The New York Yankees triumphed 4-2 over the Texas Rangers on Thursday night. The Bombers have experienced a surge in offensive output in the past two games, scoring 12 against the Twins on Wednesday and just enough against the Rangers to secure the win.
However, the victory was marred by Aaron Judge’s early departure from the game due to right hip discomfort. Judge appeared to have sprained his wrist on Wednesday while sliding into third base, but this newly discovered injury certainly raises concerns.
Good news for the Yankees:
The Yankees secured their 15th win of the year, thanks to Gerrit Cole’s stellar performance. Cole boasts a 1.11 ERA this season, allowing six hits and two earned runs over 6.2 innings. Regrettably, his single difficult inning resulted from a dropped ball during a double play, as Cole hustled to cover first base.
Throughout the game, the Yankees’ ace struck out eight batters across 92 pitches, cheering on reliever Michael King, who closed the game with 2.1 hitless innings and two strikeouts.
On the offensive front, the Yankees recorded eight hits for the night, striking out seven times. The story might have been different if not for three solo home runs from DJ LeMahieu, Gleyber Torres, and Jose Treviño. Lead-off hitter Anthony Volpe also contributed, hitting an RBI single to left field and driving in fellow rookie Oswald Peraza. The young players have been shouldering much responsibility lately, particularly as the Yankees grapple with several severe injuries.
Bad news for the Yankees:
The most significant downside of the game was undoubtedly Aaron Judge’s hip injury. The severity of the problem remains unknown, but hopefully, it is merely a maintenance-related issue. The Yankees can ill afford to lose their most valuable player just as the offense begins to find its rhythm.
Regarding offense, centerfielder Isiah Kiner-Falefa concluded the game without a hit or reaching base, watching his average plummet to .163 and his OBP to .217 for the season. Although Aaron Hicks managed a walk and a hit, he missed what should have been an easy catch sliding in left field, eliciting a classic Gerrit Cole head shake.
Luckily, the Yankees emerged victorious in this match and will now focus on their 8:05 PM game against the Rangers on Friday night. With Clarke Schmidt on the mound, he will face off against Jacob deGrom, who holds a 3.04 ERA and was the Rangers’ most significant off-season acquisition.
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