 |
| [ PHOTO: THE OLYMPIAN ] |
September 9, 2018
George A. King III, New York Post
SEATTLE — Dellin Betances pitched himself into a deep hole and escaped in the ninth inning Saturday night. On Sunday, the trouble wasn’t as deep, but Betances wasn’t able to climb out of it.
A four-pitch walk to Mitch Haniger starting the home eighth, a stolen base and a sacrifice bunt put the potential go-ahead run at third, and Robinson Cano’s broken-bat ground ball to shortstop Adeiny Hechavarria scored Haniger to hang a 3-2 loss on the Yankees in front of 34,917 at Safeco Field.
The loss, coupled with the A’s beating the Rangers, shaved the Yankees’ lead in the chase for the top spot in the AL wild-card race to 2 ½ games.
After not seeing Edwin Diaz in the first two games, the Yankees got a look at the major league leader in saves in the ninth and went quickly — if not quietly, as Brett Gardner was thrown out of the game for arguing balls and strikes after striking out — as the right-hander notched his 54th save.
