The Yankees began their three-game series at the Texas Rangers with an 8-4 win in the opener on Monday.

Findings

1. New York started with a shutdown of its ace, Gerrit Colewhen it needed one. Before Cole left the field during warmups in the seventh inning because of cramps in his right calf, he managed nine strikeouts and one walk and limited Texas (66-72) to one run on four hits in six innings.

His only blemish came on a 2-2 count with two outs in the third inning, when the former Yankees junior player Josh Smith‘s RBI double into left center field scored Marcus Semien from first base, cutting New York’s lead to 2-1. Nevertheless, Cole built an early 2-0 lead in the second half of the inning, going all-in with 56 strikes on 82 pitches.

Ultimately, Cole (6-3, 3.65 ERA) has been exactly what the Yankees pay him to be when it comes to playing well. Fortunately for New York, he seems to be doing well, even if they don’t like seeing their $324 million man waved around on the mound and taken out of the game – the team says it will monitor his condition on Tuesday.

2. Have a nice day, Gleyber Torres. With his first three-hitting streak in over a month—the last one came on July 26 against the Boston Red Sox—Torres gave Cole everything he needed.

With one out and two on in the third inning after two consecutive singles by Anthony Volpe And Alex VerdugoTorres roped Jack Leiter‘s 3-2 slider into the gap left-center for a two-RBI double that gave the Yankees a 2-1 lead and enough comfort for Cole. The Yankees continued to pull away in the final four frames, including Aaron Richter‘s RBI double in the sixth inning on a 2-1 count with no outs scored Torres, but Torres gave New York the lead before Cole held on.

3. It was only two games, but Anthony Rizzo has looked promising since being activated Sunday from the 60-day injured list following a fractured right forearm sustained in June. After making his debut Sunday, a 2-for-4 performance with an RBI in the Yankees’ 14-7 loss to the St. Louis Cardinals, he brought home a few more runs Monday.

Rizzo’s two-RBI double with one out and the bases loaded in the seventh inning turned a potential save situation into a five-run deficit. More importantly, it showed that Rizzo can be a factor that New York needs as the season heads into September and October.

4. The Yankees won the opening game for the third year in a row. Now, with the remaining games against a sub-.500 opponent, will they finally take charge and win their first series since August 24-26 against the Colorado Rockies?

With New York (80-58) half a game ahead of the Baltimore Orioles (80-59) for first place in the AL East, it’s time for the Yankees to build on their ace’s convincing performance and get serious as they dive deeper into a six-game road trip.

Who is the MVP?

Cole, who set the tone for the Yankees and flirted with double-digit strikeouts.

Highlights

What happens next?

The Yankees and Rangers continue their three-game series with a meeting on Tuesday at 8:05 p.m.

Left-handed Carlos Rodon (14-9, 4.31 ERA) and Andrew Heaney (4-13, 3.95 ERA) are scheduled to start.