Bronx, NY — Joe Ryan delivered a gem on the mound and Kody Clemens came through with a clutch double as the Minnesota Twins ended a frustrating nine-game losing streak to the New York Yankees with a 4-1 win on Wednesday night at Yankee Stadium.
After a nearly two-hour rain delay, Ryan (12-5) came out firing. The right-hander gave up just one run on four hits over 6 2/3 innings, striking out seven and walking two. He capped the first inning by blowing a 97.7 mph fastball past Aaron Judge — his fastest pitch of the season — setting the tone for a confident performance.
The lone blemish on Ryan’s outing came courtesy of a solo home run from Cody Bellinger, but the Twins ace quickly settled back in. He retired the next four batters after the blast and allowed just two baserunners the rest of the way.
Minnesota broke open a scoreless tie in the sixth inning. Byron Buxton and rookie Luke Keaschall sparked the rally with a pair of infield singles. Clemens, who had been mired in an 0-for-18 slump, delivered a two-run double down the line to put the Twins on the board. He then advanced to third on an error in center field and scored on Royce Lewis’ double, stretching the lead to 3-1.
Keaschall also added an RBI groundout in the seventh, giving the Twins a comfortable cushion.
The win was a milestone moment for Minnesota, marking their first victory over the Yankees since April 26, 2023. It also came on the heels of executive chair Joe Pohlad’s announcement that the Pohlad family will maintain ownership of the team while bringing in two new investment partners.
Kody Funderburk relieved Ryan in the seventh, striking out Austin Wells to escape trouble. Justin Topa closed it out with a six-out save, preserving a tidy five-hitter for the Twins.
For New York, rookie Cam Schlitter impressed in his second career start, tossing 5 1/3 innings of one-run ball and giving up only three hits. The Yankees offense, however, couldn’t provide the support.
Key Moment
Minnesota’s sixth-inning surge, fueled by small-ball execution and Clemens’ timely double, flipped the momentum for good.
Stat to Know
Kody Clemens snapped an 0-for-18 drought at the plate with his game-changing double.
Up Next:
The Twins return home Thursday night to face the Tigers, with Bailey Ober (4-7, 5.16 ERA) set to start against Detroit’s Tarik Skubal (11-3, 2.35 ERA).
The Yankees head to St. Louis for a weekend series. Luis Gil (0-1, 7.27 ERA) takes the mound against Andre Pallante (6-9, 4.95 ERA) in Friday’s opener.
