New York Yankees 3-0 Detroit Tigers
Aaron Judge launched his 44th home run of the season, and Gerrit Cole threw six dominant innings as the New York Yankees blanked the Detroit Tigers 3-0 on Friday night. The victory marked another strong outing for Cole, who stifled the Tigers’ offense and set the tone for the series opener at Comerica Park.
How it happened
The Yankees wasted no time getting on the board. In the top of the first inning, Gleyber Torres hit a single and advanced to second on a fielding error by Detroit center fielder Parker Meadows. Juan Soto followed with a walk, and after Judge flied out, Giancarlo Stanton drew another free pass to load the bases. Alex Verdugo then lifted a sacrifice fly to left field, bringing Torres home for a 1-0 lead.
Cole (4-2) took over from there, holding the Tigers to just four hits across six innings while striking out eight. He was in command from the start, mixing his fastball and slider effectively to keep the Tigers’ hitters off balance. Detroit’s best chance to break through came in the sixth inning when Kerry Carpenter and Matt Vierling hit back-to-back singles to put runners in scoring position with one out. But Cole, demonstrating why he’s the reigning AL Cy Young Award winner, induced a groundout before striking out Jace Jung to escape the jam.
Meanwhile, the Yankees’ offense added insurance runs, first in the fifth inning when Oswald Peraza, making his first major league appearance of the season, belted a solo home run off left-hander Brant Hurter. Peraza’s shot over the left field wall was his first of the year and extended New York’s lead to 2-0.
In the eighth inning, Judge delivered his signature moment. After striking out earlier in the game, the Yankees’ captain crushed a 2-2 sinker from Hurter deep into center field, sending it an estimated 431 feet for his 44th homer of the season. It was Judge’s second straight game with a long ball, following his milestone 300th career homer earlier in the week.
The Tigers saw two major league debuts, with Jung and Trey Sweeney called up from Triple-A Toledo. Jung had an up-and-down night, walking twice but also striking out twice. Sweeney, however, notched his first career hit, going 1-for-3.
Clay Holmes closed out the win for New York, striking out two in a perfect ninth inning to record his 26th save. Hurter (1-3) took the loss for Detroit after allowing two runs in six innings of work, but his solid performance was overshadowed by Cole’s dominance and the Yankees’ power display.
Roster
Up next
With the win, the Yankees improved their August record against struggling opponents, rebounding after an earlier tough loss to the White Sox. They will look to continue their momentum on Saturday, with Carlos Rodon set to face Detroit rookie Keider Montero in the second game of the series. First pitch is scheduled for 1:10 p.m. ET.
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