Game called in 8th inning due to rain, Twins lose 4-1 to Yankees

NEW YORK — Domingo German kept delivering on a wet, raw afternoon, tying for the major league lead with his sixth win as the New York Yankees stopped the Minnesota Twins 4-1 Sunday in a game called in the bottom of the eighth inning because of rain.

Mike Tauchman hit a two-run homer to help New York win for the 11th time in 15 games. The Twins lost two of three after coming into Yankee Stadium this weekend with the best record in the majors.

It was 51, windy and damp at gametime, and the start was pushed back three hours in advance to avoid an expected storm. Still, rain fell for most of the day and pelted the park hard in the late innings before the game was halted.

Yankees catcher Gary Sanchez fell on the slippery grass retrieving a passed ball, pitchers pawed with their cleats at the muddy mound and infielders chased gust-blown popups, and then the weather got worse.

German (6-1) stayed in control, giving up one run and four hits in 6 2/3 innings while striking out seven.

The 26-year-old right-hander with a 2.35 ERA matched Tampa Bay’s Tyler Glasnow for most wins in the majors. It made for an unlikely duo atop the leaderboard — German had a career record of 2-7 going into this season and Glasnow was 4-16.

Yankees reliever Tommy Kahnle struck out Max Kepler with two on to end the seventh with a 4-1 lead. Aroldis Chapman fanned Marwin Gonzalez with two on to finish the eighth, and got his seventh save in eight chances.

Michael Pineda (2-3) struck out eight in five inconsistent innings.

Pineda’s previous start at Yankee Stadium was July 5, 2017, the final game he pitched for the Yankees before undergoing Tommy John surgery. He missed the 2018 season while recovering, and returned this year with the Twins.

Tauchman struck out with the bases loaded in the second, but lined a two-out drive in the fourth for a 4-1 lead. Pineda slapped his shin as the ball sailed out.

DJ LeMahieu hit an RBI single in the Yankees second, and another run scored on the play on shortstop Jorge Polanco‘s wild throw.

Gonzalez hit an RBI single in the Twins fourth.

NOT THIS TIME, EITHER

The Twins haven’t won a series at Yankee Stadium since 2014. They had lost nine in a row overall at the Bronx until winning Saturday.

TRAINER’S ROOM

Yankees: OF Clint Frazier (sprained ankle) could come off the injured list Monday. … Slugger Giancarlo Stanton (shoulder) might start ramping up activities this week.

UP NEXT

Twins: LHP Martin Perez (4-0, 3.41 ERA) starts at Toronto vs. RHP Marcus Stroman (1-4, 2.20). Perez threw a team-high eight innings in his last outing, blanking Houston.

Yankees: LHP CC Sabathia (1-1, 2.66) pitches at home against Seattle RHP Felix Hernandez (1-2, 4.31). In his previous start, Sabathia became the third lefty to record 3,000 career strikeouts.