NEW YORK (AP) — Joey Votto lined a tiebreaking double in a three-run 10th inning for his second go-ahead hit of the night, and the Cincinnati Reds beat the New York Yankees 7-6 on Thursday to earn an unexpected series win.
Last in the NL Central, the Reds took two of three at Yankee Stadium from the top team in the majors. They blew a sizable lead for the second consecutive night, but this time recovered and held on.
Aaron Judge hit his major league-leading 31st home run to start a Yankees comeback in the eighth — one inning after he made a diving catch in center field.
Gleyber Torres tied it 4-all with a two-run homer to right field off Jeff Hoffman, costing Luis Castillo a win. The right-hander pitched seven outstanding innings of two-hit ball in a crisp duel with fellow All-Star Nestor Cortes.
Tyler Stephenson followed Votto’s double off Lucas Luetge (2-3) with an RBI double of his own, and Donovan Solano added a run-scoring single with two outs to make it 7-4.
Matt Carpenter led off the bottom of the 10th with a two-run homer against winner Reiver Sanmartin (3-4), who got two outs in the ninth.
New York tried to finish off yet another rally but Dauri Moreta got two outs for his first major league save, retiring DJ LeMahieu on well-struck drive to center field with two on to end it.
Votto gave the Reds a 2-1 lead in the eighth with an RBI single off Jonathan Loáisiga, just activated from the injured list. Kyle Farmer added a two-run single to make it 4-1.
Castillo struck out eight and walked four, throwing 114 pitches in an impressive audition for contending clubs. Cincinnati figures to be a seller ahead of the Aug. 2 trade deadline, and Castillo is a prime target for teams in need of starting pitching.
Anthony Rizzo doubled with one out in the sixth for New York’s first hit off Castillo. Judge, who had walked, went to third on the play and scored on Giancarlo Stanton’s RBI groundout.
Cincinnati played its infield in trying to protect a 1-0 lead, but second baseman Jonathan India was unable to field Stanton’s bouncer cleanly.
Cortes also went seven innings, allowing four hits and a walk with four strikeouts. The only run he gave up came on Brandon Drury’s shallow sacrifice fly to right that caught inexperienced outfielder Carpenter off guard.
Carpenter made the catch with the bases loaded but didn’t look home right away, allowing Nick Senzel to score easily from third.
TRAINER’S ROOM
Reds: Senzel returned to the starting lineup in center field. He was a late scratch Wednesday with back stiffness and was caught stealing as a pinch runner in the eighth. … INF/DH Mike Moustakas was placed on the injured list without an injury designation, an indication the move was likely related to COVID-19 protocols. Cincinnati recalled INF/OF Max Schrock from Triple-A Louisville. … RHP Luis Cessa (left intercostalis) planned to play catch. … RHP Vladimir Gutiérrez is scheduled for Tommy John surgery next Wednesday.
Yankees: RHP Luis Severino went on the 15-day injured list, one day after leaving his start with right shoulder tightness. Severino had an MRI that showed a low-grade strain to his right latissimus dorsi muscle. … Loáisiga had been sidelined since May 23 with shoulder inflammation. … OF Aaron Hicks (bruised right shin) sat out for the second consecutive game. … RHP Domingo Germán, sidelined all season due to right shoulder impingement, is set to make another rehab start Friday for Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre. … Josh Donaldson, pinch-hitting in the eighth, was nailed on the right hand by a 95 mph fastball from Hunter Strickland and immediately removed for a pinch-runner. “He’s fine,” manager Aaron Boone said.
UP NEXT
Reds: Rookie RHP Hunter Greene (3-10, 5.70 ERA) faces Cardinals RHP Andre Pallante (2-4, 3.18) in the opener of a three-game series Friday night at St. Louis.
Yankees: LHP Jordan Montgomery (3-2, 3.19 ERA) faces visiting Boston in the opener of a three-game series Friday night. The longtime rivals split a four-game set last weekend at Fenway Park. RHP Nathan Eovaldi (4-2, 3.16) is expected to return from injury to start for the struggling Red Sox against his former team. Eovaldi has been sidelined since June 9 with lower back inflammation.
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