NEW YORK (AP) — Ben Rice hit a go-ahead two-run homer in the third inning after a rain delay and the New York Yankees ended a seven-game losing streak with a 5-2 victory over the Minnesota Twins on Friday night.
Trent Grisham hit a leadoff homer and a sacrifice fly in his return from a strained right hamstring, and Gerrit Cole (3-3) pitched five gritty innings to help the Yankees end their longest slide since a nine-game skid in August 2023.
The game was stopped after Cole struck out Brooks Lee to end the third. During the 53-minute delay, the large scoreboard in center field showed the end of Argentina’s 3-2 extra-time victory over Cape Verde in the World Cup.
Following Grisham’s single, Rice snapped a 1-1 tie by hitting rookie starter Mike Paredes’ full-count fastball into the right-field seats. Rice’s 24th homer helped the Yankees win for the fourth time in 15 games and beat the Twins for the 12th time in the last 14 meetings.
After teammate Carlos Rodón was placed on the 15-day injured list with left elbow inflammation, Cole allowed two runs and five hits. The right-hander struck out seven, walked none and was warming up in the bullpen to stay loose when Rice homered.
José Caballero added an RBI single in the seventh and scored on Grisham’s sac fly as the Yankees scored more than four runs for the first time in 13 games.
Fernando Cruz retired Royce Lewis with the bases loaded to end the eighth. David Bednar returned from the paternity list and struck out the side in the ninth for his 17th save.
Kody Clemens homered in the first inning and Victor Caratini hit an RBI single in the fourth for the Twins, who lost for only the third time in their last 10 road games. Minnesota played without Byron Buxton for the fourth straight game because of right hip impingement.
Paredes (0-2) allowed three runs and four hits in four innings.
RHP Zebby Matthews (4-5, 4.15 ERA) pitches Saturday for Minnesota. Rookie RHP Brendan Beck (0-0, 6.00) makes his first major league start for the Yankees.
AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/mlb
Copyright 2026 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission.
Please purchase a Premium Subscription to continue reading.
To continue, please log in, or sign up for a new account.
We offer one free story view per month. If you register for an account, you will get two additional story views. After those three total views, we ask that you support us with a subscription.
A subscription to our digital content is so much more than just access to our valuable content. It means you’re helping to support a local community institution that has, from its very start, supported the betterment of our society. Thank you very much!
Only subscribers can view and post comments on articles.
Already a subscriber? Login Here
Expedia Cruises invites you to experience travel at its most refined. From intimate wildlife… Read moreElite Explorers Expo
Be a winemaker for an evening and craft your own Bordeaux-style blend. Read moreIntroduction to Wine Blending
CA Is Burning said:
CA Is Burning said:
Success! An email has been sent to with a link to confirm list signup.
Error! There was an error processing your request.
Sorry, an error occurred.
Already Subscribed!
Cancel anytime
Thank you .
Your account has been registered, and you are now logged in.
Check your email for details.
Submitting this form below will send a message to your email with a link to change your password.
An email message containing instructions on how to reset your password has been sent to the email address listed on your account.
No promotional rates found.
Secure & Encrypted
Thank you.
Your gift purchase was successful! Your purchase was successful, and you are now logged in.
| Rate: | |
| Begins: | |
| Transaction ID: |
A receipt was sent to your email.
(0) comments
Welcome to the discussion.
Log In
Keep the discussion civilized. Absolutely NO personal attacks or insults directed toward writers, nor others who make comments.
Keep it clean. Please avoid obscene, vulgar, lewd, racist or sexually-oriented language.
Don't threaten. Threats of harming another person will not be tolerated.
Be truthful. Don't knowingly lie about anyone or anything.
Be proactive. Use the 'Report' link on each comment to let us know of abusive posts.
PLEASE TURN OFF YOUR CAPS LOCK.
Anyone violating these rules will be issued a warning. After the warning, comment privileges can be revoked.