NEW YORK (AP) — Austin Wells drove in five runs during a 10-run seventh inning, delivering a game-tying single followed by his inaugural career grand slam, as the New York Yankees secured a 12-3 triumph over the San Diego Padres on Tuesday evening.
Aaron Judge hit his 12th home run of the year in the fourth inning for the Yankees, who ended a three-game losing streak. With New York ahead 8-3, Wells connected on a full-count changeup from former Yankee Wandy Peralta, sending it into the right-field stands to blow the game wide open. The Yankees enjoyed their most productive inning this season, collecting seven hits off Adrian Morejon (1-1) and Peralta.
Wells initiated the scoring spree with an RBI single that brought Jasson Domínguez home from second, tying the score at 3. Trent Grisham drew a four-pitch walk from Peralta to push the Yankees ahead after pinch-hitter Paul Goldschmidt received an intentional walk. Ben Rice contributed with a two-run double, extending the lead to 6-3.
Cody Bellinger chipped in with an RBI single following Judge’s intentional walk, and Anthony Volpe added an RBI single before Wells hit his grand slam. Fernando Tatis Jr. hit an RBI double in the seventh off Fernando Cruz (1-0), but the Padres left the bases loaded after initially leading 3-2. Judge homered against his former teammate Michael King, extending his on-base streak to 32 games.
Bellinger crossed home plate due to a throwing error by Tatis in right field later in the fourth inning. Manny Machado scored San Diego’s first run on a balk by Clarke Schmidt in the fourth. Jackson Merrill, returning from a hamstring injury, had two hits and scored the Padres’ second run on a sacrifice fly by Jason Heyward. King conceded two runs and three hits over six innings, while Schmidt gave up two runs and seven hits across six innings.