The Middletown Press (Middletown, CT)
Torres latest hero for Yanks
NEW YORK — Move over, Mickey Mantle.
Gleyber Torres is the latest Yankees phenom earning his pinstripes right off the bat.
On a day when hits were hard to come by in the Bronx, the rookie second baseman became the youngest Yankees player to hit a walk-off homer, a threerun shot in the ninth inning that gave New York a 7-4 win over the Cleveland Indians on Sunday for its 15th victory in 16 games.
At 21 years and 144 days, Torres bettered Mantle, who was 21 years and 185 days when he hit threerun, ninth-inning drive off Boston’s Ellis Kinder in a 6-3 win on April 23, 1953.
“He’s been special,” smiling manager Aaron Boone said about Torres.
Domingo German pitched six hitless innings in his first major-league start for the Yankees, who nonetheless fell behind 4-0 when Cleveland broke through against relievers Dellin Betances and Jonathan Holder. Yonder Alonso’s leadoff single against Betances in the eighth was the first hit for the scuffling Indians, who have lost seven of 10.
But after managing only one hit themselves against a stellar Mike Clevinger, the streaking Yankees fought back to win their sixth straight and finish a three-game sweep. New York also took the final three games of last year’s playoff series between the teams.
Clevinger went 71⁄3 innings in his first start against the Yankees, setting
career highs with 10 strikeouts and 116 pitches.
Short in the bullpen, Cleveland manager Terry Francona called on closer Cody Allen, looking for a
five-out save. Allen gave up a two-out RBI single to Brett Gardner and an opposite-field, two-run double to right by Aaron Judge before retiring Gary Sanchez with two on.
Aaron Hicks and Walker, who began the day batting .182, opened the ninth with
consecutive doubles to tie it and chase Allen (2-1). One out later, pinch-hitter Giancarlo Stanton was intentionally walked, and Torres drove a full-count pitch from Dan Otero over the center-field fence.
Torres, who connected for his first big-league homer
Friday night, raised one arm and turned back toward the New York dugout after rounding first base. He was mobbed and doused by excited teammates at home plate. “It’s like a big family right here and I enjoy that,” Torres said.