Yanks Take 2 of 3 From Oakland

The Yankees started a 3-game home series with the Oakland Athletics on Friday, and the start was not good. Sonny Gray got knocked around by his former team, only lasting 5 innings. Relievers David Hale and David Robertson weren't much better. Gleyber Torres and Aaron Judge hit home runs, but it wasn't enough.

A's 10, Yankees 5. WP: Kendall Graveman (1-5). What a name. SV: Blake Treinen (6, because he came in with only a 2-run lead). LP: Gray (2-3).

The Saturday game didn't seem like it would be better. Home runs by Gary Sanchez and Aaron Hicks gave the Yankees a 2-0 lead in the 2nd inning, but Domingo German fell apart in the 4th, allowing 5 runs. It was 6-2 going into the bottom of the 5th.

Cliche Alert: Walks can kill you, especially the leadoff variety. Brett Gardner led off the inning, and drew a walk off Andrew Triggs. Here come da Judge, there go da ball. A's 6, Yankees 4.

Didi Gregorius follwed that dinger with a single and a stolen base. Giancarlo Stanton's grounder moved him over to 3rd. Sanchez drew a walk. Aaron Hicks moved the runners over with a sacrifice fly. Neil Walker singled Sir Didi home. Miguel Andujar singled El Gary home. Tie ballgame.

This time, the Yankee bullpen came through, as the game moved toward, then into, extra innings. Between them, 5 Yankee relievers -- Jonathan Holder, Chad Green, Dellin Betances, Aroldis Chapman and recent acquisition A.J. Cole -- pitched 6 innings without allowing a single hit.

Chapman did scare us in the 9th, walking the bases loaded with nobody out. Then he got a strikeout and a double play. Cole scared us in the 10th, walking the 1st 2 batters. But he also defied the cliche, getting 2 strikeouts and a popup. And he got the A's out 1-2-3 in the top of the 11th.

With 1 out in the bottom of the 11th, the cliche came back into effect, as Stanton drew a walk on Chris Hatcher. Sanchez grounded into a force play. But Hicks drew a walk, putting Sanchez on 2nd. And Neil Walker -- no, he didn't draw a walk. In this case, you can put another cliche aside, the one that says, "A walk is as good as a hit." Walker singled Sanchez home. Ballgame over. Yankees win. Theeeeeeee Yankees win.

Yankees 7, A's 6. WP: Cole (2-1). No save. LP: Hatcher (3-1).

Sunday was Sevy Day. Luis Severino went 6 strong innings, and the Yankees gave him a 3-0 cushion in the bottom of the 1st inning. They added to it, including a Stanton home run in the 5th.

Yankees 6, A's 2. WP: Severino (6-1). No save. LP: Brett Anderson (0-2).

The Yankees now head down to Washington, for an Interleague series against the Nationals.