Yankees Rivalry Roundup: Gio and Gary big in Twins loss

It felt like the Yankees were just about the only team to be off yesterday, as MLB clubs took advantage of the Memorial Day holiday to chock the schedule full of day games. Still, it was a much needed day off for the Yankees to rest and reset ahead of their series with the Angels, beginning tonight at Yankee Stadium.

Before that happens, though, let’s check in on yesterday’s scores.

Minnesota Twins (29-20) vs. Detroit Tigers (18-29)

As we’ve seen before with this series, Yankees fans might feel a twinge of nostalgia seeing Gio Urshela and Gary Sánchez combine for two dingers and three RBI in the Twins’ eventual 7-5 loss at Comerica Park. The game was a mostly back-and-forth affair, tied in the seventh when bad defense caught up with the Twins.

With first base occupied and one out, a ground ball from Spencer Torkelson pulled Twins first baseman José Miranda towards the middle of the basepath, and he threw wildly off target to first base. He had no play to either bag, and while Torkelson was always going to reach, the errant throw allowed Jeimer Candelario to come all the way around from first to score the go-ahead, and eventual game-winning, run. Gotta know when to eat it.

Houston Astros (31-18) vs. Oakland Athletics (20-31)

I can’t say for sure, but this might be the 92nd time Oakland has played Houston this year, and the results were exactly what you would expect, with the Astros smacking them around the Coliseum in a 5-1 victory.

Yordan Álvarez carried the big stick, hitting two home runs to pace the offense and folks, neither of them were cheapies:

Framber Valdez, meanwhile, spun a complete game allowing just two hits in completely flummoxing the A’s. It’s been a tough, tough six weeks in the Bay, and you wonder when the trade talks for the few remaining real pieces start to pick up.

Baltimore Orioles (21-29) vs. Boston Red Sox (23-26)

We keep saying that we expect the Red Sox to start to turn it around after a bad start to the year but uh...maybe that doesn’t happen for a bit. The Orioles combined for 14 hits in a 10-0 drubbing of the Sawx at Fenway Park. Trey Mancini and Ryan Mountcastle clogged the bases for the O’s, each reaching four times, while Anthony Santander closed out the night with a three run home run to put the O’s up double digits. Baltimore took three of five games this weekend in Boston, although they only outscored the Red Sox by four over the extra-long series, as both teams struggled from the mound.

Tampa Bay Rays (28-20) vs. Texas Rangers (23-24)

Well, we gotta start with Eli White:

First inning, former Baby Bomber Glenn Otto in trouble, there’s no better way to pick up your starter than a catch like that.

And that was really as good as it got for the Rays. The didn’t score in the first, gave up four extra base hits that all brought in a run, and ended up losing their series opener to the Rangers, 9-5. Josh H. Smith, Otto’s fellow Baby Bomber alum, made his MLB debut and finished 3-for-4 in the contest with a pair of runs scored.

The Rays actually did make things a little interesting in the seventh, down 9-2. The first five Rays of the inning reached base against Matt Moore (yes, that Matt Moore), with Kevin Kiermaier, Wander Franco, and Randy Arozarena each driving in a run to put a bit of a scare into the Rangers. That was as close as it got though, as the rest of the Texas bullpen picked Moore up and secured the victory.