Yankees hit three home runs, hold off Braves
ATLANTA — The streaking New York Yankees withstood a ninth-inning scare that may have opened future save opportunities to a committee approach.
Wandy Peralta retired Freddie Freeman with the bases loaded for the final out, and New York held off the Atlanta Braves 5-4 in a thriller Tuesday night to extend its longest winning streak in 36 years to 11 games.
DJ LeMahieu’s two-run home run in the fifth gave New York the lead. Giancarlo Stanton and Rougned Odor also went deep for the Yankees.
New York closer Aroldis Chapman, trying to preserve a 5-3 lead, gave up two hits and two walks in the ninth. Chapman’s bases-loaded walk to Jorge Soler cut the margin to one, and Manager Aaron Boone pulled Chapman for Peralta — just in time to face the reigning National League MVP.
Peralta’s success in the highstress situation impressed Boone.
“As tough a situation as you can probably be brought into — Freddie Freeman staring you down with the bases loaded — and he just did a tremendous job,” Boone said.
Peralta fell behind 3-1 in the count before throwing five consecutive changeups. Freeman fouled off four in a row, then hit a game-ending flyout to deep left field.
“He had a hell of an at-bat,” Braves Manager Brian Snitker said of Freeman before adding the rally was “just a hit away.”
Peralta earned his third save for the Yankees and the fifth of his career. The other two came earlier this season with San Francisco.
Boone wouldn’t say if Chapman would continue as the closer or share the role.
“We’ve got to figure it out, and the bottom line is a lot of people are doing really good things down there,” Boone said.
RAYS 3, PHILLIES 1 Nelson Cruz played first base for the first time in his career and hit a tiebreaking two-run double in the eighth inning as Tampa Bay beat Philadelphia.
TIGERS 4, CARDINALS 3 Miguel Cabrera and Robbie Grossman hit back-to-back home runs to lead Detroit to a victory over St. Louis.
NATIONAL LEAGUE
GIANTS 8, METS 0 Brandon Belt hit two of San Francisco’s four home runs and rookie Sammy Long pitched into the sixth inning in a victory over slumping New York.
NATIONALS 5, MARLINS 1 Tres Barrera had three hits, including a home run, and Washington sent Miami to its eighth consecutive loss. PIRATES 4, DIAMONDBACKS 2 JT Brubaker pitched five scoreless innings as Pittsburgh beat Arizona.
BREWERS 7, REDS 4 Omar Narvaez hit a tiebreaking double in a four-run seventh inning, Kolten Wong added a two-run home run in the eighth and Milwaukee rallied past Cincinnati.
AMERICAN LEAGUE
ANGELS 14, ORIOLES 8 Baltimore staggered to its 19th consecutive loss, allowing 19 hits and falling behind Los Angeles by 11 runs early. RANGERS 7, INDIANS 3 Nathaniel Lowe was 5 for 5 with a three-run home run in the first inning, and Texas beat Cleveland.
WHITE SOX 5, BLUE JAYS 2 Dylan Cease pitched seven effective innings, Jose Abreu hit a three-run home run and Chicago stopped a threegame slide.
MARINERS 5, ATHLETICS 1 Luis Torrens hit a tiebreaking two-run single, Chris Flexen pitched into the seventh inning and Seattle swept a two-game series against Oakland.
RED SOX 11, TWINS 9 Hunter Renfroe hit two home runs — a three-run shot in the fourth and a two-run shot in the fifth — Enrique Hernandez added a two-run home run and Travis Shaw had a solo shot as Boston beat Minnesota. ASTROS 4, ROYALS 0 A throwing error by Kansas City shortstop Nicky Lopez led to two Houston runs, and Carlos Correa had an RBI double and a run-scoring groundout as the Astros defeated the Royals.