Yankees Power Past Twins 8-1 Behind Bellinger, Jones and Fried

The New York Yankees kept their late-season momentum rolling Tuesday night, delivering an impressive all-around performance in an 8-1 victory over the Minnesota Twins at Target Field.

Coming one night after clinching a spot in the 2026 postseason, New York showed no signs of slowing down. Cody Bellinger and Spencer Jones supplied the power, while Max Fried turned in one of his strongest starts of the season.

Bellinger wasted little time putting the Yankees in front. After Ben Rice opened the game with a single, Bellinger launched a two-run home run off Twins starter Bailey Ober, giving New York an early 2-0 advantage.

Minnesota answered with a run in the second, but the Yankees quickly regained control. George Lombard Jr. delivered an RBI single in the third to push the lead to 3-1.

The game broke open in the sixth.

Heliot Ramos drove in a run with a double before Jones delivered the biggest swing of the night. The rookie crushed a three-run home run to center field, extending New York's advantage to 7-1. The blast traveled a Statcast-projected 423 feet and was Jones' 10th home run of the season.

New York eventually finished with eight runs on 14 hits.

Bellinger led the offensive attack with three hits and a walk, continuing an impressive stretch at the plate. Jones provided three RBIs with his home run, while Lombard and Ramos also contributed multiple hits.

Fried Shuts Down Minnesota

While the Yankees' offense provided plenty of support, Fried made sure Minnesota never had an opportunity to get back into the game.

The left-hander allowed just one run on six hits over seven innings. He struck out six, did not issue a walk and needed only 88 pitches to complete his outing.

It was Fried's longest start in nearly five months and another encouraging performance as the Yankees prepare for October.

Ryan Yarbrough handled the final two innings without allowing a run.

Yankees Continue Late-Season Surge

The victory improved New York to 88-63 and extended its winning streak to three games. The Yankees have now won seven of their last eight as they continue pursuing the Tampa Bay Rays in the American League East.

Perhaps even more encouraging was the fact that New York produced the dominant victory without Aaron Judge in the starting lineup. Judge received a scheduled night of rest after recently returning from a lengthy absence caused by a rib injury.

With their postseason spot already secured, the Yankees now have their attention on positioning themselves for October — and potentially making a late push for the division.

New York will look to complete the three-game sweep of Minnesota Wednesday afternoon, with Carlos Rodón scheduled to take the mound against Twins right-hander Zebby Matthews.

Final Score: Yankees 8, Twins 1