Yankees pick up second consecutive win over A’s as offense comes alive

BRONX — The Yankees’ offense came alive for the second consecutive game as New York topped the Oakland Athletics 10-5 on Tuesday night.

The win was the Bombers’ second consecutive win and the third straight game in which they’ve scored at least seven runs. The 10 that crossed the plate on Tuesday were the most that the Yankees have scored since they put up 12 against Minnesota on April 26.

The Yankees have won five of their last seven games, but have still been in need of wins after dropping two of three games to the AL East-leading Tampa Bay Rays over the weekend and entering Tuesday’s game in last in the division.

“A lot of good things. We had the beginning early,” Yankees manager Aaron Boone said. “Not a lot of hard contact necessarily in that. We got a break with the error and then some guys just started putting in play. … We were able to kind of manufacture a little bit there and then I thought all night it was good to see us incrementally be able to add on a little bit.”

Even with the win, the Yankees gave up five earned runs with the bullpen allowing three of those runs. Jordan Diaz also hit three home runs for the Athletics, with each homer coming off a different New York pitcher.

It was in the third inning when the Yankees erased a 1-0 deficit by scoring five runs. It started when A’s pitcher Drew Rucinski walked the first two batters he faced in the third and Anthony Volpe hit a deep fly ball to left to advance the runners.

The Athletics’ second error of the game allowed the first run to score. Aaron Judge, who was back in the lineup after coming off a stint on the 10-day IL, sent a hard-hit ball to third, which Jace Peterson fumbled and helped Jose Trevino to score.

A line drive to right field by Anthony Rizzo allowed Aaron Hicks to score to put the Yanks in front and a Gleyber Torres single up the middle scored Judge to make it a 3-1 game. Harrison Bader singled to center field to drive in the fourth run of the inning and Jake Bauers hit a sac fly to left to make it a 5-1 Yankees lead.

The Bronx Bombers added two more runs in the fifth inning when Torres hit a two-run shot to left field to make it a 7-2 game. Bauers hit his second home run of the season in the seventh to make it a 9-3 ballgame in favor of the Yankees.

Judge drove the Yankees’ 10th run of the game home in the bottom of the eighth on a sacrifice fly.

Starter Clark Schmidt threw six innings and struck out seven batters while allowing two runs on five hits. The Yanks’ starter had to work himself out of a couple of tough jams during his night as he picked up his first win as a major league starter.

Schmidt gave up the first run in the second inning on a two-out single by Jace Peterson to score the first run of the game, but the Yankee pitcher was able to get Nick Allen to fly out. JJ Bleday doubled in the third to put runners on second and third, however, Schmidt was able to get Shea Langeliers to strike out on three pitches to end the inning.

“Yeah, it’s very satisfying. I think there was a big sigh of relief at the end,” said Schmidt, who went six innings for the firt time in his career. “I really wanted to go back out there for the sixth and I knew I had like 10 or so pitches he told me so after I gave up the single I kept looking at him. I was hoping he wasn’t going to pull me so it was good to be able to get the double play there and get out of the ending.”

Diaz hit his first home run of the game when he sent a 1-2 sweeper over the left field wall to score Oakland’s second run.

The Athletics’ second baseman hit his second bomb of the game in the top of the seventh off Albert Abreu and Diaz’s third of the night came off of Greg Weisert in the top of the eighth and was a two-run shot.

Abreu, Wandy Peralta, Weissert and Clay Holmes all came into the game in relief for the Yankees. Hicks left the game after the third inning with left hip tightness.