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BASEBALL

The Long Ball Helps New York Top Texas In The Finale

In the game on the diamond you score many different ways.

Those ways include a single, double, triple or a home run.

In the win in the finale against Texas New York scored using the long ball against former New York Yankee Lance Lynn.

Gleyber Torres slugged a fourth-inning drive over the wall to equal Sanchez with his 34th home run. Aaron Judge also went deep as the Yankees continued to feast upon home cooking, logging yet another series victory with a 4-1 win over the Rangers on Wednesday at Yankee Stadium. “according to https://www.mlb.com/yankees/news/aaron-judge-gleyber-torres-homer-in-yankees-win

“It's a pretty fun competition. I'm happy,” Torres said. “Gary, he does a really good job. I’m doing a little bit too. I'm just happy and enjoying helping my team.” “according to https://www.mlb.com/yankees/news/aaron-judge-gleyber-torres-homer-in-yankees-win

Judge’s two-run shot in the third inning -- his 20th of an injury-shortened campaign -- and Torres’ solo blast both came off former Yankee Lance Lynn, boosting the club to a season-high 43 games over .500 at 92-49. “according to https://www.mlb.com/yankees/news/aaron-judge-gleyber-torres-homer-in-yankees-win

By taking two of three from Texas, New York improved to 18-0-3 in its last 21 home series. The Yanks haven’t dropped a set in the Bronx since April 12-14, to the White Sox.”according to https://www.mlb.com/yankees/news/aaron-judge-gleyber-torres-homer-in-yankees-win

“A lot of different guys that have stepped up in different roles, and I think that's what has helped us be so consistent,” Judge said. “Guys come up here and they're hungry, and they want to go out and play. When you've got 25 guys doing that every single night, it's usually going to go your way.” “according to https://www.mlb.com/yankees/news/aaron-judge-gleyber-torres-homer-in-yankees-win

One hundred days shy of his 23rd birthday, Torres joined Alex Rodriguez (42 homers in 1998, 36 in ’96) as the only middle infielders in Major League history to slug at least 34 homers in their age-22 season or younger. Torres has hit 11 homers in his last 22 games. “according to https://www.mlb.com/yankees/news/aaron-judge-gleyber-torres-homer-in-yankees-win

“He’s a smart player that wants to be great at this,” manager Aaron Boone said. “He just continues to really improve at everything in the game. It’s not just 34 homers and all the offense that speaks for itself, but the little things he continues to get better at as well.” “according to https://www.mlb.com/yankees/news/aaron-judge-gleyber-torres-homer-in-yankees-win

Austin Romine added a sixth-inning RBI double as the Yankees improved to 9-3 in their last 12 games. Rougned Odor hit a ninth-inning homer off Cory Gearrin to break up the shutout.”according to https://www.mlb.com/yankees/news/aaron-judge-gleyber-torres-homer-in-yankees-win

Opening act

The Yankees improved to 13-2 when utilizing an opener, with Chad Green having made 13 of those starts, and Boone said that the club could try the strategy in the postseason.”according to https://www.mlb.com/yankees/news/aaron-judge-gleyber-torres-homer-in-yankees-win

Though it can be argued that James Paxton, Masahiro Tanaka, Domingo German and J.A. Happ give the Yanks a solid stable of starters for a playoff series, an opener could be a preferred way to utilize Luis Severino’s right arm, given his relative lack of stamina. “according to https://www.mlb.com/yankees/news/aaron-judge-gleyber-torres-homer-in-yankees-win

“That kind of scenario is certainly possible,” Boone said. “We’ll just see. We’ve got to see how this month unfolds and see how Sevy and Dellin [Betances] are potentially getting back and fit into the mix, where they’re at. It’s something that would certainly be on the table for us, because it is a way we can go and feel like we can really be effective.” “according to https://www.mlb.com/yankees/news/aaron-judge-gleyber-torres-homer-in-yankees-win

Green hurled a pair of scoreless innings as the opener, giving way to Luis Cessa, who fired three scoreless frames before handing the ball off to the back end of the bullpen. Cessa has pitched 10 consecutive scoreless innings, spanning five appearances. “according to https://www.mlb.com/yankees/news/aaron-judge-gleyber-torres-homer-in-yankees-win

Cessa’s had a really good year,” Boone said of the righty, who owns a 3.82 ERA in 73 innings. “He had a handful of outings in there in May where he was struggling a little bit, but for the most part, he’s been a guy who’s thrown the ball really well for us in some different roles.” “according to https://www.mlb.com/yankees/news/aaron-judge-gleyber-torres-homer-in-yankees-win

Squad goals

During the Yankees’ recent series in Seattle, Sanchez opined that 30 homers is within reach for Judge, who missed 54 games with a left oblique strain but has now homered in seven of his last 12 contests. Judge has reached 20 homers for the third consecutive season, and he agreed that 30 is in play. “according to https://www.mlb.com/yankees/news/aaron-judge-gleyber-torres-homer-in-yankees-win

“Oh yeah. That's the goal,” Judge said. “I've got to keep chasing him and Gleyber. I've got to find out what they're eating over there. They're not sharing with me.” “according to https://www.mlb.com/yankees/news/aaron-judge-gleyber-torres-homer-in-yankees-win

Two innings after Judge’s deep drive opened the scoring, the outfielder’s strong right arm cut down Ronald Guzman attempting to stretch a leadoff single into a double. Guzman lingered at second base, hoping for the Rangers to challenge, but all video evidence showed that he had come off the bag. It was Judge’s sixth assist of the year. “according to https://www.mlb.com/yankees/news/aaron-judge-gleyber-torres-homer-in-yankees-win

I work on it every day to try to make plays like that,” Judge said. “I think he was safe until Didi [Gregorius] had that tag on him. Props to Didi for getting us that out. Defense is one of the most important things about this game. That's what championship teams are about. The teams that make it far into the postseason and get to the World Series are teams that don't give up extra outs.””according to https://www.mlb.com/yankees/news/aaron-judge-gleyber-torres-homer-in-yankees-win

Meanwhile Texas not only had a setback in the finale but lost the series.

Lance Lynn appeared confused and perhaps frustrated at points during his start in the Rangers’ 4-1 loss to the Yankees in the Bronx on Wednesday night. It appeared that the umpires were calling to remove baseballs from the field after they were put in play. “according to https://www.mlb.com/rangers/news/lance-lynn-rangers-drop-series-to-yankees

“Will [Little, the home-plate umpire] told me that Joe [West, the crew chief] wanted all balls that hit the ground [out], and then all of a sudden we’re throwing all fly balls out, for us,” Lynn said after the game. “according to https://www.mlb.com/rangers/news/lance-lynn-rangers-drop-series-to-yankees

Lynn’s point of contention was in part that inconsistency. “according to https://www.mlb.com/rangers/news/lance-lynn-rangers-drop-series-to-yankees

“He told me two different things," Lynn said. "He was changing his mind. If he had just stuck with what he said, I get it -- I don’t agree with it, because it’s not in the rulebook, but if that’s the way you want to be, then I get it. … He decided to change his mind as the game went on.” “according to https://www.mlb.com/rangers/news/lance-lynn-rangers-drop-series-to-yankees

Microphones picked up Lynn telling Little during the fifth inning, his last frame on the mound, that the team had a plane to catch. “according to https://www.mlb.com/rangers/news/lance-lynn-rangers-drop-series-to-yankees

“The whole thing that the Commissioner tells us is the pace of game," Lynn said. "So that was my version of telling him, 'You’re causing the pace of game to be slow.' And then he proceeded to tell me we’re all playing.” “according to https://www.mlb.com/rangers/news/lance-lynn-rangers-drop-series-to-yankees

Manager Chris Woodward said it was something he had never seen before. “according to https://www.mlb.com/rangers/news/lance-lynn-rangers-drop-series-to-yankees

“I guess they said if it wasn’t on the barrel, if it was off the end of the bat or jammed a little bit, that they wanted to replace it,” Woodward said. “That was confusing to me because I’ve never seen that. I’ve never witnessed the changing on a fly ball. I understand a ground ball that hits the dirt, for every ball that hits the dirt, they change it. The fly-ball thing I didn’t understand, so I asked them. And they didn’t do it a few times when they hit fly balls, or we hit them, and that’s the explanation that they gave me, but I’ve never seen that.” “according to https://www.mlb.com/rangers/news/lance-lynn-rangers-drop-series-to-yankees

Woodward said he will likely ask for further clarification from the umpiring crew, mostly because it was such an unfamiliar situation.”according to https://www.mlb.com/rangers/news/lance-lynn-rangers-drop-series-to-yankees

Despite all of that, Lynn allowed three runs in five innings against his former team. All three came on home runs -- a two-run homer by Aaron Judge in the third and a solo homer from Gleyber Torres in the fourth. “according to https://www.mlb.com/rangers/news/lance-lynn-rangers-drop-series-to-yankees

“When it’s all said and done, I had two pitches I’d like back [that] cost me three runs," Lynn said. "A lot of foul balls, but that’s a good lineup. It’s really deep. Two swings that cost me three runs, and that’s part of it.” “according to https://www.mlb.com/rangers/news/lance-lynn-rangers-drop-series-to-yankees

Lynn said that he felt his stuff was perhaps the best it’s been all year. Indeed, he averaged 95.8 mph with his four-seamer, the highest average velocity he’s had with that pitch in any game this season.”according to https://www.mlb.com/rangers/news/lance-lynn-rangers-drop-series-to-yankees

The home run to Judge -- which probably would not have left the park anywhere but Yankee Stadium, under normal wind and altitude conditions -- came on a 97.1 mph fastball.”according to https://www.mlb.com/rangers/news/lance-lynn-rangers-drop-series-to-yankees

“I was expecting him to throw me a heater," Judge said. "He was blowing them by me all night. I finally was able to get ready to hit and got a pitch I could get the barrel on, and snuck one out of here. With him, he's got a good fastball. He was getting up to 97, 98 tonight. He's going to use it, so I've just got to get ready for that.” “according to https://www.mlb.com/rangers/news/lance-lynn-rangers-drop-series-to-yankees

In a series that started off with promise when the Rangers ended the Yankees’ 220-game streak of not being shut out, Texas ultimately fell, 2-1. The Rangers are now 28-44 (.389 winning percentage) away from home. At home, they’re 40-29 (.580). If they played at that same .580 clip on the road, their winning percentage would be second in the American League West. Texas will head to Baltimore next for a four-game series. “according to https://www.mlb.com/rangers/news/lance-lynn-rangers-drop-series-to-yankees

New York has an off day on Thursday before opening up a four game series at Fenway Park with the defending world series champion and American League East rival Boston on Friday.