Deadspin | Yankees cruise past Rangers to notch ninth win in 12 games

May 20, 2025; Bronx, New York, USA; New York Yankees designated hitter Ben Rice (22) watches his solo home run against the Texas Rangers during the second inning at Yankee Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-Imagn Images

Will Warren struck out a career-high 10 hitters in 5 2/3 innings, Aaron Judge hit a two-run home run and the host New York Yankees recorded a 5-2 victory over the Texas Rangers on Tuesday night.

Warren (3-2) has 34 strikeouts over his past four outings. The right-hander allowed five hits, issued one walk and threw 101 pitches — one shy of his career high.

He also was aided by two key defensive plays. Catcher Austin Wells threw out Josh Smith trying to steal second in the opening inning and third baseman Oswald Peraza made a diving catch on the tarp to get a foul ball by Smith to open the sixth.

Ben Rice drove in the first two runs for the Yankees, who won for the ninth time in 12 games and moved a season-high nine games above .500. Rice homered in the second inning against Texas starter Patrick Corbin (3-3) and lifted a sacrifice fly in the fourth.

Anthony Volpe added an RBI double in the sixth. Judge hit his AL-leading 16th home run in the eighth and ended the game with a .403 batting average, while Cody Bellinger singled in the fourth to extend his hitting streak to a career-high 14 games.

Jonah Heim hit a two-run homer with two outs in the ninth as the Rangers lost for the third time in four games following a six-game winning streak.

Texas manager Bruce Bochy also was ejected in the sixth by plate umpire Carlos Torres for arguing a pitch that was not called a strike on Judge.

Corbin allowed three runs on five hits in five-plus innings. The left-hander struck out three and walked two.

Warren seemed to tire in the sixth when he loaded the bases by walking Wyatt Langford and allowing singles to Josh Jung and Adolis Garcia. After Warren got a called third strike on Marcus Semien with his sinker, Mark Leiter Jr. replaced him and fanned Joc Pederson with a splitter.

Leiter got four outs and Devin Williams fanned two in the eighth. After Heim’s homer in the ninth, Hamilton allowed a triple to Sam Haggerty before Luke Weaver entered and needed two pitches to notch his sixth save.

–Field Level Media