Edwin's slam sparks Yanks, ex-Rockies pile on

NEW YORK -- From the moment his bat made contact with the ball, Edwin Encarnación started to run. On a particularly hot summer night at Yankee Stadium -- the temperature on the field hit triple digits at first pitch -- he might not have expected his line drive to carry through the air for very long.

Rockies outfielder Garrett Hampson, sprinting over from shallow left-center, seemed to have a read on it. With the help of a 10-mph wind from right to left, Encarnacion’s blast carried just over the left-field wall. As it turned out, he didn’t need to run at all.

Smashed at an exit velocity of 102 mph, Encarnacion’s grand slam -- the 12th of his career and first for his new team -- found its place in the seats, giving the Yankees a come-from-behind lead in the third inning that they would maintain the rest of the way in an 8-2 win Friday.

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“I’ve been telling the guys,” said Yankees starter J.A. Happ, Encarnacion’s former teammate in Toronto. “When he gets hot, it’s like not too many I’ve ever seen. It’s good to see the parrot showing up. Man, it’s fun. That was huge. Sort of re-energized me, too, that big hit he had. That was awesome.”

Added Aaron Judge, who scored from second on the slam and hit a two-run shot of his own later in the game: “I had a nice view of it. It’s amazing what he can do. ... He’s going to come up and give you a quality at-bat every single outing. It’s been fun to watch him.”

With their Major League-leading 31st comeback win, the Yankees improved to 21-16 when opponents score first. They are the only team in the Majors with a winning record in such games.

“[An early deficit] isn’t that big of a deal,” Judge said. “We always know we got a lot of ballgame to play, especially when we get down early. And it just doesn’t stop with this lineup. Like I’ve said before, 1 through 9 can do damage, and we’ve got a lot of guys that get on base at a high clip. So when you’ve got guys that get on base and guys that’ve got some pop, it leads to a lot of runs and there’s no real let down in this offense.”

Happ struggled to find his command early, and Colorado took advantage in the top of the second. Ryan McMahon, filling in for All-Star David Dahl -- who was a late scratch with a left foot contusion -- led off the frame with a solo shot to center field. A few batters later, Happ gave up a double to the left-field corner that turned into an RBI when Yankees left fielder Mike Tauchman couldn’t corral it and let Hampson reach third base.

Tauchman made up for it on the next play, though, bailing Happ out of any more trouble on the day. When the next Rockies hitter, Charlie Blackmon, hit a high fly ball to left, Tauchman made the grab, set his feet and launched a rocket to catcher Gary Sánchez, throwing out Hampson at home to end the inning.

“He just creates a lot of run value,” said bench coach Josh Bard, who managed the game in place of the suspended Aaron Boone. “That’s a big, big play early that shifts the game. He’s really been ready. We’ve put him in some spots where he’s facing guys that are tough, and he’s been productive. Kudos goes to the [front] office for going out and finding us another diamond in the rough.”

Tauchman, who was acquired by the Yankees in a trade with Colorado before the season, was one of three former Rockies -- along with second baseman DJ LeMahieu and reliever Adam Ottavino -- who played a big role against their former team.

Tauchman went 3-for-4 with a double and two runs scored, while LeMahieu tacked on a pair of insurance runs via an RBI single and fielder’s choice -- both of which brought Tauchman across home plate.

“[Tauchman’s] got great reads in the outfield, good quick step, he lays out, he’s always playing hard,” Judge said. “[We] witnessed the arm tonight, being able to throw out a fast runner. ... And then swinging the bat, he’s got great power to all fields, he’s going to work the count, he fouls off a lot of tough pitches. He’s one heck of a player. Excited to have him over on our side.”

Meanwhile, Ottavino struck out the side in the sixth, bridging the gap between Happ and reliever Stephen Tarpley. Happ battled through five frames and a nagging left calf before Tarpley came in and shut the door on the Rockies, striking out a career-high six batters in three big innings after Thursday’s doubleheader and earning his second career save.

For the Yankees, Friday’s victory was simply the latest example of their ability to rise above the onslaught of challenges that have come their way, which is part of the reason why they have the best record in the Major Leagues at 63-33.

“We just never feel like we’re out of the ballgame really,” Happ said. “Some special comebacks and some special outings. Some situations where things haven’t gone our way or we’ve had a tough road trip or doubleheader, and we come out and maybe don’t look great to start, and then find a way to do it. Guys coming through that you might not expect. Just a lot of different things put us in this position right now.”