GLEY SKIES CLEAR UP
After 2 rainouts, Torres turns on power with 3 HRs in twinbill
Gleyber Torres’ elbow was a little sore and swollen Wednesday night, but for the Yankee shortstop it was the sweet aftermath of a huge day. Torres, who missed a game on Sunday because of soreness in his right elbow, crushed three home runs in the Yankees’ sweep of the Orioles in a doubleheader at the Stadium three days later.
“Really good. A doubleheader, we feel really tired in the second game for sure, but just focus and do the job and help the team,” Torres said. “I think there’s no better feeling when you do the job and you help your team.”
Torres homered twice in the 5-3 afternoon victory and then again in the 3-1 nightcap win as the Yankees swept the doubleheader. Their two wins took a total of four hours and 41 minutes.
The Yankees won their fourth straight series and are now a season-high 10 games above .500. They have now beaten the Orioles (14-28) in five straight meetings.
Domingo German allowed one run on six hits over seven innings. He struck out eight and walked one to pick up his major league-leading eighth victory of the season.
“It feels good that I’m getting the job done, but at the same time, this doesn’t mean that I take my foot off the pedal,” German said. “The job at hand is much bigger and concentration is key. It feels good, but at the same time, we have more work to be done.”
Aroldis Chapman saved both games of the doubleheader, the second time in his career he had two saves in a day. The last time he did it was Aug. 16, 2016 with the Cubs against the Brewers.
After back-to-back rainouts on Monday and Tuesday, almost everyone looked sharp Wednesday. Aaron Hicks, who missed the first 41 games of the season with chronic lower back pain, went 0for-4 in his season debut.
“I felt great. Obviously my at-bats didn’t show it,” Hicks said. “I was just really excited to play in my first game. I was a little bit nervous.”
Torres clubbed two homers off Orioles right-hander David Hess in the afternoon. Gary Sanchez and Cameron Maybin also homered in that game. In the nightcap, Torres hit a leadoff homer in the fourth off Andrew Cashner.
Torres joins some elite pinstriped company with his three home run day. He is only the second Yankee aged 22 or younger to hit three homers in a day, joining Joe DiMaggio, who did so twice by that age: in a doubleheader in 1936 and a single game in 1937. Torres wasn’t the only one who broke out Wednesday.
After going 0 for his last 22 and 3 for his last 40, Luke Voit crushed a double off Cashner in the nightcap to drive in DJ LeMahieu. Voit notched three hits and drove in two runs in the nightcap. His cold snap had followed a 42-game on-base streak.
Voit’s struggles were one way the Yankees thought they could find at-bats for Kendrys Morales. Designated by the A’s on Monday, Morales was acquired for a player to be named or cash considerations. Yankee analytics experts felt he was playing better than his numbers in Oakland. He arrived in the Bronx during the first game and went 1-for-2 with two walks in the second. “That was definitely a little awkward. It’s the first time that happened to me, walking through the clubhouse and the game is being played,” Morales said. “We’re here now and ready to give it the best I have.”
Torres said his elbow was a little swollen and sore Wednesday night, but with a scheduled day off today, he has time to prepare for this weekend series with the Rays. With the two-game sweep of the Orioles, the Yankees remain a halfgame back in the American League East division race.
They will need Torres healthy for that.
“Good. It’s better and better. There’s a little bit of swelling right now, but I think it’s normal for getting hit by a pitch,” Torres said. “I need a few more days and it’ll be 100 percent.”