Yankees Turn a Triple Play and Get a Walk-Off Win

Aaron Judge singled leading off the bottom half against Evan Marshall (0-2), who pitched out of a major jam in the eighth by getting a line-drive double play. Judge went to second on Urshela’s single and slid safely across the plate after Torres ripped a sharp single through the left side for his fifth career walk-off hit and second in two weeks.

“Just be simple. I think that is my key,” he said.

The Yankees (26-19) have won 15 of 20 and moved a season-high seven games over .500.

Featuring a wipeout slider that tied right-handed hitters in knots as it swept across the plate, Rodon paired that 85-87 mile-per-hour signature pitch with a pinpoint 97-98 m.p.h. fastball to strike out a career-high 13 in six innings of two-hit ball. He was pulled by Hall of Fame Manager Tony La Russa after 95 pitches.

Rodon, nearly perfect in a no-hitter April 14 against Cleveland, is putting together a sensational breakout season. On this night, he became the first pitcher to strike out the first five Yankees batters in a road game since Dodgers great Sandy Koufax in the 1963 World Series opener, according to the Elias Sports Bureau.

Montgomery wasn’t quite as overpowering — but just as effective. He struck out a career-best 11 and scattered four hits over seven innings, throwing 68 of 90 pitches for strikes.

“He’s getting better and better,” Torres said.

Both left-handers bailed out teammates after big defensive blunders, too. Each one was coming off a rough outing — Rodon a loss to Kansas City that marked his first of the season following five straight wins.

“Just happy I picked up my teammates,” Montgomery said.

Torres homered off Michael Kopech to the short right-field porch in the seventh, a drive projected at 345 feet that would not have left any other ballpark in the majors, according to Statcast.

Article source: https://www.nytimes.com/2021/05/21/sports/baseball/yankees-mets.html