New York Yankees defeated Detroit Tigers behind Juan Soto’s double, complete three-game sweep

On By Vaseline

NEW YORK (AP) — Juan Soto hit a three-run double to tie the game in the seventh inning and the New York Yankees defeated the Detroit Tigers 5-2 on Sunday to cap a weekend sweep with a rain-shortened victory.

Aaron Judge homered early for the Yankees off Tarik Skubal, who hit a career-best 12 in six innings. The game was canceled after a 56-minute delay in the middle of the eighth, after the teams played through persistent rain showers for much of the day.

The Yankees (23-13) completed a 17-day stretch without a break in the schedule and improved to a season-high 10 games above .500.

New York loaded the bases against reliever Shelby Miller (3-4) in the seventh before Soto put Andrew Chafin’s sinker down the right field line to break a 2-all tie.

The Yankees loaded the bases again, but failed to capitalize in a half inning that lasted more than 30 minutes. Soto has 28 RBIs, the most on the team.

Victor González (2-1) retired the last batter in the top of the seventh inning for the win. Dennis Santana pitched a scoreless eighth for his second save.

With players dodging raindrops for most of the afternoon, a tight pitching duel between lefties lasted until the seventh, when Skubal and counterpart Nestor Cortes were both lifted.

Cortes left with two on and one out before Spencer Torkelson greeted Ian Hamilton with an RBI double, cutting New York’s lead to 2-1. Javier Báez walked Colt Keith with an RBI groundout.

Cortes gave up two runs on three hits and a walk in 6 1/3 innings, striking out nine.

After being ejected for the first time in his career on Saturday, Yankees captain Aaron Judge came back strong with a solo shot into the right-field seats in his first at-bat. His seventh home run of the year was the first Skubal gave up in a month.

Judge finished the series 5 for 10, raising his batting average from .197 to .220.

The Yankees scored again in the second on Oswaldo Cabrera’s runscoring double.

Skubal allowed two runs and six hits with no walks.

EXTRA EFFORT

The Yankee Stadium grounds crew was especially busy between most half innings, doing their best to keep the infield dirt, batter’s box and pitcher’s mound relatively dry.

TRAINER’S ROOM

Tigers: 3B Gio Urshela (right hamstring injury) is with the team and training, but has yet to run the bases. Detroit manager AJ Hinch hopes Urshela will do that sometime this week in Cleveland. … Wenceel Pérez was left out of the original lineup due to illness.

Yankees: 1B Anthony Rizzo was given a scheduled day off. … INF DJ LeMahieu (bruised right foot) struck a little bit Saturday and Sunday, manager Aaron Boone said. … RHP Gerrit Cole (right elbow inflammation) felt good the morning after throwing off a mound for the first time since being injured in spring training.

NEXT ONE

Tigers: RHP Jack Flaherty (0-1, 4.00 ERA) faces Guardians RHP Triston McKenzie (2-2, 4.34) on Monday night in the opener of a three-game series.

Yankees: After their first day off since April 18, the Yankees host Houston on Tuesday evening in the opener of a three-game series. RHP Luis Gil (2-1, 3.19 ERA) pitches for New York.

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AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/MLB