Yankees 10-3 Rockies: Judge’s 51st HR caps triumph in New York
Esteban Quiñones
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New York Yankees 10-3 Colorado Rockies
Aaron Judge’s 51st home run of the season punctuated a thrilling day at Yankee Stadium, where the New York Yankees surged to a 10-3 victory over the Colorado Rockies on Sunday. The game saw New York’s top players shine, with a decisive sequence of back-to-back-to-back home runs in the seventh inning securing the win.
Early Rockies threat
The day began with a bit of a scare for the Yankees, as the Rockies jumped out to an early lead in the first inning. A throwing error by third baseman Jazz Chisholm Jr. on a grounder by Ezequiel Tovar allowed Charlie Blackmon to reach third base, setting the stage for Brenton Doyle to bring him home with a fielder’s choice. The early mistake put New York on its heels, but any thoughts of a Rockies upset were quickly dashed.
In the bottom half of the frame, after a leadoff walk by Gleyber Torres, Aaron Judge stepped up and launched an absolute moonshot to center field off Austin Gomber, marking his 50th home run of the season and giving the Yankees a 2-1 lead. Yankee Stadium erupted as Judge trotted around the bases, and the momentum shifted firmly in New York’s favor. With that shot, Judge became just the fifth player in MLB history to achieve three 50-homer seasons, joining the likes of Babe Ruth and Alex Rodriguez.
Yankees pull ahead
The Yankees tacked on another run against Gomber with a two-out rally in the second inning. Alex Verdugo and DJ LeMahieu notched consecutive singles, and Torres followed with an RBI single to extend the lead to 3-1. Juan Soto then added a single of his own, allowing LeMahieu to cross home plate, giving the Yankees a 4-1 advantage. The Bronx Bombers seemed to be in control, but Colorado refused to go quietly.
In the fourth inning, Rockies rookie catcher Drew Romo narrowed the gap with an RBI single, making it 4-2. Yankees starter Marcus Stroman, who had been solid up to that point, managed to limit the damage, but the Rockies kept chipping away. In the fifth, Doyle walked and later scored on a double by Ryan McMahon, pulling Colorado within a run at 4-3.
Power display in the seventh
As the tension mounted, the Yankees’ bullpen took the reins in the sixth inning. Tommy Kahnle came in for Stroman, and while he flirted with danger, he managed to keep the Rockies off the board. Gomber completed his six innings, and Jake Cousins took over for Kahnle, preserving the Yankees’ slim lead into the seventh inning.
That’s when the Yankees delivered one of the most thrilling moments of the season. With one out and Jeff Criswell on the mound for Colorado, Soto ignited the fireworks with a solo home run, his 37th of the season, sending a rocket into right-center field to extend New York’s lead to 5-3.
The crowd was still buzzing when Judge stepped up next, and the captain didn’t disappoint. Judge crushed his second homer of the game, a towering blast to right-center that marked his 51st of the year, sending the fans into a frenzy. Not to be outdone, Giancarlo Stanton followed suit, launching a third consecutive home run to center field—his 23rd of the season—completing a stunning back-to-back-to-back homer barrage that left the Rockies reeling and gave the Yankees a commanding 7-3 lead.
This spirit-lifting sequence brought back memories of the Yankees’ last back-to-back-to-back feat on September 17, 2020, against the Toronto Blue Jays.
The Yankees added even more insurance in the eighth inning. Verdugo led off with a single and moved to third on a base hit by LeMahieu. With runners on the corners and no outs, Torres delivered the final blow to the Rockies, launching a three-run homer down the left-field line. Torres’ 11th home run of the season barely cleared the wall, but it was enough to extend New York’s lead to 10-3, putting the game out of reach for Colorado.
Roster
Up next
Next up, the Yankees head to Nationals Park to face the Washington Nationals tomorrow. Nestor Cortes will take the mound for New York, with first pitch scheduled for 6:45 p.m. ET.
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- Categories: aaron judge, Giancarlo Stanton, Juan Soto, New York Yankees
- Tags: aaron judge, Giancarlo Stanton, Juan Soto, New York Yankees