Daily dose of Yordan (Game 74)

Today's statline: 1-3, BB, K, HR, RBI

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It was another one of those "Yordan at LF, Brantley at DH" days, and it went pretty well, I don't think he made any plays other than a routine throw after a double to left. Great to see him consistently out there though, hopefully next year on his Topps baseball cards it says "LF" instead of the dreaded one dimensional "DH".

At bat 1 (Top of first): 5 pitch walk

Yordan started this at bat by watching a high outside curve for ball 1, before watching a fastball miss in the exact same location for ball 2. Then he watched an inside curve for ball three, and then watched a fastball right down the middle at 3-0 for the first strike. He then took another fastball, this time outside and high, for ball 4 and took the walk. He would later score on a 2 run double by Correa.

At bat 2 (Top of second): 2 pitch flyout to right.

Yordan watched a "high and up" fastball (how the ump described it) for a ball before getting a changeup right in his wheelhouse, inside and low. He got fooled a bit and hit under the pitch to create a looping fly ball to right that Santander easily caught for out number 3.

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

The pitcher decided to pitch Yordan extremely carefully this at bat, throwing him only offspeed knuckleballs in the at bat. Yordan looked like he was mostly just trying to time up the pitcher here, as he watched the first two for strikes (highly questionable borderline ones at that) before fouling off another one right down the middle. He then watched another knuckleball sail right into the inside heart of the plate for strike three.

At bat 4 (Top of seventh): 3 pitch home run to right, RBI

Leading off the inning, once again, Yordan was fed all knuckleballs in this at bat, and he clearly adjusted to the previous at bat. He tapped a really low one foul, before slapping a high offspeed pitch opposite field foul for strike two. The pitcher then went back to the well one too many times, as he hung another knuckleball inside to Yordan that he annihilated to right for a no doubt home run to right. Just a beautiful swing, here's the instant reactions, you can clearly see that both Yordan and the hitter instantly knew that the pitch was out.

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Once again in the bottom of the seventh, Yordan was defensively subbed in for Chas Mccormick. I used to question when this happened, but once again, Mccormick came up huge later in the game as he drilled a home run in the next inning. Either Dusty knows something we don't, or Mccormick coming in off a defensive substitution is the best hitter in baseball.

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Another good day for Yordan, remember to vote him for your 2021 American League designated hitter! Ballot is here: https://www.mlb.com/all-star/ballot, Yordan looks to still be in third but I think there's still enough time for him to pass J.D. Martinez and secure 2nd place for his first all star appearance. Thanks for reading everyone!