By Derek McAdam
September 8, 2022
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The Yankees swept the doubleheader against the Twins yesterday, winning the first game 5-4 in 12 innings, while taking the second game by a 7-1 score. The Yankees improved to 83-54, while also clinching the 30th consecutive winning season for the franchise.
Quick Stats:
Game 1:
W: Greg Weissert (3-0) L: Trevor Megill (3-3)
Domingo German: 6 IP, 7 H, 3 ER, 1 BB, 6 K
Aaron Judge: 1-for-3, 55th HR of season (Single season franchise record for RHB)
Yankee Bullpen: 6 IP, 4 H, 0 ER, 2 BB, 5 K
Game 2:
W: Gerrit Cole (11-7) L: Joe Ryan (10-8)
Cole: 6.2 IP, 5 H, 1 ER, 2 BB, 14 K
Isiah Kiner-Falefa: 1-for-3, HR, 4 RBI (First career grand slam
Estevan Florial: 2-for-3, R
The Big Story:
In Game 1, the Twins got on the board early with a two-run home run from Juan Miranda in the 1st. In the 4th, Gilberto Celestino hit an RBI single into left to score Jake Cave and give the Twins a 3-0 lead. In the bottom of the inning, Judge hit his 55th home run of the season, giving him the franchise record for most home runs in a single-season by a right-handed batter. Louie Varland made his Major League debut for the Twins, getting knocked out of the game after 5.1 innings of work. After Varland was knocked out in the 6th, Gleyber Torres tied the game with a two-run home run, his 19th of the season. After several failed Yankee attempts to win the game in extra innings, the Twins took a 4-3 lead in the 12th off a Celestino RBI single, however Kiner-Falefa tied the game at 4-4 in the bottom of the inning with an RBI single. Oswaldo Cabrera, who was hitless in his previous 27 at-bats, came through with the RBI single into left to give the Yankees a 5-4 win.
In Game 2, Carlos Correa got the Twins on the board with a home run in the 3rd, making the game 1-0. However, with the bases loaded in the 4th, Kiner-Falefa hit his first career grand slam to give the Yankees a 4-1 lead. In the 8th, Aaron Hicks would bust the game open with a bases-clearing double to give the Yankees a 7-1 lead. Cole would pitch fantastic for the Yankees, going 6.2 innings and striking out a season-high 14 batters, while Lucas Leutge would get the final seven outs of the game to save the rest of the bullpen.
Players of the Games:
In Game 1, Cabrera gave the Yankees the game-winning hit to take the first game of the doubleheader. In Game 2, Cole gave the Yankees another quality start, while securing a sweep and series win against the Twins.
Notable Performances:
In Game 1, the Yankee bullpen provided excellent support, allowing only one run (unearned) over six innings of work. All around Kiner-Falefa had a nice day at the plate, while Hicks had a couple of nice at-bats in Game 2.
Better to Forget: Ronald Guzman had a dreadful Yankee debut, striking out four times and grounding into a crucial double play in the 11th in Game 1. While the Yankees did manage to win Game 1, it’s one they’d like to forget. They were fortunate enough that Minnesota just so happened to commit four errors and make a crucial base running mistake in extra innings.
My Take:
While it wasn’t a dominant couple of games the Yankees played, they managed to walk away with two wins. For a team that has been struggling to win for the past six weeks, the Yankees found a couple of bright spots over the two games. First, Kiner-Falefa looks much more comfortable at his natural position at third base than he has all season at shortstop. Not only was it a good sign in the field, but he provided crucial hits in both games. Another bright spot is Peraza, who managed to pick up his first four Major League hits over the two games, while also providing a couple of nice plays at shortstop.
Something the Yankees have to be happy with are the starting pitching performances. Both German and Cole gave the Yankees quality starts, while the bullpen performed well in both games. The Yankees are still a far ways away from contending for a World Series title, but the doubleheader sweep might put them on a good track.
What’s Next?: The Yankees will go for the sweep tonight against the Twins with a 7:05 p.m. EST start from Yankee Stadium. Sonny Gray is projected to start for the Twins, while Nestor Cortes Jr. is expected to return from the IL and start for the Yankees.
