Reynolds homers twice, Pirates beat Yankees 4-2, delay NY from clinching ALCS home-field advantage

NEW YORK (AP) — Bryan Reynolds homered twice, including a tiebreaking two-run drive in the eighth inning that lifted the Pittsburgh Pirates over the Yankees 4-2 on Friday night and delayed New York from clinching home-field advantage throughout the American League playoffs.

Jazz Chisholm Jr.’s two-run single put the Yankees ahead in the fifth inning but Nick Gonzales and Bryan Reynolds hit consecutive homers off Carlos Rodón in the the sixth.

“I said, `You ever get two at Yankee Stadium?' And he said, `no.' I said, `Well, I’ve seen people get two at Yankee Stadium,'” Pirates manager Derek Shelton recalled telling Reynolds.

After batting right-handed against Rodón, Reynolds homered to center hitting left-handed against Tommy Kahnle (0-2).

“He walked back and said, `Yeah, so have I now,'” Shelton remembered.

Reynolds looked at Shelton as he circled the bases.

“So, yeah, spoken into existence,” Reynolds said.

Reynolds had his second multihomer game this season and the seventh of his big league career — his third from both sides. He leads the Pirates with 24 homers and 88 RBIs, reaching 24 homers for the fourth straight season.

Joey Wentz, Colin Holderman, Carmen Mlodzinski (5-5), Dennis Santana and former Yankee Aroldis Chapman (13th save in 18 chances) combined to retire the last 14 Yankees in order.

New York opens the Division Series at home Oct. 5 and would be assured home-field advantage in the League Championship Series by winning one of its last two games or by Cleveland losing one of its last two.

Rodón allowed two runs, four hits and four walks in 5 1/3 innings. He finished 16-9 with a 3.96 ERA, a rebound from 3-8 with a career-worst 6.85 ERA in an injury-marred 2023 after signing a $162 million, six-year contract. Rodón has allowed a career-high 31 homers, 23 of them solo.

“The goal was to go out there and make every start this year and did that,” Rodón said.

A night after clinching the AL East, the Yankees rested Aaron Judge, Giancarlo Stanton, Anthony Rizzo and Austin Wells. Judge got his third game off this season after June 10 against Kansas City and June 19 against Baltimore. He has homered in five straight games, raising his major league-leading total to 58.

Yankees manager Aaron Boone thought about using Judge and Stanton as pinch hitters in the ninth inning.

“Unless we put together a rally with some traffic I wasn't I really valued having those guys down today," Boone said. “But it was tempting, yes.”

New York plans to take Monday off, have combinations of workouts and simulated games the following three days and a mandatory workout on Friday ahead of the Division Series opener.

Pittsburgh rookie Jared Jones gave up two runs and five hits in 4 1/3 innings, reaching 100 mph on four pitches. The 23-year-old rookie right-hander made five starts after missing eight weeks with a strained lat muscle and finished 6-8 with a 4.14 ERA and 132 strikeouts in 121 2/3 innings.

“I would say it’s terrible but a lot of other people would say I had a pretty good one,” Jones said. “Coming back after injury it kind of took a while for the stuff to come back, and I felt like it finally all came back in the last two, three starts.”

His fastball velocity against the Yankees averaged 98.7 mph, 1.4 mph above his season average and nearly the 98.8 season average of teammate Paul Skenes. Jones' goal for next year is “just trying to get as strong as possible and maybe I get a start or two where I beat Paul Skenes in a velo for a week.”

Chisholm stole a pair of bases for a career-high 40.

“It’s number that we were aiming for all year, 40 bags,” he said.

Right-hander Michael Burrows was added to the Pirates taxi squad.

TRAINER’S ROOM

Yankees: INF DJ LeMahieu, who hasn’t played since Sept. 3 because of right hip impingement, plans to resume baseball activities in a few days. “I don’t know if they’ll use me or not, but I’m definitely going to try to be available,” he said. ... RHP Jake Cousins, out with a right pec strain since Sept. 19, played catch Friday for the first time since getting hurt.

UP NEXT

Skenes (11-3, 1.99), a top contender for NL Rookie of the Year, makes his 23rd and final start. He has thrown 96 pitches of 100 mph or more — Angels right-hander José Soriano is second among starting pitchers with 40. RHP Luis Gil (15-6, 3.27) starts for the Yankees.

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Pittsburgh Pirates relief pitcher Aroldis Chapman celebrates with catcher Joey Bart after the ninth inning of a baseball game against the New York Yankees, Friday, Sept. 27, 2024, in New York. The Pirates won 4-2. (AP Photo/Adam Hunger)

Pittsburgh Pirates' Bryan Reynolds (10) high-fives Jared Triolo after the ninth inning of a baseball game against the New York Yankees, Friday, Sept. 27, 2024, in New York. The Pirates won 4-2. (AP Photo/Adam Hunger)

New York Yankees' Aaron Judge looks on from the dugout during the ninth inning of a baseball game against the Pittsburgh Pirates, Friday, Sept. 27, 2024, in New York. (AP Photo/Adam Hunger)

Pittsburgh Pirates' Aroldis Chapman pitches during the ninth inning of a baseball game against the New York Yankees, Friday, Sept. 27, 2024, in New York. The Pirates won 4-2. (AP Photo/Adam Hunger)

New York Yankees relief pitcher Tommy Kahnle reacts after giving up a two-run home run to Pittsburgh Pirates' Bryan Reynolds during the eighth inning of a baseball game Friday, Sept. 27, 2024, in New York. (AP Photo/Adam Hunger)

New York Yankees starting pitcher Carlos Rodon, foreground, reacts after giving up a home run to Pittsburgh Pirates' Bryan Reynolds during the sixth inning of a baseball game Friday, Sept. 27, 2024, in New York. (AP Photo/Adam Hunger)

Pittsburgh Pirates' Bryan Reynolds hits a home run during the sixth inning of a baseball game against the New York Yankees, Friday, Sept. 27, 2024, in New York. (AP Photo/Adam Hunger)

Pittsburgh Pirates' Bryan Reynolds, right, watches his two-run home run during the eighth inning of a baseball game against the New York Yankees, Friday, Sept. 27, 2024, in New York. (AP Photo/Adam Hunger)

Pittsburgh Pirates' Bryan Reynolds, right, rounds the bases past New York Yankees third baseman Jazz Chisholm Jr., left, after hitting a two-run home run during the eighth inning of a baseball game Friday, Sept. 27, 2024, in New York. (AP Photo/Adam Hunger)

Pittsburgh Pirates' Bryan Reynolds, right, is greeted Billy Cook (28) after hitting a two-run home run during the eighth inning of a baseball game against the New York Yankees, Friday, Sept. 27, 2024, in New York. (AP Photo/Adam Hunger)

DENVER (AP) — Shohei Ohtani's locked in at the plate, on the bases, for the NL MVP and now even on the Triple Crown.

It's been that kind of late-season surge for the Los Angeles Dodgers designated hitter who's already invented the 50-50 club.

Ohtani went 4 for 5 — including his 54th homer of the season and 57th stolen base — in an 11-4 win over the Colorado Rockies on Friday night to keep in the running for the prestigious NL Triple Crown.

Ohtani's torrid performance ensures he's in the lineup for the final two games — just to see what can happen.

“I’m personally invested in the Triple Crown,” Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said. “I know he’s cognizant of it."

Heading into the weekend, Ohtani’s leading the NL in homers (54) and RBIs (130). He raised his average to .309 on Friday, trailing only San Diego's Luis Arráez (.314) in the batting average race.

The last AL Triple Crown winner was Miguel Cabrera in 2012. In the NL, the St. Louis Cardinals' Joe Medwick in 1937 was the last player to lead the league in all three categories.

“He’s locked in,” teammate Chris Taylor said of Ohtani.

Perhaps even beyond locked in for the NL West-champion Dodgers. Ohtani now has 24 hits over his last 34 at-bats, which includes six doubles, six homers, 20 RBIs and eight steals.

“He’s definitely in a zone right now,” added Taylor, whose team is 38-12 when Ohtani goes deep. "He’s feeling it. We’re all just watching him continue to have a good year and he’s finishing it strong.”

On Friday, wearing spikes featuring a picture of his dog, Decoy, Ohtani stole his 57th base to pass Ichiro Suzuki for the most in a single season by a Japanese-born player.

He's now successfully swiped 34 straight bases, which is the second-longest streak in franchise history. He's four away from matching Davey Lopes' mark in 1975.

For the season, Ohtani is 57 of 61 on stolen-base attempts.

In addition, Ohtani is second in franchise history with 408 total bases. Babe Herman set the record of 416 in 1930.

“Being on the same field with that type of player, I think players sort of feel good about that,” Rockies manager Bud Black said of Ohtani's presence. “He hits the ball really hard because he swings hard and he’s a strong man.”

On deck, carrying it over as he gets his first taste of the postseason. Ohtani won two AL MVP awards for the Los Angeles Angels but the team never earned a playoff spot.

He got an early feel for playoff pressure in a pivotal three-game series against San Diego, when the Dodgers took two of three to sew up their third straight NL West title. Ohtani had six hits and three doubles.

“Those were some of the biggest games he's had in his career,” Taylor said. “This is a different environment for you and that intensity will bring out a new side of a player.”

AP MLB: https://apnews.com/MLB

Los Angeles Dodgers' Shohei Ohtani doubles off Colorado Rockies relief pitcher Luis Peralta in the eighth inning of a baseball game, Friday, Sept. 27, 2024, in Denver. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski)

Los Angeles Dodgers' Shohei Ohtani gestures to the dugout after reaching second base on a double off Colorado Rockies relief pitcher Luis Peralta in the eighth inning of a baseball game, Friday, Sept. 27, 2024, in Denver. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski)

Los Angeles Dodgers' Shohei Ohtani scores on a double hit by Kevin Kiermaier off Colorado Rockies relief pitcher Luis Peralta in the eighth inning of a baseball game Friday, Sept. 27, 2024, in Denver. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski)

Los Angeles Dodgers' Shohei Ohtani, left, slides safely into home plate to score on a double hit by Kevin Kiermaier as Colorado Rockies catcher Jacob Stallings turns to apply a late tag in the eighth inning of a baseball game Friday, Sept. 27, 2024, in Denver. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski)

Los Angeles Dodgers' Shohei Ohtani, left, congratulates left fielder Teoscar Hernández after the Dodgers' victory over the Colorado Rockies in a baseball game, Friday, Sept. 27, 2024, in Denver. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski)

Los Angeles Dodgers third base coach Dino Ebel, left, congratulates Shohei Ohtani after he stole second base and then advance to third base on a throwing error by Colorado Rockies catcher Jacob Stallings in the second inning of a baseball game, Friday, Sept. 27, 2024, in Denver. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski)

Los Angeles Dodgers third base coach Dino Ebel, left, congratulates Shohei Ohtani after he stole second base and advanced to third base on a throwing error by Colorado Rockies catcher Jacob Stallings in the second inning of a baseball game, Friday, Sept. 27, 2024, in Denver. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski)

Los Angeles Dodgers' Shohei Ohtani steals second base in the second inning of a baseball game against the Colorado Rockies, Friday, Sept. 27, 2024, in Denver. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski)

Los Angeles Dodgers' Shohei Ohtani gestures to the bullpen as he circles the bases after hitting a three-run home run off Colorado Rockies relief pitcher Anthony Molina in the sixth inning of a baseball game Friday, Sept. 27, 2024, in Denver. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski)

Los Angeles Dodgers' Shohei Ohtani follows the flight of his three-run home run off Colorado Rockies relief pitcher Anthony Molina in the sixth inning of a baseball game, Friday, Sept. 27, 2024, in Denver. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski)

Los Angeles Dodgers' Shohei Ohtani watches the flight of his three-run home run off Colorado Rockies relief pitcher Anthony Molina in the sixth inning of a baseball game Friday, Sept. 27, 2024, in Denver. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski)