Harrison Bader hit a go-ahead two-run double in the eighth inning as the New York Yankees withstood Gerrit Cole’s shortest start of the season and rallied for a 5-3 victory over the visiting Texas Rangers Sunday afternoon.
The Yankees won for the third time in 30 games when trailing after seven after entering the eighth with one hit since the second inning.
Rookie Anthony Volpe sparked the comeback with a double off John King (1-1) and Jose Trevino followed with an infield single. Bader gave the Yankees the lead by ripping a 1-1 pitch from Yerry Rodríguez past left fielder Ezequiel Duran to the warning track as Volpe scored and pinch runner Oswaldo Cabrera scored from first.
Giancarlo Stanton followed an intentional walk to Anthony Rizzo with a base hit for a 5-3 lead.
DJ LeMahieu hit a two-run double off Nathan Eovaldi for the Yankees, who improved to 8-10 since Aaron Judge sprained his right big toe at Dodger Stadium on June 3.
Ron Marinaccio (4-3) stranded a runner in the top half of the eighth before Bader and Stanton came through.
Michael King allowed one hit in the ninth for his fifth save in seven chances. He struck out Adolis Garcia to end it after allowing a go-ahead homer to the slugger in the 10th on Friday.
Cole allowed three runs and a season-high nine hits in 4 2/3 innings. It was Cole’s shortest start since lasting 2 1/3 innings June 9, 2022 at Minnesota when he allowed five homers.
Corey Seager hit an RBI single two batters in and Texas scored twice in the second. Jonah Heim homered and Leody Taveras hit an RBI double as the Rangers lost their second straight game.
Eovaldi allowed two runs and four hits in 5 2/3 innings.
Marcus Semien started with a double and Seager made it 1-0 by ripping a base hit against Cole’s slider.
Heim blasted the first pitch of the second into the right field bleachers for his 11th homer and Taveras ripped a double down the left field line for a 3-0 lead.
After Stanton opened the second with a walk and Jake Bauers doubled, LeMahieu ripped a double off the base of the center field fence to get the Yankees within 3-2.
–Field Level Media