Gerrit Cole and Gleyber Torres set the tone in the Yankees' series-opening victory over the Rangers

 New York's ace, Gerrit Cole, delivered a stellar performance when the Yankees needed it most. Before leaving during the seventh-inning warmups due to cramping in his right calf, Cole struck out nine and walked one, allowing just one run on four hits over six innings against Texas (66-72). His only blemish was a 2-2 count with two outs in the third inning, when former Yankees prospect Josh Smith hit an RBI double to left-center, scoring Marcus Semien and narrowing New York’s lead to 2-1. Despite this, Cole maintained his dominance with 56 strikes on 82 pitches, proving why he's worth his $324 million contract. The Yankees plan to monitor his condition on Tuesday but expect him to be fine.

Gleyber Torres also had a standout game, extending his hitting streak to four games and delivering his first three-hit performance in over a month. In the third inning, Torres lined a 3-2 slider from Jack Leiter into the left-center gap for a two-RBI double, giving the Yankees a 2-1 lead. Torres’ performance provided the cushion Cole needed, and the Yankees continued to build their lead, including Aaron Judge’s sixth-inning RBI double that scored Torres.

Anthony Rizzo, back from the 60-day injured list with a right forearm fracture, has shown promise since his return. After a solid debut on Sunday, Rizzo delivered a two-RBI double with the bases loaded in the seventh inning, expanding the lead to five runs and demonstrating his value for the crucial stretch of the season.

For the third consecutive series, the Yankees won the opener. The question now is whether they can capitalize on this momentum and secure a series win against a sub-.500 opponent, aiming for their first series victory since August 24-26 against the Colorado Rockies.

New York (80-58) currently leads the AL East by half a game over the 80-59 Baltimore Orioles. It’s time for the Yankees to build on their ace's strong performance and make a serious push as they continue their six-game road trip.