NEW YORK (AP) — Andrew Abbott took a two-hit shutout into the seventh inning and reliever Fernando Cruz got Aaron Judge to ground into a pivotal double play, pitching the Cincinnati Reds past the struggling New York Yankees 3-2 on Wednesday night.
Noelvi Marte hit a two-run homer and Stuart Fairchild also connected as the Reds handed Carlos Rodón (9-6) his fourth straight loss. They've won consecutive one-run games at Yankee Stadium to ensure their first series victory in almost a month.
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NEW YORK (AP) — Andrew Abbott took a two-hit shutout into the seventh inning and reliever Fernando Cruz got Aaron Judge to ground into a pivotal double play, pitching the Cincinnati Reds past the struggling New York Yankees 3-2 on Wednesday night.
Cincinnati Reds' Fernando Cruz (63) pitches during the seventh inning of a baseball game against the New York Yankees, Wednesday, July 3, 2024, in New York. (AP Photo/Frank Franklin II)
New York Yankees catcher Jose Trevino, right, watches as manager Aaron Boone takes pitcher Carlos Rodón, left, out of the game during the sixth inning of a baseball game against the Cincinnati Reds, Wednesday, July 3, 2024, in New York. (AP Photo/Frank Franklin II)
New York Yankees pitcher Carlos Rodón reacts as Cincinnati Reds' Noelvi Marte runs the bases after hitting a two-run home run during the second inning of a baseball game, Wednesday, July 3, 2024, in New York. (AP Photo/Frank Franklin II)
Cincinnati Reds' Noelvi Marte gestures as he runs the bases after hitting a two-run home run during the second inning of a baseball game against the New York Yankees, Wednesday, July 3, 2024, in New York. (AP Photo/Frank Franklin II)
Cincinnati Reds' Andrew Abbott pitches during the first inning of a baseball game against the New York Yankees, Wednesday, July 3, 2024, in New York. (AP Photo/Frank Franklin II)
Cincinnati Reds pitcher Fernando Cruz reacts after New York Yankees' Aaron Judge hit into a double play during the seventh inning of a baseball game, Wednesday, July 3, 2024, in New York. (AP Photo/Frank Franklin II)
Cincinnati was 0-4-2 in its previous six series since taking three of four games against the Chicago Cubs from June 6-9.
“We played well. That’s important for us,” manager David Bell said. "Winning the first two is great, but we have tomorrow, too, and it’s just as important for us.”
Anthony Volpe ended an 0-for-18 slump with a two-run double in the seventh off Cruz, who then threw a wild pitch and walked Juan Soto, putting runners at the corners in a 3-2 game.
But on the next delivery after a visit from pitching coach Derek Johnson, the right-hander got Judge to ground into an around-the-horn double play that ended the inning.
“It was the time to compete," Cruz said. "I know who you are. I’m here. I have three pitches that I can get you out (with) and I don’t think you’re expecting a fastball in the middle of the plate and I’m going to throw it to you.”
A fired-up Cruz gave a huge fist pump and shouted with joy as he came off the mound. He called it “the best feeling in the world.”
“Shutting down the fans, the crowd — the game was on the line and shutting them down is one of the best feelings in sports for me," Cruz said. “I don’t know what’s better than that.”
The streaking Judge began the day leading the majors in homers (32), RBIs (83) and OPS (1.158).
“It’s the best hitter in the world, there’s no secret about it," Cruz said. “There’s no better way to compete.”
Justin Wilson struck out pinch-hitter Trent Grisham with two on to end the eighth. Alexis Díaz earned his 19th save in 21 tries, inducing a double-play grounder from Volpe that erased a leadoff walk in a hitless ninth.
New York (54-34) lost for the 12th time in 16 games and fell to 0-5-1 in its last six series.
“It’s just baseball,” Soto said. "We hit the ball hard and we couldn’t find the gap.”
Abbott (8-6) was charged with one run and three hits over 6 1/3 innings in his first outing against the Yankees. The left-hander improved to 5-1 in his past six starts.
“He executed, he got ahead, and I think we probably just missed a couple of pitches,” Volpe said. “He had good stuff today.”
Tyler Stephenson singled in the Cincinnati second and Marte drove an 0-1 fastball just inside the left-field foul pole for his fourth major league homer and first this season, snapping a career-worst 0-for-16 slump.
The rookie third baseman returned last Thursday from an 80-game suspension after testing positive for a performance-enhancing drug. He began the night batting .150 with two RBIs.
“It’s a dream come true to come and play in Yankee Stadium,” Marte said through a translator. “I’ve always kind of dreamed of that.”
Fairchild was out in front of a full-count slider leading off the fifth, but he lofted it 362 feet into the left-field corner for his fifth home run.
Those were the only three hits permitted by Rodón, who rebounded somewhat from three ugly outings in a row. The two-time All-Star struck out eight and walked two in 5 1/3 innings — but it wasn't the result he was seeking.
Removed after 95 pitches, Rodón walked slowly off the mound to mild applause from a sellout crowd of 47,646 on Fireworks Night and yelled into his glove as he approached the dugout. The $162 million lefty is 0-4 with a 10.89 ERA in his last four starts after going 7-0 with a 2.28 ERA in his previous seven.
“A lot better than the last three,” Rodón said. “Some pitches I'd like to have back.”
TRAINER’S ROOM
Reds: LHP Nick Lodolo (finger blister) threw 20 pitches against hitters and is scheduled to throw a bullpen in a few days. He remains on track to come off the injured list and start next Tuesday against Colorado.
Yankees: Soto appeared a bit shaken up after his right arm and shoulder banged into the chain-link portion of the right-field fence on a catch in the second inning. He stayed in the game. Soto was elected Wednesday night to his fourth All-Star Game, his first as a starter.
UP NEXT
Reds RHP Frankie Montas (3-6, 4.23 ERA) faces one of his former teams in the series finale Thursday afternoon. Montas is 1-6 in 13 starts since April 9, but he's often pitched in hard luck with little run support lately. RHP Marcus Stroman (7-3, 3.29) goes for New York.
AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/mlb
New York Yankees' Anthony Volpe follows through on a two-run double during the seventh inning of a baseball game against the Cincinnati Reds, Wednesday, July 3, 2024, in New York. (AP Photo/Frank Franklin II)
Cincinnati Reds' Fernando Cruz (63) pitches during the seventh inning of a baseball game against the New York Yankees, Wednesday, July 3, 2024, in New York. (AP Photo/Frank Franklin II)
New York Yankees catcher Jose Trevino, right, watches as manager Aaron Boone takes pitcher Carlos Rodón, left, out of the game during the sixth inning of a baseball game against the Cincinnati Reds, Wednesday, July 3, 2024, in New York. (AP Photo/Frank Franklin II)
New York Yankees pitcher Carlos Rodón reacts as Cincinnati Reds' Noelvi Marte runs the bases after hitting a two-run home run during the second inning of a baseball game, Wednesday, July 3, 2024, in New York. (AP Photo/Frank Franklin II)
Cincinnati Reds' Noelvi Marte gestures as he runs the bases after hitting a two-run home run during the second inning of a baseball game against the New York Yankees, Wednesday, July 3, 2024, in New York. (AP Photo/Frank Franklin II)
Cincinnati Reds' Andrew Abbott pitches during the first inning of a baseball game against the New York Yankees, Wednesday, July 3, 2024, in New York. (AP Photo/Frank Franklin II)
Cincinnati Reds pitcher Fernando Cruz reacts after New York Yankees' Aaron Judge hit into a double play during the seventh inning of a baseball game, Wednesday, July 3, 2024, in New York. (AP Photo/Frank Franklin II)
PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) — Roughly 130 million people were under threat Saturday and into next week from a long-running heat wave that already has broken records with dangerously high temperatures — and is expected to shatter more from East Coast to West Coast, forecasters said.
Oppressive heat and humidity could team up to spike temperatures above 100 degrees Fahrenheit (about 38 degrees Celsius) in parts of the Pacific Northwest, the Mid-Atlantic and the Northeast, said Jacob Asherman, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service.
In Oregon, records could be broken in cities including Eugene, Portland and Salem, Asherman said. Dozens of other records throughout the U.S. could fall, Asherman said, causing millions to seek relief from the blanket of heat in cooling centers from Bullhead City, Arizona, to Norfolk, Virginia.
“Certainly a pretty anomalous event that we’re expecting here, which looks like it will continue through at least midweek,” Asherman said.
By 9 a.m. Saturday, the National Weather Service said the temperature had already risen to 98 degrees (36.6 C) in Phoenix, which saw a record high of 118 F (47.7 C) for the date on Friday.
Meteorologists predict temperatures will be near daily records region-wide through most, if not all, of the coming week with lower desert highs reaching 115 to 120 degrees (46.1 to 48.8 C) .
Rare heat advisories had been extended even into the upper elevations, including around Lake Tahoe, with the National Weather Service in Reno warning of “major heat risk impacts, even in the mountains.”
“How hot are we talking? Well, high temperatures across (western Nevada and northeastern California) won't get below 100 degrees (37.8 C) until next weekend,” the service posted online. “And unfortunately, there won't be much relief overnight either."
A new heat record for the day was set on Friday in California's Death Valley -- one of the hottest places on Earth — with the mercury climbing to 127 F (52.8 C.) The old mark of 122 F (50 C) was last tied in 2013.
More extreme highs are in the near forecast, including 129 F (53.8 degrees C) for Sunday at Furnace Creek in Death Valley National Park, and then around 130 (54.4 C) through Wednesday. The hottest temperature ever officially recorded on Earth was 134 degrees (56.67 C) in Death Valley in July 1913, though some experts dispute that measurement and say the real record was 130 F (54.4 C) recorded there in July 2021.
The worst was yet to come across much of the West, with triple-digit temperatures likely — between 15 and 30 degrees (8 and 16 degrees Celsius) higher than average into next week, the National Weather Service said.
The Eastern U.S. also was bracing for more hot temperatures. Baltimore and others parts of Maryland were under an excessive heat warning, as heat index values could climb to 110 F (43 C), forecasters said.
"Drink plenty of fluids, stay in an air-conditioned room, stay out of the sun, and check up on relatives and neighbors," said a National Weather Service advisory for the Baltimore area. “Young children and pets should never be left unattended in vehicles under any circumstances.”
In Arizona’s Maricopa County, which encompasses Phoenix, there have been at least 13 confirmed heat-related deaths this year, along with more than 160 other suspected heat deaths are still under investigation, according to the county’s most recent report.
That does not include the death of a 10-year-old boy earlier this week in Phoenix who suffered a “heat-related medical event” while hiking with family at South Mountain Park and Preserve, according to police.
At the Waterfront Blues Festival in Portland, Oregon, music fans dealt with heat by drinking cold water, seeking refuge in the shade or freshening up under water misters. Organizers of the weekend revelries also advertised free access to air conditioning in a nearby hotel.
Angela Quiroz, 31, kept her scarf and hat wet and applied sunscreen at she protected herself from the heat at the music festival.
“Definitely a difference between the shade and the sun,” Quiroz said Friday. “But when you’re in the sun, it feels like you’re cooking.”
Associated Press reporter Julie Walker contributed from New York. Boone reported from Boise, Idaho, and Sonner reported from Reno, Nevada. Associated Press journalists Adrian Sainz in Memphis, Tennessee; Jonathan Drew in Raleigh, North Carolina; John Antczak in Los Angeles; Rio Yamat in Las Vegas; Denise Lavoie in Richmond, Virginia; and Ben Finley in Norfolk, Virginia, contributed.
With an American flag reflected in the Willamette River, people sit on their paddle boards and listen to the music at the Waterfront Blues Festival on Friday, July 5, 2024, in Portland, Ore. A slow-moving and potentially record-setting heat wave is spreading across the Western U.S., sending many residents in search of a cool haven from the dangerously high temperatures. (AP Photo/Jenny Kane)
A child jumps off the dock at Cathedral City Park into the Willamette River on Friday, July 5, 2024, in Portland, Ore. A slow-moving and potentially record-setting heat wave is spreading across the Western U.S., sending many residents in search of a cool haven from the dangerously high temperatures. (AP Photo/Jenny Kane)
Corinne Dickey, of Portland, Ore., cools off under a mister while attending the Waterfront Blues Festival on Friday, July 5, 2024, in Portland, Ore. A slow-moving and potentially record-setting heat wave is spreading across the Western U.S., sending many residents in search of a cool haven from the dangerously high temperatures. (AP Photo/Jenny Kane)
People walk on the dock at Cathedral City Park on Friday, July 5, 2024, in Portland, Ore. A slow-moving and potentially record-setting heat wave is spreading across the Western U.S., sending many residents in search of a cool haven from the dangerously high temperatures. (AP Photo/Jenny Kane)
Gina Rowlett uses the mister to cool off at the Waterfront Blues Festival on Friday, July 5, 2024, in Portland, Ore. A slow-moving and potentially record-setting heat wave is spreading across the Western U.S., sending many residents in search of a cool haven from the dangerously high temperatures. (AP Photo/Jenny Kane)
Radha Ramya, second from right, eats her ice cream with family members Nadamuni Ramya, from left, Dinakar Ramya, Nirvi Ramya and Devineni Ramya at the National Mall near the U.S. Capitol, Friday, July 5, 2024, in Washington. (AP Photo/Mariam Zuhaib)
Sherri Thompson uses her disability parking sign to fan off as she waits for the Cook Plaza cooling center to open on Friday, July 5, 2024, in Gresham, Ore. Thompson has lived in her car for three years, and can only run its air conditioning for about 20 minutes at a time as it causes the engine to overheat. A heat wave is spreading across Wester U.S., the national Weather Service said, sending many residents in search of a cool haven from the dangerously high temperatures. (AP Photo/Jenny Kane)
Sherri Thompson, with her chihuahua 14-year-old Kiwahi, arrives at the Cook Plaza cooling center on Friday, July 5, 2024, in Gresham, Ore. Thompson has lived in her car for three years, and can only run its air conditioning for about 20 minutes at a time as it causes the engine to overheat. Thompson said the high temperatures prompted health concerns, as she had been hospitalized for a heat stroke in the past. A heat wave is spreading across Wester U.S., the national Weather Service said, sending many residents in search of a cool haven from the dangerously high temperatures. (AP Photo/Jenny Kane)
Ty Brown, with Cultivate Initiatives, puts ice over bottles of water as workers set up the Cook Plaza cooling center on Friday, July 5, 2024, in Gresham, Ore. A heat wave is spreading across Wester U.S., the national Weather Service said, sending many residents in search of a cool haven from the dangerously high temperatures. (AP Photo/Jenny Kane)
Doll Crain, with Cultivate Initiatives, marks off places for beds as workers set up the Cook Plaza cooling center on Friday, July 5, 2024, in Gresham, Ore. A heat wave is spreading across Wester U.S., the national Weather Service said, sending many residents in search of a cool haven from the dangerously high temperatures. (AP Photo/Jenny Kane)
Sherri Thompson, with her chihuahua 14-year-old Kiwahi, waits in her vehicle for the Cook Plaza cooling center to open on Friday, July 5, 2024, in Gresham, Ore. Thompson has lived in her car for three years, and can only run its air conditioning for about 20 minutes at a time as it causes the engine to overheat. A heat wave is spreading across Wester U.S., the national Weather Service said, sending many residents in search of a cool haven from the dangerously high temperatures. (AP Photo/Jenny Kane)
Jordan Savant, second from left, walks with his family carrying umbrellas on the National Mall near the U.S. Capitol, Friday, July 5, 2024, in Washington. (AP Photo/Mariam Zuhaib)
Sherri Thompson, with her chihuahua 14-year-old Kiwahi, arrives at the Cook Plaza cooling center after waiting for the center to open on Friday, July 5, 2024, in Gresham, Ore. Thompson has lived in her car for three years, and can only run its air conditioning for about 20 minutes at a time as it causes the engine to overheat. A heat wave is spreading across Wester U.S., the national Weather Service said, sending many residents in search of a cool haven from the dangerously high temperatures. (AP Photo/Jenny Kane)
Wesam Horni, center, sells water on the National Mall near the U.S. Capitol, Friday, July 5, 2024, in Washington. (AP Photo/Mariam Zuhaib)
People fill up their water bottles while attending the Waterfront Blues Festival on Friday, July 5, 2024, in Portland, Ore. A slow-moving and potentially record-setting heat wave is spreading across the Western U.S., sending many residents in search of a cool haven from the dangerously high temperatures. (AP Photo/Jenny Kane)
A person cools off during the Waterfront Blues Festival on Friday, July 5, 2024, in Portland, Ore. A slow-moving and potentially record-setting heat wave is spreading across the Western U.S., sending many residents in search of a cool haven from the dangerously high temperatures. (AP Photo/Jenny Kane)
