A big night from Gleyber Torres at the plate was not enough to prevent the sweep, as the A's topped the Yankees, 5-3, on Thursday night in Oakland. >> Box Score
Five takeaways from Thursday's game
1) While throwing 109 pitches, Masahiro Tanaka only mustered six innings of work while laboring through a few innings, starting right out of the gate in the first. The A's plated three runs in the opening frame, which was helped by two walks from Tanaka, after he did not walk a single batter over his last two starts. Matt Olson grounded into a force out which scored Marcus Semien for the game's first run, then Mark Canha added a two-run single to left field.
2) In the second inning, Gary Sanchez had some poor base running that could've cost the Yankees an early run. After singling, Brett Gardner hit a ball right to first base and Sanchez took off for second. Olson touched first, then threw to second base, but it was way off target. The ball was caught by Semien near the bag, but had Sanchez slid for the bag, he would've been easily safe. He didn't and was tagged out. Later in the inning, Torres singled and then moved to second on a wild pitch, which makes one wonder what could've happened had Sanchez hit the deck.
3) Gio Urshela had a poor performance at the plate. In his previous 12 games, Urshela had at least one hit in all but one, recording 23 total hits with a .460 a batting average. On Thursday, Urshela was 0-for-4 wih a strikeout.
4) The Yankees offense came compliments of Torres. He doubled in the fifth inning and then scored when Mike Tauchman singled to left field. Torres then hit two solo home runs -- one in the seventh and another in the ninth -- but it was too little, too late. Torres finished 4-for-4.
5) Offensively, the Yankees just couldn't string enough hits together as a team. In five of the game's nine innings, the Yankees left runners stranded on base.
Highlights
211 straight games with no shutout! 🔥 #YANKSonYES pic.twitter.com/09uoLdFYdB
- YES Network (@YESNetwork) August 23, 2019
What's next
The Yankees continue their West Coast swing in Los Angeles against the Dodgers on Friday night.
LHP James Paxton (9-6, 4.53 ERA) starts the series for New York against LHP Hyun-Jin Ryn (12-3, 1.64).