The Yankees rallied late for a 6-5 extra-inning win over the Arizona Diamondbacks in the series finale on Wednesday afternoon at Chase Field.
Here are some takeaways…
– Aaron Judge has had a relatively quiet start to the season, but he had his hands all over the Yanks’ victory in this one. The Captain first got the squad on the board with his first homer of the year, a two-run shot to right-center in the top of the fourth.
After the game was pushed to extras, Judge came through again, as he cracked an RBI double to dead center to put the Yanks ahead for good. The star outfielder was on base three times with his two extra-base hits, a walk, and three RBI.
– Alex Verdugo had what looked like it was going to be his first Yankee moment since being acquired in an offseason trade with the Red Sox. On the very first pitch of the 10th inning, he demolished a go-ahead two-run home run to deep right field, but it ended up not being enough.
Verdugo has just a .494 OPS through his first 25 at-bats as a Yankee, but perhaps the moonshot will help him get going heading into the home opener.
– Carlos Rodon took the mound making his second start of the season and fared much better than his first time around. The lefty allowed a pair of solo home runs to Ketel Marte and Blaze Alexander, but that was it across 5.1 strong innings of work.
Rodon was bailed out of a two-on-and-two-out jam in the bottom of the fifth, as speedster Corbin Carroll was picked off questionably trying to steal third. He returned for the sixth and retired the first batter easily, but his afternoon came to an end after he allowed the next two to reach. Ian Hamilton entered and quickly escaped the threat with a lineout double play to Gleyber Torres.
After struggling with command his first time out, Rodon was much better in this one, allowing just the two runs on seven hits while walking two and striking out three across 5.1 innings.
– Clay Holmes has been terrific so far this season but he ran into some trouble during this save opportunity. After Verdugo’s homer, he allowed the Diamondbacks to even things up in the 10th on an error and a Carroll infield single.
Holmes returned for the 11th and hit the first batter he faced, but he rebounded to strike out Eugenio Suarez before being pulled. Aaron Boone then turned to lefty Caleb Ferguson and he allowed an RBI single but struck out RHP Scott McGough, who was batting after the D-backs lost their DH when Geraldo Perdomo left with an injury and Marte — who was DHing — had to play the field and no bench players remained, to secure the thrilling win and the 6-1 road trip to start the year.
Highlights
Upcoming schedule
After an off day, the Yankees return to the Bronx for their home opener on Friday at 1:10 p.m. against the Toronto Blue Jays.
Marcus Stroman is set to take the mound for the first time in front of the Bronx faithful.
Source Agencies
