Straight, knock off Colorado on sweltering day in Bronx

Voit hit in face by a 91 mph fastball

eighth, followed by a diving stab before scrambling to the bag to end the game.

Why was LeMahieu at first base instead of third? Because, Yankees slugger and primary first baseman Luke Voit got slugged by a Chad Bettis fastball to the face. He was escorted to first by the training staff and remained in the game long enough to score on a Gleyber Torres single, but was eventually removed for precautionary reasons. A concussion test came back clear. Aaron Boone expects Voit to be ready for Sunday’s series finale.

Masahiro Tanaka was on cruise control, throwing 47 pitches through his first five innings. But — and this is a theme here — it was really hot, and it showed. Tanaka told reporters heat tends to “break concentration” which may have explained how he withered in the sixth, allowing five runs — all earned. After stymying Rockies hitters with a sharp splitter through most of his outing, four Rockies hits were launched at exit velocities over 100 miles an hour in the sixth. Nolan Arenado served a flat Tanaka splitter all the way to Monument Park, just past Aaron Hicks’ leaping grab.

Tanaka gutted it out and finished the inning and improve to 7-5 on the season, thanks in large part to the early offensive explosion.

Tommy Kahnle and David Hale worked three scoreless innings to finish the game. Hale has tossed 12.1 scoreless innings since June 23, a stretch spanning 9 games.

The Yankees tacked on two in the seventh thanks to Mike Tauchman (who subbed in for Aaron Judge so he could retreat to the nearest AC) and his run scoring ground out, followed by an Edwin Encarnacion single. After a slow start in pinstripes, Encarnacion (2-5 with a double and 3 RBI) is hitting .300 since the All-Star break.

The next inning, Romine was buzzed with a 99 mph fastball from Jairo Diaz, which elicited boos from the crowd and provoked CC Sabathia’s wrath from the dugout.

Aaron Boone didn’t care whether or not Diaz meant to go headhunting. “I don’t think there was intent, but sometimes intent doesn’t matter,” Boone said. “Throw the ball over the plate.” Not even a 91 mph fastball to the face can knock down Luke Voit.

Rockies reliever Chad Bettis badly missed catcher Tony Wolters’ inside target in the fourth inning, as the pitch bounced off Voit’s shoulder and grazed his chin.

Trainers escorted Voit to first as he tried to shake off the impact.

Despite being noticeably bothered, he advanced from first to third on a Didi Gregorius single to right and scored after Gleyber Torres hit a line drive single to drive him home. Voit’s lips appeared noticeably swollen as he was running the bases.

Gio Urshela replaced Voit in the lineup, with LeMahieu moving to first.

The Yankees later announced that Voit was removed for precautionary reasons and went for concussion protocol testing. Results came back clear.