**Yankees: Highlights and Concerns from 8-7 Victory Over Rangers**
The Yankees clinched a series win against the Texas Rangers on Sunday afternoon, but it wasn’t without some tense moments. Despite holding a commanding 8-3 lead heading into the eighth inning, the Rangers made a late push, narrowing the gap to just one run.
The Yankees managed to hold on for an 8-7 win, but closer Clay Holmes gave fans a scare. He threw a career-high 45 pitches, meaning he’ll likely need several days off. The bullpen struggled late in the game, with Mark Leiter Jr. and Holmes allowing a combined four runs on four hits, including two home runs.
**Bullpen Troubles in the Eighth**
Leiter was the main issue, unable to finish the eighth inning before handing the ball to Holmes, who secured the final out.
**Stroman’s Strong Outing**
On the bright side, the Yankees got an excellent performance from veteran pitcher Marcus Stroman. He pitched five innings, allowing just one earned run on 89 pitches, lowering his ERA to 4.01. Stroman, who had given up 15 runs over his previous three starts, benefited from skipping his last start, using the extra rest to make some adjustments before delivering a much-needed strong outing on Sunday.
**Yankees’ Offensive Explosion**
Offensively, the Yankees were on fire, racking up 12 hits and striking out just six times. Juan Soto hit two home runs, bringing his season total to 30. Aaron Judge also homered, marking his 40th of the season, and collected three hits, raising his batting average to .328 with a .462 on-base percentage and a .699 slugging rate. Giancarlo Stanton drove in four runs, thanks to a three-run homer in the fifth inning and a sacrifice fly in the first. DJ LeMahieu added two hits and an RBI, while Anthony Volpe struggled, striking out three times in four at-bats, causing his on-base percentage to dip below 30%.
**Looking Ahead to Chicago**
The Yankees are currently tied for first place in the American League East and will head to Chicago to face the White Sox on Monday night at 8:10 PM. The starting pitchers for the game had not been announced as of Sunday evening.
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