Domingo German dominated, and flirted with a perfect game, as the Yankees finally got the best of the Twins on Saturday afternoon by a score of 6-1.
Takeaways
- German had the best start of his career, as he got the first 15 batters out, which included 10 strikeouts.
There was an interesting conversation in the third inning when the umpires stopped German from taking the mound so they could check his glove and hands. It wasn’t clear, but it seemed they told the pitcher to wipe his hands down or he couldn’t re-enter the game. Once he did, he was allowed to return, which drew the ire of Twins manager Rocco Baldelli. He argued he shouldn’t be allowed back in and was ejected for it.
The interruption didn’t deter German who would take a perfect game into the sixth inning. After getting the first out in the inning, Christian Vazquez broke it up with a single to center field. Michael Taylor would follow with a single. German got Carlos Correa -- who killed the Yankees in the first two games -- to fly out and end the threat.
German would strike out Byron Buxton to start the seventh and pick up his 11th strikeout, a new career high. But after a Trevor Larnach double, manager Aaron Boone pulled his starter after 78 pitches.
German’s final line: 6.1 IP, one run, three hits, zero walks and 11 strikeouts.
- Anthony Rizzo continued his hot streak with a missile over the right-field wall to extend the Yankees lead to 3-0. It was Rizzo’s third home run of the series. Kyle Higashioka got the Yankees on the board with a two-run shot in the second inning.
The Yankees had a chance to put the Twins away in the fifth inning. After an Anthony Volpe walk and stolen base, DJ LeMahieu drove him in on a single to put the Yankees up 4-0. Aaron Judge hit a double to put runners on second and third with no one out, but Rizzo (popped out to first base), Giancarlo Stanton (fielder's choice) and Franchy Cordero (ground out) could not cash in.
Stanton would redeem himself in the seventh when he launched a double off the left-center field wall, just barely missing a three-run shot. It would have been a home run in 26 other parks. Instead, two runs scored to increase the Yankee lead to 6-1.
- Volpe finished 1-for-2 with two walks and three stolen bases. It was his first attempts since April 2 but he's now 6-for-6 in stolen base attempts.
He's the first Yankee with three stolen bases in a game since Ichiro Suzuki had four in 2012.
- Michael King came out in relief of German and allowed his inherited runner to score on a double by Jose Miranda. After a single, King got an inning-ending double play to end the threat with the Yanks still up 4-1.
King, who hasn't pitched in a few days, would up getting the final eight outs to close out the 6-1 Yankees win. King pitched 2.1 innings, giving up two hits and striking out two on 38 pitches.