Cole Sets Draft-Pick Wins Record, Yankees Win 9-2
5 sourcesUpdated Sep 19, 2026
The New York Yankees defeated the Arizona Diamondbacks 9-2 on Friday in Phoenix after scoring five runs in the first inning. Gerrit Cole worked six innings and allowed two runs and four hits, earning his 162nd career win—the most by a No. 1 overall draft pick, one more than Mike Moore. Ben Rice went 2-for-3 with his 39th home run of the season, a triple, two walks, two RBIs and two runs scored. George Lombard Jr. finished with three RBIs on a two-run single that made it 5-0 and a solo homer in the sixth. Corbin Carroll hit a two-run homer that trimmed the lead to 5-2 before Rice's third-inning homer pushed it to 6-2. Eduardo Rodriguez allowed seven runs over 5 1/3 innings. The Yankees have won eight of their last 10 and sit four games behind the AL East-leading Rays with nine games left; they have already clinched a playoff spot. After Aaron Judge went back on the injured list with a right calf strain, New York kept rolling. The Diamondbacks have lost three straight and stand five games out of the final NL wild-card spot with eight games remaining.
Where do you stand?
How it spread
What each side asserts, disputes — or leaves out entirely.
Whose framing of this story rings truest to you?
Yankees are tightening up in the AL race, but the D-backs really need to stop these early collapses if they want any wild-card hope.
Cole tying the draft-pick wins record at 162 is a nice milestone, especially after those six strong innings against Arizona.
