NEW YORK _ Not even the steamy summer weather could wilt the offense of the Yankees. Excessive heat warnings were met with excessive displays of offense as the Yankees batted around in a five-run second inning and nearly again with three runs in the fourth during an 11-5 rout of the Rockies on Saturday.
Aaron Judge got the Yankees offense early with a double in the first inning that scored DJ LeMahieu from first. Judge would be thrown out at home on a fielder's choice later in the inning to limit the damage to just one run.
More would come an inning later as 11 Yankees came to bat. Didi Gregorius doubled to start the second and scored on a throwing error by pitcher Antonio Senzatela following a Gleyber Torres single. Torres scored on an Austin Romine RBI single. With one away, the next five Yankees would reach base, including Edwin Encarnacion, who hit a two-RBI double that ran Senzatela from the game after just four outs recorded.
The Yankees would score three more times in the fourth inning as Gregorius would knock in Aaron Hicks with a one-out RBI single. Torres would drive in two more as the next batter, scoring Luke Voit and Gregorius.
Voit reached base after being hit by a 91-mph fastball that caught him in the face and grazed his lip. Voit left the game after running the bases for precautionary reasons, according to the team, and passed concussion protocol.
The Yankees nearly saw another one of their players with a damaging hit by pitch. Romine took two straight pitches against reliever Jario Diaz in the bottom of the eighth inning. The first hit the knob of the bat, continuing the at-bat and seeing a 99-mph fastball that came close to the head. Romine remained in the at-bat, but Diaz drew ire from the Yankees dugout. Romine struck out to end the inning.
Starter Masahiro Tanaka didn't need a great deal of run support early on, mowing down Colorado across the first five innings. Tanaka scattered two hits and sat down the first eight Rockies he faced in a row.
Then came the sixth inning and the third time through the Rockies order. With one away, six straight Rockies reached off Tanaka, including a three-run home run to center field from Nolan Arenado. Tanaka hung tough with a strikeout of Raimel Tapia to end the rally.
Tanaka finished the game with six innings pitched, allowing five runs on seven hits, walking one and striking out three. Tanaka earned the win.
The Yankees bullpen, which has done a terrific job all season long, was on display again on Saturday. Tommy Kahnle came in and pitched a seventh inning without a blemish. David Hale pitched the final two innings without allowing a baserunner. The game ended with two great defensive plays in the ninth, one by Brett Gardner in left field and a diving play by LeMahieu to end the game.
