MLB
Yankees reach 80 wins against Rangers, could they reach 100?
The Bronx Bombers equal the Baltimore Orioles’ number of games won and remain at the top of the American League East.
The New York Yankees took the first game of the series against the Texas Rangers at Globe Life Field on Monday night. The result keeps the Bronx Bombers at the top of the American League East and brought up their 80th victory of the 2024 season.
Cole sees off batters
Gerrit Cole ended with nine strikeouts in six innings while the Manhattan Mules punished the home team’s pitchers Jack Leiter and Chase Anderson. The Yankees starter only allowed four hits and one run in Arlington.
The Bronx Bombers' offense began with a double by Venezuelan Gleyber Torres in the third inning (2-0), which brought Anthony Volpe and Alex Verdugo home. In the bottom of that inning, a double by Josh Smith drove in Marcus Semien and the home team came closer to cheer on their fans (2-1).
The Yankees’ rally came in the sixth inning and started with a double by Aaron Judge, who helped Gleyber make it 3-1. A single by Jazz Chisholm Jr. followed and Juan Soto scored (4-1), but the party didn’t stop there due to a double by Anthony Rizzo and a wild pitch by Anderson; Judge, Austin Wells and Chisholm scored (7-1).
Stanton home run
In the seventh inning, the Texas franchise came closer with a two-run homer by Wyatt Langford (7-3), but the man who came next was Giancarlo Stanton with a solo homer in the top of eight and the score was already 8-3. Finally, although he had some problems and a sacrifice fly made it 8-4, Clay Holmes closed the first game of the series at Globe Life Field.
For the New Yorkers, winning the matchups against the Rangers will be crucial, since they are coming off losses against the St. Louis Cardinals and Washington Nationals at Yankee Stadium last week. They now have the same number of victories as the Baltimore Orioles, but remain top of the AL East.
The Yankees have 24 games left to play which means that mathematically, they could still end the regular season with 100+ victories, although that seems unlikely. The New York franchise has posted 100-win seasons 21 times - more than any other MLB team, with the Dodgers second with 11 100-win campaigns. They also hold the all-time record - 114 victories set in 1998.