this one. Rays go in order. 1, two, three. But they lead it one to nothing. And we’re back. Here’s the center fielder, Trent Gish. Trent Gishell. Pepio back to work. Just missed. 10. There’s a strike. He’s trying to stay away from this lefty knowing that a lot of left-handers like the ball down and in. [Music] Swing and a miss. One ball. Swing and a ball. Rip right field. That one back and that one is gone. his 22nd homer of the year. And we’re all square. It’s 1-1. [Applause] Now the catcher up to hit. Ben Rice one for one with a single so far. And that one fouled off. Always exciting to see a laid-off home run in an inning. Kind of gets the offense fired up and you start to expect a big inning. [Applause] That’s in there. And that’s strike two. With the big bats coming up and a home run already surrendered, he’s really going to have to execute against these next couple of batters. And ball one. Nobody on, nobody out with a run in. We’re here in the top half of inning number three. in the air left field makes the catch for the owl. It’s a good recovery though after giving up the home run, not allowing it to stay in the head, but going to work at the next hitter and a tough one at that. It’s Aaron Judge now. He’s over for one [Applause] and a swing and a miss. No ball, one strike. gets the call and the count is 0 and two. Slice to right. Hops over the wall and that’s an automatic double. Well, there’s something really nice about getting yourself an automatic double like that. You get to stroll into second base without having to worry about a throw or getting your uniform dirty. And now you’re just looking for the next hitter to kind of do the same thing. Maybe put one in the gap so you can jog home as well. One out, runner at second. Now up is the Yankees DH. Cody Bellinger. First pitch misses. One ball, no strike. [Applause] popped in the air. Left field settles under it. Makes the grab. Two away. Now batting second base Jazz Chisum Jr. So the go-ahead run in scoring position. And up next for New York, Jazz Chisum Jr. He struck out swinging at his first at [Applause] check swing. No appeal. Judge on it second with two down. And now two and one. Though Chris, through the early stages, he hasn’t been very efficient in terms of the pitch count. He’s going to need to get some quick outs if he’s going to get deeper into this game. The next offering misses three balls in a strike. It is interesting though when you consider the way the game is run now. Doesn’t even matter that much if your starter doesn’t go that deep because teams are really aggressively building their bullpens. Fouls one off out of play back to our left. [Applause] Man on second, two down and ball four, two aboard. So close to getting out of it right there, but this inning still has life. The first baseman, Paul Goldmith. Here’s Paul Goldmith. and fouled off. Check swing and he went and the ball is 0 and two. [Applause] Two outs. One, two. That misses the zone and the count is even. Two and two. Tied up here in the early going. And now it’s filled up. [Applause] Line and that’s a base hit around third. He’ll score and it’s an RBI single. It’s 2-1. Big swing of the bat right there to give him the lead. That was clutch. Nice line drive to the pull side. Met it out front but just stayed through it nice enough and ripped it into the outfield. Digging in is the switch in outfielder Jason Dominguez. He’s 0 for one. Ball one. No strikes. 10. [Applause] Two on, two outs. And that drops in for a strike. One ball, one strike. Yeah, the pitch is in for a strike now. One of two. Very well executed change up right there. If he can command the fast ball consistently, that’s going to be an important pitch in terms of him turning this outing around. And a swing and a miss. Inning over and it could have been worse. But two runs for him and they jump ahead. We move on to the bottom of inning number three. It’s the Yankees two. The Rays won. Back now in Tampa Bay as we go to the last of the third. And now here’s a speed threat. Outfielder number 14. Here comes the pitch. Fast ball for a strike. 4-1. And a foul ball. [Applause] Swing and a ground ball out to Short. Zips it across. Leadoff man retired here in the third. Good fade and sinking action in that change up. Got that hitter to roll. Yandi Yandi Diaz next to hit for the Rays. [Applause] That just misses one and0. Well, the offense has gotten going and a pitcher wants to go out there, have a real quick inning, get those guys back into the dugout so those bats can stay hot. [Applause] Swang and a miss as he was out front that time. [Applause] swings through that one for strike two. One ball, two strikes. [Music] He goes down looking. No messing around with the pitch calling in that sequence right there. Four pitches, all fast balls. Yeah. And that makes me think that was the plan before the at bat even started. And if you think you can simply just beat a guy with only your fastball, why throw him anything else until he shows you he can handle it? And now it’s Brandon Laauo. Singled and drove in a run his first time through. Pitch misses there and it’s one and0. And another ball. [Applause] [Music] Swinging and a miss. And it’s two and one. and strike two. Two balls. Two strikes. Two down. Nobody on keeps the bat going with a foul ball. [Music] Still two and two after the foul ball. bows it back with two strikes. Eighth pitch of the at coming up. Got him looking. He didn’t make it easy for him on the mound, but they still get the strike out. Nothing do it for Tampa and they trail it here two to one. Back here at Tropicana Field, John Shambi with Chris Singleton and set to lead off the fourth, Ryan McMahon. and the first offering a fast ball for a strike. McMahon measures 6’2 in 30 years old now and he was a second round pick back in 2013. [Applause] Next pitch is outside. One, two, [Music] two, two. gets a piece there. We’ll do it again. Look out. That ball was smoked. Man, I am so relieved that they have this netting down the line just ensures safety for the fans. Last thing as a player, you want to look up and see a fan get hit. Up and in. Full count. Three and two. Got him. He’s not four strikeouts now. I’d say that was a pretty generous call right there. And when a pitcher gets that call, there’s really not much you can do about it as a hitter. And you know what? Guys today are so disciplined to stay with their approach and game plan. Not surprised at all that he took that. Now it’s the right fielder, Jose Caviierro. Fast for a strike. 01. One out. Base is empty. Right down to shoot. No balls, two strikes. Bands another. And that’s three straight strikeouts. Well, that bat seemed to be over as soon as it started. Three pitch strikeout. You got to be better at the plate right there at least to foul something off. Extend that at bat. Now here’s Trent Gisham. He’s already homered in this game. And that one is lifted in the air. Carous. And that’ll do it. And welcome back to the ballpark. Bottom of the fourth. Now here’s the Tampa Bay cleanup hitter, Junior Camo. [Applause] A swing and a miss. And that’s strike one. He’s pitching well, but not throwing a ton of first pitch strikes. Usually doesn’t work out for success, but you can never predict baseball. And that is out of play. [Music] Andy O2 battling here as he fouls it away. [Music] Just off the outside corner. Now one and two. [Music] fouled off and they’ll do it again. [Applause] right through there. Got him. And that’s sixks for him in this one. There comes a skipper out of the dugout and he’s ready to make the move. Luke Weaver is done. And that’s an excellent job from the reliever in the starting role today. Gave him some length. Back with a new arm after this. Now pitching for the new pitcher for the Yankees, Will Warren. Still a lot of game left and this game could go either way. So this is a big opportunity for him to get some important outs and try to help carry this lead into the later innings. Jake Mangum next to hit for the Rays. Struck out swinging his first time. And that one misses up and in. And that is ball one. Action in the pen down there. Brent Hedrickk getting loose out there for Aaron Boone. Raised down by a run. And that’s in there for a strike. And now it’s even. One ball, one strike. The 1-1 is fouled off. [Music] And look out as that one ran in and got him. He had two strikes on him and he hit him. Now one for Tampa Bay. Hassan Kim flyed to right. his first time. [Applause] Run on the goal. Pitch in for a strike. Throw to second and he’s out. That goes to show you stealing a base is a tough thing to do and far from a sure thing. Even with big time speed, it’s not easy to catch up. But that was a great catch and throw. Quick, not rushed, and accurate. [Applause] [Applause] This one popped up middle of the infield. Judge brings it in and that is the inning. Rays held in check here. They’re down two to one. And we’re back. And now the catcher comes up to here. Ben Rice fought off foul. That’s out to center field. Pereira in position makes the grab. One down. Now batting shortstop Aaron Judge. Now it’s Aaron Judge up to the plate. One for two and ball one to Judge. Base is empty, one away, and we’re at the top of the fifth. Next offering is in for a strike. They say win. One, two. [Applause] Foul ball still a one and two count. Judge waits. Swings through that one. It’s a strike out. Definitely made him chase a little bit out of the zone right there. I don’t think that’s a strike if he takes it. Pretty textbook pitching. Get ahead in the count. Get the guy in the box on his heels and then force him to chase your pitch where he doesn’t have much of a chance to do any damage. Bellinger has to step out of the way for ball one. That’s a bullpen movement for the Rays. Garrick Clevenger warming up for manager Kevin Cash. Angler also getting ready. Ball to strike. Just missed. And he swings and lifts one to deep center field. That one back there and it’s off the batter. That’ll fire up the dugout. His 23rd of the year. and they tack on to their lead. It’s 3-1. Knew what pitch he wanted to hit. Spent on some other pitches in this at bat. Was very patient and it paid off. [Applause] So, two down and next for New York, Jazz Chisum Jr. Just off the inside edge and the one swaging a popup foul out of play off to the right side that’ll find the stands. [Music] One-1 now inside and it hit him that hit him. Up next, manager out of the dugout now and it looks like we’ll see a change on the mound. Ryan Pepio will depart and it’s going to be a start that he’d like to get a redo on. Not his best. Back with a new arm in a minute. Now pitching. Now a new pitcher for the Rays, Garrick Clevenger. 50th time he’s come into a game this year. He’s been relied on out of the pin quite a bit. Paul Goldmid will climb in. [Applause] And a swing and a miss there. He threw that fast ball right by him. gives him a little bit of confidence, but in the back of your mind, you got to think, is he trying to set me up for later in this at bat? Just missed. [Applause] No question about this one. It’s out of here. They go back to back and they add a pair. It’s 5-1. That’s their third home run of the game. They’re having a lot of fun at the plate in this one. They’ve got the long ball working for them on autopilot. That’s an impressive swing of the bat to go over the wall to the opposite field gap. And you know, there are a lot of guys that just don’t have the pop to do that. and probably just as many who don’t have the approach either. He let that ball travel and he got great extension on the follow through to drive it out of here. Two outs, nobody on. Digging in, Jason Dominguez for two in this one. Chopper to second. Handles, throws the first. Third out and that ends the frame. Back now in Tampa Bay. Now here is Hunter Feducha. That’s a strike 0 and one. Well, these Rays just lacking discipline at the plate in this ball game. They’ve been chasing pitches outside the zone all game and it’s led to some frustrating moments. They’ve been fooled quite a bit today. To the right side, Chisum and the leadoff hitter retired in the fifth. Now batting center fielder Everson Pereira. And now the center fielder Everson Pereira struck out swinging his first time. Fast ball is outside. One one. Not even close there. And it’s two in one. Base hit. That was smoked through the infield. And they have their first base runner since the first inning. Now batting first base then Bobby. So next to the plate for Tampa Bay, Bobby Seymour struck out looking his first time. [Applause] Check on the runner. Oh, he throws it away. Hook man at first. One away. Looked pretty good as far as being in the strike zone, but I’m sure as a hitter not too good with where it was located. Very top of the strike zone. Middle away. That one is absolutely belted. And that should be extra bases coming home. He will score. Puts a run on the board and picks up an RBI. Put a pretty good jolt into that one. Great swing. Nice balance and weight transfer. And he got it to drop in out there in the deep part of the field. So the lineup flips over. Here’s the Rays leadoff hitter. singled and scored back in the first. He’s one for two. That one fouled off. [Music] [Applause] Strike two. Yankees up by three. Got him swinging. Two gone now. Well, that’s such a critical pitch in terms of execution right there. The pitcher has to finish it. Otherwise, probably gets hit pretty hard. If you leave that out over the plate or you don’t get it down enough, quickly turns into something that gets smoked. But if you can place it where he did, it’s a really deceptive pitch. Diaz now in the box. Comes up empty with a swing there. strike [Applause] and he chases a high fast ball there. No ball, two strikes. And the next pitch is way outside. Seymour at second with two down. [Applause] cut on and missed. And it’s a strikeout. And that is the inning. A run on two hits and they leave one. Five innings complete. It’s the Yankees five. The Rays two. Back here at Tropicana Field. Top six. Ryan McMahon steps to the plate. Clegerer back to work. Swinging a ball hit out towards left center field. Pereira makes the catch and there’s one gone. Now batting right fielder Jose. And stepping in for the Yankees, Jose Caviierro who’s 0 for two with a pair of strikeouts. First pitch and he just misses. One ball, no strikes. Grounds one to short. Kim slinging it to first in time. Well, here we talk about how the ball is coming out of the pitcher’s hand. the way it comes out of his hand as an infielder. Wow. Really impressive. Trent Gisham stepping in now for the Yankees. He’s already homerred here in this one. And first offering is fouled off. Two down, nobody on. And we’re the top half of the sixth. That’s a strike across the top of the zone. This guy’s pounding the zone. Hitters don’t have time to think in between pitches. [Music] [Applause] [Music] Two outs. Hacks and misses. It’s a strikeout. Offense held in check there. Heart of the order. 345. Coming up, it’s the Yankees 5, the Rays 2. And welcome back to the ballpark. Bottom of the sixth inning. And now it’s going to be Brandon Loud. Bounding ball here. Rolls. Foul. There’s the sinker at the knees for a strike. Activity in the bullpen for the Yankees. Tim Hill getting loose out there for Aaron Boon. Doval also throwing. [Applause] Next offering in the dirt. It’s a ball in two strikes. [Applause] This one in the air right field. Caviierro moving under this one. And in foul ground, he pulls it down. One out. Now batting. Junior Camero will hit next. Junior Camero. [Applause] And first offering is fouled off. The Rays trailing by three here in the bottom of the six. Swinging a foul straight back. swing and a miss. Struck him out. That K is his third of the game. Well, that pitch wasn’t even close to being a strike. And that just goes to show you how defensive hitters can become when they’re up against an 02 count. You’re just hoping for a mistake somewhere near the zone that you can get the bat to. But right there, he was clearly anxious. He was swinging when the ball left the hand. Mango stands in with two away as he takes a ball. Fast ball is outside. And another ball. Three balls. No strike. Next offering is in for a strike. Fouled off to the right. [Music] And that’s too high. And it’s ball four. One of the things about that two out walk, the base runner over at first base is going to have a very aggressive secondary lead. So a ball down the line into the gap will produce a two out RBI. And those are the best. That is if you are the offensive side of it. He swings and fouls one off. Now, if he’s going to steal second, you want him to go early in the count. That way, he’s not a distraction to the hitter at the plate. Go ahead and get it out of the way so the hitter can focus on the pitch. Pop foul out of play off to the right. That one misses and the count is one and two. Good eye in that spot. [Applause] Next pitch is outside. Great RBI spot here. Just got to stay focused on the pitch. The runner will be in motion, so something in the gap should definitely score it. Hunter Feducha waiting for a turn at the plate. Ground ball right side to first. Inning over. So no runs, no base hits, no errors, and one left. Seventh inning coming up. It’s the Yankees five. The Rays two. Now pitching. Welcome back. We’re in the seventh. We have a new pitcher on the mound. Griffin J. Well, he’s been a really tough guy to take deep this season. You usually have to string some hits together in order to get to him. That’s right. Here’s the Yankees catcher now. Ben Rice, one for three and first offering is fouled off. You know, these Yankees really impressing me with the quality of their bats in this one. It’s been fun getting a chance to see them go to work. The numbers help tell the story. I mean, they’ve been sitting fast ball and it’s paying off in a big way so far with six hits against that pitch alone. Lao sends it to first and they get the lead off hitter in the seventh. Up next for the Yankees, shortstop, Aaron Judge. Aaron Judge at the plate. And that’s a great way for a lineup to dominate a game because if a pitcher can’t rely on his fast ball to get outs, I mean, that puts a lot of pressure on the rest of his pitches to be effective. First offering misses badly for ball one. Yeah, a big swing and a miss. Instead of letting the hitter get his arms extended, tied him up a little bit. Slightly up, slightly in. Tampa Bay’s bullpen with some action. Ian Seymour warming up for manager Kevin Cash. Angler getting loose as well. Up the middle, slings to first and two away to start the seven. Up next for the Yankees, the designated hitter, Cody Bellinger. And up to the plate comes Cody Bellinger. missed with a change up. And that’s ball one. Just missed. Two balls, one strike. Check swing. Did he go? Yes, he did. Two balls, two strikes. Two down. Nobody on. Got him. It is a three up, three down in it. Yanks held in check. They’re still out in front 52. [Music] [Applause] Now pitching for the We’re back at a new pitcher here to start the bottom of the seventh. And as relievers go, he’s not a big strikeout guy. He tries to force weak contact. So command and execution are huge for him. Hunter Feducha now at the plate. Catcher Hunter Hill 35 years old. He joined the team as a free agent. On its way to the corner and that’s a foul ball. [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Music] next offering upstairs. O2 fast way out of the zone. I think he’s trying to speed him up. Got to stay back. Off speed’s probably coming. popped up left side. McMahon gets under it, hauls it in for the out. Now batting center fielder Everson. So digging in Everson Pereira and that gets the top of the zone for a strike. Well, don’t expect too many more high fast balls. This a good sinker ball pitcher and sometimes they can make mistakes trying to pitch up in the zone. Look for him to stay down around the knees to be effective. To the right side. Goldie takes it to the bag. Two up, two down. That play won’t be trending on social media later on, but it’s still important to execute it to perfection. This game is a lot harder than it looks, partner. Bobby Seymour next to hit for the Rays. And that one popped in the air. Left field makes the play and it’s out number three. ready to begin the eighth and stepping in for the Yankees. Jazz Chisum Junism Jun pitch misses and that’s ball one. One ball, no strike. And that one wrapped foul. Swing and a highf fly ball left field. Pretty well struck. That’s going back back some more. Pulls it in on the warning draw. Now that first base for Paul Goldmith, here is Goldmith. Three for three, two singles and a homer. No matter what you’re playing this kind of rival, take your game to another level. Down and away for ball one. And another ball. He’s clearly trying to work him away here. Both pitches off the plate. If you really want to put the ball in play, you’re going to have to stay back and drive it to the opposite field. One down. Base is empty. And the sweeper catches the plate. [Applause] Swinging a man. It’s two and two. That was straight queso right there. Base is empty. One away. And we’re in the top of the eighth. Ripped to short. Gets it to first. And they get Goldmid for the out. Now batting left fielder Jason Dominguez. Now it’s the switch hitting outfielder Jason Dominguez. 0 for three in this one. Ball one there and downstairs. Two balls. No strike. Next offering is in for a strike. In today’s game, not that many fast ball counts, but hitters still in the back of their minds, they’re looking for one. Two change up call right there. Excellent pitch selection to go with. And that is in for a strike. Two and two now. Ground ball right side and that’s just foul. Got him swinging down an order goal to Yankees and it remains 5-2. And we’re back onto the bottom of the eighth now. Now the left fielder number 14. Well, it’s critical right here that they bear down and turn in some quality bats. Try to chip away at that lead because if it gets to the ninth, that closer’s coming in. [Applause] just off the inside edge. [Applause] That one finds the corner and it’s two and one. Now in this situation, you expect the batters to be a little more patient, possibly take until they get a strike. with that. You don’t want to miss your opportunity to get ahead early in the count. He didn’t right there. Fouls one off. Two and two. [Music] Stays alive. [Applause] inside. Just missed. Executed that pitch very nicely. Just missed with it. [Applause] On the ground, right side, throws to first, one gone in the bottom of the eighth. That’s a huge defensive play in the late stages of the game. It might not be the most challenging we’ve seen today, but it needed to be made. That’s helping your team. Yandi Diaz next to hit for the Rays. Check swing. He went too far and it’s a strike. One lefty continues to work, but the closer getting loose in the bullpen. Right through there for a strike. Line drive caught. Quick reactions down there at first and those can be tougher than they look sometimes. There can be all kinds of weird spin or knuckling action on the baseball. Next to hit, Brandon Loud. swings through that one for strike one. Good late movement on that sinker right there. It’s right where you want to get it to get that swing over the top. Got him looking. That’s a strike out. Rays go in order. 1 2 3. They trail at 5-2. A new pitcher in the game, Ian Seymour. This softball has been really good against left-handed hitters. Number 61. So, digging in, Ryan McMahon. Third base, Ryan McMahon. [Applause] in there for a strike at the top of the zone. Bullpen movement for the Rays. Ryan Baker warming up for manager Kevin Cash. [Applause] [Music] Popped up foul territory behind the play. Feducha calls it in. And there’s one away. That was a good pitch to hit right down the heart of the plate. Had pretty good timing on it. Just got underneath it a little bit and popped it out. Caviro. And up next for New York, Jose Caviierro 0 for three with two strikeouts and a ground out. [Applause] Swing and that ball smashed out of the line. And they’re two down. Now batting the center, Trent Gisham. Here’s the Yankees leadoff hitter, Trent Gisham. [Applause] And first offering is fouled off. [Applause] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] That one missed. Recognized that change up right out of the hand. Just spit on it. [Applause] And that’s downstairs and outside. Spoils that one. And it remains two and two. [Applause] And they’ll do it again. Foul ball. Another 22 upcoming [Applause] swings through that and it’s a strike out and the Yanks go quietly. Three up, three down that time. Onto the bottom of inning number nine. 456 coming up. It’s the Yankees five, the Rays two. We’re back and on the mound is the closer Devin Williams. Save opportunity for him right here. And he’s their guy. Time to lock this one down and get out of here with the W. And stepping in for the Rays, Junior Camero. Third base, Junior Camero. [Applause] Swing and a miss. That’s strike one. No ball. One strike [Applause] [Music] and he grounds one to the right side. Takes it himself. One out. Bottom of the ninth. Couple of pitches and a quick out. Jake Mangum. Now up for Tampa Bay. Jake Mangum. [Applause] swing at a liner foul off to the right. The Yanks trying to close out a three-run lead here in the last half of inning number nine. And that’s outside. [Applause] Way high. [Applause] One down. Base is empty. Now this is in the air down the line. Nobody can get there. And it’s a foul ball. [Applause] Swing and a miss and he chases that one in the dirt. Throw to first out on the drop. Third strike two gone. Now batting short stop. So they’re down to their final out. Now it’s going to be Hassan Kim. [Applause] That’s a strike. It’s 0 and one. 01. Two down, nobody on. We’re in the last half of the ninth inning. [Applause] Misses outside and the count even. One and one. [Applause] way out front for strike two. One, two. The Rays down to their final strike. And a swing and a miss. And that is the ball game. After four wins in a row, you start to think a little bit that you’re on a roll. And that’s the momentum. All right, just about ready for baseball. And on the mound in this one, Ryan Pepio. Chris, what are you looking for from him? Well, coming into this game, hitters are batting under 250 against this starting pitcher. So, it just shows you how effective he’s been. He’s been able to move his pitches around, add and subtract, change up the look. so that hitters don’t get too comfortable and start squaring up the baseball. We’ll see what he’s got in this one. Ready to go. And here is Trent Gisham. There’s the strike up high and we’re underway. Check swing and he went. That is strike two. [Applause] And that’s in the dirt. [Applause] Fouls it off. Still one and two. [Music] The pitch fights that one away. Still one and two. Next offering misses down and away and it remains two and two. [Applause] [Music] and that just misses. Really good take, especially with two strikes. [Applause] smoked on the ground to second. Whips it to first. He made the pitcher earn that out after a long at bat. As we take a look now at the New York Yankees lineup, they’re facing a pitcher today who’s prone to giving up homers. So, we’ll see. We might get some big swings here today. Yeah, I think the key though and the reason why he gives up those homers is that guys are locking in. They’re aggressive and they have a high confidence level. So, I think if that’s the approach these hitters take with the stuff he’s got there on the mount, yeah, there’s a good chance that there’ll be some balls that fly a long way, but you can’t get too big in your swing. Otherwise, you’ll be really frustrated after this one. Next offer in there for a strike. Got the count even at one. [Music] Fouled off left side. gets a piece and stays alive. That wasn’t an easy pitch to hit. It’s much easier to do damage against mistakes, but that’s not what that pitch was. Missed with a change up. Two and two. One out. Base is empty. missed inside with the curb. Full count. That’s ball four. Tried another fast ball, but missed the spot. What a battle. It’s not always easy laying off a 3-2 pitch. And I tell you what, he earned that walk. And now big number 99, Aaron Judge. Another solid power season. And that one’s a little bit low. Ball one. Pepio, a 6-3 righty, 215 lbs, and he was a third round pick back in 2019. Misses again, five in a row. Last two pitches have been down in the zone. Pitcher clearly trying to get that ground ball double play, but in this count, he’s going to have to give in, elevate his pitches, and get back into this at bat. And there’s a foul ball. I wouldn’t throw him another breaking ball. Try to go again with a fast ball. Slightly elevated. He just having a hard time catching up in there at the knees. Two balls, two strikes to count. That’s a great take right there. Even though it’s a strike with the situation run on first base, you want to keep the ball off the ground. If you swing at that pitch, most likely you roll into a double play. Bellinger up to hit. Definitely scuffling at the dish lately under the Mendoza line so far this month. First pitch doesn’t find the zone. Rice off of first with two away. Fast for a strike. Just off the inside corner. Two balls, two strikes. goes down swinging for the strike out. Couldn’t hit the fast ball at the knees. The Yanks leave one. Now it’s the Rays turn. No score. You’re dialed into the show. Back here with my pal Singi and on the hill Luke Weaver. Tell us about him in that sub3ra. Singi. Well, anytime you can keep your erra under three, you’re doing a lot of things right and you’re putting your team in a position to win a lot of ball games as well. And he’s doing tremendous out there on the mound. Every time he gets the ball, you expect him to go out there and dominate. And that’s what he’s been to this point. We’ll see how he is today. And stepping in for the Rays, number 14 splits the plate and that is strike one. No balls, one strike. [Applause] Next offering is foulback. [Applause] And that one is in the dirt. Going to count one and two. [Applause] and delivers outside. Now fly ball to right center. Caviierro one down. Let’s take a look at our lineup. This group was shut out their last game, so we’re going to see if they can bounce back with a better effort here today. And Boo, it can get in your head a little bit when you get shut out. You’re frustrated. You’re seeing that consecutive streak of innings you haven’t scored. And you want to get off to a great start, score early because if you don’t, you feel like it could linger into two consecutive games, which no one wants to be a part of. And first offering is fouled off. [Music] Got the bat going too soon. It’s strike two. Well, you got the hitter already chasing that nasty slider. If you’re on the mound, you just want to expand the zone right now. get a swing and miss and get through this at bat. Struck him out looking. Went back to the slider and it was a good idea. Batting third. Two outs. Base is empty. So next to the plate for Tampa Bay, Brandon Laauo. He’s someone that really beats up on right-handed pitching. The lefties, however, give him a little bit more trouble. That was good pitch there. Really had some run and finished little up and in just on the edge. And that’s one of those if you swing at it, he had a broken bat as you jog back to the dugout. Add one and two. [Music] Swing and a miss. Struck him out. And a nice inning of work there as he sets him down. One, two, three. End of one and we’re still scoreless. Second inning, set to go. Here’s the second base, Jazz Chisum Jr. Jun. Pepio back to work. And there’s a ball. [Music] Next offering is in for a strike. Ed Drummond, our umpire behind the plate in this one. Yeah, Boog. He’s a really fair umpire, both the pitchers and the hitters. So standard strike zone, he’s consistent with it. And the great thing is you don’t see players question the calls too much. So that’s a good thing in this day and age. Just missed. How much were you aware of the umpire scouting report or even who was going to be umpiring? Not a whole lot. I mean, there were a couple of umpires that weren’t real good, but outside of that, you just kind of went into the game, especially back when I was playing. As the game has moved along, we see more and more information supplied by teams about the umpires. I’ve been in clubouses where they have pictures of all four guys, nicknames, hometowns, and as well hobbies listed just so you can kind of small talk the umpire a little bit. That’s great. Paul Goldmid now. And that one upstairs, ball one. [Applause] [Music] One down, base is empty. That’s in there. And the count one and one and that skips in the dirt. There’s the strike. They’ll score here in the second. Not close with that one. And it’s a full count and a foul ball. He stays alive. That one the other way. Loud. Two up, two down in the top of the second. Batting seventh. Left fielder Jason Dominguez. Two down. Base is empty. Now Jason Dominguez. He’s going to finish with a new careerhigh in stolen bases. Chris sharp grounder that’s through for a base hit and that extends the inning. Batting eight, third baseman Ryan McMahon. Ryan McMahon steps to the plate and first offering is fouled off. That’s down and in. A slider missed. Pepio throws to first. Dominguez dives back in safely. That’s too low. And that’s ball two. Two balls, one strike. Fast ball for a strike. [Applause] runner yet. Runner on the move. Got him swinging for the strikeout. He notches strikeout number 150 this season. One left for the Yankees. We’ll go to the bottom of the second. No score. Back here at Tropicana Field. Here’s a big power throw. Junior Camroero. Junior Camero. Just missed. just missed two count to a guy like this at the plate. You’ve got to throw a pitcher’s pitch. Don’t just try to get a strike. He could make you pay. [Music] Close but called the ball. Three and 0. in there at the knees for a strike. Fouls one away and now three and two. headed down the line and a foul ball. Foul. We’ll see another payoff pitch. Knocks that one away and we’ll do it again. [Music] [Applause] [Music] 3-2 down. And it’s fouled off. They’ll do it again. Line drive base hit. So he ends up with a hit after seeing a lot of pitches. That was a good at bat. But when you see that many pitches in an at bat, your chances of succeeding go up. And right there we see the result. [Applause] Next to hit, Jake Mangum. It’s been a tough stretch for him at the plate. Barely hitting over the Mendoza line this month. That’s down and in. [Music] late on that fast ball. One ball, one strike. Camero aboard here at first with nobody out. He had a foul ball. Pitch misses. And now two balls and two strikes. [Applause] Let’s go. Let’s go. Let’s go. Let’s go. Full count. This one in the air. McMahon settles underneath it. He’s got it. And there’s one down. Batting six. The shorts stop. Hassan Kim. Hassan Kim next to hit for the Rays. Good defender. He’s been inconsistent offensively. [Applause] And that one off the outside edge. This one chopped on the ground but foul. man at first. One away. [Music] Swing and a miss. And that’s strike two. One ball, two strikes. [Music] Foul ball. Still a one and two count. That one miss. [Applause] And there’s a ball. He’s really tightening up his hitting zone with two strikes here. I love it. Ground ball could be two. Off balance feed. There’s one to first. Not in time. Great effort there. Tough play right there. Didn’t really have enough time to set his feet and make a strong accurate throw. Had to rush it, but he got it off and he got it there in time to get that out at second base. Hunter Fiducha the next to hit. Sharp grounder. That’s through for a base hit. throw in holds the lead runner at second. Two on now with two away. Center field at the plate. Emerson Pereira Pereira. [Applause] That’s in for a strike. Late swing, fouled. All two on, two outs. [Music] [Applause] Swing and a miss. Struck him out and he’s registered three Ks in this one. So Ray Strand a pair. We’ll move to the third with no score.
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