Winning ways Making his first start against Boston as a member of the Yankees, Cole scattered four hits while becoming the first member of the rotation to complete seven innings this season. Alex Verdugo reached the second deck in right field with a fourth-inning homer off Cole, who walked none and struck out eight in a 95-pitch performance. "I felt like I kept repeating and started to get into a slot, into a good rhythm where I could put a little extra on some pitches when we needed to," Cole said. Cole's streak of 20 straight winning decisions equaled runs by Jake Arrieta (2015-16), Roger Clemens (1998-99) and Rube Marquard (1911-12). The all-time mark is 24, by Carl Hubbell (1936-37). Roy Face won 22 straight from 1958-59. "He's the best pitcher in the game Aaron Judge Jersey, and that's what you're seeing," Boone said. "You're seeing a guy that's great at his craft with elite stuff and the ability to command it. More and more, he's getting settled into the season. In all the weirdness, he's dealt with it great and he's gotten a little bit better each and every time." Tauchman overdrive Tauchman continued to state a case for increased playing time by celebrating his third career four-RBI game, helping the Yanks tally a season high with 10 runs as they piled on against Boston's beleaguered bullpen. The Yankees have outscored the Red Sox by 42 runs (85-43) in their past 13 meetings since July 28, 2019."We're so deep in our lineup," Tauchman said. "I think it allows guys to relax and not try to do too much because of the next guy. If you have to pass the baton, that's fine because the next guy's coming up and it puts a lot of pressure on the opposing team."NEW YORK -- Aaron Judge has been placed on the 10-day injured list with a right calf strain, Yankees manager Aaron Boone announced prior to Friday's game against the Red Sox. Boone said that an MRI taken during Thursday's off-day revealed what the manager characterized as a "very mild" strain, saying that he is hopeful that it will be "a pretty short stint" on the IL. Judge's IL assignment is retroactive to Wednesday Alex Rodriguez Jersey, meaning that the earliest he could be activated would be Aug. 21 against the Mets at Citi Field. "He wants to be out there and feels like it's a day-to-day thing, which it very well may be" Boone said. "It goes without saying how important a player Aaron is to us. I think it's really important that he not go out there and hurt this thing significantly trying to play through something." Judge was removed for a pinch-hitter in the sixth inning of Tuesday's game against the Braves after hitting his Major League-leading ninth home run, and he did not play in the series finale on Wednesday. At the time, Boone said that Judge was dealing with tightness in his lower body as a result of playing four games on artificial turf this past weekend at Tropicana Field. Boone expanded upon that statement on Friday, saying that he thought Judge was moving gingerly in the outfield on Tuesday against Atlanta. "When I took him out, it was basically my observation," Boone said. "I didn't consult with any trainers at that point. It was me and a couple of coaches watching him in the outfield moving around. I just felt like he wasn't moving like he normally would, so I made the decision right there. Later that night, we dove into the treatments he's getting, how he's feeling. The next day we decided, OK, we need to probably go through a battery of tests with this." Baseball's four-month pause due to the coronavirus pandemic had seemed to pay dividends for Judge, who would not have been ready for Opening Day as originally scheduled due to a fractured right rib and a punctured lung. With his teammates crediting improved health for a jump in performance Aroldis Chapman Jersey, Judge batted .290/.343/.758 with two doubles and 20 RBIs to go along with his nine homers in 17 games. Entering play Friday, Judge paced the Majors in homers, RBIs and slugging percentage. "He's champing at the bit and didn't want to go on the IL because he feels like he can get back out there in a few days," Boone said. "This is a case of trying to make sure we protect him and make sure we have him for the long haul. Even though we're in a 60-game sprint, the bottom line is if we hurt that more, we jeopardize the season." In a corresponding move, the Yankees have recalled infielder/outfielder Thairo Estrada from the club's alternate training site in Moosic, Pa. Boone said that he envisions Clint Frazier and Mike Tauchman receiving additional playing time as a result of the injuries to Judge and Giancarlo Stanton, who is expected to miss three to four weeks with a strained left hamstring. Tauchman got the starting nod in right field on Friday, while Frazier's name appeared in the lineup as the Yanks' DH. "We've lost two MVP-caliber players Bernie Williams Jersey," Boone said. "That is a blow, especially two guys that are playing as well as they are right now in Aaron and Giancarlo. We have people that can withstand this and we have a ton of confidence in the lineup we're running out there." Hidden value The Yankees' evaluators and analysts have enjoyed above-average success in recent years in their quest to identify underappreciated talent in other organizations. Third baseman Gio Urshela (Blue Jays), first baseman Luke Voit (Cardinals) and Tauchman (Rockies) are all good examples of players who have found new levels of success in The Bronx. "I think it boils down to opportunity and trust," Tauchman said. "I didn't have much of a Major League track record in coming here, and I was still given that opportunity. I felt as though I wasn't just here to fill a roster spot; I was here to contribute." Tauchman had compiled impressive Minor League statistics prior to being acquired by the Yankees last March Brett Gardner Jersey, but he had batted only .153 (9-for-59) in 52 big league games with Colorado from 2017-18. "As a young player, it's really difficult when you're trying to establish yourself," Tauchman said. "It's really difficult to relax and just play the game that you've been playing your whole life, but that [Yankees] culture made it easier." Aroldis Chapman tossed another 25 pitches to hitters on Friday at the Yanks' alternate training site. Depending on how the left-hander feels on Saturday, Chapman could return to the closer's role as soon as Sunday against Boston. Left-hander Zack Britton has filled in during Chapman's absence, entering play on Friday leading the Majors with seven saves in as many opportunities. This date in Yankees history Aug. 14, 1993: Reggie Jackson's uniform No. 44 was retired prior to the Yanks' 4-2 victory over the Orioles at Yankee Stadium, with a crowd of 52,598 in attendance to fete the newly minted Hall of Famer. A look at the American League East standings show a race between the Yankees and Rays, the two teams most people expected to jockey for first place throughout the season. The team hot on their heels, however, is quite a surprise. Fresh off a last-place season that saw them win only 54 games, the Orioles are off to a solid start, opening the year 8-7. Baltimore could find itself in the position of playoff contender next month -- though with the Trade Deadline less than three weeks away, it remains to be seen whether general manager Mike Elias will be a buyer or seller by Aug. 31. All five teams in the division -- including the sub-.500 Blue Jays and Red Sox -- have some major internal questions to answer before the aforementioned Trade Deadline. Here's a look at one key issue facing each team: Blue Jays: What's the cause of the lineup woes? The Blue Jays have been one of baseball's worst teams hitting with runners on base or in scoring position. It's been a parade of solo home runs early in 2020, which carries plenty of weight when you're playing games as consistently close as the Blue Jays have been. If this is tough luck to some extent and balances itself out naturally, then the Blue Jays are in business. If it's the symptom of a larger issue at the plate for this young lineup stocked with aggressive swingers, then the Blue Jays will need to take a long, hard look at fixing that for 2021. -- Keegan Matheson Orioles: Can they actually contend? The Orioles are defying expectations in this condensed season despite being committed to their long-term rebuilding plan. Can anything really happen in a 60-game sprint? If the Orioles keep holding their own, they need to decide whether to be surprise buyers at the Deadline or to tread forward with their goals to build toward the future, which would mean selling some veterans for more prospects for their improving system.
