Minnesota Twins 3 – New York Yankees 4
Bird made himself the word in today’s series finale with the Minnesota Twins.
The Yankees had a runner on base in the first three innings but Ervin Santana induced two double plays to keep the game scoreless. On the other side, Nathan Eovaldi was dominant early.
Through the first three innings, Nathan Eovaldi generated two ground outs and struck out five batters. He struck out one in the fourth inning and held the Twins without a base runner through the first five innings.
The game was scoreless until the fourth inning with two outs.
After Brett Gardner grounded out and Alex Rodriguez struck out, Carlos Beltran kept the fourth inning alive with a single. With the inning extended, Greg Bird came up huge with his first major league home run, a two-run home run to give the Yankees the two-run lead.
After 5 1/3 perfect innings by Eovaldi, catcher Chris Herrmann got the first Twins hit, a blooper over Chase Headley, just out of reach. Not the way you want to give up your first hit but it happens. Shane Robinson followed with a single of his own as the inning began to get away from him. Eovaldi got the second out on a ground out but he walked Brian Dozier to load the bases for Joe Mauer. Nathan Eovaldi left a pitch up to Mauer and it was punched into right field for a two-run, game-tying single. He walked Miguel Sano after the run-scoring play and Trevor Plouffe made him pay for that. Plouffe hit a run-scoring single that put the Twins ahead by one.
Eovaldi finished the inning but he needed the saving grace of his first baseman Bird.
In the sixth inning, Brett Gardner lined out to a leaping Plouffe at first base and Alex Rodriguez grounded out to put the Yankees in a two-out hole again. Carlos Beltran worked a walk against Ervin Santana and Greg Bird came up big yet again.
With a great swing, Greg Bird drilled a deep fly ball into right center and when it landed in the Yankees bullpen, the rookie gave the Yankees the lead. His second two-run home run of the day made it four runs batted in on a career day for the Baby Bomber.
With good reason, the 22-year-old first baseman received a curtain call from the Yankee Stadium crowd.
Nathan Eovaldi finished his outing in the seventh inning, retiring the Twins in order. In seven innings, Nathan Eovaldi allowed three runs on four hits with two walks and eight strikeouts.
He threw a season-high 120 pitches in today’s great outing.
Chasen Shreve pitched a scoreless eighth inning and, with a tired bullpen, Dellin Betances took on the closer’s role. Betances struck out two in the ninth inning and retired the Twins in order to complete the sweep in a career day for the young man at first base.
Greg Bird is the third Yankee since 1914 with a two-homer game within his first five Major League games. The other two were Jesus Montero and Shelley Duncan.
Dellin Betances is the first Yankees reliever to record 100 strikeouts in back-to-back seasons.
Win – Nathan Eovaldi (13-2)
Loss – Ervin Santana (2-4)
Save – Dellin Betances (8)
Twins
*Joe Mauer – 2 for 4, 2 RBI (53)
*Trevor Plouffe – 1 for 4, RBI (66)
Yankees
*Greg Bird – 2 for 4, 2 R, 2 Two-run home runs (2) in the 4th & 6th, 4 RBI (5)
*Carlos Beltran – 1 for 3, 2 R, BB
Current Yankees Record: 67-52
