New York Begins Their Road Trip With A Loss To Minnesota
A loss probably wasn’t the way New York wanted to start out their seven game road trip beginning in Minnesota but that was the case.
- Edwin Encarnacion knew that he was in trouble moments after the pitch met the barrel of his bat, producing a hard ground ball to third base that would become the 13th triple play in Twins history. For CC Sabathia, the evening didn't improve much from there. “according to https://www.mlb.com/yankees/news/yankees-hit-into-triple-play-vs-twins
After the Bombers' budding first-inning rally was snuffed out by the first triple play ever turned at Target Field, Jorge Polanco and Nelson Cruz sparked a five-homer performance by the home team, belting back-to-back solo shots that helped dispatch Sabathia to an early exit in the Yankees' 8-6 loss on Monday. “according to https://www.mlb.com/yankees/news/yankees-hit-into-triple-play-vs-twins
"Especially with this team, I was just trying to keep it close enough to keep these guys in striking distance," Sabathia said. "It just wasn't happening tonight." “according to https://www.mlb.com/yankees/news/yankees-hit-into-triple-play-vs-twins
Sabathia has enjoyed being on the mound for three of the last four triple plays turned by the Yankees, most recently on April 17, 2014, against the Rays, but there was little to relish after Encarnacion chopped starter Martin Perez’s 20th pitch into the glove of third baseman Luis Arraez.”according to https://www.mlb.com/yankees/news/yankees-hit-into-triple-play-vs-twins
Second baseman Jonathan Schoop and first baseman Miguel Sano combined to complete the 5-4-3 triple play, the second turned in the Majors this season. Perez said he immediately sensed that the Twins might get three outs on the ball, noting Encarnacion’s speed as well as that of Aaron Judge, who was forced out at second base. “according to https://www.mlb.com/yankees/news/yankees-hit-into-triple-play-vs-twins
"I tried, but they got me," Encarnacion said. "It's one of those plays that's good for them and bad for us. We're trying to build a big inning, trying to create a rally there for us. In one play, it went against us." “according to https://www.mlb.com/yankees/news/yankees-hit-into-triple-play-vs-twins
Twins manager Rocco Baldelli said the momentum shift could have paved the way for the back-to-back homers in the home half of the inning. “according to https://www.mlb.com/yankees/news/yankees-hit-into-triple-play-vs-twins
"Obviously it gets us out of the inning in a spot where we’re not in the best situation, but it also provides a spark energy-wise," Baldelli said. "I think we definitely used that to our advantage." “according to https://www.mlb.com/yankees/news/yankees-hit-into-triple-play-vs-twins
Sabathia said he reviewed video of the Polanco and Cruz homers and came away believing that he had made good pitches that were hit hard, particularly his cutter. More difficult to stomach was handing back runs in the third, after Gio Urshela's homer and an Encarnacion RBI single tied the game. “according to https://www.mlb.com/yankees/news/yankees-hit-into-triple-play-vs-twins
Minnesota brought home three runs in that frame, with a catcher's interference error on Gary Sanchez and a pair of nifty plays on RBI groundouts doing the damage. “according to https://www.mlb.com/yankees/news/yankees-hit-into-triple-play-vs-twins
"The leadoff walk obviously hurt him, but nothing but soft contact from there," Yankees manager Aaron Boone said. "[Sabathia] was not quite as sharp as we’ve seen the last few times." “according to https://www.mlb.com/yankees/news/yankees-hit-into-triple-play-vs-twins
Max Kepler and Mitch Garver tagged Sabathia for solo homers in the fourth, marking just the second time in the veteran's career that he has surrendered four or more homers in a game. He permitted five to Tampa Bay on Aug. 12, 2011. “according to https://www.mlb.com/yankees/news/yankees-hit-into-triple-play-vs-twins
"Just like our lineup, it's a tough lineup to face," said Sabathia, who had not lost to Minnesota since July 14, 2013. "You've got to be sharp, and I wasn't tonight." “according to https://www.mlb.com/yankees/news/yankees-hit-into-triple-play-vs-twins
Garver hit his second homer of the game in the sixth off Luis Cessa, the Major League-leading 187th slugged by the Twins. It was the eighth time this season that Minnesota has hit five or more homers in a game, equaling a mark set by the 1977 Red Sox. “according to https://www.mlb.com/yankees/news/yankees-hit-into-triple-play-vs-twins
"They have a great lineup," Encarnacion said. "They have a great group of young talent with power. There's no doubt about it. We've got to continue what we know how to do." “according to https://www.mlb.com/yankees/news/yankees-hit-into-triple-play-vs-twins
The Yankees attempted to catch up against Perez, who was knocked for five runs in four-plus innings. Luke Voit and DJ LeMahieu tagged homers off the lefty, and Mike Tauchman closed the gap in the sixth by notching his second career three-hit game with an RBI single. “according to https://www.mlb.com/yankees/news/yankees-hit-into-triple-play-vs-twins
New York got the tying run aboard with two singles in the ninth, part of their 13-hit performance, but Sanchez struck out to complete an 0-for-5 evening before Aaron Hicks tapped back to the mound. “according to https://www.mlb.com/yankees/news/yankees-hit-into-triple-play-vs-twins
"There were some good pitches in the zone that I usually connect," Sanchez said through an interpreter. "Right now, either I’ve been fouling those off or just missing those. But we’ve got to keep working. Keep working and find a way to get back on track.” “according to https://www.mlb.com/yankees/news/yankees-hit-into-triple-play-vs-twins
With the loss, New York who is leading the American League East drops to 64-35 on the regular season.
While New York began the three game series with a loss Minnesota meanwhile who is a member of the American League Central started the series off on the right foot.
The Twins' winning pace had slowed down in the past month and the Indians tightened the gap on the division lead, but there was never any panic in Minnesota's clubhouse -- only a steadfast belief that the big hits would start falling again. The Twins showed a flash of that early-season magic again on Monday night in an 8-6 win over the Yankees at Target Field. “according to https://www.mlb.com/twins/news/twins-hit-5-homers-turn-triple-play
After the emotional high of their come-from-behind, walk-off win on Sunday, the Twins wasted no time in making another big statement in Monday's first inning by turning a triple play, the 13th in club history. They followed it with back-to-back homers by Jorge Polanco and Nelson Cruz. “according to https://www.mlb.com/twins/news/twins-hit-5-homers-turn-triple-play
“It’s not how we exactly anticipated to go about the first inning,” Mitch Garver said of the triple play. “I was happy to get two right there, but three was even better. To carry that over into the first inning for us, to go hit a little bit and hit two homers, it’s a great way to start." “according to https://www.mlb.com/twins/news/twins-hit-5-homers-turn-triple-play
Led by the early outburst and a two-homer effort from Garver, the Twins clubbed five home runs to hold off the American League-leading Yankees. It marked the eighth game of the season for the Twins with five or more homers, and their first since June 29 against the White Sox. The 1977 Red Sox were the only other team in Major League history to record eight games of at least five homers in a season. “according to https://www.mlb.com/twins/news/twins-hit-5-homers-turn-triple-play
For the 2019 Twins, at least, the record five-homer game was a welcome sight for an offense that was struggling to find hits in clutch situations. All along, manager Rocco Baldelli had insisted that the at-bats and plate approaches were still strong, and that the results would eventually come. “according to https://www.mlb.com/twins/news/twins-hit-5-homers-turn-triple-play
That’s what happened on Monday. “according to https://www.mlb.com/twins/news/twins-hit-5-homers-turn-triple-play
“We got a chance to see the results tonight, and the guys swung the bats great,” Baldelli said. “They gave us a cushion that we could lean on. This is just kind of showing the types of at-bats that we’ve had recently and you could also say the entire year. I think this is a night where you do see the results.” “according to https://www.mlb.com/twins/news/twins-hit-5-homers-turn-triple-play
The back-to-back homers by Polanco and Cruz in the first inning were followed by Max Kepler’s 25th homer of the season in the fourth, and Garver’s solo shots in the fourth and sixth. “according to https://www.mlb.com/twins/news/twins-hit-5-homers-turn-triple-play
Garver now has 19 homers as a catcher this season, tying the Cubs’ Willson Contreras for the most in the Major Leagues. His fourth-inning shot left the bat with an exit velocity of 89 mph, the fourth-weakest homer in the Major Leagues this season that left the yard, and projected at 347 feet, while his sixth-inning blast was estimated at a healthier 100.7 mph and 383 feet. “according to https://www.mlb.com/twins/news/twins-hit-5-homers-turn-triple-play
“We needed a few of those early,” Garver said. “It was just a great game. I mean, they were punching back just the way we were. We get two, they get two, we get three, they get three, you know? It was just a really good ballgame, and our guys just battled really hard and we were able to pull it off there.” “according to https://www.mlb.com/twins/news/twins-hit-5-homers-turn-triple-play
The Twins’ 28-year-old catcher also knocked an infield single in the third inning as part of a 3-for-4 evening, improving his season line to .304/.385/.674 with 19 homers and eight doubles in 52 games. Monday marked his third multi-homer game of the season, and he now has seven homers in 11 July games. “according to https://www.mlb.com/twins/news/twins-hit-5-homers-turn-triple-play
“He’s a strong guy, but he’s got an incredibly short stroke,” Baldelli said. “He can get to some pitches that not everyone gets the barrel to. He makes the pitcher work. ... He’s carried us at times in multiple ways. So I think he’s certainly earned everything that he’s doing right now, and he’s turned into a well above average Major League player.” “according to https://www.mlb.com/twins/news/twins-hit-5-homers-turn-triple-play
Though Twins starter Martin Pérez allowed five runs, including three homers, the Twins’ offense stayed just out of reach of the Bronx Bombers with the homers and a three-run third inning, fueled by a bases-loaded catcher’s interference and a pair of RBI groundouts. “according to https://www.mlb.com/twins/news/twins-hit-5-homers-turn-triple-play
Longtime Twins nemesis CC Sabathia was tagged for four of the Twins’ five homers, the second-most he has allowed in a start during his 19-year Major League career. He had been 20-9 with a 3.09 ERA in 39 career starts against Minnesota entering Tuesday. “according to https://www.mlb.com/twins/news/twins-hit-5-homers-turn-triple-play
“Obviously, a super-talented team over there, as is Oakland, as is Houston, as is L.A.,” Garver said. “Those are the teams that you’re going to have to play at the end of the season if you want to hold up the trophy at the end. These are the games that are really good for us, because we’re playing against the top level, midseason, kind of coming down that stretch, and it’s good to kind of channel your emotions and be able to play the game the right way.” “according to https://www.mlb.com/twins/news/twins-hit-5-homers-turn-triple-play
With the win, Minnesota improved to 61-38 on the regular season.
New York and Minnesota will continue their series on Tuesday night where New York will look to bounce back from their series opening loss while Minnesota will look to win the series.