Tampa — The New York Yankees turned a storm-delayed night into a thunderous display of power Tuesday in a 13-3 victory over the Tampa Bay Rays at George M. Steinbrenner Field.
The power display tied a franchise record and created a first-of-its-kind achievement in Major League Baseball.
Aaron Judge, Cody Bellinger and Giancarlo Stanton went back-to-back-to-back in the opening inning off Rays starter Shane Baz. Jose Caballero, Jazz Chisholm Jr. and Ben Rice added to the long-ball barrage, with Caballero, Bellinger and Stanton each hitting a pair of homers.
Yankees become first team with multiple nine-homer games
New York became the first team in MLB history to record multiple games with at least nine home runs in a single season. The Yankees previously hit nine homers in their March 29 matchup against the Milwaukee Brewers, making them the only franchise to accomplish this feat twice in one campaign.
“We hit nine? Wow,” Yankees manager Aaron Boone said after the game. “To do it twice, that’s remarkable. And there were some ones that were seriously hit, too. Just a really impressive offensive showing against a team that obviously is not always easy to score runs against.”
Only four teams in baseball history have hit nine or more home runs in a single game. The Yankees now account for half of those occurrences with their two performances this season.
The Yankees’ nine-homer output tied the single-game franchise record first set earlier this season in a 20-9 win over Milwaukee. Only four teams in MLB history have hit at least nine homers in a game: the 1987 Toronto Blue Jays (10), the 1999 Cincinnati Reds (nine), and the 2025 Yankees, who now account for two of those performances.
Judge reaches 40-homer milestone for fourth time
Aaron Judge launched his 40th home run of the season during the first-inning barrage, joining elite company in Yankees history. The captain’s 429-foot blast to center field made him just the fourth player in franchise history to reach 40 homers in four different seasons.
Judge now stands alongside Babe Ruth (11 seasons), Lou Gehrig (five seasons) and Mickey Mantle (four seasons) as the only Yankees to achieve this milestone. The achievement is particularly notable as Judge accomplished it within his first 10 major league seasons.
“We have a really good offense,” said Cody Bellinger, who had four hits and two home runs. “Ebbs and flows of the 162-game season, it’s not always going to be pretty. But we all believe in each other and you know the talent’s there.”
Back-to-back-to-back homers create rare company
The Yankees opened the game with consecutive first-inning home runs from Judge, Bellinger and Giancarlo Stanton against Rays starter Shane Baz. This marked the third time this season New York has hit three straight homers in the opening frame.
According to Stathead’s Katie Sharp, the Yankees joined the 2024 Los Angeles Dodgers and 1982 Milwaukee Brewers as the only teams to hit back-to-back-to-back home runs at least three times in the first in one season.
The previous two instances occurred March 29 against Milwaukee and April 29 against Baltimore. Judge participated in all three consecutive homer sequences, while Bellinger was involved in two of them.
Yankees manager Boone has been present for three of those contests. He managed both Yankees nine-homer games this year and hit one of the Reds’ nine homers in 1999.
Multiple players shine in record-tying performance
Six Yankees players contributed to the nine-homer total, with three recording multi-homer games. Cody Bellinger, Stanton and José Caballero each went deep twice, while Judge, Jazz Chisholm Jr. and Ben Rice added single home runs.
Caballero’s performance carried extra significance as he faced his former team for the first time since the Rays traded him to New York at the July 31 deadline. His ninth-inning solo shot officially tied the franchise record.
“That’s why they are the Bronx Bombers,” Caballero said.
Stanton continued his torrid pace with two more homers, extending his recent surge to 14 home runs in his last 33 games. His second blast was a three-run shot in the fourth inning.
Historical context and manager’s unique connection
Yankees manager Aaron Boone has now been involved in three of the four games in MLB history where a team hit at least nine home runs. He managed both of New York’s nine-homer games this season and hit one of nine homers for the Cincinnati Reds against Philadelphia on Sept. 4, 1999.
The Toronto Blue Jays hold the single-game MLB record with 10 home runs, set Sept. 14, 1987 against Baltimore.
“We got to pick it up,” Bellinger joked when told about the record.
Power surge continues Yankees’ record-breaking season
The Yankees will attempt to sweep the two-game series against Tampa Bay on Wednesday before returning home to face Boston in a four-game series starting Thursday. Their recent offensive surge has them positioned well with six wins in their last seven games.
New York leads the majors with 204 home runs this season, 17 more than the second-place Dodgers. The power display has been a constant throughout their campaign, with Tuesday’s performance serving as the latest example of their offensive capabilities.
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