Yankees' Juan Soto homers twice, including go-ahead two-run blast in ninth to complete sweep of Giants

SAN FRANCISCO — Juan Soto had mostly flown under the radar during the Yankees’ nine-game, three-city trip to the West Coast.

Compared to Aaron Judge, everybody did.

That changed — dramatically — on Sunday.

Soto hit two home runs, including a go-ahead two-run blast off hard-throwing Giants closer Camilo Doval in a four-run ninth inning, to propel the Yankees to a 7-5 victory and a series sweep in front of 39,485  at Oracle Park.

“That’s what he does,” Judge said. “We’ve been seeing it all year long.”

Soto’s 16th and 17th homers, which traveled 430 and 398 feet, turned what already was a very good trip into a great one as the Yankees (42-19) won seven of nine games.

“It’s been great,” Soto said of the club overall, which went 21-7 in May and is 2-0 in June. “We’re having a great time, we’re having great moments. We’re just having fun, that’s all I can tell you. We’re all having fun every day we come to [the ballpark].”

Doval, who brought a 2.78 ERA and nine saves into Sunday’s game, had not pitched since last Monday. He began the ninth with the Giants (29-31) holding a 5-3 lead.

Gleyber Torres started the onslaught with a leadoff single to center.

“Big-time. Big-time knock right there,” Soto said. “Gets everybody going, gives the whole lineup another chance. That’s what we’re looking for.”

Just as big, according to those in the clubhouse afterward, was Jose Trevino beating out a potential double-play grounder. Anthony Volpe, who singled and scored in the fifth, tripled to right-center to drive in Trevino and make it 5-4.

“Huge energy boost,” Volpe said of Trevino’s hustle. “Just the effort and seeing him bust it . . . I’m just trying to keep the inning going and get Soto up.”

Trevino, among the most popular players in the clubhouse since joining the Yankees via trade in early April 2022, said: “Obviously, I know who’s hitting behind me, and I know how important is for those guys to get up. It’s just effort and playing for the guys in this clubhouse. It’s plain and simple. The ball leaves my bat and I’m running as hard as I can to first base.”

Soto (3-for-5), who also had a bunt single in a two-run fifth, followed Volpe’s triple by stepping into a 98-mph fastball and slamming it to right to give the Yankees a 6-5 lead. Judge (2-for-3) worked his second walk of the game and Giancarlo Stanton roped an RBI ground-rule double to right-center for his 1,500th career hit and a 7-5 lead.

“That’s some savage at-bats right there,” Aaron Boone said of Soto’s day, which included a first-inning bomb off Giants lefthander Blake Snell. “Just wow.”

Clay Holmes pitched a 1-2-3 ninth for his 17th save in 20 chances.

The ninth-inning eruption shoved aside a subpar outing by Nestor Cortes and a rough sixth inning by Dennis Santana, who gave up a two-out, two-run single by Heliot Ramos that gave the Giants a 5-3 lead. Ramos and Casey Schmitt homered in the third and fourth innings to put the Giants ahead 3-1.

Snell was removed in the fifth with a tight left groin after throwing a pitch to Alex Verdugo, whose subsequent two-out, two-run double off Erik Miller tied it at 3.

Cortes lasted 4 1⁄3  innings and allowed plenty of hard contact in giving up three runs and seven hits, including the two homers. The lefthander, whose previous low in innings was the four he lasted on April 14 this season at Cleveland, struck out seven and did not walk a batter.

“It’s unfortunate I didn’t complete my five innings,” he said. “I know I gave up [three] runs, but keeping it close for this offense is huge. We saw it [Sunday] and we’re going to keep seeing that for a while in the summer.”

Cole to pitch Tuesday. Boone confirmed on Sunday that Gerrit Cole’s 30-day rehab clock will begin on Tuesday when he takes the mound for Double-A Somerset. Cole, who started the season on the injured list with right elbow inflammation, threw 43 pitches in a simulated game on Thursday in Tampa at the club’s minor-league complex. He is likely to be bumped to the range of 55 to 60 pitches on Tuesday. Boone said Cole will have at least two rehab starts, though the safe way to bet is that the reigning American League Cy Young Award winner will get at least one more than that  . . . Before the game, Boone spent a few minutes in the visiting dugout talking with Art Schallock, the oldest living major-leaguer at 100 years old. Schallock, a Bay Area native who played for the Yankees from 1951-55, received an autographed jersey from the current Yankees when he turned 100 on April 25 . . .   The Yankees are off on Monday before starting a six-game homestand Tuesday night against the Twins and Dodgers — the latter a series that’s been anticipated since spring training.