Aaron Judge's 12th Homer Was All the Yankees Needed to Stay Perfect in Texas

Aaron Judge went deep for the third straight game, and that solo shot in the ninth inning ended up being the difference maker. The Yankees held off the Rangers 3-2 on Tuesday night in Arlington, pushing their recent run to absolutely ridiculous levels. New York won for the 10th time in their last 11 games and locked down back-to-back series wins in Texas after taking two of three from Houston on the road trip.

Judge's blast tied him with Munetaka Murakami of the Chicago White Sox for the most homers in baseball right now with 12. But here's the thing: that long ball wasn't just a stat line. It was the game. The Rangers clawed back in the ninth with some solid contact, scoring a run on Danny Jansen's triple and Josh Jung's RBI single after a throwing error by third baseman Ryan McMahon gave them a window. Closer David Bednar had to work, but he got Cory Seager to ground into a game-ending double play for his ninth save of the season.

Cam Schlittler Put on a Clinic Against a Generational Arm

Cam Schlittler threw six scoreless innings, dueling Jacob deGrom all night long. The 25-year-old right-hander struck out eight and gave up just three hits with one walk. Four of his first seven outs came via strikeout, and the defense behind him was sharp. Schlittler improved to 4-1 and lowered his ERA to 1.51. This is his fifth start out of seven where he has allowed one or fewer earned runs. He's got 49 strikeouts against just five walks so far.

DeGrom, the Rangers' ace, gave up three hits and one run with five strikeouts in six innings. He dropped to 2-1 on the year. The Rangers couldn't find their footing against New York's depth.

Austin Wells and the First-Inning Spark

Judge singled with two outs in the first against deGrom, and Cody Bellinger's liner off the wall in right brought him home. Judge slid across the plate just as the relay throw arrived. Wells added a solo homer in the seventh for some insurance. That combination, plus Judge's ninth-inning blast, was enough to hold off Texas.

The Yankees get another crack at extending this tour Wednesday night with RHP Elmer Rodríguez making his major league debut against Rangers RHP Nathan Eovaldi, a 15-year vet. New York is chasing an 8-1 trip.

This article was created with AI assistance and reviewed by Seattle On Tap editorial staff. Always verify information with official team sources.