Bronx, NY—–Juan Soto’s timely three-run double propelled the New York Yankees to a 5-2 triumph against the Detroit Tigers, concluding a successful weekend sweep despite a rain-shortened game.
Aaron Judge initiated the scoring with a homer off Tarik Skubal, who notched a career-high 12 strikeouts over six innings. The contest was halted due to rain for 56 minutes during the eighth inning after enduring persistent showers throughout the day.
Managing a grueling 17-day stretch without rest, the Yankees (23-13) reached a season-best 10 games above .500, a feat celebrated by manager Aaron Boone as they relish a well-deserved off day.
New York broke the deadlock in the seventh inning as Soto’s clutch hit down the right-field line off reliever Shelby Miller secured the pivotal runs. Despite loading the bases again, the Yankees couldn’t extend their lead in an inning spanning over 30 minutes.
Victor González sealed the victory by retiring the final batter in the seventh, with Dennis Santana notching his second save in a scoreless eighth inning.
The game featured a compelling duel between left-handed pitchers, with Nestor Cortes and Skubal excelling until the seventh inning when they were relieved.
Cortes departed with two runners on base, allowing Spencer Torkelson’s RBI double before Javier Báez added another run with an RBI groundout. Judge, rebounding from a rare ejection the previous day, launched a solo home run in his first at-bat, setting the tone for the Yankees’ offensive display.
Despite the challenging weather conditions, the grounds crew and both teams made valiant efforts to ensure play continued, although ultimately, the game was deemed unplayable.
“The field became more and more unplayable and it got to be really dangerous. Guys couldn’t run full speed. There were puddles going everywhere,” Detroit manager A.J. Hinch said. “We tried. Everybody tried. The grounds crew was amazing. Alan Porter, the crew chief, was awesome with how he communicated everything, and we tried our best to get the game in. But enough was enough at the end, despite us being down.”
In the injury report, Tigers’ third baseman Gio Urshela is progressing in his recovery from a right hamstring strain, while Wenceel Pérez was sidelined from the lineup due to illness.
UP NEXT:
Tigers: RHP Jack Flaherty (0-1, 4.00 ERA) faces Guardians RHP Triston McKenzie (2-2, 4.34) in the opener of a three-game series Monday night.
Yankees: Following their first off day since April 18, the Yankees will play Houston in the opener of a three-game series Tuesday night. RHP Luis Gil (2-1, 3.19 ERA) pitches for New York.
