The Yankees’ offense has been noticeably quiet lately, with Aaron Judge showing his human side over the past few weeks, seemingly affecting the entire team. Yet, if pitching can be this effective, maybe they can weather the storm.
Will Warren stood out, delivering a solid performance as he passed the ball to three relievers to help secure a 3-0 victory against the Athletics in front of a sold-out crowd of 46,192 in the Bronx on Friday.
After losing seven out of eight games against the Orioles, the Yankees (47-34) bounced back, winning four out of six. It feels like they’re slowly addressing their offensive struggles.
Their batting was less than impressive, racking up just four hits against former Yankees player Mitch Spence and Sean Newcomb. But surprisingly, three of those hits brought in runs. Cody Bellinger’s third single came after an intentional walk to Judge, allowing Anthony Volpe to score. DJ LeMahieu hit a soft grounder that could have been a double play, but Spence’s slow fielding turned it into an infield single.
The Yankees pitchers collectively achieved their ninth shutout of the season, now tied with Cleveland for the most in the American League.
Warren was the standout of the night. He nearly faced a disastrous outing early on, but managed to throw five scoreless innings despite allowing only two hits.
After a shaky start in the first inning, where he faced a bases-loaded situation, he quickly regained composure, nailing a critical strikeout to escape the jam, all while getting warm-up relief from Alan Winans.
On his 36th pitch, Warren found success with a well-placed sinker, dominating Geo Urchera and striking him out with ease.
As the game progressed, the threat continued with runners on base after Willie Massiver doubled and Max Schuman walked. However, Warren held strong, managing to navigate through the danger to finish with 100 pitches.
Tim Hill then came in, navigating through another tight situation despite a defensive miscue that highlighted LeMahieu’s limited range. He, along with Fernando Cruz, Luke Weaver, and Devin Williams, who earned his 11th save, managed to keep the Athletics scoreless.
