Juan Soto’s two homers lead Yankees to a sweep of the Giants
New York Yankees right fielder Juan Soto (22) hits his second home run against the San Francisco Giants during the ninth inning of a baseball game on Sunday, June 2, 2024 in San Francisco, Ca / D. Ross Cameron/Special to The Chronicle
2024.06.02 – Juan Soto homered twice, including a go-ahead drive in a four-run ninth inning against All-Star closer Camilo Doval, and the New York Yankees rallied past the San Francisco Giants to sweep the series with a 7-5 win on Sunday.
Giants starter Blake Snell, a two-time Cy Young Award winner, exited in the fifth with left groin tightness and will undergo an MRI on Monday. He appears headed to the injured list for a second time this season, manager Bob Melvin said.
Snell’s early departure Sunday was less than optimal, given the Giants’ need to get the 2023 NL Cy Young winner firmly established in the rotation and performing well. Instead, he’s likely to land back on the injured list.
Anthony Volpe hit an RBI triple and Giancarlo Stanton drove in a run with a ground-rule double against Doval in the ninth.
Aaron Judge had two singles while extending his on-base streak to 29 games as the AL East leaders won their fifth straight and completed a 7-2 trip to three California cities with a three-game sweep at Oracle Park.
“We’ve been playing great baseball,” Soto said. “Really happy to come over here and keep doing what we’ve been doing since day one.”
Soto homered off Snell in the first inning, then reached on a bunt single and scored in the fifth.
New York trailed 5-3 in the ninth before Gleyber Torres got the rally started with a leadoff single. Yankees catcher Jose Trevino grounded into a fielder’s choice, beating out a potential double play, and Volpe sent a line drive into triples alley in right-center to drive in Trevino. Soto followed with his 17th home run to give New York a 6-5 lead, bringing roars from the large chunk of the crowd wearing Yankees gear.
“The way that inning started, it didn’t seem like it was going to derail like that,” catcher Curt Casali said. “The location of our pitches was probably not good enough, we probably needed to throw a few more sliders — but give credit to them, they put some really good swings on the ball, and beating out that double play, that was big for them.”
2024.06.02 (NY Yankees vs. SF Giants) See Full Highlights
New York Yankees Aaron Judge (99) left, celebrates with team mate Juan Soto (22) right, a two-run home run by Soto against the San Francisco Giants during the ninth inning of a baseball game on Sunday, June 2, 2024 in San Francisco, CA / Ross Cameron/Special to The Chronicle
2024.06.02 (NY Yankees vs. SF Giants) See Full Highlights
2024.06.02 (NY Yankees vs. SF Giants) See Full Highlights
Soto flipped his bat high in the air, pounded his chest and shouted in excitement toward the Yankees’ dugout. New York has homered in a season-high 12 consecutive games.
“I just tried to get something elevated and tried to drive it to the outfield,” Soto said. “It takes every little thing to put an inning like that (together) against a closer of his caliber.”
Judge walked, stole second and continued to third on a throwing error by catcher Casaili before scoring on Stanton’s double to deep right-center.
Doval, who gave up four hits in an inning for the first time in his career, was less than enthusiastic about speaking about the outing. Asked if pitching on five days’ rest, a rarity for him, affected anything, he said it had not. Of the four hits, he said, with Erwin Higueros interpreting, “There’s a first time for everything.”
Melvin stood by his closer despite the loss.
“I felt good with Doval,” Melvin said. “I’ll take him against anybody. It’s just, they got him today.”
Michael Tonkin (2-3) tossed two scoreless innings to earn the win. Clay Holmes worked a perfect ninth for his 17th save.
Soto, the second batter of the game, got the Yankees going when he crushed a 2-2 fastball from Snell into the stands in right-center. The three-time All-Star later laid down a perfect bunt and scored on Alex Verdugo’s two-run double in the fifth.
2024.06.02 – NY Yankees vs. SF Giants (NBC Sports – Post Recap)
San Francisco Giants starting pitcher Blake Snell (7) walks off the field with the team trainer after he was removed with an injury during the fifth inning of a baseball game against the New York Yankees on Sunday, June 2, 2024 in San Francisco, CA / D. Ross Cameron/Special to The Chronicle
2024.06.02 – NY Yankees vs. SF Giants (NBC Sports – Post Recap)
2024.06.02 – NY Yankees vs. SF Giants (NBC Sports – Post Recap)
“That’s some savage at-bats right there,” Yankees manager Aaron Boone said of Soto. “Just wow. To get on a pitch like he hit off of Snell to start out … then bookends the day with another homer off Doval. Pretty good day to homer.”
From there, it was a tough navigation assignment, but Doval did not use that as an excuse.
“It’s like any other team,” Doval said. “They’re great, but I do the same thing I do with other teams. Not every day is everything going to work out your way and today was not my day.”
Heliot Ramos homered and drove in three runs for the Giants. Casey Schmitt also hit a home run, and Jorge Soler had three hits. San Francisco has lost four straight.
Snell, the 2023 NL Cy Young Award winner with San Diego, had seven strikeouts and allowed five hits and three runs in his first start against the Yankees since 2020. Snell has not made it through five innings in any of his six starts with the Giants and has a 9.51 ERA.
2024.06.02 – NY Yankees vs. SF Giants (Brazil – Post Game)
San Francisco Giants Casey Schmitt (10) center, hits a home run against the New York Yankees during the fourth inning of a baseball game on Sunday, June 2, 2024 in San Francisco, Calif.D. Ross Cameron/Special to The Chronicle
2024.06.02 – NY Yankees vs. SF Giants (Brazil – Post Game)
2024.06.02 – NY Yankees vs. SF Giants (Brazil – Post Game)
Ramos hit his third homer of the season off Yankees starter Nestor Cortes in the third, then put the Giants ahead with a two-run single off reliever Dennis Santana in the sixth.
Cortes had seven strikeouts and no walks in 4 1/3 innings. He gave up seven hits and three walks. The left-hander has a 6.16 ERA on the road and 1.12 at home.
TRAINER’S ROOM
Yankees: RHP Gerrit Cole (elbow) will begin a rehab assignment with Double-A Somerset on Tuesday. The reigning AL Cy Young Award winner has been sidelined since spring training.
Giants: OF Michael Conforto (right hamstring) and OF Austin Slater (concussion) are continuing their rehab assignments with Triple-A Sacramento. … INF Nick Ahmed had a slight setback to his wrist injury during the first game of his rehab assignment and is getting treatment. … INF Thairo Estrada (thumb) did not play.
UP NEXT
Yankees: Following an off day, rookie RHP Luis Gil (7-1, 1.99 ERA) faces the Twins on Tuesday night in New York.
Giants: Had not announced a starter for Monday’s series opener in Arizona.
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Read more at: San Francisco Giants Media Services / More AP MLB
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