Yankees’ Judge hits 62nd homer to set AL record in Texas

The Yankees split their Tuesday doubleheader with the Texas Rangers 3-2, despite Aaron Judge hitting his American League record 62nd home run to start the nightcap and Gerrit Cole setting the organization single-season record for strikeouts.

After dropping the first game by a score of 5-4, the Rangers’ losing skid reached seven games thanks to a two-run homer by Leody Taveras in the fifth inning of game two. In the AL East, the Yankees have 99 victories and the Rangers have 67.

Eventually, on the third pitch of the second game, Judge crushed a 1-1 slider from Rangers starter Jesus Tinoco into the first row of seats in left field, ending his long, exhausting pursuit of Roger Maris’ AL record, which had stood since 1961.

Since August 5, Judge has played in 55 consecutive games, and his only home run in the previous 13 games was home run No. 61, which he blasted last Wednesday in Toronto. On Tuesday’s season opener, he went 1 for 5 with a single and scored the game-winning run.

Cole (13-8) fanned nine, bringing his career total to 257, which is first in the majors. He came into the game tied with Ron Guidry for the AL Cy Young Award in 1978, when Guidry went 25-3 with a 1.74 ERA and struck out 248 batters. Cole moved above Guidry when he struck out the Rangers’ No. 2 batter, Nathaniel Lowe, in the first inning.