MINNEAPOLIS — What looked like the perfect bounce-back from Monday’s offensive flop nearly became a full-blown disaster for the New York Yankees.
A night after being blanked 7-0 by the Minnesota Twins, the Yankees seemed to have corrected course in dramatic fashion, surging to a 10-1 lead through four innings Tuesday at Target Field. But what should have been a comfortable win unraveled into a nail-biter before the Bombers held on for a 10-9 victory.
“Definitely made it dicey there,” manager Aaron Boone said after his team almost coughed up a nine-run cushion. “A little exhale after that one.”
The win kept the Yankees (84-67) within striking distance in the American League East, still five games behind the Toronto Blue Jays. More importantly, it preserved their position atop the AL wild-card standings, 1.5 games ahead of the Houston Astros.
Yankees offensive explosion erases Monday’s memory
The Yankees wasted no time shaking off Monday’s shutout, their season-low two-hit effort. By the fourth inning Tuesday, every batter in the starting lineup had at least one hit. In all, New York pounded out 16 hits against Minnesota pitching.
The bottom third of the order set the Yankees tone. Anthony Volpe, back in the lineup after missing a week due to a cortisone injection in his left shoulder, went 2-for-4 with a double and RBI single. Austin Wells, mired in a 2-for-24 slump, broke out with a 2-for-4 night that included an RBI double.
Trent Grisham added the biggest swing, belting his 31st home run of the season. His two-run blast in the second inning capped a 2-for-4 performance for the Yankees with three RBIs. Grisham had entered the game in a 1-for-25 drought.
“We got some pitches in the zone that we handled well, but I think what really helped us was the mentality of being ready to hit,” Grisham said.
Giancarlo Stanton chipped in with a 2-for-4 outing that included a sacrifice fly, continuing to climb out of a slump where he had gone 6-for-51 across 15 games. Ben Rice also came through with a 3-for-4 game that featured an RBI double.
The Yankees batted around in the second inning, sending nine hitters to the plate and scoring four runs to take a 6-1 lead. They added three more in the third and another in the fourth, seemingly putting the contest out of reach.
Yankees bullpen meltdown threatens comfortable lead
But what looked like a blowout quickly transformed into a test of nerves. Yankees’ rookie starter Cam Schlittler never settled in despite the early run support. He lasted just 4 2/3 innings, allowing four runs on three hits while walking a season-high five.
His struggles peaked in the fifth. After a single and a two-run homer by James Outman, Schlittler walked two more hitters and threw a wild pitch that allowed another run. By the time Boone pulled him, the lead had shrunk to 10-4.
“It’s embarrassing,” Schlittler admitted. “You gotta get in the zone, especially with that lead.”
The real scare came in the sixth. Ryan Yarbrough was called on to provide length but managed just one out while allowing four runs. His first three batters went double, RBI single, and then a two-run homer from Ryan Fitzgerald to cut the lead to 10-7. Another double forced Boone to make a quick change.
Heroes emerge from Yankees chaos
Mark Leiter Jr. was thrust into the Yankees mess with runners on base and the game tightening. Austin Martin greeted him with a bunt single to load the bases, and Trevor Larnach followed with a deep fly to right that nearly tied the game. The ball stayed in the park for a sacrifice fly, pulling the Twins within 10-8, but Leiter prevented further damage.
“It’s fun to pitch in those moments,” Yankees reliever Leiter said afterward.
Asked if he thought Larnach’s fly might clear the wall, Leiter smiled. “No, I didn’t think it would carry as far as it did. I knew he hit it on the barrel, but I thought I got him out in front a little bit, underneath it. I felt pretty comfortable off the bat that was an out.”
Leiter settled down from there, retiring the side in order in the seventh. Devin Williams followed with two strikeouts in a dominant eighth, stabilizing the game and restoring some calm.
“That’s one of the stories of the game for me, a huge four outs there from Mark to settle things,” Yankees manager Boone said. “Him getting four outs was massive, and that allowed Devin and Bednar to take it from there.”
Nervous finish caps wild evening
Closer David Bednar entered in the ninth seeking his 25th save of the year and eighth with the Yankees. Immediately, Larnach struck again, this time with a solo homer that trimmed the lead to 10-9.
Bednar recovered, retiring Kody Clemens on a grounder and then striking out Royce Lewis to end the game and seal the win.
Despite the tense ending, Leiter remained upbeat about the bullpen’s outlook. “I feel we have one of the best bullpens in the league,” he said. “We’ve added a lot of new pieces. It kind of ebbs and flows in finding spots and guys. I feel very confident that we’ve got a very good group out there to get big outs in any situation.”
The Yankees now head into their final 11 games with division hopes fading but their wild-card position still intact. More importantly, Tuesday’s offensive eruption showed how dangerous their lineup can be in October when everyone contributes.
Volpe summed up the roller-coaster victory: “At times it was stressful. They fought but we did what we had to do.”
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