Daily dose of Yordan: doubleheader edition (Games 76 and 77)

Total statline: 1-4. HR, 2 RBI, R, 2 BB, 2 K, DP

​

Game one final statline: 0-2, 2 K, BB

At bat 1 (Top of first): 4 pitch strikeout swinging

Yordan took a classic Mize splitter for a ball low and inside, and then fouled off a hard fastball near his hands. He then fouled off another fastball, this time low and outside (but still in the zone) before swinging and missing pretty badly at a really high fastball that was closer to his head than his shoulders.

At bat 2 (Top of third): 7 pitch walk

Yordan started this at bat by fouling off a low slider inside the zone. He then took two high fastballs outside the zone, one near his head and one a couple inches above his shoulders. He then took a high, outside Mize splitter that was almost a wild pitch for ball 3, before watching another offspeed pitch, this time right in the zone to make the count 3-2. He then fouled off a high fastball and then watched another offspeed pitch fall outside the zone for ball 4. Great at bat here to shrink the zone and force Mize to work before taking his base. He would end up going to third on a Correa single but wouldn't score, as Tucker grounded out.

At bat 3 (Top of fifth): 4 pitch strikeout swinging

This at bat started the way most of the last at bat did, with a high, inside Mize fastball that Yordan took for a ball. However, that would be the only ball Yordan would get in the at bat, as Mize threw him 3 consecutive splitters low in the zone that Yordan either watched for a strike (first one) or swung and missed at (last two) for the strikeout swinging. Honestly not much he could have done there, Yordan's swings looked good, just that Mize's splitters that at bat were nasty.

Game two final statline: 1-2, HR, 2 RBI, R, BB, DP

At bat 1 (Top of second): 9 pitch walk

Easily the best Yordan at bat I have seen today. He quickly went down 0-2 after watching a pair of middle-middle fastballs, but then once again did what he does best, taking a bunch of high outside changeups and fastballs for balls while fouling off 2 pitches in the zone on the way to a 3-2 count. Then after yet another foul ball on a high fastball, Yordan took a low fastball near his shoes for ball 4, completing the remarkable 0-2 walk. Just a great job adjusting his strike zone and only swinging at the pitches high but in the zone to force the pitcher to work. He would later be erased on a fielder's choice/double play by Correa (Not really sure what it was and ESPN graphic doesn't really make it clear), but that shouldn't take away from the masterful display of baseball fundamentals he just had.

At bat 2 (Top of fourth): 2 pitch double play to shortstop

Yordan started the at bat by taking a low, outside fastball for a ball before swinging at a low fastball in the zone and hitting a grounder up the middle. Unfortunately the shortstop (who was literally named short) was there and he threw out Yordan and Gurriel at second for the easy double play.

At bat 3 (Top of sixth): 7 pitch home run to left, 2 RBI, R

Once again, another amazing at bat by Yordan here, and this time it showed with more tangible results. He took a low changeup for ball one, and then watched three straight fastballs, 2 of which were right down the middle for strikes, for a 2-2 count. Then Fulmer went to his offspeed slider inside and low, trying to put Yordan away, but he fouled off one in the zone and watched one sail in for a ball to make the count full. Then on a full count, Fulmer had no choice but to throw inside the zone, but he chose to throw an abomination of a pitch, a fastball right down the middle that Yordan golfed into left for the game tying home run, scoring Altuve. Another great job by him here to make the pitcher work, leading to him getting a hittable pitch and capitalizing on it.