| Advertisement |
CLEVELAND -- For New York Yankees manager Joe Girardi, whose team lost its first two games in Cleveland, a series split never felt so good. Jacoby Ellsbury's two-out, three-run triple capped a five-run sixth inning, Aaron Judge hit a three-run homer in the seventh, and four New York pitchers combined on a two-hitter as the Yankees beat the Indians 8-1 on Sunday.
Advertisement
"We just split with a really, really good team," Girardi said. "To go 2-2 in Cleveland is a pretty good series."
The Yankees split the four-game series with an exclamation point performance after getting outscored by a combined 12-3 margin in the first two games during the debuts of newly acquired starting pitchers Sonny Gray and Jaime Garcia.
Luis Severino (9-4) held Cleveland to one run on two hits, with nine strikeouts in 6 2/3 innings to get the win. He retired 18 of the last 20 batters he faced.
"That's as impressive stuff as you're going to see," Indians manager Terry Francona said. "Everyone sees the fastball, but now he's gaining confidence in his off-speed stuff. That's a tough guy to face."
Girardi was also impressed with Severino, who was 0-8 as a starting pitcher last season.
"He's continued to improve all year long," Girardi said. "He's really good, and his stuff doesn't fall off late in the game. It doesn't fall off."
Carlos Carrasco (10-5) gave up five runs on six hits in 5 2/3 innings to take the loss.
Carrasco took a 1-0 lead into the top of the sixth inning, which began with a single by Brett Gardner.
Clint Frazier pulled a double down the left-field line, moving Gardner to third. Didi Gregorius popped out for the first out, and the Indians intentionally walked Judge to load the bases.
A sacrifice fly by Chase Headley drove in Gardner with the tying run, and Todd Frazier drew a walk, which re-loaded the bases.
Ellsbury hit a fly ball onto the warning track in right field. Right fielder Abraham Almonte went back on the ball and appeared to misjudge it. The ball landed on the track, bounced off the wall, allowing all three runners to score, with Ellsbury racing to third on what was ruled a triple, giving the Yankees a 4-1 lead.
"I don't think he misjudged it," Francona said. "That's a tough sun field, and when he went back, instead of running to a spot he stayed with it the whole time, and then his steps got shorter and choppier. When he got on the track he wasn't sure where he was, or where the ball was. It was a pivotal play to say the least."
Bryan Shaw relieved Carrasco and Ronald Torreyes greeted Shaw with a single to left, scoring Ellsbury to make it 5-1.
"We had so many good at bats in that inning," Girardi said. "Carrasco dominated the first time through the order. The second time, our at bats were better, and the third time, the at bats were really good. That was good to see."
In the Yankees' seventh, Clint Frazier walked, Gregorius singled, and both rode home on a line drive home run over the wall in right-center field by Judge, his American League-leading 35th, off a 1-2 pitch from reliever Mike Clevinger.
It was a big hit for Judge, who came into the game hitting just .178, with 32 strikeouts in 73 at-bats since the All-Star break.
"He's getting back to the right approach," Girardi said. "He doesn't need to pull the ball to hit home run. He just needs to stay on the ball, and that will do it."
Both starting pitchers dominated in the early innings. Carrasco retired the first 11 batters he faced before Gregorius singled with two out in the fourth.
Severino struck out six of the first eight batters he faced, but a first inning solo home run by Michael Brantley gave Cleveland an early 1-0 lead. Following Brantley's homer, Severino retired 18 of the next 20 batters he faced, before being removed from the game with two outs in the seventh.
"All my pitches were there," Severino said. "My fastball command was great and my changeup was better. We're really excited to come back like this and split the series."
NOTES: The Indians activated 2B Jason Kipnis (hamstring) off the disabled list and optioned INF Erik Gonzalez to Triple-A Columbus. ... Two of the four games in the series were sellouts. The Indians have had seven sellouts this year, their most since they had 11 in 2007. ... The Yankees placed DH Matt Holliday (back) on the 10-day disabled list and recalled 1B Garrett Cooper from Triple-A Columbus. ... Yankees C Gary Sanchez did not catch either of the last two games of the series. He was replaced by Austin Romine. Manager Joe Girardi said Sanchez needs to work on improving his defense. Sanchez has been charged with 12 passed balls this season, the most of any American League catcher.
