The traditional power-hitting narrative took a backseat as the New York Yankees demonstrated offensive versatility in Friday’s 9-4 victory over the Pittsburgh Pirates. While the Bronx Bombers moniker typically conjures images of towering home runs, it was persistent production from unlikely heroes that sank Pittsburgh’s home opener at PNC Park.
New York improved to 5-2 this season by methodically dismantling the Pirates through consistent contact and extended rallies, leaving Pittsburgh fans audibly disheartened throughout the afternoon. The Yankees’ bottom four hitters – Anthony Volpe, Trent Grisham, Jasson Domínguez, and Oswaldo Cabrera – assembled a clinical 9-for-15 performance with three walks, two hit-by-pitches, five runs scored and seven RBIs.
“I thought the pressure from everyone all day was excellent,” said manager Aaron Boone. “That’s what those guys are capable of.”
Cabrera, Dominguez lead offensive charge
NYY
Oswaldo Cabrera emerged as the day’s standout performer, going 3-for-4 with a walk and four RBIs. The versatile utility man initiated scoring with a timely two-run single in the second inning before adding run-producing hits in both the third and fourth frames.
Domínguez contributed a crucial two-out RBI single during the third inning that extended New York’s lead to 3-0, benefiting from defensive miscues that prompted vocal “sell the team” chants from the announced crowd of 36,893 at PNC Park.
“All the lineup, up and down, everybody’s trying to lock in and do their job,” Cabrera said. “Have to just keep rolling.”
Volpe added his own RBI single in a fourth-inning outburst as the Yankees batted around, piling three additional runs onto their lead. With two outs, six consecutive Yankees reached base – epitomizing a team that has already accumulated 69 runs and 23 home runs through just seven contests.
“I think it’s a way we can do it [without homering],” Boone said. “You see the athleticism showing up now, I feel like that’s in play for us. And just overall, hopefully a little more deep throughout the lineup and more balanced throughout the lineup. These guys are really putting together a lot of quality at-bats and making it tough on the opponent.”
Judge celebrates milestone with blast
Yankees
While the small-ball approach dominated early innings, Aaron Judge ensured power remained part of the equation. Commemorating his 1,000th career game, the Yankees’ captain launched a seventh-inning two-run shot off lefty Tim Mayza – marking his sixth homer in seven games this year.
Judge emphasized that lineup depth was the team’s greatest strength. He noted that even batters in the ninth position could deliver home runs or extend at-bats to seven or eight pitches before driving the ball into the gaps. The Yankees captain explained that this comprehensive depth forces opposing pitchers to face a complete lineup without easy outs, adding that with talents like Goldschmidt, Wells, and Volpe positioned throughout the batting order, opposing pitching staffs face relentless pressure throughout games.
“Just the depth, I think that’s the biggest thing,” the Yankees captain said. “You got guys all the way down in our 9-hole that can leave the park on you or give you a seven-, eight-pitch at-bat and then drill the ball in the gap. So just having the depth to where it’s not just a couple guys in the lineup you gotta worry about. You get down there, and you got Goldy [Paul Goldschmidt] and [Austin] Wells and Volpe hiding out in the middle of the lineup. It makes for a long night for the pitching staff.”
Judge’s torrid start has him pacing MLB in home runs with a mathematically unsustainable but nonetheless impressive 139-homer pace – a statistical curiosity that underscores his remarkable early-season form.
Fried notches first Yankees victory
AP Photo/Gene J. Puskar
Max Fried delivered a considerably improved second start in Yankees pinstripes, bouncing back from a brief outing in a high-scoring affair against Milwaukee. The southpaw worked 5⅔ innings while surrendering just one run – a solo homer to Bryan Reynolds – while striking out six to secure his first win with New York.
“Just felt like it was a little bit more of my game,” Fried said. “I was able to execute some pitches. I felt like the fastball was down and it was really good today. When I’m throwing that fastball in, it just opens up everything else.”
The performance represented Fried’s inaugural victory as a Yankee, supported by a more conventional yet still substantial run production.
Early-Season Momentum Building
With offensive firepower complemented by stabilizing rotation performances, the Yankees have established themselves as early frontrunners in the American League race. While Judge, Goldschmidt, Wells, and Volpe provide established production in the heart of the order, Friday’s storyline centered on unexpected contributions from the lineup’s lower third.
This versatility – both offensively and defensively – could prove decisive as the 2025 campaign unfolds.
