NEW YORK (AP) – Jameson Taillon earned his first win in exactly two years, Aaron Judge had three hits and three RBIs, and the New York Yankees beat the Detroit Tigers 6-4 on Saturday. Gleyber Torres also drove in three runs as the Yankees won for the sixth time in seven games and improved to 13-14.
In a big-league season when hitting is in short supply, 11 of the 18 batters in the starting lineups for the Tigers and Yankees finished the game hitting .198 or below. Former Triple Crown winner Miguel Cabrera went 0 for five and fell to .125, one of the five struggling Detroit starters on a team with a majors-worst batting average of .1995. Taillon (1-2) allowed one run three hits and struck out eight over five innings. The Yankees had lost in each of his four previous starts.
In his last outing, Taillon’s previous win came on May 1, 2019, for Pittsburgh before having his second Tommy John surgery. The Pirates traded him to the Yankees before this season.
Doubts over whether he would notch another victory in his ledger entered the mind of the 29-year-old, who underwent his first Tommy John surgery in April 2014 and had testicular cancer surgery on May 8, 2017.
“There were times when I wasn’t 100% sure whether I would be back in a big-league uniform, let alone be on a team like the Yankees and contribute to wins throughout the year,” Taillon said. “So, it’s meaningful. There’s a lot of people that played a part in it to get me back to this point.”
Spencer Turnbull (1-2) gave up four runs and five hits in five innings. The Tigers lost their fourth in a row and dropped to an MLB-worst 8-20.
“It’s almost frustrating,” he said. “I almost did a good job today, and then I didn’t. So, it cost us. I finish the game the way I should have; we probably win. So, that one is on me.”
The judge followed Friday night’s two-homer, five-RBI performance by breaking a 1-all tie in the fifth inning with a line-drive double off Turnbull to left field that scored DJ LeMahieu.
The Yankee’s right fielder awarded Taillon the team’s wrestling belt, given to the game’s player.
“It was a special moment. Whenever you have a big injury like that, Tommy John, I know it probably creeps in the back of some guys’ minds that, ‘This might be the last time I throw. What’s my career going to look like?'” Judge said. “But he’s a guy that stayed positive through it and continued to work, work, work, and it’s really showing right now.”
Turnbull lost control in the sixth inning when he hit Aaron Hicks to open the frame and then walked Gary Sánchez and Clint Frazier before reliever José Cisnero replaced him.
Cisnero retired Brett Gardner on a pop-out and struck out LeMahieu. The judge fell behind 0-1 in the count and drove the next pitch to right field for a two-run single that made it 4-1. Rougned Odor then walked, and Torres’ two-run single chased Cisnero.
In the fourth, Taillon retired seven straight hitters before Jeimer Calendario’s two-out homer tied it at 1 – ending the Tigers’ 22-inning scoreless streak. Taillon issued consecutive two-out walks in the fifth but escaped unscathed by striking out Cabrera.
“I’m sure it was emotional for him. Got the belt today,” Yankees manager Aaron Boone said. “So, I am excited for him and happy for him. I think everybody’s been through stuff. J-Mo’s certainly been through his share of trials throughout his career. To get back to this point, contributing to this team, really happy for him today, but it’s another good step forward for him.”
