Yankees 4, Phillies 2: Jonathan Loaisiga and the bullpen combine to shutdown Philly

At times, this game felt closer than it actually seems looking back at a box score.

In part, that was because the Yankees never really had one big inning that put away the Phillies for good. In part, it was because the Phillies’ best attempts at rallies came in the later innings. It was also because it seemed like the Yankees issued a decent number of walks. However, the five walks aren’t that troubling when you only allow three hits.

Jonathan Loaisiga was very good, cruising through the early innings before turning the game over to the bullpen with a lead. The bullpen got into a couple small jams, and did eventually allow a couple runs. In the end, the Yankees’ pitchers combined for 15 total strikeouts, and the four runs the offense did score ended up being enough. Loaisiga and the Yankees took the first game in Philadelphia with a 4-2 win.

After threatening but failing to score in the first inning, the Yankees got on the board in the second. Greg Bird drew a walk to start the inning, and moved to second on a wild pitch. Gleyber Torres then doubled down the first base line, allowing Bird to come around and score.

In the fifth, the Yankees picked up another run. Aaron Judge hit an absolute rocket out to left for a solo homer, doubling the Yankees’ lead. It spent an impressively short amount of time in the air.

After four perfect innings from Loaisiga, the Phillies got their first runner in the fifth when Carlos Santana drew a walk. However, like he had for most of the game to that point, Loaisiga just retired the next three hitters.

The following inning, the Phillies got their first hit when Jorge Alfaro singled. Loaisiga then walked Aaron Altherr. He came back and got a ground out, but with two runners now in scoring position, Aaron Boone decided that was the time to go to the bullpen. He allowed no runs on just one hit and two walks in 5.1 innings, striking out eight. David Robertson came in and wrapped up the inning, stranding both Phillies’ runners.

Robertson was brought back out for the seventh inning, and allowed a run on a walk and a hit. He also got two outs in the process, and then turned it over to Dellin Betances, who got out of the inning with the tying run stuck on second.

In the top of the eighth, the Yankees loaded the bases after a Brett Gardner single, Judge walk, and Didi Gregorius bunt single. That brought up Giancarlo Stanton, who brought two runs home on what goes in the box score as a single. What he did was chop a ball into the ground only for it to still bounce over the Philllies’ infielders for a hit, because Stanton is an extremely strong human. The Yankees couldn’t add any more, in part because Betances had to bat because National League.

In the bottom of the eighth, Betances lost control a bit. He issued two walks, but managed to get a pair of ground outs in between. However, with Santana coming to the plate representing the tying run, Boone brought in Chapman. The Yankees’ closer got a loud fly out to get out of the inning, and keep the three-run lead intact.

Chapman quickly struck out the first two hitters in the ninth, and was a strike away from ending the game against the third. Maikel Franco not only kept the Phillies alive, but cut into the Yankees’ lead with a solo home run in the ninth. The game would only last one batter longer, though, as Chapman struck out Jorge Alfaro to finish things off.

Also, no pitchers were harmed in the making of this interleague game.

Box score.