NEW YORK — Gleyber Torres hit his 100th career home run and got on base five times. Anthony Rizzo also hit a two-run home run, and the New York Yankees beat the Philadelphia Phillies 8-1 on Monday night.
Philadelphia, which won the NL last year, is 0-4 for the first time since 2016. The 2021 Atlanta Braves were the only team to win the World Series after an 0-4 start.
Since 1934, Philadelphia has been off to a 0-5 start.
The Yankees have hit nine home runs in their first four games at Yankee Stadium. This is the first time since 2011 that they have hit more than one home run in each of their first four games.
“I feel like they’re kind of feeding off each other right now,” New York manager Aaron Boone said. “Just the quality of at-bat, up and down (the lineup) and that was the case again tonight.”
In his first game of the season, Nestor Cortes (1-0) gave up one run on seven hits and made a key defensive play. A pulled right hamstring messed up the All-spring Star’s training and kept him from playing in the World Baseball Classic.
Since the start of last season, Cortes has given up one run or less 16 times.
In the fifth inning, with the Yankees ahead 3-1, J.T. Realmuto hit a single to right, and the throw to the plate by Franchy Cordero went over catcher Jose Trevino. Cortes stopped the play, caught Cordero’s throw, and sent it to third baseman DJ LeMahieu, who tagged Brandon Marsh on the back. Cortes yelled and gave a slight fist pump.
“I knew there was going to potentially be a play at the plate and with Realmuto rounding first I had to be back there just in case,” Cortes said. “Luckily I was.”
Cordero started for the Yankees for the first time and hit a two-run double in a five-run fifth. In the same inning, Trevino’s RBI single made it 10 for New York at the plate.
“I think it’s contagious for sure,” Rizzo said of the offense.
Taijuan Walker (0-1) made his first start for the Phillies after signing a $72 million, four-year contract. In 4 1/3 innings, he gave up four runs and four hits.
The reigning NL champions have lost 37-12, but Edmundo Sosa had a single that drove in a run, and Alec Bohm had three hits.
In the first, New York had a 2-0 lead.
LeMahieu started the game with a triple to center, which Marsh tried to catch but missed. Giancarlo Stanton hit a grounder that scored a run, and Torres hit a single into the infield.
Torres took three walks and hit a home run in the third. It was the first time he reached five times, and it was the fourth time he walked three times.
“Just really focused quality at-bats by Gleyber and been right in the middle of a lot of things for us,” Boone said.
In the fifth inning, Rizzo hit a drive to the second deck in right that Yunior Marte just kept fair. After Stanton and Torres were given free passes by Marte, Cordero hit a double to right for a 7-1 lead, and Trevino hit a single to center.
After a rough first start, Clay Holmes pitched a scoreless ninth in which he gave up one hit and struck out two batters.
UP NEXT
On Tuesday, Domingo Germán of New York will face off against Matt Strahm of Philadelphia.
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