Cole, Yankees wallop Guardians 13-4 in DH first game

Photo: The Canadian Press

CLEVELAND (AP) — Gerrit Cole brushed off giving up back-to-back home runs and worked six strong innings, leading the New York Yankees to a 13-4 romp over the Cleveland Guardians in the first game of a split doubleheader on Saturday.

Cole (7-2) was tagged for consecutive homers in the second inning by Josh Naylor and Franmil Reyes before settling in. The right-hander allowed Cleveland just one other hit and struck out six.

Matt Carpenter homered twice — his second was off utilityman Ernie Clement in the ninth — and had four RBIs. DJ LeMahieu added a solo shot off rookie Kirk McCarty (0-2) for the Yankees.

Jose Trevino also connected off Clement, giving New York a major league-leading 131 home runs.

In winning 24 of its last 30 games, New York improved to 57-21, tying the 2001 Seattle Mariners for the second-best start after 78 games since 1930. Only the 1998 Yankees (58-20) were better.

Another humdrum win for the Yankees did have a hiccup. Reliever Aroldis Chapman’s first major league outing May 22 didn’t go well.

The left-hander, who was activated Friday after being sidelined with Achilles tendinitis, came in for Cole to start the seventh and walked three straight batters before being pulled by manager Aaron Boone after 19 pitches.

This is the sixth doubleheader for the rain-soaked Guardians, and what will be their third twinbill in less than a week with another scheduled for July 4 in Detroit. Cleveland split two with Minnesota on Tuesday.

LeMahieu triggered New York's four-run third with his eighth homer, a shot into the right-field seats.

McCarty then got himself into trouble with a pair of walks before Miguel Andújar, recalled as the 27th man for the doubleheader, delivered an RBI single and Aaron Hicks drove in two with a base hit to make it 4-2.

Naylor and Reyes connected for their homers in a four-pitch span off Cole in the third.

Naylor, who hit a dramatic walk-off to beat Minnesota in extra innings earlier this week, drove his 10th homer into the bullpen in center. Reyes followed with an opposite-field shot to right for his fifth.

The Yankees added four runs in the sixth on Carpenter's seventh homer and a two-run single by Gleyber Torres.

SHIFTING GEARS

The Yankees twice deployed a unique shift on Guardians star José Ramírez, moving shortstop Marwin Gonzalez into left-center. Ramírez struck out and walked in those two plate appearances.

WATER PARK

Boone enjoyed watching two members of the team's staff put on Aaron Judge and Anthony Rizzo's uniforms and perform headfirst slides across the infield tarp after Friday's game was called.

Rizzo masterminded the prank.

"It gained steam pretty quickly and then it turned into a fun team event,” said Boone, who didn't know the payout for the joke.

ROUND TWO

For the second time this week, Clement was brought in to relieve. After allowing Carpenter's shot, Trevino followed by connecting off the right-hander, who threw nothing but junk during his outing.

TRAINER'S ROOM

Guardians: Rookie OF Oscar Gonzalez was placed on the injured list with an intercostal (rib) strain. He didn't report any issues until Thursday and an MRI revealed the strain. Gonzalez will be shut down for at leas one week. ... RHP James Karinchak (shoulder strain) was activated from the 60-day IL and optioned to Triple-A Columbus. The Guardians were encouraged by two recent outings want him to be consistent.

UP NEXT

Aaron Civale (2-4, 7.20 ERA) was scheduled to start Friday and the Guardians gave him the option of pitching either game. The right-hander was tagged for six runs in three innings against the Yankees on April 24. He'll face New York's Nestor Cortes (6-3, 2.51).