On fireworks night at Yankee Stadium, the Bombers laid an egg.
The Yankees’ offense provided too little, too late in what was a lifeless display for most of the night in front of a sellout crowd in their 3-2 loss to the Cincinnati Reds on Wednesday.
Reds starter Andrew Abbott diced the Yanks up while tossing 6.1 innings. He allowed just one run on three hits while walking four and striking out two. The lefty was removed from the game in the seventh inning after Jahmai Jones ignited an attempt at a comeback.
Jones lined a double down left-field — the team’s first hit since the second inning — line to knock Abbott out of the game. Fernando Cruz came on in relief and walked Austin Wells before serving up a two-RBI double to Anthony Volpe to bring the Yanks within one. Volpe advanced on a wild pitch and Juan Soto worked a walk to set up first and third with one out for Aaron Judge.
Judge hit a hard grounder to third and the Reds turned two to end the Yankees’ only threat of the night to that point. The Bombers rallied again in the bottom of the eighth, however, Trent Grisham struck out on three pitches with runners on second and third to end the inning.
Meanwhile, Carlos Rodon took a step in the right direction. After pitching to a 13.17 ERA in his previous three starts, the southpaw wasn’t great on Wednesday, but he did enough to keep the Yankees in the game. Rodon tossed 5.1 innings allowing three runs on three hits while striking out eight.
The long ball hurt the lefty as he surrendered a two-run laser to Noelvi Marte in the second and a solo shot to Stuart Fairchild in the fifth. Rodon was not happy about being pulled from the game with one out in the sixth as he was visibly screaming “no way!,” while Aaron Boone was making his trot out to the mound. The starters’ season ERA sits at 4.45.
The Bombers’ bullpen was strong once again. In relief of Rodon, Michael Tonkin continued to be a force for Boone as he tossed 1.2 scoreless innings, lowering his season ERA down to 2.25. Tommy Kahnle and Clay Holmes tossed scoreless eighth and ninth innings to keep the game at one.
However, the Yanks couldn’t complete the comeback, failing to score in the ninth against closer Alexis Diaz.
The Yanks will turn the ball over to Marcus Stroman (3.29 ERA) to avoid a three-game home sweep against the Reds. Former Yankee Frankie Montas (4.23 ERA) will try to complete the sweep for David Bell’s squad.