The Yankees earned a split of their four-game series with the Minnesota Twins, winning 2-0 on Sunday afternoon in the Bronx.
Here are some key takeaways….
– Gerrit Cole was locked in early, striking out four Twins over his first three innings while facing the minimum (Trevor Larnach walked to lead off the second inning but was erased on a double play).
Cole continued to attack Twins hitters, striking out the side in the fourth and adding a fourth straight punchout to start the fifth. He didn’t allow a hit until a two-out single by Donovan Solano in that fifth inning.
Coming into the game with a 1.40 ERA, Cole managed to lower that mark thanks to an utterly dominant effort on Sunday. He reached double-digit strikeouts for the 23rd time as a Yankee, tying Ron Guidry for the all-time franchise record, and held the Twins at bay through the eighth inning.
Much to the delight of the Yankee Stadium crowd, Cole came back out to pitch the ninth, and he ended up finishing off his second shutout in a Yankees uniform. Cole threw 109 pitches, allowing just two hits while striking out 10 with one walk.
– The Yankees played a little small ball to get on the board in the bottom of the third. With runners on first and second and two outs, the Yankees put both runners in motion and DJ LeMahieu delivered with an RBI hit to right, putting the Yankees up 1-0.
With Anthony Volpe hitting out of the leadoff spot, LeMahieu made the most of hitting fifth, as he also drove in the Yankees’ second run of the game with a solo homer in the sixth inning.
– Speaking of Volpe, his speed continues to be a huge plus for the Yankees. In the fifth, Volpe reached base on an infield single, despite the best efforts of Twins third baseman Jose Miranda. He then stole second base, making him a perfect 7-for-7 in stolen base attempts this season.
Volpe’s average might not be exactly where he’d like, but he’s still finding ways to impact the game.
– With Giancarlo Stanton placed on the IL due to a hamstring strain, Aaron Hicks got the start in left field with Willie Calhoun serving as the DH. It was a day to forget for Hicks, who went 0-for-3 with three strikeouts. He’s hitting just .136 on the season.
Highlights
What’s next
The Yankees host the Los Angeles Angels for a three-game series, starting on Monday at 7:05 p.m.
Clarke Schmidt will face lefty Jose Suarez.
