Cam Schlittler shines again and Aaron Judge hits 12th homer as Yankees beat Rangers 3-2

ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) — Cam Schlittler struck out eight over six scoreless innings in a duel with Texas ace Jacob deGrom, Aaron Judge homered in his third consecutive game and the New York Yankees held on for a 3-2 win over the Rangers on Tuesday night.

Judge scored from first base on Cody Bellinger’s first-inning double and Austin Wells had a solo homer in the seventh as the Yankees won for the 10th time in 11 games and secured consecutive series victories in Texas by winning the first two against the Rangers after taking two of three in Houston.

Judge's shot leading off the ninth was his 12th, tying him with Munetaka Murakami of the Chicago White Sox for the major lead lead. It also was the difference in the game.

Yankees closer David Bednar gave up a run-scoring triple to Danny Jansen and an RBI single to Josh Jung after the ninth started with third baseman Ryan McMahon's throwing error. But then Bednar got Cory Seager to ground into a game-ending double play for his ninth save this season and second of the series.

Four of the first seven outs were strikeouts for Schlitter (4-1), and the other three were standout plays behind the right-hander.

New York reliever Fernando Cruz made a sliding stop of Joc Pederson's attempted sacrifice bunt with two on and nodody out in the eighth, and his bounced throw as the right-hander was falling on his back just beat a sliding Jung at third.

Cruz then struck out Jake Burger and pinch-hitter Ezequiel Duran — while throwing seven consecutive strikes — to end the inning.

Schlittler, who gave up three hits with a walk, allowed one or fewer earned runs for the fifth time in seven starts and lowered his ERA to 1.51. The 25-year-old has 49 strikeouts and five walks.

Judge singled with two outs in the first against deGrom (2-1), who allowed three hits and one run with five strikeouts in six innings. Bellinger's liner hit near the top of the wall in right, and Judge slid across home plate just as the relay throw was arriving.

The Yankees have a shot at an 8-1 trip with RHP Elmer Rodríguez set for his major league debut Wednesday against Rangers RHP Nathan Eovaldi (2-4, 5.79 ERA), a 15-year veteran.

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New York Yankees third baseman Ryan McMahon (19) keeps his foot on the bag as he catches the throw on a close play at third where Texas Rangers' Josh Jung, front, was called out on the play in the eighth inning of a baseball game Tuesday, April 28, 2026, in Arlington, Texas. (AP Photo/Tony Gutierrez)

Texas Rangers' Josh Smith (8) walks to the dugout after striking out in the fifth inning of a baseball game against the New York Yankees Tuesday, April 28, 2026, in Arlington, Texas. (AP Photo/Tony Gutierrez)

New York Yankees' Aaron Judge rounds the bases after hitting a solo home run off of Texas Rangers relief pitcher Cole Winn in the ninth inning of a baseball game Tuesday, April 28, 2026, in Arlington, Texas. (AP Photo/Tony Gutierrez)

New York Yankees pitcher Cam Schlittler throws to the Texas Rangers in the fourth inning of a baseball game Tuesday, April 28, 2026, in Arlington, Texas. (AP Photo/Tony Gutierrez)

An Afghanistan women's refugee team has been granted eligibility for international competitions, some five years after national team players fled their country's Taliban rule.

The FIFA Council, meeting in Vancouver, British Columbia, agreed on Tuesday to amend its regulations to recognize the refugee team, which plays under the name Afghan Women United.

While it is too late for the refugee team to try to qualify for the 2027 Women's World Cup in Brazil, it could participate in qualification for the 2028 Olympics in Los Angeles.

“We are proud of the beautiful journey initiated by Afghan Women United, and with this initiative we aim to enable them, as well as other FIFA member associations that may not be able to register a national or representative team for a FIFA competition, to make the next step, in coordination with the relevant confederation,” FIFA President Gianni Infantino said in a statement.

The first move toward recognition came last October, when the Afghan refugees played in a tournament that included Chad, Libya and Tunisia in Morocco. That event followed years of lobbying on the team's behalf by players, former captain and activist Khalida Popal and human rights groups.

“For five years, we were told the Afghanistan women’s national team could never compete again because the men who took our country would not allow it,” Popal said in a statement. “I am extremely proud of this decision by FIFA and glad that our collective advocacy has not only changed the future for Afghan women but also ensured that no other national team has to sacrifice what our players did."

There are more than 80 Afghan refugee players scattered across Australia, the United States and Europe. Two camps were recently held for the women, one in England and another in Australia.

The team, coached by Pauline Hamill, is expected to play a pair of exhibitions during the upcoming June international window against opponents to be determined.

“For the last few years, we have played under many names — as refugees, as Afghan Women United, and as guests of other clubs — but in our hearts, we were always the national team," Australia-based player Nazia Ali said. "To hopefully be able to wear our flag again officially is a feeling I cannot describe.”

The Afghan women’s team played its last competitive match in 2018. The Taliban, an Islamic fundamentalist group, shut down all women's sports when it returned to power in 2021. The players fled Afghanistan, fearing persecution.

Even before the demise of the team, the Afghan soccer federation was under investigation for misconduct involving the women’s program, including allegations of rape and physical abuse. Keramuddin Keram, the federation president, was banned for life by FIFA.

Discrimination is not allowed under FIFA regulations, but the Afghan federation hasn’t been suspended from international soccer despite failing to acknowledge the women’s team.

“FIFA has finally done the right thing by closing the loophole that allowed the Taliban’s discriminatory policies to be enforced on the global stage,” said Minky Worden, director of global initiatives for Human Rights Watch. “FIFA’s action should serve as a model for how international sports bodies should respond when athletes are systemically excluded because of their gender, ethnicity or beliefs.”

AP soccer: https://apnews.com/hub/soccer

FILE - Members of Afghan Women United soccer team celebrate after scoring a goal against Chad, in their first international tournament since fleeing their country, in Casablanca, Morocco, on Oct. 26, 2025. (AP Photo/Mosa'ab Elshamy, File)