The Yankees are rolling, but this one came with a scare.
Let’s be real, Yankees fans. A 9-2 win should feel clean. It should feel easy. It should feel like another day where the Yankees reminded everybody that this team is still a problem.
And on the scoreboard, that is exactly what happened.
The Yankees beat the Texas Rangers 9-2 at Yankee Stadium, improved to 26-12, and picked up their 16th win in their last 19 games.
But the scary moment came early.
Jasson Dominguez makes a tremendous catch but leaves the game on a cart after hitting the wall HARD
Jasson Domínguez crashed into the wall in left field while making a catch on Brandon Nimmo’s drive to begin the game. He had to leave on a cart, went for an MRI on his left shoulder, and was placed into concussion protocol. That is the part nobody wants to hear, especially with how important Domínguez is to this lineup and this team’s future.
Paul Goldschmidt opened the bottom of the first with a triple to deep right-center. Cody Bellinger followed with a triple of his own, bringing Goldschmidt home and giving the Yankees a quick 1-0 lead.
That was already a sign of what kind of day it was going to be for Texas defensively. The Rangers had issues with the sun all afternoon, and the Yankees took advantage.
Texas answered with Ezequiel Durán’s solo homer in the third, then grabbed a 2-1 lead in the fifth after Alejandro Osuna walked, moved to third on a Nimmo single, and scored on Durán’s fielder’s choice.
For a minute, it looked like one of those annoying games. Yankees getting traffic, leaving guys on base, waiting for the big swing.
From there, the Yankees kept pouring it on. J.C. Escarra singled in Grisham. Paul Goldschmidt walked. Aaron Judge singled in Escarra. Then Bellinger reached on an infield single that brought Goldschmidt home.
Six runs in the inning. Five hits. No mercy.
You cannot make this stuff up. The Yankees went from trailing and slightly frustrating to completely breaking the game open in one inning.
Cody Bellinger had himself a day too. He went 3-for-4 with two runs, two RBI, a walk, and a triple.
This is the version of Bellinger the Yankees needed. Athletic, productive, dangerous, and involved in everything. When he is hitting like this, this lineup gets deeper in a hurry.
Grisham finished 3-for-5 with two runs, three RBI, and a double. Bellinger and Grisham were the two big bats in this one, and they carried the offense when the game was still hanging in the balance.
The Bullpen Held It Down
Ryan Weathers was scratched because of illness, so the Yankees had to piece this thing together. Paul Blackburn opened with a scoreless first. Brendan Beck made his MLB debut and gave the Yankees three innings, allowing two runs.
Headrick got the win and improved to 3-0 after throwing 1 1/3 hitless innings. The Yankees’ pitching staff allowed just two runs on six hits, even with the original plan getting changed before the game.
That matters.
Because good teams win when the day is clean. Dangerous teams win when the plan gets messy.
This Team Is Starting to Feel Different
The Yankees had 14 hits. They scored nine runs. They did not make an error. They won another series. They are now 16-3 over their last 19 games.
That is not lucky baseball.
That is a team getting contributions from everywhere. Goldschmidt scoring twice. Bellinger driving in runs. Grisham delivering the biggest hit of the game. McMahon getting on base three times. Schuemann picking up his first Yankees hit and RBI. Escarra adding an RBI single. Judge knocking one in too.
This was not just one superstar carrying the lineup.
This was a complete beatdown.
Now the only thing that matters after the win is the update on Domínguez. Because yes, the Yankees are rolling. Yes, they are winning. Yes, this team looks dangerous.
But losing Jasson for any real stretch would hurt.
So enjoy the win, Yankees fans. Because 9-2 is 9-2. But now we wait on the one update that matters most.
Born in Manhattan, New York, Felix Pantaleon is a Dominican-American digital content creator and the founder of NYYNEWS, one of the first and longest-running independent New York Yankees content creator platforms, active since 2005.
