How do you follow up a 14-run outburst? Put eight up on the same team the next night, just like the Yankees did as they move to four games over .500.
- New York Yankees 8 (13-9)
- Minnesota Twins 3 (8-10)
- W: C.C. Sabathia (1-0, 1.86 ERA)
- L: Jose Berrios (2-2, 2.84 ERA)
- AL, Final, Box Score
- Yankee Stadium, Bronx, New York
For the second straight night, the New York Yankees pummeled the Minnesota Twins 8-3, thanks to four more long balls hit by the Bomber bats this evening.
C.C. Sabathia was up to his old tricks, as the veteran lefty completely silenced the Twins’ bats in rout to his 20th victory against this Minnesota team in his career. Gary Sanchez led the way with another multi-home run night as he and the Baby Bombers brought their current winning streak up to four games.
Highlights
Early Deficit
After CC Sabathia retired Brian Dozier on just one pitch to begin the night, the Minnesota Twins put together a scoring rally that gave them an early lead on the big lefty.
Sabathia issued a two-out walk to Miguel Sano, who came around to score when the next batter Eduardo Escobar drilled a double into right field that saw Aaron Judge bobble the ball to allow Sano to come all the way around from first to make it 1-0 Minnesota.
Again, after needing just one pitch to get through the first batter, Sabathia ended up needing to hurl 22 pitches to get out of the first frame.
History Made
When CC Sabathia struck out Gary Sanchez’s best friend Logan Morrison in the top of the second, the big lefty tied Jim Bunning for 17th place on the all-time strikeout list at 2,855 career punch outs. Congrats, big guy.
Gary Sanchez Puts the GS in GPS
After Sabathia worked a 1-2-3 second inning, Gary Sanchez took a Berrios fastball and deposited it into the right-field seats for a game-tying solo shot.
That sound off the bat… ?
Gary Sanchez smacks a 373-foot laser to tie things up for the Yankees! pic.twitter.com/YOAtm0IPfo
— YES Network (@YESNetwork) April 24, 2018
It’s worth noting that Berrios struck out three consecutive batters before serving up the Sanchez equalizer. What a way to buck that trend.
Back In Front
With the Yankees tying the game up in the second; they set their sites on jumping back in front in the bottom of the third, and that’s exactly what they did.
Brett Gardner got things started with a one-out walk, advancing to third on an Aaron Judge double. Then, the league leader in RBI Sir Didi Gregorius added another one to his tally when he smoked a single to left that plated Gardner to give the Yanks a one-run advantage.
#Yankees go up 2-1 on Didi Gregorius' 25th run batted in on the season. pic.twitter.com/pJdPsKiVkG
— Max Wildstein (@MaxWildstein) April 24, 2018
Then in the bottom of the fourth, rookie sensation Gleyber Torres collected his first big league steak when he stung a single up the middle that scored Neil Walker to extend their lead out to two.
First career RBI for Gleyber Torres!#TheFutureIsBright ? pic.twitter.com/PJPmVOViZq
— YES Network (@YESNetwork) April 25, 2018
Although he was able to get a double play to escape the fourth, Berrios needed to use 87 pitches before starting the fifth inning.
Yes In-Didi
I can’t even make this stuff up, but Didi Gregorius did it again.
Didi Gregorius hits his eighth homer of this season and #Yankees “list” Jose Berrios after just four-plus innings. pic.twitter.com/udrAF3ZQLd
— Max Wildstein (@MaxWildstein) April 25, 2018
The long ball was Didi’s team-leading eighth blast of the season, raising his AL-leading RBI total to 27. He is most definitely making this sports writer look like a genius since I predicted that the shortstop would make his first All-Star team this year.
CC Stands for Completely Cruising
Even though his counterpart was getting roughed up tonight, Carsten Charles Sabathia was once again sensational. The veteran sailed through six frames of one-run ball, allowing just two hits with one walk and four strikeouts.
Coming out to relieve Sabathia to begin the seventh, Dellin Betances’ season-long struggles continued as the righty was subject to the third and fourth errors of the night for New York that led to Minnesota scoring another run to make the score 5-2. When manager Aaron Boone came out to get his 6-foot-8 reliever, the Bronx faithful surely let Betances hear it: Giancarlo style.
David Robertson was called upon to save the day after Betances’ miserable appearance and proceeded to get a strikeout and a comebacker ground out to end the Minnesota threat and the frame.
Bombs Away
Just when it felt like the Twins were making a comeback, Aaron Judge got that run back in the bottom of the seventh. And it goes a little something like this.
Aaron Judge, No. 7. #Yankees pic.twitter.com/sHaHnLZyVp
— Max Wildstein (@MaxWildstein) April 25, 2018
Not to be outdone by his friend, Gary Sanchez said, “I’ll have another.”
Full list of players in MLB history with 9+ multi-homer games in their first 196 career games:
1) Gary Sanchez
2) pic.twitter.com/THiWy1wDhO— YES Network (@YESNetwork) April 25, 2018
The second home run by Sanchez brought the Yankees season total to seven multi-home run games this season, tops in all of baseball and the only team in Major League history to ever do it in their first 22 games of a season. Sanchez also became the youngest player in the history of the game to collect nine multi-home run games.
If Gary is indeed heating up; look out, American League.
Despite Chasen Shreve surrendering another run to Minnesota in the top of the eighth to make it 8-3, Jonathan Holder came on to close the door on Minnesota’s hopes of making a comeback.
What’s Next
With a victory tomorrow, the Yankees would lock down their second consecutive four-game series victory. Headed to the bump in attempts to collect that W will be right-hander Sonny Gray (1-1, 8.27 ERA), who will be looking to try and right the ship on his 2018 campaign. Minnesota sends their offseason acquisition Lance Lynn (0-1, 6.00 ERA) to the mound to try and silence this rolling Yankee offense. First pitch is scheduled for 6:35 PM/EST and can be seen on the YES Network and heard on WFAN 660/101.9 FM.