ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) — Aaron Judge remained at 61 home runs with three games remaining, and Luis Severino pitched seven no-hit innings before the Texas Rangers broke through against New York's bullpen in the Yankees' 3-1 win on Monday night.
Judge went 1 for 4 with a checked-swing infield single, a groundout, a strikeout and a liner into a double play. He is 2 for 12 with five walks and a hit by pitch since his 61st homer Wednesday in Toronto that tied Roger Maris’ American League record. That is his only homer in 12 games.
The Yankees and Rangers play a day-night doubleheader Tuesday before closing the regular season Wednesday.
Judge has a chance to become the first AL Triple Crown winner since Detroit’s Miguel Cabrera in 2012. He leads the AL with 130 RBIs trails Minnesota’s Luis Arraez .315 to 311 in the batting race.
Severino (7-3) struck out seven and walked one in his third start since missing two months with a right lat strain. Manager Aaron Boone had a discussion with Severino in the dugout after the seventh inning, telling him his night was done with a 3-0 lead. Severino, who had thrown 63 of 94 pitches for strikes, tried to persuade Boone to let him continue.
Severino, hoping for a postseason rotation spot, averaged 97.9 mph for 47 fastballs and reached a top velocity of 100.3 mph. He threw 17 changeups, 16 sliders, 11 sinkers and three cutters.
Texas’ only runner off him was Josh Smith, who walked in the third and was immediately erased when No. 9 batter Bubba Thompson grounded into an inning-ending double play.
Castro, in his first appearance since July 10 after recovering from a strained shoulder, struck out Adolis Garcia to open the eighth. Rookie third baseman Josh Jung, who is hitting just .195, lined a single over shortstop Isiah Kiner-Falefa. Jonah Heim followed with another solid single before Kole Calhoun's RBI groundout.
Marwin Gonzalez and Giancarlo Stanton homered in the eighth off just-in reliever Jonathan Hernández. Stanton hit a 457-foot drive and reached 30 homers for the seventh time
Scott Effross worked the ninth for his his third save with the Yankees.
Martín Pérez (12-8) allowed only one run over six innings while give up five hits and walking five. The Rangers turned five of their club record-tying six double plays behind the All-Star left-hander.
The roof was open at Globe Life Field, where New York had played only once before — a four-game series last year when Judge had 14 at-bats and a walk without going deep. But the slugger did hit the final homer in the Rangers’ former stadium across the street when the Yankees were the opponent for the last game played there in 2019.
The opener of the four-game series was the 159th game of the season for both teams. It was initially supposed be the season opener six months ago before MLB’s 99-day offseason lockout delayed spring training and postponed the first week of the regular season.
TRAINER’S ROOM
Yankees: 2B Gleyber Torres was a late scratch from the starting lineup because of flu-like symptoms. ... Boone said he had no update on reliever Ron Marinaccio, who exited Sunday after 12 pitches because of a sore right shin. Marinaccio did have an MRI. ... Reliver Clay Holmes (rotator cuff inflammation) is scheduled to start throwing Tuesday to build up for the playoffs. ... DJ LeMahieu went 1 for 3 in his third game in four days since missing three weeks because of an inflamed right second toe.
Rangers: Rookie LHP Cole Ragans (0-3 in his first nine big league starts this season) was placed on the injured list with a left calf strain.
UP NEXT
RHP Jameson Taillon (14-5, 3.83 ERA) is set to pitch the opener for the Yankees, with RHP Gerrit Cole (13-7, 3.51) in the nightcap. Texas will go with RHP Jon Gray (7-7, 3.93) for the day game, and a bullpen game for Game 2.
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