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New York Yankees Reaction: A-Rod & Beltran Spark Comeback Win (Highlights)

By
Emmanuel Berbari
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The New York Yankees topped the Minnesota Twins for a third straight day at Target field behind a late offensive barrage.

  • New York Yankees: 7 (34-34)
  • Minnesota Twins: 6 (20-48)
  • American League, FINAL, Box Score
  • Target Field, Minneapolis, MN

Aging power. That is what sparked the New York Yankees’ feel-good come from behind win over the Minnesota Twins on Saturday afternoon.

Trailing 4-0 in the seventh with virtually no offensive output, two boppers who combine for 79 years of age went to work. With Carlos Beltran on first, Alex Rodriguez hit a two-run jack to right-center field to cut Minnesota’s lead in half.

In the following frame, faced with a 4-2 deficit, Beltran stepped up with a runner on and went the opposite way into the left field seats off Kevin Jepsen to tie the game at four.


The pair of two-run shots let Michael Pineda off the hook for a loss. The right-hander allowed three earned runs and struck out nine in five and a third stellar innings for the most part.

What they also provided was an opportunity for the Yanks to seize the opportunity in the ninth and steal a game from a lowly Twins team.

That is exactly what they were able to do. A walk, a beautiful Didi Gregorius bunt single, and an intentional walk set the stage for a Jacoby Ellsbury bases loaded two-run single in the top half of the ninth. The knock gave the Yanks a 6-4 lead and preceded a Brett Gardner sacrifice fly that extended the lead to three.

Ironically enough, it was the sacrifice fly that proved to be the difference. Two solo shots from Eduardo Escobar and Kurt Suzuki off Aroldis Chapman in the bottom of the ninth made it a one run game, but the flame thrower proceeded to shut the door on the Twins to eek out a one run win.

The game featured a wasted performance from Twins starter Ricky Nolasco, who was stellar in hurling seven innings of two-run ball. However, it did not come to any surprise. Bad teams have a tendency squander leads and beat themselves, and the Minnesota Twins have proven just that this weekend.

With the win, the Yankees won their eighth straight matchup with the Twins, improved to 21-5 at Target Field since its opening, and moved back to .500 (34-34) on the season.

Year Of The ‘Los

How about 18 homers and 48 RBIs for 39-year-old Carlos Beltran? He has been sensational in the final year of his contract and continues to uplift this Yankee offense.

His two-run shot in the eighth inning to knot the game at four helped propel the Yanks to the eventual come from behind win.

At this point it is unexplainable how Beltran is putting up numbers that outweigh his prime. Looking ahead, the Yankees can only hope they receive a fraction of his current output.

Credit The ‘Pen

The Yanks would not have come away with the result they desired without some stellar relief in the middle and late innings to hold the Twins in check.

Anthony Swarzak pitched an inning and two thirds of shutout baseball, striking out two and allowing the Yankees to come back and tie it.

Once the game had been tied, Andrew Miller struck out two in a scoreless eighth inning to preserve the daylight. The left-handed setup man was credited with the win once the Yankees pulled ahead and ultimately came out victorious.

700 Watch

With his seventh inning blast, Alex Rodriguez pulled to within five home runs of the elusive 700 home run club. Throughout a lack of consistency from the 40-year-old slugger, fans have lost light of the magnificent milestone he is approaching.

So, with that said, let the watch begin. Only three men in MLB history – Babe Ruth, Hank Aaron, and Barry Bonds – have reached the mark, and A-Rod is looking to become the fourth.

The two-run shot was also Rodriguez’s 350th as a Yankee.

Injury Update

Mark Teixeira, who aims to return at the end of next week, ran the bases, fielded ground balls, and took batting practice prior to today’s game.

While Tex seemed to be running gingerly and wincing in pain while going through the motions, it is a step in the right direction for a guy who is looking to make an unprecedented non-surgical comeback from an articular cartilage tear.

What’s Next?

The Yankees and Twins will conclude this four game weekend set tomorrow afternoon.

Nathan Eovaldi (6-3, 4.90 ERA) will take the ball for New York opposing Ervin Santana (1-7, 5.10 ERA).

The series finale will be a matchup of struggling right-handers who have significant upside. Eovaldi has surrendered five or more earned runs in three consecutive outings after winning five straight decisions up to that point. His most recent performance was a clunker in Colorado where he allowed six runs in four innings en route to a loss.

Santana has struggled mightily after a promising first season with the Twins. Opponents have smashed 10 homers off the 33-year-old and have raked their way to a .300 clip against him. Over his last seven starts, he has pitched to a lowly 5.79 ERA.

First pitch will commence at 2:10 pm ET from Target Field as the Yankees go for a sweep and a 4-2 road trip. The game can be seen on YES and heard on WFAN 660/101.9 FM.

NEXT: The Yankees Can Make A Bold Move With Brian McCann

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