New York Yankees Recap: Bird is the Word as Yankees Sweep Twins

Less than 12 hours removed from completing a dramatic come from behind victory last night, the Yankees looked to sweep the Minnesota Twins in a 1:05 pm matinee. It was a matchup between Nathan Eovaldi (12-2, 4.27 ERA) and Ervin Santana 2-3, 5.40 ERA).

The game started out as a pitchers duel, as both Eovaldi and Santana pitched a scoreless three innings, but the Yankees finally broke loose in the bottom of the fourth on Gregory Bird‘s first ever major league home run. It was a two-run shot into the second deck that drove in Carlos Beltran and put the Yankees up 2-0.

The Twins quickly answered back in the top of the sixth with three runs of their own off a two run RBI single from Joe Mauer and an infield RBI single off the bat of Trevor Plouffe that put them up 3-2.

In the bottom half of the sixth Carlos Beltran earned a two out walk. He was followed up by Greg Bird, and the kid did it again! Bird launched another two out, two run homer into the Yankees bullpen, giving the Yankees a 4-3 lead. As soon as Bird got into the dugout he was called out for his first ever curtain call in the Bronx.

Interestingly enough, Greg Bird became the first Yankees rookie to record two home runs and four RBI in a single game since Shelly Duncan in 2007.

On a quick side note, am I the only one watching the upstart career of Greg Bird and thinking about Wally Pip? For those of you who don’t know, Wally Pip was the Yankees first baseman who took a day off in 1925 because of a ‘headache.’ The man who replaced Pip was Lou Gherig, who wen’t on to play 2,130 consecutive games as the Yankees starting first baseman. Is the same happening between Greg Bird and Mark Teixeira?

Anyway, Nathan Eovaldi pitched a 1-2-3 seventh inning, touching 100 mph and showing great command of his pitches late into the ballgame. He even touched 102 mph on the radar gun earlier in the game. As a matter of fact, according to Jack Curry, Eovaldi threw 25 pitches today that clocked in at 100 mph or more.

Eovaldi was replaced by Chasen Shreve in the top of the eighth. Eovaldi’s final line on the day was 7.0 innings pitched, four hits, three runs (all earned), two walks and eighth strikeouts.

Shreve started off the eighth inning with a strikeout to ex-Yankee Eduardo Nunez and an infield pop out to Brian Dozier. Joe Mauer reached on an infield single that was almost turned into a web gem from Didi Gregorius. Mauer reached second base on a wild pitch, but fortunately Shreve was able to get a big strikeout on Miguel Sano to end the inning.

After 8.2 innings and with Alex Rodriguez standing on first base, the Twins turned to the bullpen and brought in Trevor May to replace Ervin Santana. May was able to get Greg Bird to strike out and end the inning.

Being that Andrew Miller pitched 2.1 innings and threw 23 pitches over the first two games of the series v. Minnesota, the Yankees turned to their other bullpen weapon, Dellin Betances to pitched the ninth inning. Chris Young also took over for Carlos Beltran as a defensive replacement.

The Brooklyn native worked a scoreless 1-2-3 inning, earning his eighth save of the season. The Yankees have won six of their last 11 games and Nathan Eovaldi remains undefeated in games against the AL Central this year, improving his overall record to 13-2.

When all was said and done, Bird was certainly the word, as he drove in all four Yankees runs in todays ball game!

The Yankees are back in action tomorrow night against the Cleveland Indians right here in the Bronx, as Ivan Nova (5-4, 3.57 ERA) is set to take on Josh Tomlin (0-1, 2.84 ERA).

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