Yanks hit 5 HRs in historic win over Texas

ARLINGTON -- The most potent lineup in the big leagues continued to slug at a historic pace on Monday. Led by the first multihomer game of Gleyber Torres' young career, the Yankees cracked another five homers in a 10-5 slugfest victory over the Rangers at Globe Life Park.
Torres went deep in the second and sixth innings, Neil Walker hit his first homer of the season and Aaron Judge launched his 12th long ball as the Yankees tallied at least four homers for the third consecutive game, marking the first time in franchise history that the feat has been accomplished. Aaron Hicks added a two-run shot in the ninth.

"It's awesome. It's fun," Hicks said. "Every time you go out there, you feel like you have an opportunity to win a ballgame. You know you're never out of a game, no matter how many runs they're up. It doesn't matter. I feel like we can attack from the top to the bottom, and everybody contributes."

New York (31-13) won for the 22nd time in 26 games, continuing to own the best record in the Majors and moving a half-game ahead of idle Boston for first place in the American League East.
"The guys are swinging the bats very well," manager Aaron Boone said. "They're very tough on the opposing pitcher, and that's what these guys do best. They make that other pitcher work, and when we get a mistake, they're slugging it."

The first four of the Bombers' blasts came off right-hander Bartolo Colon, who allowed a season-high six runs and eight hits over 5 1/3 innings, just three days ahead of his 45th birthday.
At 21 years and 159 days, Torres became the second-youngest Yankee to enjoy a multihomer performance, standing alongside Mickey Mantle (20 years, 296 days).

"The lineup is awesome," Torres said. "Everybody does their job, everybody helps the team. I just try to help my team, too, try to put in something, hit or defense. I try to help and try to win."
The runs supported Masahiro Tanaka, who completed five innings and was credited with the victory in a rather odd outing that saw him permit three hits while walking four and allowing four runs. Joey Gallo hit a solo homer, his 14th, in the second inning. Rougned Odor blasted a three-run shot, his first, to tie the game in the fourth.
"I did not have my split tonight," Tanaka said through an interpreter. "Very inconsistent. There's a lot of frustration there, mostly because of how good we're playing, but [I have] not been able to pitch effectively."

With Walker and Torres having each driven in two runs through the first four innings, Judge restored New York's lead in the fifth with a long drive to the center-field berm. Torres reached the same area in the sixth inning, and the Yankees poured it on against reliever Matt Bush. Giancarlo Stanton added a sacrifice fly and Didi Gregorius showed signs of busting out of his 1-for-48 funk with a run-scoring double.

The clubs combined for eight homers in the contest, including Ronald Guzmán's seventh-inning homer off Chad Green.

"That lineup is a tough lineup," Rangers manager Jeff Banister said. "You look up and down their lineup, they are averaging 5 1/2 runs a game. That's a challenging lineup for most clubs. Bartolo threw some really good pitches but gave up some home runs, two to a young guy who is hot and swinging the bat well."
MOMENTS THAT MATTERED
Judge had been in an 0-for-17 skid when he stepped to the plate in the fifth against Colon, teeing off on an 85.5-mph two-seamer that caught too much of the plate. The resulting drive landed on the grassy berm beyond the center-field wall, calculated to travel 436 feet by Statcast™ and providing the Yankees a lead that they would not relinquish.

SOUND SMART
The Yankees have recorded eight extra-base hits or more in three consecutive games, marking the first time in franchise history that they have accomplished the feat. It is the fourth such occurrence in modern Major League history, with the Yankees joining the Red Sox (June 27-29, 2003), Indians (April 9-11, 1999) and Senators (June 14-16, 1935).
"That shows you how difficult that is and how rare that is," Boone said. "When I heard about it, it was a little bit surprising."

UP NEXT
Right-hander Domingo Germán (0-1, 4.26 ERA) will take the ball for his third big league start on Tuesday as the Yankees continue their three-game series with the Rangers at Globe Life Park. German did not record a decision in his last start, allowing a career-high six earned runs in New York's 7-6, 11-inning victory over the Athletics on May 12. Veteran left-hander Cole Hamels (2-4, 3.48 ERA), who has been rumored as a possible Yankees trade target, will be making his 10th start of the year for Texas.