Gerrit Cole reaches 1,000 Yankees strikeouts as George Lombard Jr. and Ben Rice provide the late power New York needs to secure the series
George Lombard Jr. and Ben Rice supplied back-to-back insurance homers, while Gerrit Cole worked seven strong innings and reached 1,000 strikeouts with the Yankees as New York held off the Atlanta Braves, 5-4, on Saturday at Yankee Stadium.
Jones Breaks Through Against Sale
Chris Sale and Cole traded zeroes early, but the Yankees found their first opening against Sale in the second inning. Trent Grisham ripped a double into center with one out, and after George Lombard Jr. struck out, Spencer Jones lined a single to center to bring Grisham home.
Jones immediately added another dimension to the inning, stealing second after his RBI hit. Sale escaped without further damage, but New York had the first lead in a game between two former Cy Young winners.
Atlanta's offense struggled to generate sustained pressure against Cole. Ozzie Albies doubled in the second, but Cole stranded him, and the Braves went down quietly again in the third and fourth.
Atlanta Flips the Score
The Braves finally broke through in the fifth. Mauricio Dubón opened the inning with a double, and Mike Yastrzemski followed with another two-bagger that scored Dubón and tied the game.
Austin Riley then singled, putting runners at the corners, and Jim Jarvis delivered a line-drive single to right that brought Yastrzemski home. Suddenly, Atlanta had a 2-1 advantage.
Cole answered with authority. He struck out Drake Baldwin, Ronald Acuña Jr. lined out, and Matt Olson went down looking to finish the inning. The strikeout was Cole's 1,000th as a Yankee, a milestone he reached during his seventh season with the club.
New York regained the lead in the bottom half, but the inning was anything but routine. Lombard drew a walk after an ABS challenge overturned a called third strike, and Jones followed with a triple that scored Lombard and tied the game.
Jones then came home on a balk charged to Sale, putting the Yankees ahead 3-2. The call also led to the ejection of Braves manager Walt Weiss by home-plate umpire Dan Merzel.
Lombard Adds Insurance
Cole completed seven innings, allowing two runs while striking out nine. He left with New York holding a one-run lead, and the Yankees quickly gave their starter more breathing room.
Lombard opened the seventh inning against Victor Mederos by lifting a home run to right field, his second of the season. The rookie shortstop's solo shot pushed the Yankees ahead 4-2 and gave New York another important answer after Atlanta had repeatedly threatened.
The Braves were not finished. Acuña opened the eighth inning against Brent Headrick with a solo homer to left-center, his 12th of the season, trimming New York's advantage to 4-3.
Rice responded almost immediately. Leading off the bottom of the eighth, he drove a ball to center for his 32nd home run of the year, restoring the Yankees' two-run cushion.
Bednar Closes the Door
Atlanta made New York sweat in the ninth. Yastrzemski walked with one out, and after Riley struck out, Dominic Smith came off the bench to pinch-hit for Jarvis. Smith lined a single to right, scoring Yastrzemski and bringing the Braves within 5-4.
That was as close as they would get.
David Bednar, who entered for the ninth, finished the game by retiring Baldwin on a lineout to right, securing his 26th save and preserving New York's second straight victory over Atlanta.
The Yankees won because their young players repeatedly answered Atlanta's punches. Jones drove in two runs and reached on three hits, Lombard supplied the go-ahead insurance homer, and Rice delivered the final run New York needed. Cole provided the foundation, and the bullpen held the Braves to one run over the final two innings. It was not comfortable at the end, but the Yankees had enough answers to finish the job.
