Victor Caratini’s pinch-hit single bounced off the mound and under the glove of Yankees shortstop George Lombard Jr. to score automatic runner Luke Keaschall as the Minnesota Twins outlasted the visiting New York Yankees 5-4 in 13 innings on Wednesday afternoon in Minneapolis.
Ryan Kreidler hit a solo home run, and Keaschall collected three hits with two runs and an RBI for the Twins (71-81).
Tommy Nance (3-3) set up Caratini’s heroics by striking out two in a scoreless 13th. John Schreiber (2-4) gave up one run and one hit and walked one over one inning for the Yankees.
Cody Bellinger contributed three hits and Anthony Volpe was 2-for-5 with a double and two RBIs for the Yankees (88-64).
Yankees right fielder Aaron Judge exited in the sixth inning with tightness in his lower right leg.
The Yankees loaded the bases with no outs in the 12th, but Travis Adams induced Heliot Ramos into a 1-2-3 double play before striking out Ali Sanchez to escape the jam.
Pinch hitter Jose Caballero’s sacrifice fly drove in automatic runner Lombard as the Yankees took a 4-3 lead in the 11th.
The Twins answered when Kody Clemens’ single advanced automatic runner Walker Jenkins to third. Royce Lewis’ sacrifice fly brought in Jenkins to tie the game 4-4.
In the 10th, Sanchez lined a single up the middle to score automatic runner Bellinger from third base as the Yankees took a 3-2 lead.
In the bottom half of the frame, Keaschall singled to plate automatic runner Brooks Lee and tie the game 3-3.
With two outs in the ninth, Volpe’s two-run double off the top of the wall in right tied the game at 2.
To open the scoring, Ryan Jeffers came home on Josh Bell’s single in the first, beating Bellinger’s one-hop throw from left field with a headfirst slide.
Minnesota doubled its lead in the fifth when Kreidler opened the inning with a solo shot to left, his seventh of the season.
Twins starter Zebby Matthews threw six shutout innings, yielding two hits and two walks while striking out eight. Yankees starter Carlos Rodon worked six innings, allowing two runs on four hits. He walked three and fanned five.
