Yankees break out the bats, beat Twins 6-3

The Yankees have continued to struggle in close games, and after the loss last night they needed starting pitcher Luis Cessa (0-3, 4.18 ERA) to give them at least five strong innings. With a well-rested bullpen ready to go, it was evident that Joe Girardi might have to go there early, as Cessa struggled out of the gate. On the contrary his counterpart, the ageless wonder Bartolo Colon (2-8, 8.14 ERA) looked solid to start the game. However, on a night with trade rumors circulating, the Yankee bats woke up in the fifth inning to take a commanding 6-3 lead that they would hold onto for the rest of the game.

Photo Credit: Bruce Kluckholn | AP

Cessa was wild out the gate after he walked the first two batters. He then hit Miguel Sano to load the bases. Lacking control and struggling to get ahead in the count, Cessa walked Robbie Grossman to give the Twins a 1-0 lead.

The Yankees only managed two hits through three innings against Colon, but during the bottom of the third inning the Twins got their second run of the game on a Sano homerun to center field. After three, it was 2-0 Minnesota. During the top of the fourth inning Aaron Judge led off with a single to left field, followed by a single by Did Gregorius to the third baseman. After a hard ground ball by Clint Frazier that resulted in a forceout at second, the Bombers had runners on first and third with two out. Chase Headley continues to show signs of life with the bat, as he singled on a sharp ground ball to center field that gave the Yankees their first run of the game, and made the score 2-1.

Cessa continued to struggle during the bottom of the fourth inning. Jason Castro doubled on a sharp line drive to right field, and Brian Dozier tripled on a deep fly ball off the wall in right field to extend the Twins lead to 3-1. With two outs in the inning, the Bombers went to the pen and brought in the lefty Chasen Shreve (2-1, 2.92 ERA), and he got out of the inning, on just three pitches.

The top of the fifth inning was an outburst that the Yankees desperately needed. Ronald Torreyes started the inning off with a single to center field, and Brett Gardner hit a ground rule double down the left field line to put runners on second and third with zero outs. Gary Sanchez, hit a line drive double to left field that tied the game at three. Ryan Pressly was then brought in to replace Colon, and face the struggling Aaron Judge. The big right fielder singled on a ground ball right up the center, that gave the Yankees their first lead, 4-3. Gregorius followed a Matt Holliday strikeout with a long homerun to right center field to give the Yankees a 6-3 lead. After five runs scored in the inning the Bombers would need their bullpen to continue their hot streak, in order to even up the series in the Twin City.

With Shreve on during the bottom of the fifth, trying to get a shutdown inning, Sano doubled on a sharp line drive to left field. Max Kepler would single on a line drive to right field, but not wanting to test Judge’s arm, the Twins had runners on the corners with zero outs. Shreve would retire the next three batters, and work out of trouble, keeping the Yankees lead intact.

Adam Warren and Dellin Betances combined to pitch three scoreless innings for the Bombers, as the bullpen continues to surge upwards after a few weeks of struggling. Aroldis Chapman then came on for the save in the ninth to close out the game.

Tomorrow the Yankees finish off the series against the Minnesota Twins in a matinee matchup 1:05 PM ET. For the Bombers Jordan Montgomery (6-4, 3.78 ERA) takes the hill. And for the Twins, Jose Berrios (8-3, 3.70 ERA) gets the nod.  

Winning Pitcher:

Losing Pitcher:

Save:

Notables:

Ronald Torreyes: 3-4, R

Brett Gardner: 2-5, R

Didi Gregorius: 3-4, R, 2 RBI (42), HR (12)

Aaron Judge: 2-4, 2 R, RBI (67), BB

Gary Sanchez: 2-5, R, 2 RBI (46)

Article by: Randy Hancock

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