Aaron Judge’s 5 RBIs Lead Yankees Over Twins

NEW YORK -- — Aaron Judge drove in five runs, Carlos Rodón retired his first 16 batters and the New York Yankees matched their longest winning streak of the season at seven by beating the Minnesota Twins 9-5 Wednesday night.

Backed by a four-run first inning, Rodón (8-2) won his career-best sixth straight start. He didn’t allow a hit until Carlos Santana drove a fastball into the right-field seats in the sixth.

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Judge put the Yankees ahead with an RBI groundout against Chris Paddack (4-3), hit a three-run triple off Diego Castillo in a four-run fifth as New York opened an 8-0 lead and had a bases loaded walk against Josh Staumont in the sixth. Judge has 54 RBI and moved one ahead of Juan Soto for the team lead. Only Cleveland’s José Ramírez (58) has more.

New York has won six straight against the Twins dating to last season and is 106-42 against Minnesota since 2002. The Yankees are 5-0 against the Twins this year, outscoring them 28-7 (19-2).

Minnesota’s Royce Lewis homered in the seventh off Dennis Santana on his 25th birthday, a day after Lewis went deep in his return from a strained right quadriceps that sidelined him for 58 games. Lewis became the first player in franchise history to homer in his first three games of a season.

RHP Marcus Stroman (5-2, 2.73) is 3-0 in his last four starts going into Thursday night’s series finale against Minnesota and RHP Pablo López (5-5, 4.84). The first pitch is scheduled for 6:05 PM on ESPN 102.3/AM 1000 KSOO.