Offensive consistency remains difficult for the New York Yankees to establish.
But the Yankees might be a little closer to finding it after their biggest inning in six days. They will aim to close out a series sweep when they host the Detroit Tigers in the finale of a three-game set on Sunday afternoon.
Nestor Cortes (1-3, 3.86 ERA) is scheduled to start for the Yankees against fellow left-hander Tarik Skubal (4-0, 1.72).
Anthony Rizzo continued his surge on Saturday afternoon, when his three-run homer capped a four-run third inning that lifted the Yankees past the Tigers, 5-3.
The four-run outburst was New York’s biggest inning since April 28, when it scored seven runs in the sixth inning of a 15-5 win over the Brewers in Milwaukee. The Yankees had just two multi-run innings in the next six games — a two-run fifth inning against the Baltimore Orioles on Wednesday and a two-run ninth inning Friday, when they came back to edge the Tigers 2-1.
The walk-off win Friday and the third-inning rally Saturday were both fueled by the middle of the order. Aaron Judge, who opened the ninth inning Friday with a single and scored on Giancarlo Stanton’s double, laced an RBI double Saturday to give the Yankees a 2-1 lead.
Two outs later, Rizzo — who delivered the walk-off single Friday night — homered well into the right field seats for his fifth homer in the last 12 games. He had one homer in the first 23 games.
“Just stringing good ABs together,” Yankees manager Aaron Boone said. “A lot of good things happening there in an inning where we were able to finally put together a crooked number, which was nice and (gave) us a little breathing room.”
Breathing room has been hard to find recently for the Tigers, who scored four runs or fewer for the fifth time in six games Saturday and the 19th time overall this season.
Detroit pulled within 5-3 in the fourth inning Saturday, when Matt Vierling hit an RBI triple and trotted home on Colt Keith’s sacrifice fly. But the Tigers went 1-for-8 with runners on base over the final five frames.
Spencer Torkelson, who has more at-bats without a homer this season (122) than any American League player after hitting 31 homers last year, flew out to end the sixth and strand two runners. He also hit into a double play in the ninth after a leadoff single in the ninth.
“If anybody goes through it this way and is not frustrated, they don’t have a pulse,” Tigers manager A.J. Hinch said. “When you go through it, it feels like it’s endless. The game kind of leads you to big spots, and it will be tough on you with ground-ball double plays, just circumstances that come up.”
Cortes took the loss in his most recent start, when he gave up four runs over six innings as the Yankees fell to the Orioles 4-2 on Tuesday. He has no wins or losses and a 4.50 ERA in two career games (one start) against the Tigers.
Skubal hasn’t pitched since April 28, when he earned the victory after allowing one run over a season-high seven innings in the Tigers’ 4-1 win over the visiting Kansas City Royals. He is 1-2 with a 3.60 ERA in three starts against the Yankees.
–Field Level Media