Yankees Continue Strong Performance Against Athletics
WEST SACRAMENTO, Calif. — The Yankees’ offense shows no signs of slowing down, despite factors like an off day or a shift in time zones.
Playing in a minor league park didn’t seem to hinder their performance, and on a bustling Friday night with 12,254 fans in attendance at Sutter Health Park, they took down former teammate Luis Severino early in the game. Ultimately, they secured an 8-2 victory over the Athletics, marking their fifth consecutive win.
Power hitters Paul Goldschmidt, Ryan McMahon, and Ben Rice all went long for the Yankees (35-22). Goldschmidt’s three-run homer in the first inning played a crucial role, especially following their recent sweep against the Royals, where they scored an unthinkable 26-4.
Carlos Rodon made his first pitching appearance in over a week, managing to navigate early challenges from the Athletics (27-30). He pitched six innings, allowing just one run — a solo homer by Nick Kurtz. Rodon, a former ace for the Yankees, managed to retire the last seven batters he faced.
After a tough 16-game stretch where they averaged just seven runs per game, the Yankees have turned the tide, now scoring seven or more runs in three straight outings. The entire lineup appears to be firing on all cylinders again.
Last season, the Yankees faced Severino at this venue, and they had a tough time against him in April. However, they found their rhythm again, striking first in Severino’s only inning before he left the game due to “right arm soreness.”
The offensive surge kicked off when Rice reached base on an error and advanced to second on a balk. Severino then fell behind 3-0 to Aaron Judge, who proceeded to smash a solid grounder up the middle, putting Rice on the board for a 1-0 lead.
Cody Bellinger followed with a single, and Goldschmidt’s three-run bomb came shortly after, sailing over the left-field wall in a 1-2 count with two outs.
Goldschmidt, a seasoned player who has started eight games in a row, continues to elevate the Yankees’ batting order. Originally playing primarily against lefties, he’s now found success against right-handers as well.
In the last 23 games, Goldschmidt has been hitting .304, with a .952 OPS. His clutch hitting with runners in scoring position also stands out, where he’s 7-for-20 this season, tallying 14 RBIs.
Rodon contributed a run in the first inning, but Kurtz answered back with his homer on a fastball that made the score 4-1.
With Severino exiting after just an inning, the Yankees quickly added to their lead against reliever Jose Suarez. An early double from Jose Caballero and another homer from Rice pushed the score to 5-1.
In the third inning, McMahon made a bat switch and hit another home run, marking his second consecutive game with a long ball. Despite struggling earlier in the month, he’s found his stride with 7 hits in his last 25 at-bats.
Judge’s groundout pushed the score to 7-1 before Rice capped off an impressive night with his 17th home run of the year in the seventh inning, missing the cycle by just a few hits.
Though the Athletics tried to rally in the seventh inning while facing a loaded base situation, reliever Fernando Cruz stepped up to induce a game-ending double play. This season, he has successfully stranded 20 of the 24 runners he’s inherited.
