The Yankees defeated the Rays 8-4 in the first game of their doubleheader Saturday afternoon at Tropicana Field. >> Box score

Six things to know from Saturday's first game

1. Gerrit Cole’s afternoon got off to a great start. After allowing a leadoff single to Yandy Diaz, Cole then struck out the side, featuring a wipeout slider and a 98 MPH fastball.

Cole continued to dominate Rays hitters on the afternoon, but the Rays did finally get to him in the fifth inning, as Ji-Man Choi doubled home Mike Zunino with two outs. With Cole’s pitch count up to 104, Aaron Boone elected to leave his ace in the game, but Cole served up a two-run home run to Jose Martinez to end his afternoon.

Cole ended up going 4.2 innings, allowing three runs on six hits while striking out 10 Rays.

2. Gleyber Torres broke out of an 0-for-24 skid in the top of the second inning with a single off of Tyler Glasnow. The Yankees loaded the bases off of the right-hander in the second inning, but Gary Sanchez and Brett Gardner went down swinging to end the threat.

3. Mike Ford, batting third in the lineup, put the Yankees on the board in the top of the third inning, demolishing a two-run home run to right-center field. Ford’s first home run of the season traveled 437 feet.

4. Gio Urshela extended the Yankees lead in the third, slamming a hanging breaking ball into the left-center gap for a two-run double, chasing Glasnow out of the game after just 2.1 innings.

5. Giancarlo Stanton provided an extra run for Cole in the top of the fifth, slamming a no-doubt solo home run to left field off of Sean Gilmartin. Stanton’s third home run of the season traveled 395 feet.

6. Aaron Judge’s torrid power pace kept on rolling, as the right fielder slugged a two-run home run off of one of the catwalks at Tropicana Field. Judge’s eighth home run of the year pushed the Yankees’ lead to 7-4.

What’s next

The Yankees and Rays play the second seven-inning game of their doubleheader with the Rays on Saturday afternoon. Michael King will start for the Yankees.

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