New York Yankees 13-3 Tampa Bay Rays
TAMPA, Fla. — The New York Yankees transformed George M. Steinbrenner Field into their personal home run derby Tuesday night, launching nine long balls to tie a franchise milestone while crushing the Tampa Bay Rays 13-3 in a weather-delayed showcase of pure offensive dominance.
Aaron Judge, Giancarlo Stanton, and Cody Bellinger delivered consecutive blasts in the opening frame, staking New York to a quick 3-0 advantage just four hitters into the contest. The explosive start ignited a merciless attack that never slowed.
The performance marked New York’s third consecutive-homer sequence to start a game this season, establishing an unprecedented MLB record. The Bronx Bombers previously accomplished this rare feat March 29 and April 29.
Judge joins Yankees elite with 40th homer
Aaron Judge’s mammoth 429-foot drive to center field in the first inning represented his 40th home run of the campaign, elevating him to fourth place among Yankees legends with multiple 40-homer seasons. The captain now stands alongside Babe Ruth (11), Lou Gehrig (5), and Mickey Mantle (4) in franchise lore. Judge reached 40 homers previously in 2017 (52), 2022 (62), and 2024 (58).
The Yankees superstar finished 2-for-4 with two RBI while maintaining his MVP-level production throughout another dominant season.
Bellinger, Stanton provide additional thunder
Cody Bellinger remained scorching hot, collecting 4-for-5 with two homers and three RBI. Giancarlo Stanton matched his teammate’s two-homer output, each traveling beyond 380 feet, as he snapped out of recent struggles to power the Yankees’ fourth straight triumph.
Jazz Chisholm Jr. and Ben Rice contributed solo shots, completing a memorable evening that displayed New York’s offensive depth from top to bottom.
Rodón delivers quality start
Beyond the offensive fireworks, Carlos Rodón (13-7) controlled the mound with precision. The southpaw lasted six solid innings, surrendering two runs while fanning five batters. Rodón navigated the rain delay effectively, posting a 3-1 record across his previous four outings.
Baz struggles through difficult outing
Shane Baz (8–10) endured a nightmare performance for Tampa Bay, surrendering six runs and five homers in only three innings of work. The Yankees attacked him relentlessly from the start. Baz has allowed 29 earned runs across his past 28 innings spanning six starts, inflating his ERA to 9.32 during that troublesome span.
Temporary home provides Bronx atmosphere
With Tropicana Field requiring ongoing repairs, the Rays continue using the Yankees’ spring training facility as their temporary venue, where 10,046 spectators watched a performance echoing classic Yankee Stadium blowouts.
New York previously launched nine home runs this season during their March 29 demolition of Milwaukee at Yankee Stadium, winning 20-9. This marks only the second time in franchise history they’ve achieved nine homers twice within one campaign.
Key moment & stat
The Judge-Bellinger-Stanton sequence in the first inning transcended mere runs scored. It immediately deflated the Rays and established historical precedent. No MLB franchise had ever produced back-to-back-to-back first-inning homers three times during a single season before the Yankees accomplished it.
Judge’s 40th homer solidifies his position among Yankees royalty while cementing his role as the franchise cornerstone. The milestone represents his third consecutive 40-homer campaign.
Yankees roster
| hitters | AB | R | H | RBI | HR | BB | K | AVG | OBP | SLG |
| T. Grisham CF | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0.245 | 0.35 | 0.446 |
| A. Rosario RF | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.282 | 0.319 | 0.442 |
| A. Judge DH | 5 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0.333 | 0.447 | 0.691 |
| C. Bellinger LF-RF-CF | 5 | 3 | 4 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0.272 | 0.325 | 0.5 |
| G. Stanton RF | 3 | 2 | 2 | 4 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0.306 | 0.386 | 0.619 |
| J. Dominguez LF | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.256 | 0.33 | 0.386 |
| B. Rice C | 4 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 0.239 | 0.335 | 0.476 |
| P. Goldschmidt 1B | 5 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0.279 | 0.333 | 0.426 |
| J. Chisholm Jr. 2B | 5 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0.238 | 0.334 | 0.476 |
| A. Volpe SS | 5 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0.214 | 0.282 | 0.413 |
| J. Caballero 3B | 4 | 2 | 2 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0.237 | 0.337 | 0.342 |
| pitchers | IP | H | R | ER | BB | K | HR | PC-ST | ERA |
| C. Rodon(W, 13-7) | 6 | 5 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 5 | 0 | 102-64 | 3.24 |
| M. Leiter Jr. | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 13-7 | 4.08 |
| Y. De los Santos | 1 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 27-16 | 2.56 |
| T. Hill | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 13-9 | 2.93 |
Up next
The Yankees pursue their fifth consecutive victory as rookie right-hander Cam Schlittler (1–2, 3.94 ERA) takes the ball Wednesday evening. He’ll face Rays right-hander Drew Rasmussen (10-5, 2.60 ERA) in the series’ second game.
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