Max Fried delivered his longest start since April last night, but even his seven-inning gem and an 8-1 Yankees blowout win against the Twins couldn’t close the gap in the AL East. New York still sits 3.5 games behind the Tampa Bay Rays, who also snagged a win earlier in the evening. It’s tough when you do everything right, and the team you’re chasing just keeps pace.
Fried Steps Up Big While Bellinger Stays Scorching
What a bounceback for Fried! A week ago, he was out after just 3.1 innings against the Rockies, but last night he went the distance, or close to it, hitting seven full innings. He only gave up one run on six hits and punched out six Twins batters. His only blemish came in the second when Royce Lewis beat out a throw from rookie George Lombard Jr. and eventually scored. But let’s be real, Fried was dealing.
And how about Cody Bellinger? That dude is on fire right now. He smashed a two-run shot just two batters into the game, right after Ben Rice got on base. That’s three dingers in his last five games for the left-handed outfielder. He went 3-for-4 with two RBIs on the night, picking up some of the slack with Aaron Judge getting a night off.
New York’s Offense Piles On the Pressure
The Yankees didn’t just lean on Fried and Bellinger, though. They broke it open in the sixth, but not before Lombard Jr. got his redemption, singling home Heliot Ramos in the third to get that earlier run back. Lombard finished 2-for-4, his first multi-hit game in 16 outings. Then came the big one: Ramos doubled to score Rice, and just two batters later, Spencer Jones absolutely crushed a three-run shot to push the lead to 7-1. Talk about stepping up! Jones finished with three RBIs on his one hit.
Anthony Volpe, starting at second, was solid too, going 2-for-4 with a double, a walk, and a stolen base. Jose Caballero, playing third, contributed an RBI single in his 1-for-5 performance. This team can hit, no doubt, but that Rays squad just won’t quit.
The Yankees close out their three-game set against the Twins this Wednesday afternoon. First pitch is scheduled for 1:40 p.m. Carlos Rodon (6-3, 2.94 ERA) is slated to take the mound for New York, facing off against Zeby Matthews (9-10, 4.98 ERA). Let’s see if they can put together another W and maybe, just maybe, catch a break on the scoreboard from Tampa Bay.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Yahoo Sports.
Leave a Reply