Aaron Judge-less Yankees deliver all-around…
PHOENIX — Who wants Aaron Judge?
The Yankees do, of course, but they started life without him again on Friday evening in encouraging fashion.
In a tribute to Judge, who has fueled a lot of their first-inning injury over the years, the Yankees put up a 5 spot in the opening body before Gerrit Cole took care of the remainder in an important bounce-back start.
Coming into the day having allowed seven home runs over his last two begins, Cole gave up another but restricted the injury to just one on the way in which to the Yankees’ 9-2 win over the Diamondbacks at Chase Field.
On a day that started with news of Judge going on the injured checklist with a proper calf pressure that very a lot threatens his availability for the postseason, the Yankees (89-64) inched within 4 video games of the Rays for the division with 9 video games remaining, while staying 5 ¹/₂ video games clear of the Red Sox for the top AL wild card.
“We’re obviously bummed for Aaron and Aaron’s probably bummed too,” Cole said. “But we’ve been in this position before this year, so unfortunately, it’s our reality at this point. We came out tonight with a good mentality and we played really good baseball and that’s a recipe for success, regardless of who’s in the lineup. Aaron’s a quick healer and a hard worker, and he’ll be back sooner than later for us. In his absence, we’ll hold the fort.”
Barring a Rays collapse, the Yankees will virtually definitely be dealing with the Red Sox in the AL wild-card collection, and Aaron Boone said before Friday’s recreation that he would anticipate Cole to make a start in that collection despite getting roughed up of late.
Designated hitter Ben Rice lets a low pitch go as he earns a bases-loaded stroll during the first inning of the Yankees’ 9-2 blowout win over Diamondbacks on Sept. 18, 2026 in Phoenix. AP Photo/Ross D. Franklin
Cole then took the mound and backed up that religion, tossing six innings of two-run ball in his penultimate start of the common season.
The runs both got here on Corbin Carroll’s two-run shot in the second inning, which got here on a 97 mph fastball, the pitch that opponents have hit laborious currently against Cole.
And though he still only generated 4 whiffs on 20 swings against his fastball, he discovered a means to decrease the injury and get back on monitor.
George Lombard Jr. celebrates while working the bases after
hitting a solo home run in the sixth inning of the Yankees’ win
over the Diamondbacks. Getty Images
“I think a lot of people probably overreacted to a couple of outings that, frankly, are inevitable in a long season,” Boone said. “The reality is he’s having an outstanding season, he’s throwing the ball really well, and a great pitcher like him is going to be able to make some adjustments when you have a couple where they get to you.”
The veteran right-hander struck out six while strolling none and scattering just 4 hits — all of which got here off his fastball — against the Diamondbacks (80-74), who are on the skin trying in for the ultimate NL wild card.
Boone said Cole “grinded pretty hard” between begins, which the previous Cy Young winner indicated was about tightening up his supply to create more deception.
“I don’t think we did a perfect job tonight,” Cole said. “I think we moved the needle in the right direction, but there’s still some meat on the bone there. It’s not easy, but it’s necessary. It’s the big leagues.”
Ben Rice celebrates with Spencer Jones after hitting a solo home run in the third inning of the Yankees’ win over the Diamondbacks. Getty Images
It helped that the Yankees gave Cole a 5-0 lead to work with before he threw a single pitch, as they made Diamondbacks All-Star lefty Eduardo Rodríguez throw 45 pitches in the top of the first.
Each of the first 5 batters reached base, as Paul Goldschmidt walked, Cody Bellinger singled, Heliot Ramos walked, Ben Rice walked and Amed Rosario singled.
One out later, George Lombard Jr. roped a two-run single up the center to make it 5-0.
Gerrit Cole, who held the Diamondbacks to two runs over six innings and picked up the win, throws a pitch during th fifth inning of the Yankees’ highway victory. Getty Images
Rice added a solo shot off Rodríguez in the third inning, for his thirty ninth home run of the season — a quantity Boone insisted he predicted back in spring training — before Lombard knocked him out of the sport in the sixth with a home run of his own that made it 7-2.
“Obviously we were missing [Judge] for a long time there, so this one is especially hard to swallow, him just being back for a brief period and now already gone,” said Rice, who added a triple and two walks. “But we have no choice but to keep playing hard, keep doing our thing.”
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