Will Warren had a terrible start as the Yankees lost their third game of the season in Pittsburgh 5-4 in 11 innings. The poor start from Warren is concerning not only because it taxes the bullpen right before a tough series opens up in Detroit, but because the lack of length the Yankees are getting from their starting pitchers is problematic. Warren made the Yankees starting rotation because the injuries to the starting rotation opened up spots in it. But Warren is not taking advantage of his opportunities. Do you think Warren should earn a spot in the Yankees starting rotation?
Lineups For the Game
Pittsburgh had Ke’Bryan Hayes batting first and playing third base. Bryan Reynolds batted second and was the designated hitter. Oneil Cruz played center field and batted third. Joey Bart was catching and batted fourth. Veteran Andrew McCutchen batted fifth and played right field. Enmanuel Valdez was playing first base and batting sixth. Tommy Pham was in left field and batted seventh. He is struggling. Adam Frazier played second base and batted eighth. Isiah Kiner-Falefa was the shortstop and batted ninth.
The Yankees had a different lineup yet again. Paul Goldschmidt led off and played first base. Cody Bellinger was playing right field batting second. Aaron Judge batted third and was the designated hitter. Jazz Chisholm Jr. batted fourth and played second base. Anthony Volpe batted fifth and played shortstop. Austin Wells was the catcher, batting sixth. Jasson Dominguez batted seventh and played left field. Oswald Peraza played batted eighth and played third base. Trent Grisham batted ninth and played center field. From Judge down it was the same batting order for the Yankees.
Scoring Summary: Yanks Against Pittsburgh
The Yankees jumped out to a 1-0 lead in the first inning as Chisolm doubled Bellinger. After two good innings, Warren imploded. In the third inning, Hayes singled in Kiner-Falefa to tie the game at 1. Then, Reynolds doubled in Hayes giving the Pirates a 2-1 lead. Kiner-Falefa then walked. Control was an issue for Warren.
In the fourth inning, Pham hit a sacrifice fly to drive in Valdez, who had tripled. That gave the Pirates a 3-1 lead. Then Frazier scored on an Isiah Kiner Falefa double, which extended the Pirates lead to 4-1. Oswald Peraza doubled in Volpe in the ninth inning to cut the lead to 4-2. Grisham then singled in two runs to tie the game at 4.
Notes from the Game
The Pirates were walked off three straight games against the Miami Marlins. Warren started for the New York Yankees and pitched only 4 innings. He surrendered 4 runs, stuck out 5, and walked 1. He gave up 6 hits and threw 87 pitches.
As poorly as Warren pitched for the Yankees, veteran Andrew Heaney pitched well for the Pittsburgh Pirates. He struck out 10 and the left-hander pitched 7 strong innings. There was also a threat of rain in this game, but the rain held off and the Pirates and Yankees were able to play. The weather forecasts were dire.
Judge failed to extend his four-game hitting streak, going 0-of-4. He hit a fly ball to the center field wall in his last at-bat of the game. McCutchen has 236 home runs. That ties him on the all-time franchise list with Roberto Clemente.
This was the first extra-inning game the Yankees have played this year. In extra-inning games, the home team has an advantage because they know how many runs they need to score. The Pirates scored in the 11th inning when Pham hit one over the head of Dominguez with Jack Suwinski on third base. The Pirates won the game 5-4.
Conclusion
The Yankees needed to win this game as they now face a tough series in Detroit. The Tigers have won four of their last five games. They are hot. It is supposed to be very cold in Detroit, in the mid-30s. That cold weather will not be good for the aged Yankees. Bellinger has already missed games with a stiff back. Yankee fans are also concerned about Warren after a shaky start.
