Yankees hold on, take series from Rockies behind three hits, two RBIs from J.C. Escarra
The Yankees' J.C. Escarra follows the flight of his RBI single off Colorado Rockies relief pitcher Tyler Kinley in the eighth inning of a game Sunday in Denver. Credit: AP/David Zalubowski
DENVER — It wasn’t as easy as it should have been, or certainly what the records suggested it would be, but the Yankees got out of Coors Field with a series victory. Barely.
After dropping Friday night’s opener to a Rockies team that entered the weekend on pace to lose an MLB-record 136 games, the Yankees took care of business Saturday and Sunday.
On Saturday, it was a combination of the offense, which produced a 10-run fifth inning, and more Max Fried brilliance.
Sunday was a series-clinching 5-4 win, a white-knuckler that was more about the Yankees hanging on than anything else.
The Yankees (32-20) kept the Rockies (9-44) from earning their first series win of the season. “Good to get out of here and get on to California with another series win,” Aaron Boone said.
Luke Weaver came on in the ninth to protect a 5-3 lead and gave up a leadoff homer by Mickey Moniak. After consecutive one-out singles by Adael Amador and Jordan Beck, Weaver got Ezequiel Tovar to fly to right and Hunter Goodman to hit a dribbler back to the mound, earning his eighth save in nine chances.
“He’s probably stuff-wise impacted the most [of Yankees pitchers] by the air,’’ Boone said. “It really takes away from his unique fastball. But he kind of just figured it out. Kept making pitches.”
After a rough first inning, Will Warren locked in, but his momentum was stalled after four innings because of a 1-hour, 46-minute rain delay.
Warren, 2-0 with a 1.50 ERA and 26 strikeouts in 18 innings in his previous three starts, allowed two runs, two hits and two walks in four innings. He struck out seven, including five in a row.
“I think it was good,” he said. “Obviously, I gave up the two, but I think I stayed within our game plan and within myself and kept making competitive pitches. Tried to keep [the damage] to a minimum to let this offense score some runs.”
“I love this outing for Will Warren,” Boone said. “He just didn’t blink. Really good to see him navigate some real adversity there right from the jump.”
After Jonathan Loaisiga replaced Warren and allowed a run, Mark Leiter Jr. and Devin Williams got the ball to Weaver. Williams allowed two baserunners but struck out three.
After recording 21 hits in Saturday’s 13-1 win, the Yankees had a tougher go of it Sunday, but there was enough production, led by a big day by backup catcher J.C. Escarra, who went 3-for-4 with two RBIs. Paul Goldschmidt and Aaron Judge (.397 average, 1.246 OPS) had two hits each.
Goldschmidt led off the game with a single, moved to third on Judge’s single to right and scored when Cody Bellinger beat out a potential double-play ball.
Jordan Beck cue-balled Warren’s first pitch of the day down the rightfield line for a double. Ezequiel Tovar singled and Hunter Goodman walked to load the bases. Warren threw a wild pitch that tied the score and Ryan McMahon grounded to first to make it 2-1.
After Warren struck out Brenton Doyle swinging at a 94-mph fastball, Michael Toglia stung a grounder up the middle that Volpe, shaded behind the bag, had to backtrack for. He made a sliding stop and, from his knees, threw across the diamond. Goodman scored as first base umpire Jansen Visconti called the runner safe, but the Yankees successfully challenged the call, taking the run off the board.
“I was pumped about that,’’ Warren said. “Big play there.”
Volpe led off the second with a triple to right-center and scored on Escarra’s double to left.
With the rain beginning to fall, the Yankees took the lead in the fifth on Judge’s RBI double and Jasson Dominguez’s long sacrifice fly to center. Then, with Volpe at the plate and the infield beginning to puddle, crew chief Andy Fletcher called for the tarp.
Doyle’s RBI double brought the Rockies within 4-3 in the sixth and Escarra’s two-out RBI single in the eighth gave the Yankees a needed insurance run.
Stanton closer. Speaking Sunday morning on MLB Network Radio, general manager Brian Cashman gave an update on the rehab progress of Giancarlo Stanton, who started the season on the 60-day injured list with tendon tears in both elbows. “He’s scheduled for live BP for the next two weeks and he’s really close to doing a rehab assignment thereafter,” Cashman said.
Boone said it remains up in the air whether Stanton will need a true rehab assignment — meaning games in the minor leagues — or if simulated games will be enough because he won’t need reps in the field. “He’ll certainly be a part of that [discussion],” Boone said. “We’ll figure out what’s best. Just want to make sure he’s game-ready when he comes.”
Erik Boland started in Newsday's sports department in 2002. He covered high school and college sports, then shifted to the Jets beat. He has covered the Yankees since 2009.
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