En route to becoming the hottest team in baseball, the Yankees have grown comfortable scoring first. Only twice during their winning streak have they needed to come from behind in order to claim victory. Even then, though, they weren’t behind for long.
On Aug. 16 against the Angels, the Yankees turned a one-run deficit in the first inning into a one-run lead by the end of their half of the frame. And against the Red Sox two days later, they put up a four-run frame in the second inning to erase Boston’s one-run, opening-frame lead.
It might have taken them a little bit longer on Tuesday night at Truist Park, but the results were the same as the Yankees claimed their 11th consecutive victory with a 5-4 win in the two-game series finale over the Braves.
Giancarlo Stanton and Gary Sánchez — who combined to drive in all five Yankees runs on Monday — erased Dansby Swanson’s first-inning, two-run double with a second-inning solo homer and a fourth-inning RBI single, respectively. Then DJ LeMahieu finished the job, smashing the first pitch he saw in the fifth into the Yanks’ bullpen in left field for a go-ahead two-run homer.
Rougned Odor tacked on in the seventh with his 15th home run of the season, a solo shot to the second deck beyond right field on a 2-2 fastball from Chris Martin.
Not to be ignored, lefty reliever Wandy Peralta — after closer Aroldis Chapman walked in a run with two outs in the bottom of the ninth — retired Freddie Freeman to earn the all-important save and keep the streak alive.
The Yankees have now won 11 consecutive games for just the third time in the past 60 seasons. They last accomplished the feat from Aug. 31-Sept. 10, 1985. They also did it in 1964, from Sept. 16-26.
And it took the Yankees’ 35th come-from-behind win of this season, which is the third most in the Majors, behind only the division rival Rays and Red Sox.
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Kyle leads sports coverage and hosts the Concrete Jungle podcast. Have a lead or question? Send it to [email protected].