Juan Soto smacked a three-run double in the seventh inning, breaking a tie and helping the New York Yankees secure a 5-2 victory over the Detroit Tigers on Sunday. The win capped off a weekend sweep, despite the game being cut short due to rain.
Aaron Judge launched a homer early in the game against Tarik Skubal, who recorded a career-high 12 strikeouts in six innings. The game was halted after a 56-minute delay in the middle of the eighth inning due to steady showers throughout the day.
After playing continuously for 17 days without a break, the Yankees (23-13) reached their highest point of the season, being 10 games above .500.
“Wins mean a lot in this league,” remarked Yankees manager Aaron Boone. “It’s great to walk away with three victories heading into an off day. It’s a real morale boost.”
In the seventh inning, New York loaded the bases against pitcher Shelby Miller (3-4), setting the stage for Soto’s clutch hit down the right-field line off Andrew Chafin’s pitch, breaking the 2-2 tie.
“I thrive in big moments,” Soto commented. “I get a rush of adrenaline, and I’m eager to deliver.” Despite loading the bases again, the Yankees couldn’t add more runs in a lengthy half-inning that lasted over 30 minutes. Soto now leads the team with 28 RBIs.
Victor González (2-1) handled the final out in the top of the seventh, while Dennis Santana secured the eighth inning for his second save.
With both teams contending with rain for most of the game, the duel between left-handed pitchers continued until the seventh inning, when both Skubal and Nestor Cortes were replaced.
Cortes exited the game with two runners on base and one out, with Spencer Torkelson driving in an RBI double against Ian Hamilton, narrowing New York’s lead to 2-1. Javier Báez followed with an RBI groundout.
Cortes concluded his outing with two earned runs on three hits and a walk, striking out nine batters. “I was able to hit both sides of the plate against right-handed batters, and my slider was effective against lefties,” Cortes reflected.
