The Yankees offense, as Marcus Stroman said, is “clicking on all cylinders.”
And in a game in which Aaron Judge and Juan Soto didn’t have a hit, the Yankees still scored at least five runs for a season-high seven straight games in an 8-5 victory over Minnesota.
Gleyber Torres, Austin Wells and Trent Grisham, who have all slumped this season, each contributed in the win.
Gleyber Torres hits a two-run RBI double during the third inning of the Yankees’ 8-5 win over the Twins
Torres had a two-run double, Wells two runs scored and an RBI and the little-used Grisham a homer and three RBIs.
“We started to see more traction [at the plate] in May, albeit slow,’’ Aaron Boone said prior to the game. “He’s closer to really locking in.”
Torres’ power has continued to mostly be elusive, but he entered with five extra-base hits in his previous 11 games, along with an OPS of .875 — as well as an OPS of .847 over his previous 22 games.
“I feel better at the plate, but I know I’m not doing what I can be doing,’’ Torres said.
And Torres remains a long way off from the numbers he put up last year, and he is also striking out at a career-worst rate of 24 percent (compared to 14.6 percent a year ago).
“He’s going to get hot and start driving the ball and [having] multi-hit games,’’ Boone said. “He’s too good a hitter.”
Stroman had been in the midst of a terrific stretch before allowing a season-high five runs in just 4 ²/₃ innings Thursday.
It snapped a franchise record of 22 consecutive starts in which their starting pitchers had allowed three runs or fewer.
In his previous four starts, the right-hander had allowed just three earned runs in 26 ²/₃ innings for an ERA of 1.01. He said he struggled with the feel of his pitches.
“It’s hard to have perfect feel every start,’’ Stroman said. “I’m always gonna compete.”
Even before Soto left Thursday’s game with left forearm discomfort, Boone said he wanted to get Soto and Aaron Judge some time off their feet in the midst of a stretch of 13 games without an off day.
“We’ll stay mindful through this stretch,’’ Boone said of the stars’ playing time, hoping to get them some games at DH.
Grisham started just his 15th game of the season and entered 2-for-39 on the season and without a hit in 19 straight at-bats.
“Part of it is inactivity as an everyday player,’’ Boone said of Grisham’s woeful production. “It doesn’t mean you can’t come in and be a spark. His patience and power can play.”
Then Grisham went out and homered and added a sacrifice fly.
Anthony Rizzo fouled a ball off his right knee in the third. He was treated by the trainers and stayed in the game. … DJ LeMahieu wasn’t in the lineup after playing two straight days. He said he felt fine, but is just 4-for-22 with six walks since returning from a foot fracture. … The Yankees improved to 14-1 against the AL Central.
