NEW YORK _ Neil Walker hit a walk-off single to drive in Gary Sanchez with one out in the 11th inning as the Yankees fended off the pesky A's, 7-6 at Yankee Stadium in yet another come-from-behind victory.
Chris Hatcher walked two to set up the game-winning hit. A.J. Cole provided a pivotal relief appearance, allowing no runs over two innings to earn the win for the Yankees.
Aroldis Chapman had neither his velocity nor his control with the game tied at six in the ninth. He walked the first three batters before getting visited by a trainer with an apparent issue with his finger. Chapman, though, regrouped to strike out Mark Canha. Pinch hitter Jonathan Lucroy hit a shallow fly ball, and the lead runner, Matt Olson tagged up with the potential go-ahead run. Brett Gardner, though, hit Sanchez on a one-hop throw and Sanchez managed to just nick Olson as he attempted to score. Olson was originally ruled safe, but a manager's challenge showed he was out, ending the inning and preserving the tie.
The Yankees actually jumped out early in this one, though the A's would rally. It took them approximately one inning to solve starter Andrew Triggs' jaunty sidearm delivery: With one out in the second, Sanchez cranked his 2-and-0 two-seamer off the second-deck facing in left, a 423-foot homer and his 10th of the year. Three pitches later, Aaron Hicks got in on the action, drilling another two-seamer to the bullpen in right center. Despite the fire power on this team, it was the first time the Yankees had gone back-to-back this season.
Though no one quite expected German to replicate the results from his first major-league start, when he threw six no-hit innings, he appeared to be headed in that direction early on. He didn't allow a hit _ or really any hard contact _ until Canha's single with one out in the third. In the fourth, though, the A's got some traction off German's changeup: Marcus Semien led off with a well-struck single, Matt Joyce walked and, with one out, Khris Davis turned on a 1-and-1 changeup and drilled it to right to put the A's up 3-2. It was Davis' second homer in as many days.
German gave up two more runs after walking the next two. With two outs and two on, Canha hit a long single to left to put the A's up 5-2. Though he was called out at second trying to stretch it, the damage was done for German. Though the 25-year-old did get a mound visit from Larry Rothschild, the Yankees bullpen remained silent for the duration of the fourth despite losing sight of the strike zone. The A's tacked on another run in the top of the seventh, on Jed Lowrie's sacrifice fly, to put them up 6-2.
But no game is ever really lost for the Yankees, and they proved as much against Triggs and two A's relievers in a four-run fifth. Aaron Judge hit his 11th homer of the year, a two-run shot to left, to get the Yankees to within two. Didi Gregorius then singled, breaking an 0-for-30 streak and, with none out, Gary Sanchez walked. Neil Walker and Miguel Andujar hit back-to-back two out singles later in the inning, plating a runner each and tying the game at six.
