Juan Soto leads Yankees’ ninth-inning comeback to beat Giants

Juan Soto drilled a go-ahead home run in a four-run ninth inning and the New York Yankees hit for the cycle in their final at-bat en route to completing a three-game sweep of the host San Francisco Giants with a 7-5 victory Sunday afternoon.

In a game where starting pitcher Blake Snell had to leave with an injury in the fifth inning, Heliot Ramos delivered a two-run single in the sixth and the Giants retained a 5-3 advantage before turning the ball over to closer Camilo Doval (2-1) in the ninth.

Gleyber Torres ignited the New York comeback with a single and was forced out by Jose Trevino, who scored on Anthony Volpe’s triple to make it a one-run game. Soto then rocketed his second homer of the game, a blast over the high wall in right-center field to put the visitors on top.

The Yankees weren’t done. After Aaron Judge walked and stole second, Giancarlo Stanton launched a ground-rule double to right-center, making it 7-5.

Michael Tonkin (2-3), who pitched scoreless seventh and eighth innings, earned the win. Closer Clay Holmes worked a 1-2-3 bottom of the ninth for his 17th save.

Judge, after homering three times in his first two Northern California homecoming games, had two singles and two walks in five plate appearances, capping a 6-for-10 series with five runs and six RBIs.

Seeking his first win as a Giant, Snell had to leave the game one out from qualifying for a potential win when he experienced left groin tightness in the top of the fifth. The defending National League Cy Young Award winner missed almost a month earlier this season with an adductor strain.

The Giants led 3-1 when Snell left, but Alex Verdugo hit reliever Erik Miller’s fifth pitch for a two-run double, tying the game.

Snell was charged with three runs on five hits in 4 2/3 innings. He walked three and struck out seven.

Soto’s earlier homer came in the first inning off Snell, giving New York a 1-0 lead. He finished with three hits, three runs and three RBIs on a day when he recorded his 16th and 17th homers of the season.

The Giants scored single runs in the second, third and fourth off Yankees starter Nestor Cortes. Casey Schmitt accounted for two of the runs with a single and his second homer of the season, sandwiching a solo shot by Ramos’ third of 2024.

Cortes was pulled after 4 1/3 innings, having allowed three runs and seven hits. He struck out seven with no walks.

Volpe finished with two hits for the Yankees, who completed a 7-2 Western swing.