Yankees Beat Braves 5-4 On Old Timer’s Day As Gerrit Cole Started

The Yankees played today, just hours after their emotional 3-2 win in ten innings. It was also Old Timer’s Day at Yankee Stadium. There were several classic players at the Stadium, on the thirtieth anniversary of the 1996 World Championship. Unfortunately, the Yankees won this game 5-4. With all of those things going for them, how could they not?

The Yankees must keep on winning. This is because their competition in the American League East Division, the Tampa Bay Rays and the Boston Red Sox, basically do not lose. In fact, the Red Sox are 27-3 in their past 30 games. Couple this with a depleted Yankee lineup that is having trouble scoring runs, and you get a recipe for the team to finish in third place. Do you think they will?

Yankees and Braves Game Summary August 8

The Yankees were hoping to leverage the fact that today was Old Timer’s Day, and a start for their re-established ace, Gerrit Cole. There were several nice stories from Old Timer’s Day. The best was that the Yankees catcher Austin Wells was again wearing his Thurmon Muson tribute chest protector. Today, he got to escort Diana Munson, Thurmon’s widow, and she gave him a nice handwritten note, moved by his tributes. Here is how the game played out.

In the second inning, Spencer Jones singled, and Trent Grisham scored. It was 1-0 Yankees. That was an important run against a tough pitcher in Chris Sale. In the fifth inning, Mike Yaztermski hit a double, and Mauricio Dubon scored. Then Jim Jarvis singled, and Dubon scored. It was 2-1 Braves. The first run was the result of Ramos playing too shallow, as the double was hit over his head.

In the bottom of the fifth inning, Spencer Jones tripled, and George Lombard Jr. scored. Then, Spencer Jones scored on a balk by Sale. The score was 3-2 Yankees. They needed to take the lead, and it is funny that both Cole and Sale struggled in the fifth inning. Sale was pitching on 9 days’ rest.

Cole made these runs stand up with an 8-pitch fifth inning. He had another 8-pitch inning in the sixth inning. Then in the seventh inning, George Lombard Jr. hit another home run. The score was 4-2 Bombers.

In the eighth inning, Ronald Acuna Jr. hit a solo home run, and it was 4-3, but right away in the bottom of the inning, Ben Rice hit a solo home run. The score was 5-3 Yankees. That was a big home run because in the ninth inning, Dominic Smith singled and Mike Yaztermski scored. That made the score 5-4. That was the final score of the game.

Old Timer’s Day at Yankee Stadium

One of the nice things about Old Timer’s Day is that there was a steady parade of former Yankees’ stars in the television booth. Jorge Posada, Bernie Williams, and Tino Martinez were some examples of former players to come to the booth. The team honored the thirtieth anniversary of their somewhat unexpected 1996 World Championship. Five runs for the team, off Sale no less, is an offensive explosion.

Frequently Asked Questions

The Yankees won this game 5-3. The player of the game was the Yankees starting pitcher Gerrit Cole. He pitched seven innings and allowed six hits and two runs. He walked one and struck out seven batters. These two teams play tomorrow at 1:35, when the Bombers will go for a sweep.

Conclusion

The Yankees got an emotional win last night. They were able to leverage Old-Timers Day today, plus a great start from Gerrit Cole, and a home run from George Lombard Jr. It was good that Ben Rice hit a solo home run in the eighth inning. Coupled with his single off the wall last night, maybe he is emerging from his slump. That would be important as he is a big part, maybe the only part, of the lineup for the team.