Yankees shut out by Twins 7-0 as AL East hopes fade
New York managed two hits and saw its bullpen collapse in a loss that drops the Yankees five games behind Toronto with 12 to play
MINNEAPOLIS — The New York Yankees were held to two hits and overwhelmed by Minnesota’s bullpen late in a 7-0 loss to the Twins on Monday night at Target Field, a defeat that pushed the Yankees further from the American League East lead.
The loss left New York 83-67, five games behind the Toronto Blue Jays with 12 regular-season games remaining. Toronto holds the head-to-head tiebreaker, making the division path steeper for the Yankees; their most realistic route to the postseason looks increasingly like a wild-card berth, though they still lead Boston by one game for the top wild-card spot.
Minnesota right-hander Simeon Woods Richardson took command, striking out a career-high 11 batters across six innings while limiting New York’s scoring opportunities. The Twins improved to 66-84 with the win.
Carlos Rodón delivered six innings of two-run pitching for the Yankees but received little offensive or defensive support. Rodón cruised through the early innings before New York miscues and a long ball altered the trajectory of the game. Luke Weaver opened the seventh and was charged with five runs while recording a single out, handing the Twins a lead they would not relinquish. The inning featured a bases-clearing double by Austin Martin after a full-count battle that finished at 3-2.
Defensive mistakes contributed to the early damage. In the third, Jhonny Pereda led off with a double and Edouard Julien hit a grounder up the middle that shortstop José Caballero got a glove on but could not handle cleanly, allowing a run-scoring sequence to start. Caballero, starting his sixth straight game at shortstop, later doubled in the fifth only to be picked off trying to stretch the inning. New York’s offense never recovered; Giancarlo Stanton struck out in all four plate appearances and has slumped in recent games, going 6-for-51 (.118) with three homers and 27 strikeouts over his past 15 contests.
The Yankees arrived in Minnesota after finishing a 12-game stretch against multiple playoff contenders, a sequence that ended late Sunday night before the club traveled. The matchup with the Twins had appeared to be a softer spot on the schedule: since 2002, New York had gone 109-43 against Minnesota in regular-season play and 125-45 when including postseason games, the best record any team held against a single league opponent during that span. The historical edge did not materialize Monday.
Woods Richardson’s 11 strikeouts followed a night when Boston lefty Garrett Crochet fanned 12 Yankees on Sunday, underscoring the recent difficulty New York has had putting the ball in play. Rodón struck out Byron Buxton for the first out of the third inning, but the Yankees’ miscues and a solo home run by Twins prospect Brooks Lee in the fifth helped tilt momentum to Minnesota.
Weaver’s outing extended a troubling run for the reliever; he has given up at least one run in four of his last six appearances. The Yankees’ bullpen has been conspicuous in key moments down the stretch, and Monday’s collapse deepened concerns as the regular season approaches its final fortnight.
New York manager Aaron Boone faces lineup and bullpen decisions in the coming days as the team attempts to climb back into the division race or secure a wild-card berth. The Yankees will look to rebound in the next game of the series and enter the final 12 games of the season needing a stronger offensive response and more reliable relief pitching to keep postseason hopes alive.
