NEW YORK — Domingo Germán retired his first 16 batters, staying in the game after an extensive sticky substance check by umpires and an argument that led to the ejection of Minnesota manager Rocco Baldelli, leading the New York Yankees over the Twins 6-1 on Saturday.
Kyle Higashioka and Anthony Rizzo homered and Giancarlo Stanton had a two-run double for the Yankees, which rebounded from their first consecutive losses this season and stopped the Twins’ four-game winning streak.
Wearing No. 42 along with every player on Jackie Robinson Day, Germán (1-1) didn’t allow a hit until his 66th pitch when Christian Vázquez singled up the middle on a fastball with a 2-1 count. He allowed a single to Michael A. Taylor on his next pitch and a double to Trevor Larnach in the seventh.
Germán struck out a career-high 11, walked none and gave up one run and three hits in 6 1/3 innings. He left to a loud ovation after an outing that was a turnaround from Monday at Cleveland, where he walked five in two innings.
He was checked after the top of the third by crew chief James Hoye and again when he came onto the field for the top of the fourth. Yankees manager Aaron Boone and team translator Marlon Abreu joined the discussion, which led to a 5 1/2-minute gap between half-innings.
When the 30-year-old right-hander was allowed back to the mound, Baldelli came out of the dugout and jabbed an arm repeatedly as Hoye tossed the manager from the game. Twins bench coach Jayce Tingler took over as manager.
Tyler Mahle (1-2) allowed four runs — two earned — four hits and three walks in 4 1/3 innings.
Higashioka put the Yankees ahead in the second when he drove a high fastball into the Yankees' bullpen in right-center, the ball landing by a bench. The runs were unearned because Mahle bobbled Franchy Cordero’s grounder, causing a late throw to first.
Rizzo homered into the right-field short porch in the fourth, his fourth this season. DJ LeMahieu, back in the lineup after missing three games with a sore quadriceps, made it 4-0 with an RBI single in the fifth and Stanton doubled high off the left-center wall in the seventh.
Michael King relieved Germán and allowed an RBI double to José Miranda — Lin-Manuel’s cousin — followed with an RBI double off Michael King, who finished the five-hitter.
BRONX BOMBERS
New York drove in its first eight runs of the four-game series with seven homers.
STREAKING
Carlos Correa went 0 for 4 with two strikeouts, ending his streak of home runs in four straight games at Yankee Stadium.
SWIPING
Yankees rookie Anthony Volpe stole three bases, including second and third in the eighth, and is 6 for 6.
TRAINER’S ROOM
Twins: RF Max Kepler (right patellar tendinitis) was activated from the IL and went 0 for 3. OF Joey Gallo (right intercostal strain) likely will be activated Tuesday or Wednesday.
Yankees: Boone was unsure whether 3B Josh Donaldson (right hamstring) will be activated Sunday or sent on a rehab assignment. ... OF Harrison Bader is expected to start a minor league rehabilitation assignment next week.
UP NEXT
RHP Gerrit Cole (3-0) starts Sunday’s series finale for the Yankees and RHP Pablo López (1-0) for the Twins, who have not won a four-game series in the Bronx since 1969.
Watch more of Minnesota sports:
Watch the latest reports from the KARE 11 sports team in our YouTube playlist: