NEW YORK — Juan Soto hit a game-tying three-run double in the seventh inning and the New York Yankees defeated the Detroit Tigers 5-2 on Sunday, capping off a weekend victory with a rain-shortened victory.
Aaron Judge scored early for the Yankees against Tarik Skubal, who struck out a career-high 12 in six innings. The game was called after a 56-minute delay midway through the eighth after the teams played in constant rain for much of the day.
Completing a 17-day stretch of schedule disruption, the Yankees (23-13) improved to a season-high 10 games above .500.
New York loaded the bases against reliever Shelby Miller (3-4) in the seventh before Soto lined Andrew Chafin’s sinker down the right-field line to break a 2-all tie.
The Yankees loaded the bases again, but were unable to capitalize on a half-inning that lasted more than 30 minutes. Soto has 28 RBIs, most on the team.
Victor González (2-1) retired the final batter in the top of the seventh for the win. Dennis Santana pitched a scoreless eighth for his second save.
With players dodging raindrops for most of the afternoon, a tight left-handed pitching duel lasted until the seventh day, when Skubal and his counterpart Nestor Cortes were lifted.
Cortes walked with two hits and one out before Spencer Torkelson greeted Ian Hamilton with an RBI double, cutting New York’s lead to 2-1. Javier Báez followed a walk to Colt Keith with an RBI hit.
Cortes was charged with two runs on three hits and a walk in 6 1/3 innings, striking out nine.
After being ejected Saturday for the first time in his career, Yankees captain Aaron Judge came back strong with a solo shot into the right-field seats in his first at-bat. His seventh home run of the year was Skubal’s first given up in a month.
Judge finished the series 5-for-10, increasing his batting average from .197 to .220.
The Yankees scored again in the second, on Oswaldo Cabrera’s double.
Skubal allowed two runs and six hits with no walks.
EXTRA EFFORT
The Yankee Stadium field staff was especially busy between most half innings, struggling to keep the dirt in the infield, batter’s box and pitcher’s mound relatively dry.
TRAINER’S ROOM
Tigers: 3B Gio Urshela (right hamstring strain) is with the team and practicing, but has not yet run the bases. Detroit coach AJ Hinch expects Urshela to do so at some point this week in Cleveland. … Wenceel Pérez was eliminated from the original lineup due to illness.
Yankees: 1B Anthony Rizzo had a day off planned. … DJ INF LeMahieu (injured right foot) hit a bit Saturday and Sunday, manager Aaron Boone said. … RHP Gerrit Cole (right elbow inflammation) felt good the morning after throwing off a mound for the first time since being injured in spring training.
NEXT
Tigers: RHP Jack Flaherty (0-1, 4.00 ERA) faces Guardians RHP Triston McKenzie (2-2, 4.34) in the opener of a three-game series on Monday night.
Yankees: After their first day off since April 18, the Yankees host Houston in the opener of a three-game series on Tuesday night. RHP Luis Gil (2-1, 3.19 ERA) pitches for New York.
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