Pirates stall Yankees’ chase for home field advantage as Reynolds homers twice
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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)
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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)
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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)
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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)
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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)
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Pittsburgh Pirates' Bryan Reynolds, right, is greeted Billy Cook (28) after hitting a two-run home run during the eighth inning Friday against the New York Yankees in New York. Associated Press
NEW YORK — Bryan Reynolds homered twice, including a tiebreaking two-run drive in the eighth inning that lifted the Pittsburgh Pirates over the Yankees 4-2 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.
After batting right-handed against Rodón, Reynolds homered hitting left-handed against Tommy Kahnle (0-2) for his second multi-homer game this season and the seventh of his big league career.
Pittsburgh starter Jared Jones gave up two runs and five hits in 4 1/3 innings, reaching 100 mph on four pitches.
Carmen Mlodzinski (5-5) pitched the seventh and former Yankee Aroldis Chapman the ninth for his 13th save in 18 chances as five pitchers combined for one-hit relief. New York's last 14 batters were retired in order.
New York opens the division series at home Oct. 5 and would be assured home-field advantage in the league championship series with any combination of two wins or two Cleveland losses. The Guardians were losing to Houston in the eighth inning.
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.
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. He has homered in five straight games, raising his major league-leading total to 58.
“It was weird trying to configure the lineup,” said Yankees manager Aaron Boone, who has had Juan Soto hit second in 156 games and Judge bat third in 158.
New York plans to take Monday off, have combinations of workouts and simulated games the following three days and a mandatory workout Friday ahead of the division series opener.
Chisholm stole a pair of bases for a career-high 40.
Pirates RHP Paul Skenes (11-3, 1.99), a top contender for NL Rookie of the Year, makes his 23rd and final start. RHP Luis Gil (15-6, 3.27) starts for the Yankees.
