NEW YORK – Juan Soto hit a three-run double that snapped a seventh-inning tie and the New York Yankees beat the Detroit Tigers 5-2 on Sunday to finish a weekend sweep with a rain-shortened win.
Aaron Judge homered early for the Yankees off Tarik Skubal, who struck out a career-best 12 in six innings. The game was called following a 56-minute delay in the middle of the eighth after the teams played through steady showers much of the day.
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Completing a 17-day stretch without a break in the schedule, the Yankees (23-13) improved to a season-high 10 games over .500.
“Wins are precious in this league,” Yankees manager Aaron Boone said. "It’s really good to shake hands three times into an off day. It does a lot for the soul.”
New York loaded the bases against reliever Shelby Miller (3-4) in the seventh before Soto lined Andrew Chafin’s sinker down the right-field line to break a 2-all tie.
“I think I just like big moments,” Soto said. "I like to be up there and it gives me a little bit of adrenaline and I want to get the job done so bad.”
The Yankees loaded the bases again but were unable to capitalize in a half-inning that took more than 30 minutes. Soto has 28 RBIs, most on the team.
Victor González (2-1) retired the final batter in the top of the seventh. Dennis Santana pitched a scoreless eighth for his second save.
With players dodging raindrops for most of the afternoon, a tight pitchers' duel between left-handers 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 followed a walk to Colt Keith with an RBI groundout.
Cortes was charged with two runs on three hits and a walk in 6 1/3 innings, striking out nine.
“To the righties I was able to locate both sides of the plate and to lefties the slider was really good,” Cortes said.
After being ejected Saturday for the first time in his career, 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 given up by Skubal in a month.
“It’s impressive, man. It’s fun competing against guys like that, especially the young ace of the team," Judge said. "I’m looking forward to more battles with him, that's for sure.”
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 run-scoring double.
Skubal permitted two runs and six hits with no walks.
EXTRA EFFORT
The grounds crew at Yankee Stadium was especially busy between most half-innings, scrambling to keep the infield dirt, batter’s box and pitcher’s mound relatively dry.
“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.”
TRAINER’S ROOM
Tigers: 3B Gio Urshela (right hamstring strain) is with the team and working out but has yet to run the bases. Hinch hopes Urshela will do that at some point this week in Cleveland. … Wenceel Pérez was scratched from the original lineup due to illness.
Yankees: 1B Anthony Rizzo was given a planned day off. … INF DJ LeMahieu (bruised right foot) hit a little bit Saturday and Sunday, Boone said. … RHP Gerrit Cole (right elbow inflammation) felt good the morning after throwing off a mound for the first time since he got injured in spring training.
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 host Houston in the opener of a three-game series Tuesday night. RHP Luis Gil (2-1, 3.19 ERA) pitches for New York.
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AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/MLB