NEW YORK — The New York Yankees found exactly what they needed Monday night at Yankee Stadium. After weeks of struggles that dropped them from atop the American League East to fighting for a playoff spot, the Minnesota Twins arrived as the perfect antidote to their woes.
Will Warren delivered a dominant performance, allowing just three hits and two runs over 6⅔ innings as the Yankees defeated the Twins 6-2, launching four home runs in their most convincing victory in weeks.
Warren provides much-needed length for Yankees
Charles Wenzelberg / New York Post
Warren became the first Yankees starting pitcher to record an out in the seventh inning in a month, striking out seven while walking none before Luke Weaver and David Bednar closed out the victory. The 26-year-old right-hander needed just 85 pitches to navigate through 6⅔ innings.
“Big performance,” manager Aaron Boone said. “That’s what it’s supposed to look like right there when you get deep into the game.”
Will Warren was sharp only surrendering three hits but two of them were home runs pic.twitter.com/ht0iPrWgaf
The last Yankees pitcher to reach the seventh inning was Carlos Rodón, who threw eight innings on July 11 against the Chicago Cubs. Warren’s effort provided crucial relief for a bullpen that has been overworked during the team’s recent slide.
Warren has now allowed two earned runs or fewer in six of his past seven starts, posting a 2.84 ERA during that stretch. The rookie improved to 7-5 on the season, lowering his ERA to 4.34.
“I think we’ve been needing that spark,” Warren said. “We’ve been playing flat, I feel like, and tonight we jumped out there with the Bellinger home run and then obviously we went back-to-back.”
Offensive explosion breaks month-long drought
Cody Bellinger opened the scoring with his 21st homer of the season in the first inning, ending a 12-game home run drought. Giancarlo Stanton and Ben Rice followed with back-to-back blasts in the third inning, while Jazz Chisholm Jr. added a solo shot in the eighth.
The four-homer performance marked the Yankees’ largest margin of victory since an 11-0 rout of the Cubs on July 11. The team is now 10-3 when hitting at least four home runs this season.
“We understand what’s at stake, what’s been going on,” Bellinger said. “Guys were all putting in the work today. It’s always nice when the results show.”
Stanton’s blast was his 11th of the season and marked his first home run while playing the field since August 3, 2023, against Houston. The veteran designated hitter started in right field with Aaron Judge limited to DH duties due to his recent elbow injury.
Rice continued his strong play behind the plate and at the dish, extending his hitting streak to eight of his last 11 games. The catcher has provided a steady presence as Austin Wells continues to struggle.
Historic Yankees dominance over Minnesota continues
The victory extended the Yankees’ remarkable dominance over Minnesota, improving their record to 124-44 against the Twins since 2002, including playoffs. New York has now won eight straight games against Minnesota and is 30-5 at Yankee Stadium against them since 2015.
Despite the overwhelming historical advantage, Boone downplayed the significance of past results.
“We’re 1-0 against them this year,” Boone said. “I don’t pay much attention to it.”
The Twins managed only two solo home runs off Warren, with Byron Buxton connecting in the sixth inning for his 24th of the season and Trevor Larnach adding his 16th in the seventh.
Crucial momentum at the right time
NYY@X
The victory marked the first time the Yankees won a series opener since the All-Star break. The timing couldn’t be better for a team that has struggled mightily in recent weeks, going 11 games under .500 since June 13.
After holding a seven-game AL East lead on May 28, the Yankees have dropped five of their past six series, including two of three to the Houston Astros over the weekend. The team’s recent slide has put their playoff positioning in jeopardy.
Trent Grisham and Judge added RBI singles in the seventh inning to provide insurance runs after the Twins had cut the deficit to 3-2. The Yankees finished with 10 hits in what Boone called “a really clean game all around.”
“It was a really complete game I thought, starting with the starting pitcher,” the Yankees manager said. “Will doing his thing as well as he did sets you up. Just a really clean game all around.”
Rodon gets the ball for the next
The three-game series continues Tuesday night with Carlos Rodon taking the mound for New York. He enters with an 11-7 record and 3.35 ERA, while the Twins are expected to use a bullpen game.
For a Yankees team desperately needing to turn their season around, Monday’s convincing victory provided a blueprint for success. Strong starting pitching, timely hitting, and solid defense combined for their most stress-free win in weeks.
“The past month hasn’t been how we’re supposed to play baseball,” Warren said. “We’ve had a gut punch lately, and it was nice to get out there and play baseball the way we were supposed to.”
With two more games against a Minnesota team that underwent a fire sale at the trade deadline, the Yankees have an opportunity to build momentum heading into the final stretch of the regular season. After Monday’s performance, that possibility feels within reach once again.
