The Yankees had a rare chance to break through, but things didn’t go their way. With Glaber Torres at the plate in a key spot, there was some confusion between pitcher and catcher on pitch signals. After a pause, some pine tar drama, and a few glitches in the broadcast feed, the at-bat got going. Glaber started with a favorable 2-0 count but swung through a fastball he probably wishes he’d taken. From there, the showdown turned into a battle. Maldonado tried to mix in deception, but Glaber fouled off pitch after pitch. The count ran full, and for the third time with men on, he faced a curveball on 3-2. He barely fought it off and eventually worked a walk to load the bases.
That brought up Didi Gregorius in a massive moment. He jumped on the first pitch and nearly changed the game. The broadcast took too long to cut to the live shot, but when it did, Josh Reddick caught the ball just in front of the wall. Judge, celebrities in the front row, and fans in the stands all showed the same mix of hope and frustration. The deep breath from Reddick after the catch said it all. Glaber could only shake his head. Later, Maldonado almost added to the damage with a deep fly that had everyone fooled. Even reliever Tommy Kahnle reacted like it was gone. But that too died on the track. Broadcast issues, weirdly pale visuals, and close calls summed up the night. The Yankees were inches away, but it wasn’t enough.