NEW YORK (AP) — Afternoon showers in the Bronx were just what Aaron Judge needed to get back into the New York Yankees‘ lineup.For Boston Red
Sox star Mookie Betts
Sean Doolittle Jersey , it was just the opposite.Judge was hitless in his return and Betts sat out when the Yankees beat the Red Sox 3-2 in the opener
of a three-game series Tuesday night. The game was pushed back about six hours
because of rain in the forecast and began at 7:08 p.m.The delay allowed Judge to
talk his way into manager Aaron Boone’s lineup for the first time since breaking
his right wrist on July 26. Boone slotted Judge to bat second and play right
field, but only because the late start gave him and the front office a few extra
hours to evaluate Judge.“I just voiced my opinion — a lot,” Judge said with a
grin. “And they kind of got tired of me telling them I would be playing, so they
finally said, ‘Let’s just put him in there and see what happens.'”Judge went 0
for 4, including a pop fly to the warning track in the right field corner, but
he came away pleased with his at-bats. Boone thought he seemed impressively
sharp after being on the shelf for so long.“He’s a special person, so I’m not
surprised,” Boone said. “He comes in with an edge, with a focus and just an
ability to lock in in a hurry. I thought he was in a good place all night long,
just with his presence, with who he is and the at-bats he was able to
have.”Manager Alex Cora wrote Betts in as his center fielder as of 9 a.m., even
after the AL MVP contender injured his left side Sunday. But then the conditions
turned soggy.“He’s doing OK,” Cora said. “The weather kind of like pushed me to
not play him.”Judge was injured when hit by a pitch. The reigning AL Rookie of
the Year was activated Friday and played two innings in right field that night
without going to the plate. Judge has said his wrist no longer bothers him while
swinging a bat
http://www.nationalsfanproshop.com/authentic-wilmer-difo-jersey , but he has been experiencing discomfort on more routine movements.He had 11
at-bats in a simulated game Monday and lofted an opposite-field homer to right
during a series of simulated plate appearances against Yankees minor leaguer
Adonis Rosa on Tuesday morning.Judge was late on some fastballs and had a number
of swings and misses against Rosa, who struck out 108 over 128 1/3 innings
across three minor league levels this season. A large contingent of Yankees
personnel watched the session, including Boone and general manager Brian
Cashman.Judge’s workload will be monitored closely down the stretch, with New
York eager to get him at-bats before likely playing in the AL wild-card game.“We
want to start that clock of getting in there and playing and getting him those
ABs,” Boone said. “So he can find that timing sooner rather than later.
Physically he’s good to go.”Boston leads the Yankees by 10½ games and can clinch
the AL East with a win Wednesday.Cora can be cautious with Betts because the Red
Sox have by far baseball’s best record, but Betts prefers consistent at-bats to
stay sharp. He’s also making a push for his first MVP award with an AL-best .337
batting average.“I know he’s close to doing a few things that are very special
in this game,” Cora said. “But like I’ve been saying, he’s a small guy, not as
big as some other ones, and we need him to be close to 100 percent.”The Yankees
also plan to activate closer Aroldis Chapman on Wednesday or Thursday. The
left-hander is working back from left knee tendinitis. He said he felt strong
after throwing 22 pitches in a simulated game Monday. CLEVELAND (AP) — Trevor
Bauer reached a milestone Monday night.Cleveland’s right-hander struck out 11 in
six innings — giving him 206 for the season — and the Indians routed the
Minnesota Twins 10-0.Bauer (11-6) is one strikeout behind Boston’s Chris Sale
for the AL lead. After striking out 196 last season — then a career high —
reaching the 200-mark was a goal going into 2018.“That’s something I wanted to
accomplish,” he said. “Next up is 300. Maybe not this year, but hopefully next
year.”Bauer, who held Minnesota to three hits, was given a standing ovation when
he recorded he reached the 200-mark against Bobby Wilson in the third. He has 10
double-figure strikeout games
Brian Goodwin Jersey , tying him with Sale for the league lead.The Indians hit four home runs, led by Edwin Encarnacion, who had four RBIs,
including a three-run homer in the seventh. Yonder Alonso, Brandon Guyer and
Jason Kipnis also homered for Cleveland, which leads Minnesota by 10 games in
the AL Central.Bauer struck out every batter in the starting lineup and ended
his night with a flourish in the sixth. Jorge Polanco doubled with one out and
was at third when Miguel Sano drew a two-out walk but Bauer struck out Max
Kepler on his 112th pitch.“That’s probably my last hitter, given that I had ran
my pitch count up,” Bauer said. “I definitely wanted to finish my own inning. If
I can’t finish the game I like to finish my inning. I threw a good pitch. I was
excited about both of those things.”Manager Terry Francona knew Bauer, who leads
the AL with 159 2/3 innings pitched, had a lot left but went to the bullpen.
Adam Cimber, Oliver Perez and Dan Otero each pitched an inning to close
Cleveland’s AL-leading 12th shutout.“He could have kept pitching and he wanted
to,” Francona said. “That’s enough. On a night like tonight that was
plenty.”Bauer hasn’t lost since June 29 and is 4-0 in his last seven
starts.Alonso’s home run started Cleveland’s four-run fourth while Guyer added a
two-run shot, both coming off Kyle Gibson (5-9). Matt Belisle gave up Kipnis’
leadoff homer in the sixth and Encarnacion’s blast.Gibson allowed six runs —
four earned — in five innings. Belisle gave up four runs in two innings. Catcher
Mitch Garver worked the eighth, allowing only Francisco Lindor’s one-out
single.The Indians scored two unearned runs in the first because Polanco didn’t
catch a pickoff throw for an error. Jose Ramirez’s sacrifice fly that was caught
in foul territory by second baseman Logan Forsythe to put Cleveland ahead.“We’ve
had a lot of better days
http://www.nationalsfanproshop.com/authentic-mark-reynolds-jersey ,” Twins manager Paul Molitor said. “It was not pleasant to endure that beatdown.
That first inning was disastrous.”Garver’s first appearance on the mound in a
major league game provided some levity for the Twins. He retired Guyer and Erik
Gonzalez on groundouts and Rajai Davis on a fly ball to deep center.“I wanted to
strike out Lindor, so I turned the gas up,” Garver said, laughing. “He lined one
right back at me and I had to get out of the way pretty fast.”GOOD STARTKipnis
took a hit away from Joe Mauer to begin the game. Kipnis went several steps to
his left, dove on the outfield grass and made the throw to first. Mauer came
into the game batting .302 (13 for 43) against Bauer, but was hitless with a
strikeout in three at-bats.ROSTER MOVEMinnesota placed outfielder Robbie
Grossman (strained right hamstring) on the 10-day disabled list and recalled
outfielder Johnny Field from Triple-A Rochester. Grossman was injured running
out a double Sunday. The Twins claimed Field last week after he was designated
for assignment by the Indians.DAY OFFOF Melky Cabrera, who is 3 for 31 lifetime
against Gibson, wasn’t in the lineup. Cabrera had a big day in the field Sunday
against the Los Angeles Angels, making two diving catches and crashing into the
wall to grab Shohei Ohtani’s drive.Cabrera’s day off gave Guyer a rare start
against a right-hander and he responded with a home run off Gibson.TRAINER’S
ROOMTwins: RHP Michael Pineda pitched two scoreless innings in his first outing
for the Gulf Coast Twins on Monday. He had Tommy John surgery in July of last
year.Indians: C Yan Gomes (right hamstring tendinitis) might return Tuesday.
He’s missed the last four games.UP NEXTTwins LHP Adalberto Mejia (1-0, 2.60 ERA)
takes on Indians RHP Carlos Carrasco (13-5, 3.66 ERA) in the second game of the
series. Carrasco is 5-0 with a 1.99 ERA over his last six outings, pitching 7
1/3 scoreless innings against Minnesota on Aug. 1.
