Max Fried Helps New York Yankees Track Down the Toronto Blue Jays

Max Fried has been pitching great recently. The Yankees had an exciting, walk-off win against the Chicago White Sox last night. Fried is pitching so well that even though the hapless White Sox had no chance against him tonight, the Yankees won 8-1.

There was some thought that the Yankees would not play well in this game because they were up late last night celebrating the team’s 60th playoff appearance. However, Fried was too good, and the White Sox did not have much of a chance in this game. Do you think the Yankees will catch the Toronto Blue Jays and win the American League East division crown?

Lineups For Max Fried Start

The Chicago White Sox had Chase Meidroth leading off and playing second base. Curtis Mead was the third baseman and batted second. Edgar Quero batted third and was the catcher. Miguel Vargas batted fourth and was the first baseman. Colson Montgomery was the shortstop and batted fifth. Brooks Baldwin was the center fielder and batted sixth. Lenyn Sosa was the designated hitter and batted seventh. Corey Julks was the left fielder and batted eighth. Will Robertson pinch-hit for him in the ninth. Michael Taylor was the center fielder and batted ninth. 

For the Yankees, Trent Grisham played center field and led off. Aaron Judge was the right fielder and batted second. Cody Bellinger was the left fielder and batted third. Giancarlo Stanton was the designated hitter and batted fourth. Jasson Dominguez came in to run for him in the seventh inning. Ben Rice was the catcher and batted fifth. Paul Goldschmidt was the first baseman and batted sixth. Jazz Chisholm Jr. was the second baseman and batted seventh.  Anthony Volpe was the shortstop and batted eighth. Ryan McMahon was the catcher and batted ninth. 

News and Notes

Obviously, all the talk today was about the Yankees clinching a playoff spot with their victory over the Chicago White Sox last night. Jose Cabaerollo was the hero for the Yankees in the walk-off win. This is the Yankees’ 60th playoff birth and their eighth in the last nine years.

As the playoffs approach, the Yankees started the night just one game behind the Toronto Blue Jays. With five remaining games, the Yankees could catch the Blue Jays and end up with the top seed in the American League (AL) and also the best record in the AL. With Fried leading the rotation, the Yankees are in good shape heading into the postseason.

Game Reaction

The Yankees were clearly trying in this game, as they put together a strong lineup. Judge was in right field for the fifth game in a row. That allowed Stanton to be the designated hitter. The starting pitcher for the Chicago White Sox, Fraser Ellard, struggled to throw strikes from the outset. He walked the first three batters in the game and threw a wild pitch.

The Yankees had the bases loaded with nobody out in the first inning and did not score. 85% of Major League teams in that situation score. In the second inning of the game, Judge hit his 50th home run of the season. It is the fourth time in his career that he has reached that milestone. That ties him with Babe Ruth and two others for the most times ever. He is unbelievable.

The Yankees sent Fried out for the seventh inning because he is not going to pitch again until the playoffs. The soonest he will next pitch is next Tuesday.

Scoring Summary

In the second inning, Sosa hit a sacrifice home run, and Vargas scored. The White Sox led 1-0. That was Sosa’s team leading 77th RBI. In the second inning, Judge hit a three-run home run. Volpe and Grisham both scored. The Yankees led 3-1. That is exactly what the Yankees needed after not scoring in the first inning; all Fried would need was all Fried would need.

In the third inning, Goldschmidt singled and Rice scored. The Yankees led 4-1. The Chisholm Jr. doubled and Goldschmidt scored. The Yankees led 5-1. In the eighth inning, Grisham hit a two-run home run. McMahon scored. It was 7-1 Yankees. Then Aaron Judge hit another home run. The Yankees led 8-1.

Conclusion

Fried pitched well enough tonight, and the Yankees’ hitters bludgeoned the hapless White Sox. The Blue Jays lost to the Red Sox, so the Yankees tied them for first place in the American League East. The Blue Jays have the tiebreaker over the Yankees, so the Yankees have to be up on them by a game to win the division. The Yankees play the White Sox again tomorrow night.