Yankees end grueling stretch on a high note with 7-1 win over Reds

Cincinnati—The Yankees ended their stretch of 16 games in 16 games with a 7-1 win over the Reds. Yankees struggled quite a bit in that 16-game stretch, going 7-9. Max Fried got the start for the Yankees, and Brady Singer took the ball for the Reds. 

"This is grinding time right now," Jazz Chisholm Jr said. "Summer is really hot. So we just got to grind it out and win a couple more games." 

Trent Grisham led off the ballgame with a bloop double in no man's land in center field. However, Ben Rice, Aaron Judge, and Jazz struck out. 

In the bottom of the first inning, Fried worked around a two-out single and picked up his first strikeout of the ballgame. 

Jasson Dominguez just missed a lead-off bomb in the top of the second inning off the top of the wall in straight away center field, but he did leg out a double. Anthony Volpe followed that up with a walk. The next batter, Austin Wells, reached base thanks to a throwing error by the Reds' first baseman, Christian Encarnacion-Strand, to load the bases with nobody out. A couple of batters later, Trent Grisham came through with an RBI single to give the Yankees a 1-0 lead. 

Fried made a beautiful off-balanced throw to help himself retire the Reds in order. Fried also picked up two more strikeouts to put his total up to three for the game. 

Giancorlo Stanton led off the top of the third inning with a rocket single to center field. The next batter, Jazz, launched a two-run home run 433 feet away to make it a 3-0 game, his 11th bomb of the year. 

“I mean, it felt good. I didn't think I swung extra hard on it," Jazz said. "I just tried to get my barrel to it, and it just traveled as far as it went." 

A bad throw from Jazz at third base with two outs in the bottom of the fourth inning allowed a run to score and make it a 3-1 game. 

Rice was hit by a pitch to lead off the top of the fifth, then Stanton worked a walk. A couple batters later, Dominguez legged out an infield single to load the bases with one out. Anthony Volpe made it a 4-1 game when he picked up one of the stranger sacrifice flies you will see as Rice went back to third because he thought he left early, tagging up from third. 

Fried surrendered a two-out double to Santiago Espinal, but Fried immediately picked him off to end the bottom of the fifth inning. 

DJ LeMahieu led off the top of the sixth inning with a single up the middle. Grisham followed that up with an infield single, his third hit of the night. Judge then ripped an RBI double into the right field corner to make it a 5-1 game. A couple batters later, Stanton made it a 6-1 game via an RBI groundout. 

In the bottom of the sixth inning, Fried retired the Reds in order and picked up two strikeouts in the process to bring his total up to six for the night. 

Dominguez led off the top of the seventh inning with a single to the middle, his third hit of the night, then stole second base right away. Dominguez also stole third base, then Wells worked a walk to put runners at the corners with one out. However, DJ bounced into a 6-4-3 double play to end the inning. 

Fernando Cruz took over for Fried on the mound in the bottom of the eighth inning and struck out his former team, the Reds, in order. 

Max Fried's final line: seven innings pitched, four hits allowed, one unearned run, one walk, 19 swings and misses, and seven strikeouts on 106 pitches. Fried threw his cutter 30% of the time, the curveball 21%, the fastball 14%, the changeup 12%, the sweeper 12%, and the sinker 10% of the time. Fried was dominant tonight yet again, giving the Yankees a great start to end their two-game losing streak and avoid being swept, lowering his ERA to 1.92. 

"I thought, you know, thought I was able to change speeds pretty well," Fried said.. "And, you felt like early on, I was able to keep pitch count down a little bit, drew some deep counts in those middle innings. And it was really kind of, you know, find myself a little but, but just, you know, credit to the defense and the, you know, especially the offensive, getting some runs on the board and giving some breathing room and, you know, being able to have a really good, complete game today."

Dominguez led off the top of the ninth inning with a double into the left field corner for his fourth hit of the night. Dominguez moved up to third on a groundout from Volpe. Wells then made it a 7-1 game thanks to an RBI single that just got past the drawn-in infield. 

JT Brubaker replaced Cruz on the bump in the bottom of the ninth inning and retired the Reds in order to end this one 7-1 final, as the Yankees salvaged the final game of the series. 

"We've got a great core of guys here," Jazz said. "I feel like we're a great team, and I feel we're going to make the World Series again." 

The Yankees will have a much-needed off day tomorrow, then start a new series in the Bronx Friday night against the A’s.  Will Warren will get the start for the Yankees, and the A’s pitcher is still TBD at the moment. The first pitch is scheduled for 7:05 p.m. ET on the YES Network. 

My thoughts on the game: Fried with another dominant start, seven innings of what should have been shut-out baseball if it wasn't for a throwing error from Jazz. Jazz made up for that error with the bat as he launched a long two-run home run in the third inning. Grisham was also awesome tonight at the plate as he put together the third four-hit night of his career. Dominguez also put together a four-hit night of his own, the first of his career, as well as two stolen bases. Just a great night all around for the offense. Cruz and JT were also great out of the bullpen, picking up the final six outs of the ballgame. On to this weekend, as the Yankees will look to take at least two out of three games from the A’s.