Aaron Judge hit his 44th home run of the season, leading the New York Yankees to a 3-0 victory over the Detroit Tigers on Friday night. Gerrit Cole recorded eight strikeouts over six innings for the Yankees. Oswald Peraza also homered in his season debut for New York, who now hold a 4-0 record against Detroit and have won their third consecutive game.

The game saw the major league debuts of Tigers’ top prospects Jace Jung and Trey Sweeney, with both players starting at third base and shortstop, respectively. This marked the first time since 1977 that Detroit debuted two infielders on the same day. Cole, with a 4-2 record, allowed four hits and two walks, with the Yankees’ bullpen closing out the game to secure the win.

The Yankees took an early 1-0 lead on Alex Verdugo’s sacrifice fly in the first inning off Tigers’ opener Beau Brieske. Peraza, who started the season on the injured list, made a significant impact with a solo home run in the fifth inning. Despite a scoring opportunity for the Tigers in the sixth, Cole shut them down with a crucial strikeout.

In the seventh, Trey Sweeney earned his first major league hit with an infield single. However, a fielding error by Anthony Volpe allowed the Tigers to advance to third base, but they failed to capitalize on the opportunity. In terms of player injuries, Yankees’ C Jose Trevino returned to the lineup after a long absence due to a left quadriceps strain.

The series between the Yankees and Tigers will continue at Comerica Park before moving to Williamsport, Pennsylvania, for the Little League Classic on Sunday. The upcoming match will feature LHP Carlos Rodón for the Yankees against Tigers rookie RHP Keider Montero.