The New York Yankees piled up 10 runs early, then barely held off a Minnesota Twins rally to escape with a 10-9 win on Tuesday night at Target Field.
New York pounded out 16 hits and scored in each of the first four innings, building a 10-1 cushion. Trent Grisham delivered a two-run homer and a sacrifice fly, Giancarlo Stanton added a sacrifice fly and two hits, and Anthony Volpe returned from a sore shoulder with a double, a walk, and an RBI single. Austin Wells chipped in a double and an RBI while the bottom third of the lineup combined for five runs scored. Every starter had at least one hit by the fourth inning.
Rookie Cam Schlittler showed flashes of dominance but struggled with his command, allowing four runs on three hits and five walks across 4.2 innings. Ryan Yarbrough’s rough sixth inning cut the Yankees’ lead to 10-8, prompting manager Aaron Boone to turn to Mark Leiter Jr. The reliever steadied things with five crucial outs before Devin Williams worked a scoreless eighth. David Bednar surrendered a solo homer in the ninth but closed out the win with help from a long fly ball that stayed in the park.
The Yankees (84-67) hold a two-game lead over the Boston Red Sox and Houston Astros for the top wild-card spot in the American League.
Box Score | AL Wild Card Standings
The series wraps up on Wednesday night, with Luis Gil set to face Taj Bradley in the rubber match at 7:40 p.m.
Kyle leads sports coverage and hosts the Concrete Jungle podcast. Have a lead or question? Send it to kyle@fingerlakes1.com.