Gerrit Cole did his part to contribute to the New York Yankees’ recent 11-game winning streak and he now gets a chance to start the club on another run of success.

After a pair of stellar performances during the winning streak, that followed three rough performances, Cole will be back on the mound Friday night when the Yankees play host to the Texas Rangers in the opener of a three-game series at Yankee Stadium.

New York will enter off a 2-1 defeat Wednesday at Toronto, its first loss since April 21.

Cole (2-0, 3.00 ERA) tossed 12 2/3 scoreless innings in victories over the Cleveland Guardians and Kansas City Royals last week. He will attempt to pitch three straight scoreless outings for the first time in his career and may be pitching to catcher Jose Trevino for the third straight time after throwing to Kyle Higashioka for all but two starts going back to the start of 2021.

Cole contributed to New York’s third win in the streak April 24 against the Guardians when he allowed four hits and struck out nine in 6 2/3 innings of a 10-2 win. On Saturday, he allowed five hits and struck out six in six innings of a 3-0 win against the Royals, highlighting by getting Salvador Perez to hit into a groundout with the bases loaded to end the third.

“He was able to make some pitches,” Trevino said. “That’s what he does. He’s an ace for a reason. He comes out and makes pitches when he needs to and he did that tonight.”

Before the two outings, Cole lasted a career-low 1 2/3 innings April 19 in Detroit and saw his ERA rise to 6.35 before it plummeted during the win streak.

Cole is 5-3 with a 4.14 ERA in 11 career starts against the Rangers and none of those starts were with Marcus Semien and Corey Seager in the Texas lineup. Seager is 3-for-10 against Cole, while Semien has three home runs, but just a .172 average against the right-hander in 29 at-bats.

In Wednesday’s streak-busting defeat against the Blue Jays, the Yankees’ Joey Gallo — formerly of the Rangers — hit a home run after missing three games because of a tight left groin. The Yankees loaded the bases in the ninth but couldn’t pull out the victory.

“Winning 11 in a row, that’s no small task,” Yankees third baseman Josh Donaldson said. “It doesn’t matter who you’re playing.”

Texas lost nine of its first 11 games but heads to New York on a four-game winning streak. After winning the final two games of its three-game series against the visiting Atlanta Braves, Texas swept a two-game series with the host the Philadelphia Phillies this week. Brad Miller hit a two-run single in the 10th inning to give Texas a 2-1 victory Wednesday.

Texas pitchers own a 2.42 ERA in the past 12 games, and in the past 14 games the relievers own a 1.95 ERA after pitching three scoreless innings Wednesday.

“I just think internally that the guys have kind of come together and really embrace the challenge,” Texas manager Chris Woodward said. “Everybody in that room has belief. Guys are starting to find their roles and you can see the bullpen really starting to throw the ball well. Guys are starting to get comfortable out there and embracing the expectations.”

Former Yankees prospect Glenn Otto (1-0, 2.89) will look to keep the run of effective pitching extended for the Rangers when he makes his ninth career start.

Otto is 1-3 with a 7.44 ERA for the Rangers over the past two seasons since being acquired in last summer’s trade for Gallo. He last pitched April 27 against the Houston Astros when he allowed two runs on four hits in 4 1/3 innings.

–Field Level Media

The Los Angeles Dodgers have pitched better than any team in the majors through the first month of the season.

That does not bode well for a Chicago Cubs team that’s currently scuffling at the plate.

The Dodgers eye a fourth consecutive victory Friday when they open a three-game road set at Chicago, trying to hand the Cubs a third straight defeat.

Los Angeles closed April with a 5-1 loss to Detroit on Saturday, then outscored the Tigers and rival San Francisco Giants 18-5 to win three in a row.

After allowing a run in each of the two games against the Giants, the Dodgers enter play Thursday leading the majors in fewest runs allowed (57), team ERA (2.21) and opponents’ batting average (.190).

Only four times in their first 23 games have the current NL West division leaders yielded more than three runs.

“Top to bottom, we have a lot of good arms,” Dodger manager Dave Roberts said, according to the Los Angeles Times.

Scheduled Friday starter Tyler Anderson (2-0, 2.55 ERA) has fared well, whether starting or out of the bullpen. After his first two appearances came in relief, Anderson has allowed three runs and nine hits while striking out seven and walking four over 9 2/3 innings in two straight starts for the injured Andrew Heaney.

The left-hander yielded one of those runs over five innings of a 5-1 victory over the Tigers last Friday.

“I feel good. I feel fine. I can go whenever,” said the 33-year-old Anderson, who is pitching for his fifth major league team. “I just want to throw meaningful innings, obviously.”

Anderson is 2-1 with a 3.15 ERA all-time (three starts) at Wrigley Field. He allowed two runs over eight innings on May 9, 2021, while pitching for Pittsburgh.

On April 23, the Cubs rolled to a 21-0 home win over the Pirates. Since then, they’ve batted .183 and struck out 97 times, while being outscored 42-19 in losing seven of nine. Chicago, a loser in 11 of 14, has managed just nine of those runs over the last six contests.

“There’s times where we’re just one hit away,” said second baseman Nick Madrigal, who is 6-for-13 in his last five games.

“I really don’t think we’re far off and need to change any game plans or anything. I just think it’s part of baseball.”

The Cubs swept a three-game, May home set from the Dodgers last season. But after dropping their third straight at home, 4-3 to the White Sox on Wednesday, they are 1-7 at Wrigley Field since winning three of their first four.

Chicago’s Ian Happ is 2-for-6 versus Anderson but is 2-for-15 in his last five games. The CUbs’ Seiya Suzuki hit .429 with four homers in his first 10 games as a Cub, but .154 with no home runs and 18 strikeouts in the last 14.

Cubs manager David Ross has not named his starting pitcher for Friday. Left-hander Drew Smyly, 1-2 with a 2.79 ERA in four starts this season, could be available if activated from the bereavement list.

Chicago pitchers will have to deal with Dodgers star Mookie Betts, who is batting .344 without a strikeout in nine games after hitting .189 and fanning 16 times in his first 13 this season.

–Field Level Media

Jared Walsh’s two-run home run broke a scoreless tie in the seventh inning and preceded a five-run eighth that lifted the Los Angeles Angels to an 8-0 win over the host Boston Red Sox on Thursday afternoon.

Walsh went 2-for-4 with four RBIs and a run scored for the Angels, who claimed the three-game series with back-to-back wins in which they outscored the Red Sox 18-5.

Shohei Ohtani (3-2) pitched seven scoreless innings and gave up six hits with 11 strikeouts without a walk. He also went 2-for-4 with an RBI and a run scored.

Walsh capped the big inning with a soft two-run single through a shift on the left side. His final knock came after David Fletcher and Ohtani singled and Anthony Rendon hit a soft grounder, all plating runs.

Brandon Marsh, who also had two hits and scored twice, added a solo homer in the ninth.

The game started as a classic duel between Ohtani and Boston’s Rich Hill, the latter who allowed just one hit, one walk and struck out six over five scoreless frames. It was the 42-year-old lefty’s longest start of the season.

Hill opened his 200th MLB start with three straight 1-2-3 innings before walking Taylor Ward to lead off the fourth and allowing a hit to Ohtani two batters later.

Ohtani made his first-ever pitching start at Fenway Park. Jackie Bradley Jr. went 2-for-3 with a double for Boston.

However, a Boston baserunner didn’t reach third base until J.D. Martinez lined a one-out double to left and advanced on a ground ball in the sixth. The frame ended without any damage done thanks to shortstop Andrew Velazquez’s leaping catch to deny Franchy Cordero of a two-out hit.

Walsh finally broke the scoreless deadlock in the seventh inning by golfing a two-run homer just inside Pesky’s Pole. Anthony Rendon drew a one-out walk before scoring on Walsh’s second long ball in as many games and just the second Angels hit of the afternoon.

Boston’s Tanner Houck (2-2) was the loser, though he bounced back to retire the next two batters after Walsh’s homer and struck out four in 2 1/3 innings piggybacking Hill.

An inning after Walsh’s homer, the visitors more than doubled their lead by scoring three runs before Houck got pulled without recording another out.

–Field Level Media

Chicago White Sox outfielder Andrew Vaughn continues to experience pain in his right hand as a result of being hit by a pitch and was placed on the injured list Thursday, retroactive to May 2.

Vaughn, the team leader in RBIs (12), was injured April 29 when he was hit on the right hand by a pitch from Los Angeles right-hander Mike Mayers. He was diagnosed with a bruise and hasn’t played since the injury occurred.

“If you think about how long ago it was, it shows you that the bruise is deep and it’s a tough spot to handle it,” White Sox manager Tony La Russa said.

Vaughn, 24, is hitting .283 (15-for-53) with three doubles, four home runs and five runs scored in 16 games this season. Vaughn is tied for the team lead in homers.

Infielder Danny Mendick, 28, was recalled from Class AAA Charlotte. He has played 10 games with the White Sox this season.

Third baseman Jake Burger was held out of Wednesday’s game against the Cubs with soreness from colliding with the wall in foul ground Tuesday.

Injuries piled up on the White Sox in the first month of the season. Third baseman Yoan Moncada (oblique), right-handed reliever Joe Kelly (biceps), outfielder Eloy Jimenez (hamstring) and right-hander Lance Lynn (knee) are all currently on the injured list.

Jimenez had surgery on a torn hamstring tendon last month. Moncada could be back next week, La Russa said.

–Field Level Media