NEW YORK (AP) — Austin Wells had five RBIs in a 10-run seventh inning, hitting a tying single and then his first career grand slam, as the New York Yankees rolled to a 12-3 victory over the San Diego Padres on Tuesday night.
Aaron Judge launched his 12th homer of the season in the fourth for the Yankees, who snapped a three-game skid.
New York was leading 8-3 when Wells lifted a full-count changeup from ex-Yankee Wandy Peralta into the right-field seats to turn the game into a rout.
The Yankees had their biggest inning this season, getting seven hits off Adrian Morejon (1-1) and Peralta.
Wells started the outburst with an RBI single that scored Jasson Domínguez from second to tie it at 3. Trent Grisham took a four-pitch walk against Peralta to give the Yankees the lead after pinch-hitter Paul Goldschmidt was intentionally walked.
Ben Rice hit a two-run double for a 6-3 advantage. Cody Bellinger added an RBI single after Judge was intentionally walked, and Anthony Volpe hit an RBI single before Wells went deep.
Fernando Tatis Jr. hit an RBI double in the seventh off Fernando Cruz (1-0) but the Padres left the bases loaded after taking a 3-2 lead.
Judge homered off former teammate Michael King to extend his on-base streak to 32 games. Bellinger scored on a throwing error by Tatis in right field later in the fourth.
Manny Machado scored San Diego’s first run on a balk by Clarke Schmidt in the fourth. Jackson Merrill had two hits in his return from a hamstring injury and scored the Padres’ second run on a sacrifice fly by Jason Heyward.
King allowed two runs and three hits in six innings. Schmidt permitted two runs and seven hits in six innings.
Key moment
After giving up Tatis’ double, Cruz walked Luis Arraez but struck out Machado to keep the deficit at one run.
Key stat
Rice got his fifth hit in 31 at-bats against left-handed pitching this season.
Up next
San Diego RHP Dylan Cease (1-2, 5.61 ERA) opposes New York LHP Max Fried (6-0, 1.01 ERA) in Wednesday night’s series finale.
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AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/mlb
Larry Fleisher, The Associated Press
