Aaron Judge returned to the New York Yankees Tuesday from a 10-game stint on the injured list.
His presence didn't shift the fortunes of a faltering Yankees team.
Judge struck out in his first two at-bats and went 0 for 3 at the plate against a sensational effort from Rangers starter Nathan Eovaldi. Texas broke a scoreless tie in the eighth inning to spoil a combined shutout by Yankees pitchers before closer Devin Williams gave up the only runs of the game. The Rangers held on in the top of the ninth for a 2-0 win.
The loss for the Yankees is their fifth straight and drops them to 7-11 since the All-Star break. It put them at further risk of falling out of the AL playoff picture at 60-54. And it was a microcosm of the problems that have plagued them as they've posted an 18-29 record since the middle of June.
New York's vaunted lineup has taken a step back during the slump. It started before Judge went on the injure list with a flexor strain in his right elbow. The Yankees hoped the two-time MVP could provide a spark amid a losing streak. But Eovaldi was in charge Tuesday night.
Eovaldi worked Judge to a 1-2 count in the first inning in Judge's first at-bat since June 25. Then he got Judge swinging on a splitter over the plate that dipped below the zone.
Judge's second at-bat brought more of the same. Eovaldi worked a 1-2 count with two fastballs and a sweeping curveball that induced a swing-and-miss for strike two. Judge then swung again at a third-strike sinker that dipped below his knees.
Judge grounded out in his third at-bat, and his teammates didn't fare much better as Eovaldi pitched eight shutout innings with six striketouts to lower his season-long ERA to 1.38.
This story will be updated.
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