The Yankees pitching staff absolutely slammed the door shut on the Phillies’ offense yet again, taking down Philadelphia 3-1 Saturday night to lock up the series win. Both clubs had seven hits, but man, the Phillies were completely lost at the plate, going a brutal 0-for-7 with runners in scoring position and leaving eight guys stranded on base. That’s just a recipe for disaster.
Yankees Pitching Put On a Clinic, Again
Let’s talk about this Yankees pitching staff. For the second straight game, they held a dangerous Phillies lineup to a single run. Starter Ryan Weathers had to grind, no doubt about it. Trea Turner got plunked to start the game, then Kyle Schwarber doubled, putting runners on second and third with no outs. You’re thinking, “Here we go.” But Weathers buckled down. Bryce Harper got the sac fly for the game’s first run, but Weathers worked out of it, getting a ground out and a crucial strikeout. He kept battling, getting strikeouts when it mattered and capitalizing on aggressive Phillies swings. He nearly finished the sixth, but Bryan De La Cruz reached on a soft grounder, and that was it for Weathers. He still finished with just one earned run on six hits, one walk, and seven strikeouts over 5.2 innings.
The bullpen? Lights out. Angel Chivilli came in and gave up a single to J.T. Realmuto, but Cody Bellinger made a huge play in foul territory to end the threat. Paul Blackburn then threw two shutout innings, allowing just one baserunner on a walk and dropping his season ERA to a sparkling 1.93. And then David Bednar? He came in for the ninth and slammed the door with a 1-2-3 inning for his 20th save of the season. This pitching staff, from Weathers to Bednar, was the MVP of the game, plain and simple.
Offense Scratches and Bellinger’s Scary Exit
It wasn’t all smooth sailing for the Yankees offense, either. They struggled against former Yankee Tim Mayza for two innings and then Brian Keller, who was making his big league debut. But Austin Wells broke through, absolutely demolishing a pitch from Keller 430 feet the opposite way for his seventh homer of the season, tying the game at 1-1. That’s a huge shot in a tight game. Then in the sixth, New York took the lead. Austin Wells led off with a walk, and then Cody Bellinger came up with a clutch two-out single to score him. That hit was set up by a bloop from Paul Goldschmidt that Trea Turner couldn’t snag on a tough behind-the-shoulder catch in shallow left. Later, Jasson Dominguez tacked on an insurance run in the seventh, crushing a 420-foot bomb from the right side off Jose Alvarado to make it 3-1.
But the win came with a big scare. Bellinger, who was 2-for-4, was pulled in the eighth inning after stretching a single into a double. He looked like he pulled up lame going from first to second. That’s the kind of moment that can change a whole team’s outlook.
The Yankees and Phillies wrap up this series tomorrow night, first pitch at 7:05 p.m. Will Warren (7-4, 4.00 ERA) goes for the Yankees against Cristopher Sanchez (12-4, 2.71 ERA) for Philadelphia. The Yankees are going for the sweep, but everyone’s going to be holding their breath to see what’s up with Bellinger.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Yahoo Sports.
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