NEW YORK — The New York Yankees unleashed their most complete performance of the season Wednesday afternoon, overpowering the Washington Nationals 11-2 at Yankee Stadium. The victory capped a three-game sweep and etched the franchise into the history books with four separate milestones.
The Bronx Bombers erupted for nine runs in a marathon third inning that stretched 41 minutes and sent 15 batters to the plate. Four balls left the yard in that frame alone, part of a day in which six different Yankees hit home runs. The display of power tied and set multiple Major League Baseball records while also securing their fourth straight win.
Historic power display marks Yankees franchise records
The offensive fireworks landed the Yankees in rare company. With 40 first-inning home runs this season, New York matched the franchise record for most leadoff blasts in a single campaign.
Wednesday also marked the third time in 2025 that six Yankees hitters cleared the fence in the same game. That feat has never been accomplished more than twice in one year by any team in baseball history, establishing a new MLB benchmark.
The lineup’s depth has also created a statistical echo of a golden era. For just the second time in Yankees history, three outfielders have reached at least 25 home runs in the same season. Aaron Judge, Trent Grisham and Cody Bellinger now share the accomplishment with the legendary 1941 trio of Joe DiMaggio, Tommy Henrich and Charlie Keller.
Most impressively, the Yankees became the first club in MLB history to record three innings in one season with four home runs or more. True to their Bronx Bombers nickname, this group has produced power in volumes that no other team has reached.
Third inning eruption demolishes Nationals pitching
The tone was set in the opening frame when Trent Grisham led off with a solo shot to right field, barely sneaking over the glove of Dylan Crews. The Yankees threatened to do more damage with the bases loaded and none out, but Washington starter Cade Cavalli escaped.
The reprieve did not last. Ben Rice began the third inning with a single, followed by Judge crushing a two-run homer 424 feet to dead center for his 41st of the year.
“Everybody was clicking,” Judge said. “It was pretty wild. We were all locked in.”
Bellinger followed immediately with a back-to-back blast, turning the contest into a rout. Jazz Chisholm drew a walk, swiped second base, and Jasson Dominguez ripped a ground-rule double into the gap.
Ryan McMahon then drilled a three-run homer, his second since joining the Yankees, forcing Cavalli out of the game. Two batters later, Rice connected again, belting his 22nd homer of the season. Dominguez finished the onslaught with an RBI infield single, giving the Yankees nine runs in the inning.
“It was a lot of fun,” Rice said. “We were enjoying ourselves. It was contagious.”
Austin Wells added to the highlight reel in the fourth inning, clubbing his 18th homer of the year to push the lead to double digits.
Fried dominates on the mound with stellar performance
The Yankees’ bats stole the spotlight, but Max Fried delivered a gem of his own. The veteran left-hander worked seven innings of one-run ball, striking out six and walking two. He retired the first 11 Nationals hitters before Jacob Young broke up the no-hit bid with a single in the sixth.
By the time Fried allowed his first hit, New York was already in cruise control with a 10-0 cushion.
“It’s a good problem to have, when it goes from 1-0 to 10-0,” Fried said. “There’s definitely worse things to happen.”
Fried kept his rhythm through the extended third inning by loosening up with light throws in the tunnel. The effort continued his recent turnaround, following an eight-start stretch of struggles earlier in the year.
Yankees build momentum with fourth straight victory
The rout sealed the Yankees’ fourth consecutive win and their ninth in 12 games. Coming off a rough weekend in Boston, where they dropped three of four to the Red Sox, New York steadied itself with a dominant sweep of Washington.
“That was a good performance coming off a tough weekend,” manager Aaron Boone said.
The Yankees (73-60) outscored the Nationals 26-8 in the series. Washington, which fell to 53-80, remains at the bottom of the National League East and continues to field one of the league’s weakest pitching staffs.
Judge’s resurgence may prove most meaningful as September approaches. After batting just .200 in 19 games since returning from a flexor strain, he flashed signs of breaking free with a home run and single in the same inning Wednesday.
The offensive surge offered a reminder of the Yankees’ ceiling. Six different players homered, highlighting the depth of a roster built around power. For a team fighting for playoff positioning, the timing of this outburst could provide the momentum needed to carry into the stretch run.
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