Benches clear after Yankees get best of Rays
NEW YORK — New York Yankees closer Aroldis Chapman threw a 101 mph fastball near the head of pinch-hitter Michael Brosseau while closing out his first save of the season, prompting the benches to empty after New York ended a six-game losing streak against the Tampa Bay Rays with a 5-3 victory Tuesday night.
Chapman’s first pitch to Brosseau with two outs in the ninth inning whizzed past his head, and umpires met before issuing warnings to both benches amid a budding rivalry that’s been dominated this season by Tampa Bay. The Rays are 7-2 against the Yankees and lead second-place New York by 31/2 games.
Chapman struck out Brosseau to end it, and Brosseau began walking toward the visiting dugout before turning back to exchange words with someone on the Yankees. The dugouts and benches emptied, and players gathered near home plate, but they mostly kept their distance before dispersing to their respective clubhouses.
“Just some back and forth with obviously the ball coming close to Brosseau there,” Yankees Manager Aaron Boone said. “They were upset with it.”
Chapman began the season on the covid-19 injured list. He had been 0 for 1 in save chances this season.
The Yankees mounted a rally off Ryan Thompson (1-2) in the sixth to snap a 2-2 tie. They took a 5-2 lead when Gio Urshela hit a sinking liner to center field for a two-run double, then scored thanks to shoddy Rays’ defense.
Center fielder Kevin Kiemaier attempted
to make a diving catch, but the ball went by him and to the warning track, allowing Luke Voit and Clint Frazier to score. Urshela took third on the relay throw and scored when shortstop Willy Adames overthrew catcher Michael Perez for an error.
TWINS 3, WHITE SOX 2 Byron Buxton came off the injured list and had two hits, including the go-ahead single in the seventh inning to lead host Minnesota past Chicago. .
RANGERS 6, ASTROS 5 (10) Elvis Andrus hit a tying solo home run in the ninth inning and visiting Texas got two runs in the 10th on a balk and two errors to beat Houston.
INDIANS 10, ROYALS 1 Zach Plesac returned to the Indians with six solid innings after being punished for breaking coronavirus protocols, and visiting Cleveland beat Kansas City.
NATIONAL LEAGUE
CARDINALS 16, REDS 2 Brad Miller homered twice and drove in a career-high seven runs, and visiting St. Louis pounded Sonny Gray and Cincinnati.
PHILLIES 6, NATIONALS 0 Aaron Nola tossed two-hit ball over eight innings, Andrew McCutchen hit a three-run home run and Alec Bohm also went deep to lead host Philadelphia past Washington.
CUBS 8, PIRATES 7 (11) Ian Happ went 3 for 6 with 2 RBI and singled in Nico Hoerner in the top of the 11th to lead visiting Chicago over Pittsburgh.
GIANTS 23, ROCKIES 5 Alex Dickerson hit three home runs and matched a career high with six RBI. Brandon Crawford also homered among his 3 hits and had 6 RBI, and Donovan Solano had 4 hits and 6 RBI. Brandon Belt and Joey Bart added three hits apiece as the Giants collected 27 hits overall.
INTERLEAGUE
MARLINS 3, BLUE JAYS 2 Starling Marte celebrated his Miami debut with a tiebreaking home run in the eighth inning, helping host Miami top Toronto.
ORIOLES 9, METS 5 Renato Nunez hit two home runs, Anthony Santander also went deep and host Baltimore beat New York.
BRAVES 10, RED SOX 3 Marcell Ozuna hit three home runs in a game for the first time in his career and finished with six RBI, leading visiting Atlanta over Boston. Ozuna, who was 3 for 5, hit a two-run homer in the first inning, a solo shot in the seventh and a three-run blast in the eighth.