Texas ends Yanks’ scoring streak at 220 games
Lefty Minor outduels Tanaka to win his 12th
Mike Minor and two relievers became the first pitchers in 220 tries to shut out the Yankees, helping the Texas Rangers beat New York 7-0 Monday.
The Yankees had the second longest streak without being blanked since at least 1900 behind a 308-game stretch by the Babe Ruth-led Yankees from 1931-33. New York was previously shut out June 30, 2018, by Chris Sale and the Red Sox.
Jose Trevino, Delino Deshields and Shin-soo Choo homered to back Minor (12-8), a resurgent All-star who allowed five hits over 71/3 innings. The left-hander struck out five, walked one and threw 111 pitches before being pulled with two on in the eighth.
Shawn Kelley replaced Minor and retired DJ Lemahieu and Aaron Judge to end the eighth. Emmanuel Clase shut down the heart of the order in the ninth.
Yankees right-hander Masahiro Tanaka (10-8) grinded through six innings of two-run ball. He allowed seven hits, walked two and struck out five for New York, which had won
six of seven. The game was delayed 2 hours, 52 minutes by rain, but then played under mostly sunny skies.
The 31-year-old Minor was drilled on the backside by Lemahieu leading off the first, but recovered to make that out and many more after.
Minor was rumored to be a trade target for New York at midseason, but he remained with the Rangers, who improved to 68-71.
The Yankees’ scoring streak nearly fell Sunday when they trailed Oakland 4-0 after 71/2 innings, but New York rallied and won 5-4 on Mike Ford’s solo homer in the ninth.
This was the second straight day the AL East leaders were overpowered by
a left-handed starter — Oakland’s Sean Manaea pitched five innings of onehit ball Sunday in his first start since shoulder surgery nearly a year ago. New York has been without a number of top right-handed bats, as Edwin Encarnacion, Giancarlo Stanton, Gio Urshela, Cameron Maybin and switch-hitting Aaron Hicks are all injured. Encarnacion will rejoin the team Tuesday.
Choo hit his 21st homer off lefty Tyler Lyons leading off the ninth.
Trainer’s room
Yankees LHP CC Sabathia said he had his balky right knee drained and received a cortisone shot but remains unsure about his timeline for a return. ... Encarnacion (broken right wrist) was 0-for-4 with two strikeouts for Triple-a Scranton/wilkes-barre in his final rehab game.