NEW YORK — After giving up the lead multiple times throughout the game, Miguel Andujar finally won it for the Yankees with a walk-off single in the ninth to beat the Cleveland Indians, 7-6, on Star Wars Night at Yankee Stadium.
The team’s two rookies played big roles in Friday’s win, while the team’s oldest player, C.C. Sabathia, was stellar from the mound.
Gleyber Torres opened the scoring with a three-run home run, the first of his career, in the fourth inning. He waited on a Josh Tomlin off-speed pitch and took it deep to left field.
First of many. Gleyber good. 💪💪 pic.twitter.com/thQVdsDzbY
— MLB (@MLB) May 5, 2018
This then started a string of homers for the Bombers, with Aaron Judge homering later in the inning and Gary Sanchez hitting one to the stands in the fifth for a 5-0 lead over the Tribe.
With Sabathia pulled after six innings of scoreless ball, the Indians made damage against the New York bullpen in the eighth.
Chasen Shreve first gave up a three-run long ball to Bradley Zimmer to cut the Cleveland deficit to 5-3.
Jose Ramirez, with a runner on base, then took David Robertson deep to tie the game at five.
In the bottom half, however, New York would take the lead back.
With two outs, three straight Yankees would reach base to load them up for Judge. He then walked to force in the go-ahead run. Gregorius popped-out to end the inning.
In the ninth, Cleveland would start another rally, this time off of Aroldis Chapman, who was working in his fourth game in six days.
Yan Gomes started the frame with a single against a very erratic Chapman. He would next strikeout Rajai Davis but a hit-by-pitch on Bradley Zimmer put the tying run on second base.
With Francisco Lindor at-bat, a wild pitch would move the runners up another 90 feet. The shortstop then struck-out to put the Yankees one out away from the victory.
Chapman worked the count to 1-2 on Jason Kipnis but another wild pitch allowed Gomes to score the tying run. An obviously frustrated closer got Kipnis out, but it was after he blew his first save of the season.
After unsuccessfully holding another lead, Giancarlo Stanton immediately gave the Bombers hope with a double to leadoff the frame.
This then forced Terry Francona to bring in his closer, Cody Allen, to control the damage.
While he was able to get the next two batters out, Neil Walker would work a walk to pass the baton to Andujar.
The third baseman then fought off an Allen pitch and dropped in a single to right field to bring home the winning run for the Yankees.
*Fanfare plays as everyone walks out of the theater* pic.twitter.com/7NXz3iNkfU
— New York Yankees (@Yankees) May 5, 2018
This was another good win for New York as they continue to win against legitimate World Series contenders.
Sonny Gray and Trevor Bauer face-off in the second game of this series on Saturday.
Current Yankees Record: 22-10
