Rangers Blank Yankees 2-0 Spoiling Judge Return

Nathan Eovaldi delivered a dominant performance, pitching eight scoreless innings and allowing just one hit to lead the Texas Rangers to a 2-0 victory over the New York Yankees, spoiling Aaron Judge's return from a 10-day injured list. Judge, recovering from a tendon strain in his right elbow, went 0-for-3 with two strikeouts as the designated hitter, unable to spark the struggling Yankees, who have lost five straight games and 19 of their past 24 road contests. The Rangers broke the scoreless tie in the eighth inning after Yankees closer Devin Williams, who has struggled throughout the season, allowed a two-run single by Rowdy Tellez with the bases loaded. Despite a strong outing from the Yankees' pitching staff, including five scoreless innings from Will Warren, Williams has now given up runs in four consecutive appearances, raising concerns about his role as closer. The loss dropped the Yankees to 60-54, putting their playoff position at risk as the Rangers closed the gap in the AL wild-card race. The Yankees plan to start a throwing program for Judge soon to assess his readiness to return to the outfield.