MINNEAPOLIS – If there was any concern that the Yankees would suffer from a hangover – figuratively or literally – after celebrating Monday’s playoff-clinching victory, they put those thoughts to rest quickly on Tuesday.
Cody Bellinger and Spencer Jones homered and Max Fried pitched seven efficient and effective innings as the Yankees beat the Twins, 8-1, at Target Field.
Making his ninth start since returning from two months on the IL, Fried was looking to cut down on his number of pitches per inning so he could work deeper into the game. His game plan worked to perfection, as he needed just 88 pitches (58 strikes) to get 21 outs and ended up with his longest outing since April 22, when he pitched eight innings in a win at Boston.
Fried (5-4) allowed just one run, coming on a two-out RBI single by Emmanuel Rodriguez in the second inning. Fried then picked off Rodriguez to immediately silence any type of a rally the Twins might have been plotting.
Fried also struck out six and didn’t walk a batter, his first walk-free outing since April 11 at Tampa Bay.
Bellinger jump-started the Yankees’ attack just two batters into the game when he drove a Bailey Ober four-seamer over the 23-foot wall in right-center for a two-run homer. It was part of a three-hit night for Bellinger that lifted his batting average to .272, his highest mark since June 22.
Jones added a three-run shot to cap a four-run sixth, making the rookie center fielder the 11th Yankee to hit at least 10 home runs this year. That’s the first time the team has had 11 double-digit home run hitters since 2019, when the Yankees hit a team-record 306 homers.