Rodón works 5 2/3 strong innings, Wells drives in 4 runs as Yankees blank Rangers in DH opener

NEW YORK -- — Carlos Rodón scattered three hits over 5 2/3 innings and Austin Wells drove in four runs as the New York Yankees beat the Texas Rangers 8-0 Saturday in the first game of a doubleheader.

Aaron Judge drove in his major league-leading 105th run and reached base four times as New York moved into a tie for first place in the American League East with Baltimore, which shares the best record in AL with the Yankees and takes on Tampa Bay later Saturday. New York won for the ninth time in 12 games in the opener of a doubleheader that was the result of a rainout on Friday.

“Another strong outing from Carlos,” New York manager Aaron Boone said. “He’s worked so hard and dilligently and hasn’t stopped.”

Adolis García and Josh Jung had two hits apiece for Texas, which lost for the 10th time in 13 games. The Rangers slipped to 6 1/2 games behind AL West frontrunners Houston and Seattle.

Rodón (13-7) allowed García’s two hits and a third-inning single to Jung. The 31-year-old left-hander walked five and struck out six in his eighth start allowing one run or fewer. After struggling over a five-start stretch in June and July, Rodón has a 2.54 ERA and has won all four starts.

“I want to prove that I am capable of being the pitcher I have been,” he said.

New York relievers Ron Marinaccio and Tim Hill combined for three strikeouts and completed the five-hitter, marking New York’s eighth shutout of the season.

New York chased Texas starter Nathan Eovaldi (8-6) after three innings. Juan Soto singled and scored on Gleyber Torres’ two-out single in the first. Wells had a two-run double to center in the third that scored Soto and Judge. Judge has reached base multiple times in a major league-leading 74 games.

Wells added a two-run single in a three-run fourth, and Soto extended his on-base streak to 19 games.

“Judge and Soto and whoever is leading are going to get on for the most part, so I have a chance to do something,” Wells said.

Eovaldi, who set a franchise record with his 43rd straight start without a walk two starts ago, finished with two walks and four strikeouts. He needed 81 pitches to get through three innings and was visited by a trainer after Wells’ double. He was lifted as a precaution from his shortest start of the season due to tightness on his right side.

In the eighth inning, Jazz Chisolm Jr. hit his sixth homer in 11 games since joining the Yankees before the trade deadline. He had 13 homers in 101 games with Miami.

Texas failed to score in the first five innings for the third straight game and the 22nd time this season

“We create those opportunities. We just need one more hit,” Texas manager Bruce Bochy said. “The first four innings we had bases loaded and two men on and we needed somebody to come through, clutch up and that was missing.”

GAME RECOGNIZES GAME

WNBA star Caitlin Clark of the Indiana Fever and boyfriend Connor McCaffrey were on the field for batting practice. Clark, on a WNBA-wide Olympic break, sported a No. 22 Yankees jersey and signed a few autographs. She posed for a clubhouse picture with Aaron Judge before the slugger signed a custom jersey. She also took a picture with Jung and former Chicago Cub and current Yankee Anthony Rizzo. Clark is a lifelong Cubs fan who was making her first trip to Yankee Stadium. “She was impressive,” Boone said. “It was fun to see the amount of our guys that were star-struck being around her."

TRAINER’S ROOM

Yankees: SS Anthony Volpe returned to the lineup after leaving Thursday night’s game after fouling a ball off his left foot. He went 0 for 5. … RHP Clarke Schmidt (right lat strain) and RHP Cody Poteet (right triceps strain) each threw 25 pitches against hitters in a live BP session. … C Jose Trevino (left quad strain) will begin a rehab assignment Sunday. … OF Trent Grisham remained in the game after getting hit on the left hand by a 96 mph fastball in the fourth inning. He did exit for a defensive replacement in the fifth. Initial CT scans and X-rays were negative and he was diagnosed with a left hand contusion.

Rangers: RHP Jacob deGrom’s live BP session on Thursday went “really well,” according to reports Bochy received. He will throw again in Boston as he continues his recovery from 2023 Tommy John surgery.

UP NEXT

New York’s RHP Gerrit Cole (3-2, 5.09 ERA) faces Texas’ LHP Cody Bradford (3-0, 3.96 ERA) in the second game of the doubleheader. Cole will face Texas at Yankee Stadium for just the third time in his career, while Bradford faces New York for the first time.

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