Yankees rally to come back after Cole’s shortest start, trounce Rangers 5-3

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New York Yankees 5, Texas Rangers 3

NEW YORK — Harrison Bader’s key two-run double in the eighth inning helped the New York Yankees beat the Texas Rangers 5-3 on Sunday, despite Gerrit Cole having his smallest start of the season.

In a remarkable turn of events, the New York Yankees secured their third victory in 30 games when trailing after seven innings, overcoming a dire offensive performance that saw them with just one hit since the second inning as they entered the eighth.

The comeback ignited when rookie Anthony Volpe smashed a double off John King (1-1), setting the stage for a thrilling sequence of events. Jose Trevino then contributed with an infield single, keeping the momentum alive. Harrison Bader, seizing the opportunity, unleashed a powerful swing on a 1-1 pitch from Yerry Rodríguez, sending the ball soaring beyond left fielder Ezequiel Duran and onto the warning track. As pinch-runner Oswaldo Cabrera sprinted from first base, he crossed home plate to give the New York Yankees the lead.

Bader expressed his satisfaction, stating that it felt great. He emphasized the importance of securing a win, regardless of the means, after a nine-inning battle, highlighting that emerging victorious in any possible manner is truly the essence of the game.

After Anthony Rizzo received an intentional walk, Giancarlo Stanton stepped up and delivered a crucial base hit, propelling the team to a 5-3 lead. This hit marked Stanton’s first successful at-bat with runners in scoring position in 10 attempts since his return from a hamstring injury on June 2. Notably, he came through in a pivotal moment after striking out in his two previous at-bats.

Yankees manager Aaron Boone expressed his satisfaction, stating that it was good to see Giancarlo Stanton’s performance. He expressed hope that the team could continue to build on that success. Boone acknowledged the significant challenge Stanton poses for opposing teams when he finds his rhythm.

For the Yankees, DJ LeMahieu made a significant impact with an early two-run double. This victory pushed their record to 8-10 since Aaron Judge suffered a sprained right big toe at Dodger Stadium on June 3. Notably, the team’s performance reflects a stark contrast, as they hold a record of 12-16 while Judge has been on the injured list, but an impressive 31-19 when the reigning AL MVP is available.

After stranding a runner in the top half of the eighth inning, Ron Marinaccio (4-3) set the stage for the heroics of Bader and Stanton. In the ninth inning, Michael King took the mound and swiftly retired the opposing batters in a flawless 1-2-3 fashion. His impressive performance included striking out Adolis García, securing his fifth save of the season. It was a notable accomplishment for King, considering he had surrendered a two-run homer to García during Friday’s game, but this time, he successfully got the slugger out.

In a performance below his usual standards, Gerrit Cole conceded three runs and a season-high nine hits in 4 2/3 innings. This outing marked Cole’s shortest start since his 2 1/3 innings on June 9, 2022, against Minnesota, a game in which he gave up five home runs.

Cole described the conditions as hot and sweaty, noting that the opposing team was consistently making strong contact with the ball. He acknowledged that it was the fourth occasion this season in which he had allowed more than two runs.

Shortly after two batters, Corey Seager came through with an RBI single, putting Texas on the scoreboard. In the second inning, the Rangers managed to score twice, with Jonah Heim’s homer and Leody Taveras’ RBI double adding to their tally. However, despite leading the AL West, the Rangers experienced their third loss in the past five games.

Texas manager Bruce Bochy expressed his assessment of the team’s performance, stating that they had some impressive at-bats against Cole. He highlighted the team’s efforts in working Cole hard and getting him out of the game early. However, Bochy noted that despite their efforts, they didn’t receive enough rewards for their performance.

In a strong outing, Texas starter Nathan Eovaldi held the opposition to just two runs and four hits over 5 2/3 innings. The game began with Marcus Semien leading off with a double, followed by a base hit from Seager, which gave their team a 1-0 lead.

Gerrit Cole, on the other hand, demonstrated his dominance in the first inning, concluding the 27-pitch frame with three strikeouts. However, in the bottom half of the inning, the Yankees squandered their opportunities as they made baserunning mistakes and ran themselves out of scoring chances.

Gleyber Torres found himself in a challenging situation as he was easily doubled off second base. His misstep occurred when he attempted to advance to third base on Bader’s popup. Marcus Semien swiftly sprinted to make an impressive sliding basket catch in the shallow right field. Unfortunately for Torres, his decision to proceed to third base proved costly as he was easily thrown out by the defensive effort.

UP NEXT

In the opening game of a thrilling three-game series in Oakland on Tuesday, the Yankees will send out right-handed pitcher Jhony Brito, who holds a record of 4-3 and an ERA of 4.89. He will face off against Paul Blackburn, who currently stands at 0-0 with a 4.21 ERA. It’s a highly anticipated matchup between the two teams.

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