Yankees lose to Twins, missing an opportunity to gain ground in postseason race

The Yankees missed out on a huge opportunity to pick up ground in the race for the postseason on Wednesday night.

The start of their series finale against Minnesota was delayed for 1:52 by rain and by the fifth inning the out-of-town scoreboard showed that AL East leader Toronto and second-place Boston had lost as had the team chasing them for the final AL wild card, Cleveland.

Nevertheless, the Yankees couldn’t cash in against a Twins team they’d beat in their previous nine meetings. All-Star righthander Joe Ryan and a relief corps that had to be cobbled together after Minnesota dealt away all of its high-leverage relievers at the trading deadline kept the Yankees stifled and handed them a 4-1 defeat before 44,466 who endured high humidity at the Stadium.

The Yankees (64-57) had a shot at their first series sweep since taking all three from the Mariners at the Stadium on July 8, 9 and 10, but couldn’t deliver. Their relievers let a 1-1 game get away after starter Cam Schlittler threw five solid innings and the lineup produced only five hits — two after the third inning.

Cody Bellinger’s 22nd home run in the third inning left the only mark on the Twins, who scored the game’s last four runs.

Giancarlo Stanton opened the ninth with a single off Justin Topa but Ben Rice followed by hitting into a double play before Jazz Chisholm Jr. grounded out to first base to end it.

With the score tied 1-1, Minnesota greeted reliever Yerry de los Santos with three straight hits to start what became a three-run sixth-inning rally. The big hit was a two-run double to right center by Kody Clemens that centerfielder Trent Grisham bobbled allowing Clemens to reach third base. He scored on Royce Lewis’ double down the leftfield line to make the score 4-1.

Schlittler did just about everything the Yankees could have asked in his seventh start of the season, except going deep into the game.

He lasted only five innings but gave up just one run on two hits and two walks with five strikeouts and came out of the game with the score tied at 1. The righthander retired the first nine batters he faced to get through three innings, but Minnesota drove his pitch count high the second time through the batting order. He needed 29 pitches in getting through the fourth inning and 23 in getting through the fifth, taking his total to 86.

Bellinger put the Yankees on the board first in the third inning with a two-out solo home run into the second deck in rightfield.

The Twins drew even in the top of the fourth when Trevor Larnach drew a six-pitch walk and Byron Buxton followed him by winning a 10-pitch battle for a double to leftfield to put two men in scoring position with none out. They tied the score on Luke Keaschall’s run-scoring groundout and Schlittler managed to get out without further damage.

Notes & quotes: Giancarlo Stanton started in rightfield for the fourth time in five days and it’s sounding like this will continue for a bit while Aaron Judge ramps up his throwing program in his return from a strained flexor in his right elbow. Boone said Stanton is holding up well physically in his return to the outfield. He added that having no game Thursday is a good break for him and that Stanton is unlikely to play the field in Sunday’s afternoon finale of the three-game series in St. Louis. Judge is now making throws at 120 feet, hasn’t yet begun throwing to bases and continues to have no timeline on going back to playing the outfield. . . . Jasson Dominguez didn’t start for a third straight game, but Boone said he is healthy and it’s more about matchups. “We’re doing all we can to win every day [and] JD is a big part of it,” he said. “I know it’s [been] a few days he hasn’t played [but] it’s a little snapshot in a long season.” . . . Lefthander Ryan Yarbrough (right oblique strain) and righthanded reliever Fernando Cruz (left oblique strain) will both begin minor league rehab assignments on Thursday with Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre.

Roger Rubin returned to Newsday in 2018 to write about high schools, colleges and baseball following 20 years at the Daily News. A Baseball Hall of Fame voter since 2011, he has covered 13 MLB postseasons and 14 NCAA Final Fours.