The Yankees have become the kings of comebacks this week. Their latest was authored by their red-hot catcher, in the midst of his own personal resurgence.
Gary Sanchez continued to come up big for the Yankees, crushing a two-run double in the sixth inning to wipe out a deficit and lift the Yankees to a 2-1 win over the Athletics on Sunday afternoon at Yankee Stadium.
Aroldis Chapman offered some drama in the top of the ninth, walking the first two batters he faced, but got out of it when Gio Urshela started another triple play — the Yankees’ third of the season — to end the game in emphatic fashion.
The win delivered the Yankees (38-33) a series win against an A’s (44-29) team that came into The Bronx with the second-best record in MLB. It also marked the Yankees’ fifth win in their past six games, coming from behind in each game to keep pushing back after dropping to a season-high nine games back in the AL East last Monday.
Clint Frazier led off the sixth inning with a walk — the Yankees’ first base runner since the third inning and only their third of the game against Sean Manaea, who had struck out 10 through five innings. After DJ LeMahieu became the 11th strikeout, Aaron Judge drew another walk to bring Sanchez to the plate.
Sanchez rocketed an 0-2 pitch into the gap in right-center field for a two-run double that put the Yankees on top 2-1. He got another roar from the crowd when he took third on the throw home, somehow making it in safely after evading two tag attempts from third baseman Matt Chapman.
After going 2-for-3 with two doubles Sunday, Sanchez is now batting 22-for-64 (.344) with six doubles, six home runs and 14 RBIs over his last 20 games.
Jordan Montgomery turned in a strong start, giving up only a solo home run across 5 ¹/₃ innings. Jonathan Loaisiga helped him get out of trouble in the sixth inning and then tossed a scoreless seventh.
Lucas Luetge — not Zack Britton, who did not pitch all series — handled the eighth inning and worked around a one-out triple to keep the lead intact.
In the ninth, Chapman walked the first two hitters, but got a hard grounder from Sean Murphy near the bag at third and Urshela started the triple play.
