The Minnesota Twins ran into a buzzsaw in the Bronx on Sunday afternoon, falling 8-3 to the New York Yankees in a game dominated by the long ball and quiet bats. This marks eight losses in a row to NYY.
Cody Bellinger set the tone early, launching his 21st home run of the season in the bottom of the first, a deep shot to right-center that gave the Yankees a quick lead they wouldn’t relinquish. The Bronx Bombers kept flexing their muscles in the third, when Giancarlo Stanton crushed his 11th of the year, followed immediately by Ben Rice’s 17th, staking New York to a 4-0 lead.
The Twins didn’t get on the board until the sixth, when Byron Buxton connected for his 24th home run, a solo shot that briefly gave Minnesota hope. The following inning, Trevor Larnach added his 16th of the year with a fly ball to right.
Minnesota managed just three hits in the entire game — solo homers from Buxton and Larnach, and a lone single from Royce Lewis. The rest of the lineup was stifled by Yankees starter Will Warren, who earned the win after tossing 6 2/3 solid innings. He allowed just three hits and struck out seven to improve his record on the year.
Twins starter Zebby Matthews took the loss, dropping to 3-4. Despite striking out nine, Matthews was tagged for three key home runs and now owns a 5.11 ERA on the season.
The Yankees added two insurance runs in the bottom of the seventh, before Jazz Chisholm Jr. put the finishing touch on the win with a homer in the eighth — the sixth combined home run of the game.
The Twins will look to regroup Monday as they face Carlos Rodón in the series finale. Minnesota will lean on Thomas Hatch, who is slated to open in what’s expected to be a bullpen game.