
Gerrit Cole didn’t have his “A” game, but the Yankees’ (32-23) offense picked him up to have Cole improve his record to 6-0 on the season. A seven-run third inning proved to be decisive in a 10-7 win over the Padres.
Cole gave up a HR to the second batter he faced, and San Diego had a quick 1-0 lead.
Aaron Judge tied the game in the bottom of the first inning with his 15th HR of the season. With that HR, he took over the AL lead in HR, even though he missed ten games by being on the IL. Pete Alonso of the Mets leads the majors with 20 HR.
In the top of the third, the Yanks got sloppy. With two out and a man on second, Jose Azocar singled to make it 2-1, Padres. However, errors by Harrison Bader and Kyle Higashioka let Azocar come all the way around on the play and it was 3-1 Padres.
Then, in the bottom of the third, the Yanks exploded for seven runs to take an 8-3 lead. Higashioka led off the inning with a double and scored on an Anthony Volpe single. Volpe took second on the throw home. Gleyber Torres singled Volpe to third, and then Judge singled to tie the game at three, with Torres stopping at second. A single by Anthony Rizzo gave the Yanks a 4-3 lead. Now the Yanks had Judge on second and Rizzo on first. D.J. LeMahieu was robbed of a 3-run HR, but the long flyout enabled Judge to tag up and go to third. Bader grounded into a force out that scored Judge to make it 5-3. Bader’s hustle down the line avoided the inning-ending DP and enabled the inning to continue. The “Gas House Gorillas” procession continued with a double by Willie Calhoun to make it 6-3. A single by Isiah Kiner-Falefa made it 7-3, and Higashioka’s second double of the inning made it 8-3.
Ex-Yankee Rougned Odor hit a 2-run HR in the top of the seventh to cut the Yanks’ lead to 8-5, and after a single, Cole was relieved by Jimmy Cordero, who promptly gave up a double. Second and third, no out, tying run at the plate. Cordero gave up an RBI fielder’s choice, but then got two strikeouts to get out of the inning. 8-6, Yankees.
The Yanks got two runs in the bottom of the eighth to make it 10-6. With one out, Bader homered (6). Calhoun singled, and after a force out, IKF stole second and went to third on an error. Higashioka singled to make it 10-6.
The Padres pushed across a run in the top of the ninth, but the Yanks held on for the 10-7 win.
The next four games will have late starts, since the Yanks are now on the west coast. 9:40 PM Eastern Mon-Wed in Seattle, then after an off day on Thursday, Friday night’s game against the Dodgers has a 10:10 PM Eastern Time start. Saturday is 7:15 PM eastern for Fox, and Sunday night is 7:08 pm Eastern for ESPN. June 5th is an off-day, and the Yanks next play at home on Tuesday, June 6.
Tonight’s game (Monday, Memorial Day) will have Domingo German on the mound, as he returns from his 10-day suspension for too much sticky stuff on his pitching hand. He needs to be careful. The next time, it will be a 50-game suspension.
Judge 2 hits, 2 RBI. Solo HR (15). Took over AL HR lead.
Bader 2 RBI. Solo HR (6)
Calhoun 2 hits, RBI.
Higashioka 3 hits, 2 RBI.
Cole (W, 6-0) 6+ IP, 6 R, 5 ER, 4 H, 3 W, 9 K. Gave up 2 HR. 2.93
J. Cordero (H, 4) 1 IP, 0 R, 1 H, 0 W, 2 K. 3.47
Marinaccio (H, 5) 1 IP, 0 R, 0 H, 0 W, 1 K. 1 HBP 4.10
Holmes 1 IP, 1 R, 0 H, 2 W, 0 K. 3.27
After Friday night’s game, Randy Vasquez was sent back to SWB and Matt Krook, a lefty reliever, was called up.