New York Yankees 10-9 Minnesota Twins
MINNEAPOLIS — The New York Yankees built a commanding early advantage but nearly surrendered it entirely before escaping with a heart-stopping 10-9 triumph over the Minnesota Twins Tuesday night, securing the victory through David Bednar’s nerve-wracking ninth-inning save.
The contest seemed safely decided when the Yankees established a 10-1 cushion following just two innings, but Minnesota responded with a devastating seven-run comeback across the fifth and sixth frames. David Bednar, summoned to preserve the lead, allowed a solo blast to Trevor Larnach during the ninth before recording the final two outs for his 25th save in 28 opportunities.
The victory restored a two-game advantage over Boston for the premier American League wild-card position while keeping New York five games behind Toronto in the AL East.
Volpe returns, Grisham provides power
Anthony Volpe rejoined the starting lineup following a cortisone injection in his left shoulder and delivered immediate production. The struggling shortstop, enduring a 2-for-21 stretch, finished 2-for-4 with an RBI while sparking New York’s opening-inning offensive surge.
Trent Grisham contributed a mammoth three-run homer during the second inning — his career-best 31st — as part of a 10-hit assault that eliminated Twins starter Zebby Matthews early. Every Yankees starter collected at least one hit, including Ben Rice, who registered three hits and one RBI.
Schlittler struggles, bullpen survives
Rookie Cam Schlittler failed to qualify for the victory despite receiving a 10-1 advantage in his 14th start. The right-hander battled through 4 2/3 innings, issuing five walks while surrendering four runs — including a homer to James Outman.
Yankees relievers displayed continued instability. Ryan Yarbrough yielded a homer to Ryan Fitzgerald while Luke Weaver permitted additional baserunners before Mark Leiter Jr. (6-7) stabilized the situation with 1 2/3 scoreless frames. Devin Williams provided a clean eighth, but Bednar’s shaky ninth nearly destroyed what had been a comfortable lead.
Since the All-Star break, New York’s bullpen has compiled a 5.49 ERA — third-worst among major league teams — creating anxiety as October approaches.
Key moments and stat
During the sixth inning, with Minnesota trailing 10-7 and threatening to tie the contest, Larnach lifted a deep fly ball to right field with two runners aboard. Aaron Judge tracked it to the warning track, making the catch just short of the wall while limiting the damage to a sacrifice fly.
Volpe’s return following a weekend cortisone injection in his left shoulder represents positive progress as the Yankees attempt to establish infield consistency heading into the final stretch. Manager Aaron Boone indicated Volpe would continue starting barring any setbacks.
Yankees roster
| hitters | AB | R | H | RBI | HR | BB | K | AVG | OBP | SLG |
| T. Grisham CF | 4 | 2 | 2 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0.238 | 0.347 | 0.465 |
| A. Judge RF | 2 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0.326 | 0.451 | 0.676 |
| B. Rice 1B | 4 | 0 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.248 | 0.333 | 0.48 |
| P. Goldschmidt PH-1B | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.277 | 0.328 | 0.412 |
| C. Bellinger LF | 5 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0.273 | 0.328 | 0.49 |
| G. Stanton DH | 4 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.271 | 0.342 | 0.573 |
| J. Caballero PR-DH | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.235 | 0.333 | 0.349 |
| J. Chisholm Jr. 2B | 5 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0.244 | 0.335 | 0.482 |
| R. McMahon 3B | 5 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.216 | 0.313 | 0.384 |
| A. Volpe SS | 4 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0.208 | 0.271 | 0.396 |
| A. Wells C | 4 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.212 | 0.268 | 0.437 |
| pitchers | IP | H | R | ER | BB | K | HR | PC-ST | ERA |
| C. Schlittler | 4.2 | 3 | 4 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 1 | 89-49 | 3.41 |
| F. Cruz | 0.1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4-3 | 3.98 |
| R. Yarbrough | 0.1 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 17-13 | 4.36 |
| M. Leiter Jr.(W, 6-7) | 1.2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 15-11 | 5.01 |
| D. Williams(H, 13) | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 10-8 | 5.21 |
| D. Bednar(S, 25) | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 13-9 | 2.5 |
Up next
Right-hander Luis Gil (4-1, 2.83 ERA) starts Wednesday’s rubber match for the Yankees against Twins right-hander Taj Bradley (6-7, 4.88 ERA). Gil has provided rotation stability, allowing two earned runs or fewer across each of his last seven starts.
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