Yankees power past Rangers 7-1 to keep pace in playoff race

By MIKE FITZPATRICK
AP Baseball Writer

NEW YORK (AP) — Giancarlo Stanton lined a laser beam of a home run, Aaron Judge added a three-run shot and the New York Yankees powered past the Texas Rangers 7-1 to keep pace in the crowded AL wild-card chase. Joey Gallo also went deep — against his former team — and a finally healthy Luis Severino closed with two shutout innings in his first major league appearance since the 2019 AL Championship Series. New York, which remained a half-game behind Toronto for the final American League playoff spot, has taken two straight from last-place Texas following a 7-15 stretch. Jordan Montgomery struck out six in 5 2/3 innings of one-run ball for the win.