[Party Elephant]

I can picture it now.

The jays and yankees are in a tense, low scoring game. Alek Manoah pitched a brilliant 6 innings, then got the hook after getting roughed up a bit in the 7th, but Anthony Bass was able to limit the damage to 1 run. It's 2-1 blue jays. Adam Cimber comes out to pitch the 8th, but after getting Jose Trevino to pop out, he then proceeds to give up a single to Isaiah Kiner-Falefa, then walks Benintendi and Stanton to load the bases with Aaron Judge coming to bat. John Schneider has seen enough. He begrudgingly trots out to the mound and raises his left hand. He wants his fireball-throwing lefty to face Judge. Judge is a right handed batter, so he figures the left handed pitcher will give him an advantage. It's called playing the percentages. It's what smart managers do to win ball games.

In strides Yusei Kikuchi. He's got a spring in his step, like he has something to prove. He's going to show his team, his opponents, and all the fans and media who doubted him.

The first pitch is a heater, but it's very high and inside. Judge has to contort his body in ways no one thought possible to duck out of the way, but in doing so twists his bat around just enough to be considered a swing. Strike 1. Danny Jansen acrobatically springs up to catch the ball and prevent any runners from advancing. Aaron Boone comes out of the dugout to yell obscenities at Kikuchi and the umpire. He is promptly ejected. Every fan watching makes a mental note to check youtube for the Jomboy breakdown later on tonight.

Judge is visibly nervous as he gets back in the batter's box. He has backed up ever so slightly. Kikuchi delivers another fireball, this time low and inside that had Judge not backed up it would have hit him square on the elbow. Judge clutches up and fouls it behind home plate. Strike 2.

With Boone out of the game, Yankees bench coach Carlos Mendoza is evaluating the situation. He has his speedy shortstop on third, a left handed pitcher with his back to him, and Judge standing as far from the plate as he possibly can. He decides it is time for the ballsiest play in baseball. He gives Kiner-Falefa the signal. As Kikuchi begins his windup, Kiner-Falefa takes off down the third base line. He is flying. Kikuchi has no idea. Danny Jansen begins to panic. He stands up and waves his arms in a desperate attempt to get Kikuchi to throw the ball home in time. At the last moment of his delivery, Kikuchi finally notices Jansen. The ball sails out of his hand. Kiner-Falefa dives into a dramatic head first slide. Aaron Judge squeezes to the back of the batters box to allow the runner through, moving his head into the path of the errant 99 MPH pitch. The run scores, and a dazed Aaron Judge takes first base. The dramatic steal of home is negated, as the runners all advance from the hit by pitch. 2-2 ballgame.

The next batter is Gleyber Torres. Kikuchi promptly beans him. Rizzo? Beaned. By the time Kikuchi has faced his minimum 3 batters, he has allowed 3 runs, but John Schneider, noting that Kikuchi's pitch count is only at 5, elects to keep him in the game. The next batter, Josh Donaldson, hits a grand slam to make it 8-2 yankees. Even though it's only the 8th inning, the blue jays declare both the game and season lost, and walk off the field to a chorus of boos.