Gerrit Cole pitched 6 2/3 innings to become one of three five-game winner in the majors and the visiting New York Yankees took an early lead to beat the Texas Rangers 4-2 Thursday night in Arlington, Texas.
DJ LeMahieu and Gleyber Torres hit back-to-back homers in a three-run second off Texas starter Andrew Heaney. Rookie Anthony Volpe hit a bases-loaded RBI single before Heaney retired the next 13 hitters.
New York scored its final run when Jose Trevino smacked a solo homer in the ninth.
The Yankees won their second straight in a game that Aaron Judge exited in the fourth inning due to right hip discomfort.
Judge appeared to grimace with some discomfort after striking out in his second at-bat after Volpe’s single in the second inning and was replaced two innings later by Oswaldo Cabrera in right field. On Wednesday, Judge stayed in the game after appearing to land awkwardly on his right hand trying to steal third during the second inning.
Cole (5-0) allowed two runs and six hits to join Minnesota’s Joe Ryan and Tampa Bay’s Shane McClanahan — who also earned a win Thursday night — as the AL’s only five-game winners. Ryan has two of his wins against the Yankees, whom he beat Tuesday and April 13 in New York.
Cole struck out eight and walked one in a 92-pitch outing and cruised into the sixth before allowing both runs.
Cole loaded the bases on two singles and a walk. He gave up both runs on balls that did not leave the infield.
After striking out Adolis Garcia for the first out, Jonah Heim appeared to hit a double-play ball. LeMahieu got the force at second but Cole dropped the return throw from Volpe at shortstop as Marcus Semien scored.
Ezequiel Duran then hit a slow grounder and reached on an infield single to make it 3-2 when third baseman Oswald Peraza tried to make a backhanded play.
Heaney (2-2) allowed three runs and four hits in six innings. He struck out six and walked one while throwing 97 pitches.
Cole exited after retiring the first two outs of the seventh and Michael King got the final seven outs. He ended the eighth by retiring Heim after walking Garcia and pitched a 1-2-3 ninth for his second career save.
–Field Level Media