Voit, Yanks beat Orioles in 10 innings
NEW YORK — The first leadoff, walk-off sacrifice fly in major league history put the New York Yankees back in commanding position for a playoff berth with just over two weeks left in the regular season.
Yes, that’s right, Luke Voit LED OFF the 10th inning with a game-ending sacrifice fly.
“It’s 2020, man. Things are weird, and you got to take advantage of what opportunities you get,” Voit said after the Yankees beat Baltimore 2-1 Saturday to extend their winning streak to four.
Thank this year’s rule calling for extra innings to start with a runner on second base. DJ LeMahieu, who made New York’s last out of the ninth, went to second and advanced when Hunter Harvey (0-2) bounced his first pitch off the mitt of catcher Pedro Severino to the backstop.
Voit, hitting in shadows that extended to just in front of the mound, worked the count to 2-2, fouled off three pitches and hit a 99-mph fastball to center field. Cedric Mullins made a backhand grab 335 feet from the plate and didn’t bother to throw as LeMahieu trotted home leisurely.
Voit, among the major league leaders with 37 RBIs, is used to the extra-inning runner rule.
“Playing in the minors for four years, we have that same thing,” he said.
Max Muncy of the Los Angeles Dodgers hit the only previous leadoff sacrifice fly in the majors, in the 10th on Aug. 15, but that was in the top half of the inning at Anaheim following Chris Taylor’s stolen base. The Dodgers hung on for a 6-5 win.
New York started the shortened season 15-6, plummeted with a 5-16 funk and now is on its longest winning streak since taking six in a row from Aug. 11-17.
“Sometimes what separates good and great teams is you’ve got to be able to grind through those tough times,” Yankees manager Aaron Boone said.
A day after sweeping a doubleheader from Balti
more, New York (25-21) opened a 4 1⁄2-game lead over the Orioles (20-25) for the American League’s eighth and final playoff berth and closed on Toronto (24-20) for second place in the AL East. After losing three of four at Camden Yards last weekend, the Yankees have outscored the Orioles 18-2 in this series.
“We just chased way too much outside the strike zone,” Baltimore manager Brandon Hyde said. “That’s why we’re streaky.”
New York won despite going 0 for 8 with runners in scoring position and making a season-high three errors.
Jonathan Holder (2-0) combined with Jordan Montgomery, Chad Green, Zack Britton and Aroldis
Chapman on a four-hitter. Baltimore had a runner on third with one out in the 10th before Mullins lined to second baseman Tyler Wade with the infield in, and Hanser Alberto flied out.
Montgomery struck out a career-high nine, allowing three hits and an unearned run in 5 2/3 innings. Concentrating on not rushing his delivery, Mongtomery got five swings and misses in the first inning. That was two more than during his entire outing Monday against Toronto, when eight of 18 batters reached base against him.
This is the 27-year-old left-hander’s first full season following Tommy John surgery in June 2018.
“I’m still getting better, so it’s encouraging to be putting together some good games and kind of figuring out where I need to be each
game,” he said.
Baltimore tied the score in the sixth after Alberto singled leading off and took second when left fielder Brett Gardner bobbled the ball for an error. Alberto tagged up on a flyout and scored when, with the infield in, Ryan Mountcastle hit a pop to short rightcenter that glanced off the glove of second baseman Thairo Estrada for a single. Estrada backtracked for the ball rather than sprinting after it.
New York went ahead in the first when LeMahieu led off with his 200th double, a drive off the wall in leftcenter, and scored on Clint Frazier’s sacrifice fly.
UP NEXT
LHP J.A. Happ (1-2, 4.31 ERA) starts Sunday’s series finale for the Yankees against LHP John Means (1-3, 6.58 ERA).