NEW YORK — As the longest-tenured participant within the Yankees’ group, Kyle Higashioka thought he knew what it might really feel prefer to stroke a walk-off hit at Yankee Stadium. He’d skilled the push of victory many occasions earlier than, charging from the dugout to rejoice a teammate’s second, but by no means had that chance for himself.
As Higashioka bounded into second base with a game-winning double on Sunday, stamping a conclusion on the Yankees’ wild 4-3, 13-inning victory over the Brewers, he whirled to search out Aaron Judge, Gleyber Torres and others already making an attempt to tear his uniform jersey off, pummeling the catcher amidst a bathe of sunflower seeds and gum.
“I was hoping they didn’t take everything off. Nobody needs to see that,” stated Higashioka, in his seventh season with New York. “Just the support from the guys is a great feeling. Hopefully we come together and play well for the rest of the season. This last part of the season is a real revealer of character. You’ve got to grind through it and play your best, no matter what the circumstances are.”
And these circumstances, for many of Sunday afternoon, had been a mix of irritating and odd. One by one, the Yankees spent most of their afternoon making exhausting proper turns again towards their dugout, unable to determine Corbin Burnes over eight hitless innings. Fortunately for the Yanks, Gerrit Cole matched Burnes with scoreless ball.
Milwaukee held the Yanks hitless by way of 9 innings, then a tenth, as Sal Frelick and Joey Wiemer collided on Frelick’s sensational catch close to the right-field wall that robbed Anthony Volpe of what might have been a game-winning hit, leaving Wiemer with a mouth filled with blood.
Oswaldo Cabrera denied the Brewers what would have been the primary 11-inning no-hitter in AL/NL historical past, ripping a game-tying run-scoring double with one out within the eleventh. Just when the Yanks appeared sunk by a pair of Twelfth-inning runs, Giancarlo Stanton blasted a game-tying two-run homer into the Bombers’ bullpen, and on the sport went — till Higashioka delivered their sixth walk-off win of the 12 months.
“We were no-hit for 10 innings, then we started chipping,” Cole stated. “We started grabbing some momentum, so it was a cool combination of two narratives that culminated in a win.”
As Burnes held the bats quiet, limiting the Yanks to a pair of fifth-inning walks, Cole authored a chunk of franchise historical past whereas burnishing his case for the American League Cy Young Award. Hurling seven sturdy innings of three-hit ball, Cole lowered his ERA to an AL-leading 2.79; his 23 begins of two runs or fewer are essentially the most within the Majors.
Cole struck out 9, registering his 2 hundredth of the season with a punchout of Andruw Monasterio within the fifth inning, making him the primary Yankee to report 200 or extra strikeouts in three seasons.
“It’s a cool number,” Cole stated. “I’ve got some more work to do. I’ve done it a few times, and it’s something I’m proud of. A lot of other people in this room have contributed. The ball leaves my hand, but a lot of the thoughts come from other people. I’m thankful I’m able to stay healthy and have people that surround me to support it.”
Said supervisor Aaron Boone: “I do that Immaculate Grid [game], and it’s amazing how many people don’t have 200 strikeouts, and you think they would. He’s got a lot of them.”
Long earlier than he’d be summoned to come back off the bench and catch the ultimate 4 innings, Higashioka stated that he parked himself subsequent to particular advisor Andy Pettitte within the tunnel between the dugout and the clubhouse. Together, the longest-tenured Yankee and the legacy Yankee marveled over Cole’s efficiency.
“We were just kind of laughing,” Higashioka stated. “When you throw certain pitches, they’re so nasty. We knew that they didn’t have much of a chance against him today, with the stuff he had. It’s fun to watch.”
Considered a front-runner to notch his first profession Cy Young Award after a pair of runner-up showings, Cole wants a robust September end to carry off the Mariners’ Luis Castillo, the Blue Jays’ Kevin Gausman and the Twins’ Sonny Gray.
“Corbin was obviously on his game, very much so today, and he’s one of the best pitchers in the world,” Cole stated. “As a fellow pitcher, you definitely respect that kind of effort. It was a well-pitched ballgame, and relatively quick, too, for it being 13 innings.”
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