Yankees pitcher Domingo German shows his hand to the umpires during a sticky substance check Saturday against the Minnesota Twins. German was allowed to stay in the game, and Twins Manager Rocco Baldelli was ejected after an argument with umpires. Mary Altaffer/Associated Press
NEW YORK — Minnesota Manager Rocco Baldelli was convinced Domingo Germán violated baseball’s clean-hands doctrine.
So just before the start of the fourth inning Saturday, Germán found an umpire addressing him sternly, inches from his face, the New York Yankees pitcher accused of having excessive sticky substance on his pitching hand and the opposing team demanding his ejection.
“It was intense. There was a moment there where maybe I felt that things were going to get out hand,” Germán said through an interpreter.
After an 5 1/2-minute interruption for inspection, discussion and Baldelli’s ejection, Germán was allowed to stay in the game. He retired his first 16 batters, struck out a career-high 11 over 6 1/3 innings and helped New York to a 6-1 win that stopped the Twins’ four-game winning streak.
Germán had rosin on his hand and was asked by crew chief James Hoye to wash it. The umpire allowed some to remain on a pinkie finger.
“He was warned. He didn’t fully comply, I would say, with the warning, from what I was told,” Baldelli said. “When he returned and it was still on there partially, on part of his hand, I didn’t think there was really any question he should be removed from the game.”
Kyle Higashioka and Anthony Rizzo homered early to build a three-run lead and Giancarlo Stanton had a two-run double for the Yankees, who rebounded from their first consecutive losses this season.
BLUE JAYS 5, RAYS 2: Yusei Kikuchi struck out a season-high nine over six innings, Danny Jansen had two hits and an RBI, and Toronto won at home.
Alejandro Kirk reached base four times, scored once and drove in a run as the Blue Jays made it two straight over the Rays, who arrived in Toronto having matched a modern record by winning the first 13 games of the season.
Taylor Walls homered for the Rays, who have connected at least once in all 15 games this season. Only Seattle (20 games in 2019) has begun a season with a longer streak.
Kikuchi (2-0) allowed one run and four hits, improving to 4-0 with a 1.80 ERA in six career games against Tampa Bay. The left-hander walked one and retired the final eight batters he faced.
WHITE SOX 7, ORIOLES 6: Yasmani Grandal tied the game in the 10th inning with a bloop RBI double, and Óscar Colás followed with an RBI single to lift Chicago over visiting Baltimore.
NATIONAL LEAGUE
PADRES 10, BREWERS 3: Jake Cronenworth had his first career multi-homer game with a pair of two-run shots and drove in a career-high six runs as San Diego won at home against NL Central-leading Milwaukee, snapping a three-game losing streak.
REDS 13, PHILLIES 0: Wil Myers went 4 for 5 with two home runs, and Cincinnati rode a stout pitching performance by Graham Ashcraft to beat visiting Philadelphia.
Ashcraft (2-0, 1.42 ERA) allowed just four hits in six scoreless innings.
PIRATES 6, CARDINALS 3: Andrew McCutchen hit a tiebreaking, two-run homer in the 10th inning and Pittsburgh won at St. Louis.
McCutchen hit a 3-2 pitch from Jordan Hicks (0-1) over the left-field wall for his third home run of the season to leadoff the 10th.
David Bednar (2-0) pitched a scoreless ninth inning, and Dauri Moreta worked around a leadoff walk in the 10th to earn his first save of the season.
MARLINS 3, DIAMONDBACKS 2: Luis Arraez hit a tiebreaking pinch-hit single in the seventh inning and Miami won at home.
INTERLEAGUE
TIGERS 7, GIANTS 6: Miguel Cabrera’s walk-off single in the 11th inning was the last push for Detroit, which rallied from a five-run deficit to beat visiting San Francisco.
Taylor Rogers (0-2) started the 11th with a wild pitch that moved Spencer Torkelson to third. Cabrera followed with a bouncer up the middle.
Chasen Shreve (1-1) got the win, as five Detroit relievers combined to pitch seven shutout innings.
METS 3, ATHLETICS 2: Mark Canha homered leading off the seventh inning and Brandon Nimmo doubled home the go-ahead run as New York rallied for a win at Oakland.
NOTES
TWINS: Max Kepler was activated from the 10-day injured list and started in right field against the New York Yankees.
Minnesota Manager Rocci Baldelli said he planned to see how Kepler came through Saturday’s game before determining whether Kepler will play Sunday. The Twins are off Monday, then open a series at Boston the following day.
Outfielder Matt Wallner was optioned to Triple-A St. Paul after going 0 for 8 with a walk in six games.
Baldelli said outfielder Joey Gallo, who is on the IL because of a right intercostal strain, likely will be activated Tuesday, or perhaps Wednesday if the Red Sox start a left-handed pitcher to open the series. Gallo began an injury rehabilitation assignment with the Saints on Friday and went 1 for 3 with a double.
CARDINALS: St. Louis activated outfielder Lars Nootbaar (jammed left thumb) from the 10-day injured list and optioned infielder-outfielder Juan Yepez to Triple-A Memphis.
Nootbaar injured his thumb sliding into third base in the Cardinals’ season opener against Toronto on March 30.
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