Yankees 8, Twins 3: Home runs rain down again

After hitting four home runs and scoring 14 runs in a win yesterday, it would have been hard to top yesterday’s offensive output. Technically, they didn’t and only scored eight runs. However, the offense was on fire again today, hitting another four home runs.

Didi Gregorius, Aaron Judge, and Gary Sanchez, twice, did the damage for the Yankees today. CC Sabathia was very good for six innings on the other side, and that was enough to give the Yankees a fourth-straight win, this one finishing 8-3.

Despite all the glowing words to write about the offense, it was actually the Twins who struck first. In the top of the first, Sabathia got two quick outs to start the game, but Miguel Sano kept the inning alive with a walk. Eduardo Escobar then put one over Aaron Judge in right field for a double. A fielding error by Judge when he was trying to corral the ball may have helped allow Sano to go all the way around to score and put Minnesota up early.

The Yankees answered back in the second inning. Sanchez hit his first homer of the day, taking a Jose Berrios pitch over the wall in right, tying the game at one.

An inning later, the Yankees went on to take the lead. After Brett Gardner drew a walk, Judge doubled to left, moving Gardner to third. Gregorius then dropped a single in, scoring Gardner.

The Yankees added more in the fourth inning, but they got some help. First, Neil Walker struck out, but reached first anyway after a wild pitch got behind the plate. Then, Miguel Andujar reached thanks to an error by catcher Mitch Garver. Gleyber Torres made them pay for those mistakes, singling home Walker.

In the fifth with Judge on after a walk, it was Gregorius’ turn for a dinger. Didi took one to right for his eighth home run of the season, putting the Yankees up four. Here is a fun fact:

Sabathia would end up going six innings, allowing one run on two hits and a walk. He was replaced by Dellin Betances, and things got a little too close for comfort after that.

Betances walked the first batter he faced, and then made a throwing error on a pick off throw to first during the next at bat. He ended up striking out the next batter, but that’s the only one he would get. Garver then singled to right. Judge’s throw to home was good enough to chase the runner back to third, and Garver strayed a little too far from first. Sanchez then quickly tried to throw down to first to get him. However, a Torres error after he just missed the ball allowed a run to score. Betances was taken out after another walk that brought the tying run coming to the plate. He was replaced by David Robertson, who would get out of inning without much trouble.

The Yankees would quickly get that run back in the bottom of the seventh, however. Judge got in on the home run party, leading off the inning with a solo shot. For good measure, Sanchez then hit a second home run a few batters later. This one was a two-run-er, and the Yankees were ahead comfortably once again.

The Twins got a run back in the eighth off Chasen Shreve, but that’s as close as they would get. Jonathan Holder finished off the ninth, giving the Yankees game two against the Twins.

Box score.