About Yesterday: Double Trouble. Twins 5, Yankees 4 in 13 Innings

About Yesterday: Double Trouble. Twins 5 - Yankees 4 in 13 Innings

By Tim Kabel

September 17, 2026

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The Yankees lost a game they should have won to the Minnesota Twins yesterday in 13 innings. As if that wasn't bad enough, Aaron Judge left the game in the sixth inning due to right lower leg tightness. The exact nature and severity of the injury are unknown. Judge was playing in his seventh game since returning from a rib fracture that sidelined him for four months.  It is unclear how much time Judge will miss but there are only ten games left in the season and he was trying desperately to get his timing and swing back after having missed so much of the season. If the injury causes him to miss almost any amount of time, it could adversely affect him, and the team as they head into the playoffs.

Obviously, the result of yesterday's game becomes secondary to Judge's injury. Carlos Rodon started and was not particularly sharp. He lasted six innings, allowing two runs on four hits and three walks. He also struck out five. Clarke Schmidt returned to a Major League mound for the first time in 14 months and pitched 2/3 of an inning, allowing two hits but striking out two batters. If he is able to pitch effectively in relief headed into the playoffs, that would be great news for the Yankees. Not as great as Judge’s injuring being nothing serious, but certainly great, nonetheless.

The Yankees offense was lackluster although Anthony Volpe had two hits and two RBI. Volpe has been contributing offensively and playing a solid second base since his return from exile. That certainly bodes well for the future.

The Yankees now trail the Rays by 4 1/2 games, after Tampa Bay beat the A’s last night. The Rays also play the A's again today so it is conceivable that headed into the weekend, the Yankees could be trailing the Rays by 5 games. The Yankees will be on the road in Arizona this weekend while the Rays will be hosting Boston.

The focus for the Yankees now needs to be on the last 10 games of the season and having everyone healthy for the playoffs. I know a lot of people have been saying that the Yankees need to put forth an all-out effort to catch the Rays and win the division. That is becoming much more unrealistic with each passing day and with the events that have just occurred.

The Yankees would need to sweep the Rays to win the head-to-head matchup against them for the season. Failing that, they would need to be one game ahead of the Rays to win the division. Since they will be trailing the Rays by either four or five games with ten games left, that becomes much more than climbing one hill, it would require climbing every mountain.

The most realistic scenario at this point is that the Yankees will be the top Wild Card team and will host the Red Sox in a best of three-game series. The health of Aaron Judge will be extremely vital to the outcome of that series. I don't simply mean for him to be able to play in the three-game series against the Red Sox. He has to be able to play and perform at close to his best. On top of that, since he missed so much time, he needs to be able to play and perform at a high level heading into the playoffs. That is an uncertainty right now.

In addition, Gerrit Cole has been struggling lately and has given up multiple home runs in his last few starts. That is an area of concern as well.

After having played 152 games, everything for the Yankees boils down to the next ten games. That’s Baseball, Suzyn.

A Few Tidbits: 

·       To make room for Clarke Schmidt on the roster, the Yankees designated Oswaldo Cabrera for assignment before the game. I liked him a lot as a player, and he seemed to be great in the clubhouse. I hope he gets picked up by another team and can contribute. Of note, Cabrera was batting .288 with 19 home runs, 69 RBI and 12 stolen bases in Scranton. Ryan McMahon, who went 0-6 yesterday with 4 strikeouts, is batting .210 with 10 home runs and 34 RBI. He has three stolen bases and has been caught stealing twice. McMahon is also four years older than Cabrera. Why is McMahon on the Yankees as the starting third baseman while Cabrera was designated for assignment? To quote from The King and I, “Is a puzzlement.”

·       The Yankees split the season series with the Twins at three games apiece.

·       The Yankees are 130-49 against the Twins over the last 25 seasons, including 16-2 in the postseason.

·       The Yankees struck out 17 times, including 5 by Spencer Jones, and 4 by Ryan McMahon. That ties their season high. They left 13 men on base, which was the most in any game this season.

·       On September 16th, 1922, outfielder Whitey Witt was knocked unconscious by a ginger beer bottle thrown from the stands during a melee in a game against the St. Louis Browns. My friend Roger apologized and promised never to do it again.

·       On September 16th, 2008, Derek Jeter passed Lou Gehrig to claim the record for hits at the original Yankee Stadium, recording his 1,270th hit there.

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After a day off today, the Yankees will open a three-game series against the Arizona Diamondbacks at 9:40 PM at Chase Field. Gerrit Cole, (8-9, 3.67 ERA) will pitch for the Yankees against Zac Gallen, (3-9, 6.22 ERA). Let’s hope Gallen gives up a gallon of runs.