NEW YORK — A remarkable sequence unfolded at Yankee Stadium as home runs flew off the bats with astonishing speed. On three consecutive first pitches, Aaron Judge, Paul Goldschmidt, and Cody Bellinger launched homers, setting the stage for one of Judge’s most memorable career performances.
“The atmosphere was electric, both in the stands and in our dugout,” Judge said after hitting three bombs, including a grand slam, and notching a career-high eight RBIs during the New York Yankees’ emphatic 20-9 triumph over the Milwaukee Brewers.
According to Major League Baseball, this feat marked the first instance where a team homered on its first three pitches since pitch count tracking began in 1988. Yankees manager Aaron Boone had a chance encounter before the game with Reggie Jackson, known for his three-home-run performance in the 1977 World Series. “Perhaps it was that magic,” Boone speculated.
The Yankees achieved a franchise-record nine home runs, matching the feat of the 1999 Cincinnati Reds against Philadelphia and coming close to the major league record set by Toronto in 1987. Interestingly, one of the homers by the Reds that day was hit by Boone himself.
On this surprisingly warm 78-degree afternoon, Austin Wells, Anthony Volpe, Jazz Chisholm Jr., and Oswald Peraza also contributed homers. “It was such a bizarre, crazy game,” Boone remarked.
Nestor Cortes, a former Yankee traded to the Brewers last December, yielded five of these homers, including four in the initial inning. Cortes left without any media interaction due to what the Brewers explained as a miscommunication. “I feel for him, he’s a tremendous young talent and a great teammate,” Brewers manager Pat Murphy expressed.
Wells hit a home run in the Yankees’ four-run opening inning, a first in team history. Volpe’s three-run shot in the second widened the lead to 7-3, and Judge’s ninth career slam extended the margin significantly to 12-3 in the third against Connor Thomas.
Back-to-back homers from Chisholm followed, allowing the Yankees to become the first team to hit seven homers within the initial three innings. Judge added another two-run homer against Thomas, who made his major league debut that day.
Judge nearly joined an elite club of only 18 players to hit four homers in a single game, but settled for an RBI double in the sixth and flew out to deep left in the eighth against a former teammate. Bauers, typically an outfielder and first baseman, was pitching for mop-up duty and humorously warned Judge of his intentions to hit him with a pitch. Judge couldn’t help but smile at the interaction.
Batting first time in his 15-year MLB career, Goldschmidt launched a fastball deep into the Brewers’ bullpen area, while Wells started the series opener with a homer from the top of the lineup. After returning to the dugout, Goldschmidt witnessed Bellinger’s homer clear right-field bleachers.
“In the moment of excitement, you have to pause and take a breath before stepping up to the plate,” Judge reflected on his first monumental 468-foot homer.
While savoring his 40th career multihomer game, Judge emphasized not getting carried away with a single victory, especially considering last year’s World Series disappointment against the Los Angeles Dodgers. He acknowledged Yankee mistakes, including sloppy plays leading to errors and an increased pitch count for Max Fried, impacting Fried’s potential win in his debut.
“We are driven,” Judge affirmed. “Last year’s result left many frustrated, myself included. Our preparation for a new mission begins now.”