Yankees record rain shortened 4-1 win over Twins

Domingo German pitched 6 2/3 strong innings to become the second six-game winner in the major leagues, and the New York Yankees recorded a rain-shortened 4-1 victory over the Minnesota Twins on Sunday at Yankee Stadium. The Yankees moved the scheduled first pitch back three hours to avoid a lengthy delay at the start. The game started on time with a temperature of 51, and rain did not start making a significant appearance until the seventh inning. The game was halted in the bottom of the eighth with Gleyber Torres on third and a 3-1 count to Brett Gardner.

After a 61-minute delay, the game was called. German (6-1) joined Tampa Bay's Tyler Glasnow as the only six-game winners in the majors by allowing a run on four hits. He struck out seven, walked three and threw 69 of his career-high 108 pitches for strikes.

German won his third straight start by keeping the Twins off-balance with an effective curveball to go along with a four-seam fastball that averaged 93 mph on a dank and overcast day. After putting two on and allowing a run in the fourth, German appeared to tire in the seventh. He allowed a leadoff infield single to Marwin Gonzalez, got two outs and was lifted after walking Byron Buxton.

Tommy Kahnle finished off the seventh by striking out Max Kepler on a 98 mph fastball. Adam Ottavino put two in the eighth as the rain intensified and was lifted for Aroldis Chapman, who ended the inning by striking out Gonzalez with runners at second and third. Chapman recorded his seventh save in eight opportunities.

New York scored two runs apiece in the second and fourth off former Yankee Michael Pineda (2-3). DJ LeMahieu had an RBI infield single that scored Torres in the second. A second run scored on the play when shortstop Jorge Polanco committed a throwing error.

After Minnesota scored on an RBI single by Gonzalez in the fourth, Mike Tauchman hit a two-run homer, sending Pineda's full-count fastball into the right field seats. Pineda, who pitched for the Yankees from 2014 to 2017 before undergoing Tommy John surgery, allowed four runs (three earned) on six hits in five innings. He struck out eight and took his third straight loss.

(With inputs from agencies.)