The tone for most of the game was set in the first inning when Shohei Ohtani blasted a full count change-up that Aaron Judge would hop up and catch over the wall. He then turned around in the bottom half of the inning and put the game out of hand by hitting a ball with almost precisely the same distance and exit velocity, but to a better part of the ballpark. Of course, the Angels were only down 2 runs and Griffin Canning wouldn’t surrender another run, but bad sequencing and failure to capitalize in key moments would make it appear that the game was destined for tragedy.
In the 8th, however, Hunter Renfroe found a gap in the infield with a ground ball, advanced on a balk, and made it home on a single that Gio Urshela had absolutely no business hitting to tie it up and keep hopes of an early series win alive in New York. Judge would make another great –this time, diving– catch to snub Brandon Drury and keep the Angels from taking the lead, but it finally felt like a battle.
Except it wouldn’t really be. Matt Moore came in in extras, put Aaron Judge on first because who wouldn’t, hit the next batter, and induced a one-out game-winning sacrifice fly. Game over.
A very anti-climactic end to a very boring game, a combination that doesn’t come all that often. The Angels still have a chance to take the series tomorrow, assuming they don’t go 1-15 with RISP again.
