[jksander]

August 28, 2025: Ryan Weber (6-8, 4.18 ERA, 125.0 IP, 72 K’s, 1.28 WHIP) took on Marcus Stroman (9-7, 4.06 ERA, 150.2 IP, 119 K’s, 1.28 WHIP) in our first of four games against the Yankees here at Rate Field. We took the lead in the bottom of the third with an RBI double by Austin Slater, but they immediately answered with a solo homer off their first batter of the fourth inning, Aaron Judge, tying it back up. Michael A. Taylor hit an RBI single in the bottom of the inning to get us back into the lead 2-1, but they tied it again with an RBI double by Anthony Volpe in the top of the fifth. We came back at them with a three-run homer by Joey Gallo in the bottom of the fifth to go up 5-2, and Martin Perez took over on the mound in the sixth. They got a run back in the seventh with a solo homer by Anthony Volpe, and Cannon took over with one out and a man on second, letting them load the bases and then tying it up with a two-run single by Ben Rice. With two outs in the top of the eighth a wild pitch let Jazz Chisholm Jr score from third and they took their first lead of the game. We went down quietly from there, once we’d proven no lead was safe, losing this one 6-5. Cannon blew his third save of the year, but Penn Murfee took the loss, falling to 1-5 with a 4.76 ERA after allowing a hit, two walks, a strikeout and the final run of the game. They outhit us 13-7 and yet we had multiple chances to win and just couldn’t stomach it. Let’s give Gallo credit for the three-run homer and call it a day.

August 29, 2025: Sean Burke (5-13, 4.83 ERA, 121.0 IP, 131 K’s, 1.43 WHIP) pitched against Dylan Cease (12-7, 4.04 ERA, 151.1 IP, 174 K’s, 1.24 WHIP), who was sent to New York from San Diego back in July. The Yankees got out to a 3-0 lead after the first two innings, but Gallo and Lee each picked up an RBI in the fourth, and a sac-fly by Starling Marte tied it up 3-3 in the bottom of the fifth, an RBI single by Vargas giving us the one-run lead heading into the sixth. Syndergaard came out in the sixth inning and got us through a pair, as an RBI single by Marte and another by Vargas extended our lead to 6-3 heading into the eighth inning. Martin Perez pitched the final four outs as we held tough to beat the Yankees 6-3 and tie the series at its midpoint. Burke got the win, improving to 6-13 with a 4.86 ERA, allowing four hits, two walks and three runs with seven strikeouts in his five innings. Syndergaard earned his fourth hold and Perez his fifth save, and we outhit the Yankees 11-6, led by Miguel Vargas who had two hits and two RBIs.

August 30, 2025: Brandon Pfaadt (9-11, 4.19 ERA, 161.0 IP, 166 K’s, 1.19 WHIP) pitched against New York’s Carlos Rodon (10-9, 3.86 ERA, 144.2 IP, 148 K’s, 1.13 WHIP). Pfaadt spotted the Yanks a 3-0 lead in the top of the first, and they added a fourth with two outs in the top of the sixth when Trent Grisham hit a solo bomb out of left. We scored three runs from there but were never in any real position to take momentum back, as the Yankees held us off easily enough 6-3. Pfaadt took the loss, with six hits, four walks and four earned runs in 5.2 innings, and they outhit us 9-7, our bats led by Ken Teel with two hits, a run and an RBI.

August 31, 2025: Yu Darvish (10-9, 3.90 ERA, 140.2 IP, 132 K’s, 1.25 WHIP) pitched in our final game against the Yankees, facing Clarke Schmidt (14-6, 2.24 ERA, 169.0 IP, 170 K’s, 1.00 WHIP). Darvish got creamed, seven runs in fewer than three innings, but we inched our way back into the game with four unanswered runs across the third, fourth and fifth to trail the Yankees 7-5 heading into the top of the sixth. They got an RBI single from Jasson Dominguez to get the lead back to three runs midway through the sixth, but Marte hit a solo homer and Brandon Valenzuela added an RBI double to get us within one run heading into the top of the seventh! The Yanks scored again with two outs, an RBI single by Jazz Chisholm Jr extending their lead to 9-7 as we went into the stretch, and a 10th run scored for them in the top of the eighth as Paul Goldschmidt singled against our beleagured bullpen. Valenzuela hit a sac-fly in the botom of the eighth to get us back within two, but that was as close as it got. New York stumped us 10-8 and we’ll enter the final month of the season with a 56-81 record, just 25 games left to be played. Darvish took the loss, allowing seven hits, three walks, seven runs and four strikeouts in just 2.2 innings of “work,” but our bats kept us in this one and we were only outhit 16-14. Our rookie catcher Valenzuela hit three times for a run and three batted in, and Starling Marte had three hits, three runs and two RBIs including two homers, giving him seven on the season.

This week we’ll hit the road for four in Minneapolis against the Twins (76-61, 1st AL Central), followed by three in Detroit (62-76, 4th AL Central), returning to Chicago to play Tampa (64-72, 4th AL East) for three and then finishing our season against the division when we play three in Cleveland (70-66, 3rd AL Central).