NEW YORK — The Yankees are as hot as the weather, torching Colorado pitching for the second straight day.

Edwin Encarnacion chased Anthony Senzatela with a two-run double in a five-run second inning, and New York romped over the Rockies 11-5 Saturday for its fifth straight win.

On an afternoon with a 94-degree gametime temperature, the highest for the Yankees this season, New York went ahead when Aaron Judge doubled in a run on Senzatela’s 10th pitch and took a 9-0 lead by the fourth.

Encarnacion added an RBI double in the seventh and has 21 RBI in 24 games since Yankees acquired him from Seattle, including seven in the weekend series. DJ LeMahieu raised his AL-leading average to .334 with three hits, giving him five in two games against his former team.

New York began the day with a nine-game AL East lead, its largest in seven years, and increased its best-in-the-majors record to 64-33. The Yankees are 14-0-1 in their last 15 home series and are on their fifth winning streak of five games or more.

Colorado has lost six straight and 13 of 15 while getting outscored 127-64. The Rockies resembled a mirage of a big league team, making two errors plus key mental mistakes. Left fielder Ramiel Tapia’s failure to throw the ball to the infield led to havoc in a 34-minute bottom of the second, and no one covered second as slow-footed catcher Austin Romine swiped a base for just the fourth time in his big league career,.

Masahiro Tanaka (7-5) needed just 46 pitches to breeze through five innings, getting nine groundouts, three strikeouts, two flyouts and a lineout while allowing a pair of singles. Senzatela and Chad Bettis combined to throw 79 pitches in the first two innings alone.

Tanaka tired in Colorado’s five-run sixth that included Nolan Arenado’s 22nd homer, a three-run drive that hit the top of the center-field wall and bounced over.

Senzatela (8-7) allowed six runs, seven hits and two walks in 11/3 innings, the shortest of 51 career starts. His ERA rose to 6.29.

New York’s only worry was first baseman Luke Voit. He was hit in the fourth by a 91 mph pitch from Bettis that glanced off his left shoulder and struck the left side of his face. Voit scored on Gleyber Torres’ two-run single, then returned to the clubhouse and was replaced. The Yankees said tests indicated he did not have a concussion.

Colorado came apart in the second after Didi Gregorius’ leadoff single. Torres singled to left for the first of his three hits, and Gregorius sped to third as Tapia held the ball for about four seconds and then tossed ever-so-softly toward third. Senzatela cut off the throw and flung the ball into right field as Torres headed to second, allowing Gregorius to head home.

Romine singled for a 3-0 lead, made a delayed steal of second with the infield shifted for LeMahieu and scored on a bases-loaded single by Aaron Hicks, who had been 4 for 45 in his career with the bases full.

AMERICAN LEAGUE

WHITE SOX 2, RAYS 1: Yoan Moncada scored from first base on a single in the 11th inning and Chicago beat host Tampa Bay, which lost its fifth straight.

Rays center fielder Kevin Kiermaier left the game with a sprained left thumb.

ASTROS 6, RANGERS 1: Jose Urquidy threw seven dominant innings for his first major league win and Yuli Gurriel hit a three-run homer, sending Houston to a win at home.

Urquidy (1-0) held the Rangers to two baserunners – a homer by Shin-Soo Choo and an infield single by Hunter Pence.

ROYALS 1, INDIANS 0: Hunter Dozier homered in the first inning and Jakob Junis pitched two-hit ball through six innings as Kansas City won at Cleveland, snapping the Indians’ six-game winning streak.

BLUE JAYS 7, TIGERS 5: Vladimir Guerrero Jr. hit his first career grand slam, a 441-foot drive toward the bushes at Comerica Park that helped Toronto rally in Detroit.

Guerrero’s home run erased a 5-1 deficit in the fifth, and Brandon Drury added a two-run shot an inning later to put Toronto ahead.

NATIONAL LEAGUE

CUBS 6, PADRES 5: Javier Baez hit a go-ahead, three-run homer and four Cubs relievers combined for one-hit ball over the final four innings, lifting Chicago at home.

Anthony Rizzo had two hits and drove in two runs and Robel Garcia added an RBI triple as NL Central-leading Chicago improved to 7-1 since the All-Star break.

NATIONALS 5, BRAVES 3: Aníbal Sánchez outpitched Mike Soroka and scored the go-ahead run in the fifth inning, Matt Adams homered and Washington won at Atlanta.

PIRATES 5, PHILLIES 1: Joe Musgrove scattered two hits over six innings, collected his first double of the season and scored on a textbook head-first slide to beat a throw by Philadelphia right fielder Bryce Harper and lead Pittsburgh to a win at home.

METS 11, GIANTS 4: Pete Alonso came off the bench and hit his 33rd home run, setting the Mets rookie record for RBI as visiting New York beat San Francisco to end the Giants’ seven-game winning streak.

REDS 3, CARDINALS 2: Yasiel Puig hit a game-tying double to end Miles Mikolas’ shutout bid, Josh VanMeter followed with his first major league home run and host Cincinnati snapped a four-game losing streak.

NOTES

RAYS: Tampa Bay placed pitcher Ryne Stanek on the 10-day injured list with a sore right hip and optioned two-way player Brendan McKay to Triple-A Durham in a series of moves to help a taxed bullpen.

Reliever Chaz Roe, out since July 9 with a right flexor strain, was reinstated from the 10-day IL on Saturday and right-hander Hunter Wood was recalled from Durham.

« Previous

Next »

Related Stories