NEW YORK — With the Yankees barely clinging to a late lead in a game with October implications, Aroldis Chapman made fast work of Joe Mauer and the Minnesota Twins.
Really fast.
Throwing all four pitches at least 100 mph, Chapman worked out of big trouble in the eighth inning and New York edged Minnesota 2-1 on Monday night to increase its AL wild-card cushion.
“Just a huge performance from him,” Yankees Manager Joe Girardi said.
Aaron Judge hit his 44th home run, Todd Frazier’s sacrifice fly snapped a sixth-inning tie and Jaime Garcia gave the Yankees a splendid outing against the team that traded him this year after only one start. New York, still three games behind first-place Boston in the AL East, won the opener of a three-game series that could serve as a potential playoff preview.
Despite going 0 for 12 with runners in scoring position, the Yankees built a five-game advantage for the league’s top wild-card spot with 12 to play. Minnesota is in the second spot, 1½ games ahead of the idle Los Angeles Angels for the final postseason berth. So if the standings hold, New York will host the Twins in the one-game playoff Oct. 3.
YANKEES 2, TWINS 1
Minnesota has been eliminated by the Yankees in each of their four postseason matchups, all between 2003-2010.
“Knowing where we both are in the standings, yes, it does feel a little bit different,” Girardi said.
Chapman replaced a wild Dellin Betances with the bases loaded and one out. The left-hander struck out Mauer and retired No. 3 hitter Byron Buxton on an easy fly.
“You don’t want those runs to score because they belong to your teammate,” Chapman said through a translator. “You definitely want to be more aggressive when you face the batters in a situation like that.”
The fastballs to Mauer were clocked in order at 100, 101 and 102 mph.
“Ball was cutting pretty good,” the three-time batting champion said. “You kind of have to tip your cap. Love to have that opportunity again, but he made his pitches.”
Chapman then worked a 1-2-3 ninth for his 19th save in 23 chances.
“Today we were lucky. Chapman did an unbelievable job. I put him in a tough situation, but I can’t keep doing that. I have to be better,” said Betances, who was booed. “Thank God we got the win. It would have been a tough one to swallow.”
Judge homered to right-center in the first off losing pitcher Ervin Santana (15-8), who won his previous four decisions.
David Robertson (9-2) retired all four hitters he faced, improving to 5-0 since the Yankees reacquired him from the Chicago White Sox in July.
Winless in seven starts with New York, Garcia struck out five of his first six batters and did not permit an earned run in 5 2/3 innings. Using a quality slider as his put-away pitch, he finished with nine strikeouts — equaling a season high.
“The ball was moving all over the place. Just couldn’t get anything going,” Mauer said. “He’s got the ability to do that. We knew that.”
Garcia was traded by Minnesota to the Yankees in late July, one day after a 6-3 victory at Oakland in his lone start for the Twins — the team’s only victory during an eight-game stretch. They had acquired the veteran lefty from Atlanta to reinforce their rotation, but quickly moved him before the non-waiver deadline when that short-lived slump dropped them below .500.
Obtained and dealt again while the Twins were on the road, Garcia pointed out he never even stepped foot in Minnesota’s home clubhouse.
RED SOX 10, ORIOLES 8 (11) Andrew Benintendi (Arkansas Razorbacks) hit a two-run single in the 11th inning, Mookie Betts had four RBI and visiting Boston beat Baltimore for its ninth victory in 12 games. Xander Bogaerts homered and scored three runs for the Red Sox, who maintained their three-game lead over the second-place Yankees in the American League East. Boston erased a five-run deficit with a six-run fifth inning and needed 10 pitchers to beat a skidding Orioles team that has now lost 10 of 12. ATHLETICS 8, TIGERS 3 Detroit reliever Jeff Ferrell left in the eighth inning after being hit in the head by a line drive off the bat of Ryon Healy measured at 102.6 mph. Ferrell never went down, and instead immediately jogged toward the Detroit dugout. He was taken to a hospital for a precautionary CT scan. He was alert, responsive and walking under his own power, the host Tigers announced after the game. Matt Olson became the first Oakland player to homer in four consecutive games since Coco Crisp in 2013, and he now has 14 home runs in his last 20 games. Liam Hendriks (4-2) got the victory with 1 2/3 scoreless innings. Buck Farmer (4-4) took the loss.
NATIONAL LEAGUE
MARLINS 13, METS 1 Giancarlo Stanton hit his 55th home run— and his first in nine days — while driving in four runs to help host Miami beat New York. Batting third for the first time this year, Stanton hit a three-run line drive into the home run sculpture at Marlins Park in the fourth inning against Matt Harvey (5-6). With that, the MLB home run leader ended a drought of 29 at-bats without one. Stanton’s home run total is the highest since Ryan Howard hit 58 in 2006. Stanton added a run-scoring single in Miami’s seven-run fifth. The Marlins, back home after a trip extended by three games due to Hurricane Irma, won for only the fourth time in the past 21 games.
PHILLIES 4, DODGERS 3 Aaron Altherr became the first big leaguer to hit a grand slam off Clayton Kershaw, leading host Philadelphia over National League West-leading Los Angeles. Kershaw (17-4) fell to 3-5 in his career against the Phillies. Nick Pivetta (6-10) rebounded from a shaky start. Chris Taylor led off the game with an inside-the-park home run and Justin Turner followed with a drive over the wall. Curtis Granderson homered in the ninth before Hector Neris got his 22nd save.
BREWERS 3, PIRATES 0 Brent Suter pitched five innings, Ryan Braun homered and visiting Milwaukee beat Pittsburgh. The Brewers are two games behind Colorado for the second wild-card spot and 3½ games in back of the NL Central-leading Cubs. Suter (3-2) allowed five hits. Corey Knebel pitching the ninth for his 36th save in 41 tries.
Sports on 09/19/2017