After sweeping the Boston Red Sox and going 8-2 in their last ten games and overtaking the Boston Red Sox in the AL East, the New York Yankees took on the Minnesota Twins in the first game of a four-game set at Yankee Stadium in the Bronx. Jameson Taillon was on the mound for the Yankees and John Gant for the Twins. The Yankees won the game 7-5.
In the first, Max Kepler led off for the Twins and ground out to Odor at second. Jorge Polanco dunked in for a base hit to no man’s land in center. Josh Donaldson flew out to Stanton in right. Polanco tried to steal second, but Higashioka threw a lazer to second for the final out. At the bottom, Luke Voit leadoff for the Yankees and flew out to center. Rizzo ground out for the second out. Aaron Judge tapped out to the mound for the final out of the inning. No score.
At the second, Luis Arraez flew out to Stanton in right. Miguel Sano went down on strikes. Nick Gordon flew out to Judge in center for a 1-2-3 inning for Taillon. At the bottom, Joey Gallo struck out swinging. Giancarlo Stanton ground out to center. Rougie Odor went down on strikes to end the scoreless inning. No score.
The third inning was led off by Ryans Jeffers, who went down on strikes. Jake Cave tapped out to first. Andelton Simmons ground out to Wade at third. At the bottom, Andrew Velazquez had a leadoff triple. Higashioka got an RBI double scoring Velazquez who was alble to walk home. Tyler Wade worked a walk. Luke Voit hit to far left to get double scoring both Wade and Wade. Anthony Rizzo sac flew out to center with Voit scoring. Aaron Judge, with one out, struck out swinging. Gallo hit into the catcher’s glove. New York Yankees 4 Twins 0.
Max Kepler led off the fourth inning by striking out looking. Polanco struck out. Donaldson ground out to short. At the bottom, Giancarlo Stanton chopped out to third. Rougie Odor faced the new Twins pitcher Danny Coulombe and flew out to right. Velazquez singled to short. Velazquez stole seond. Kyle Higashioka hit a two-run bomb just inside the left-field foul pole driving in two. Wade ground out. New York Yankees 6 Twins 0.
The fifth inning was scoreless for both teams. The top of the sixth was not good for Taillon or the Yankees as the Minnesota twins racked up 3 runs in the inning. Kepler doubled. Polanco doubled, and Cave homered. The bottom of the sixth was led off by Odor, who ground out. Velazquez went down looking. Higashioka flew out to the right to end the inning. New York Yankees 6 Minnesota 3. What looked like it was going to be a laugher had turned into another close game for the Yankees.
The seventh inning was led off by Sano, who ground out. Gordon struck out swinging. Jeffers popped out at the end of the half. At the bottom, Wade struck out swinging. Voit flew out to right field. Rizzo ground out for a very fast inning for Peralta and Albers. New York Yankees 6 Minnesota Twins 3. Wandy Peralta had an excellent 1.2 innings.
The top of the eight with new Yankee pitcher Zack Britton on the mound, Cave ground out. Simmons reached for a single. Simmons reached second on a wild pitch. Kepler struck out swinging for the second out of the inning. Then, Polanco got a line-drive single to center, and the Twins picked up another run. It was Polanco’s third hit of the game. Donaldson went down swinging, but the Twin nibbled closer, tacking on another run.
Aaron Judge led the bottom of the eight, who hit it hard but directly to second for the first out of the inning. Gallo struck out for the third time in the game. Stanton homered to the short porch in right field to get an insurance run for the Yankees. Odor went down on strikes. New York Yankees 7 Minnesota Twins 4.
At the top of the ninth, with the last licks on the line for the Twins, Luis Arraez against the new Yankee pitcher and closer Chad Green flew out to left field. Miguel Sano hit a homer just inside the left-field foul pole. Brent Rooker pinch-hitting for Nick Gordon struck out looking. Ryan Jeffers stuck out swinging for the New York Yankees seventh straight win, a season-high.
The final score was the New York Yankees 7 and the Minnesota Twins 5. The winning pitcher was Jameson Taillon; the loser was John Gant. The save went to Chad Green (6).