The New York Yankees built an early lead and held off a late charge from the St. Louis Cardinals on Friday night, escaping with a 4-3 series-opening win at Busch Stadium.
New York wasted no time building an early cushion. Ben Rice doubled to spark a first-inning rally, and Aaron Judge’s RBI groundout plated the game’s first run. Two batters later, Jazz Chisholm Jr. crushed his 21st home run of the season, giving the Yankees a 3-0 lead. Jasson Domínguez added an RBI single in the second, but the offense went cold from there, finishing 3-for-17 with runners in scoring position and stranding nine.
Luis Gil delivered a gritty outing, navigating traffic with double-play balls in each of his first three innings. He departed in the sixth after giving up back-to-back doubles, finishing with 5.1 innings of one-run ball on four hits with four strikeouts. Mark Leiter Jr. provided immediate relief before the bullpen bent but did not break. Camilo Doval gave up an RBI double in the seventh, and Luke Weaver later allowed another run to score on a wild pitch, but Weaver and David Bednar combined for the final seven outs to secure the win.
Box Score | AL Wild Card Standings
The Yankees, now 65-57 and holding a 1.5-game lead over the Cleveland Guardians for the final wild card spot in the American League, look to secure a series win on Saturday when ace Max Fried takes the mound at 7:15 p.m.
Kyle leads sports coverage and hosts the Concrete Jungle podcast. Have a lead or question? Send it to kyle@fingerlakes1.com.