New York Yankees 9- 7 Arizona Diamondbacks
The Bronx was buzzing Thursday night as Aaron Judge put on a show in front of a roaring Yankee Stadium crowd, powering the New York Yankees to a thrilling 9-7 victory over the Arizona Diamondbacks. Judge’s three-hit, four-RBI performance, including a milestone home run, fueled a much-needed offensive explosion for the Yankees, who had been striking out at an alarming rate in the first two games of the series.
After being shut down for 17 straight innings, New York’s bats woke up in emphatic fashion, going deep three times and chasing Arizona starter Merrill Kelly early. Judge’s fifth homer of the young season wasn’t just any blast—it was his 500th career extra-base hit, placing him third-fastest in franchise history to reach that milestone behind only legends Joe DiMaggio and Lou Gehrig.
Judge’s early-season pace stays on
Coming into Thursday’s contest, Judge was already swinging a hot bat after a rejig and showed no signs of cooling off. In the first inning, he launched a towering three-run homer—his fifth of the year—that gave the Yankees an early 3-0 lead. It wasn’t just another round-tripper. It marked Judge’s 500th extra-base hit, achieved in just 999 games, a feat only bested in Yankees history by Joe DiMaggio (853 games) and Lou Gehrig (869).
Judge wasn’t done. He added an RBI single in the fourth, falling just a triple shy of the cycle, and is now hitting a scorching .417 with five home runs and 15 RBIs on the season. His offensive surge couldn’t come at a better time for the Yankees, who are navigating the absence of Juan Soto and an injury-hampered Giancarlo Stanton.
Grisham, Chisholm join Yankees’ party
While Judge led the offensive charge, Trent Grisham made a strong case for more playing time. After driving in a first-inning run with a double, he came back in the third and drilled a two-run homer (354 feet) off a 91 mph fastball, giving the Yankees a 6-1 cushion. Grisham’s breakout night helped balance a lineup that’s been inconsistent in the early weeks of the season.
Honig his torpedo bat skills, Jazz Chisholm added a two-run homer in the fourth. A former Arizona prospect, the infielder is on a rampage this season, and his OPS stands at 1.162.
Carrasco shines in Yankees debut
Making his first start as a Yankee, Carlos Carrasco showed flashes of vintage form. The 38-year-old right-hander allowed just three runs over 5.1 innings, giving up five hits and striking out five. He started 17 of 22 batters with strikes, commanding the game early and escaping trouble in the fourth after Arizona briefly rallied.
Carrasco’s outing was a major step up from his relief appearance over the weekend, where he struggled in two innings. His performance on Thursday earned him his first win as a Yankee and provided a stabilizing presence for a rotation still without ace Gerrit Cole.
Bullpen drama and redemption
The Yankees bullpen had to navigate choppy waters late in the game, particularly in the seventh inning. Ryan Yarbrough walked into a nightmare situation, loading the bases with no outs and then surrendering a grand slam to Geraldo Perdomo, which trimmed the Yankees’ lead from six to just two runs.
This was deja vu for Yarbrough, who had also given up a grand slam earlier in the series. Manager Aaron Boone wasted no time making the switch, bringing in Mark Leiter Jr., who struck out Lourdes Gurriel Jr. to end the inning and prevent further damage.
Luke Weaver followed with a dominant four-out save, retiring all four batters he faced and striking out one in a flawless outing.
Boone shakes up the lineup
Aaron Boone opted for a lineup refresh, slotting Judge at designated hitter, Grisham in center, and Cody Bellinger in right field. The changes extended to the infield and behind the plate. Ben Rice led off and played first base, while J.C. Escarra made his MLB debut as the starting catcher.
Escarra, a 29-year-old rookie, made his presence felt with a two-out double in the seventh for his first career hit. While the Yankees missed a golden opportunity to tack on more runs when Rice struck out with the bases loaded, Escarra’s debut provided a feel-good moment in a tense game.
A needed win after two frustrating losses
After striking out 30 times combined in the first two games of the series, the Yankees showed a much more disciplined approach at the plate on Thursday, whiffing only seven times. They were 3-for-9 with runners in scoring position and left eight men on base—room for improvement, but a massive step forward from earlier performances in the series.
The victory brings the Yankees’ record to 5-2 on the young season, as they continue to battle through injuries and lineup adjustments. The Arizona Diamondbacks, who had entered Thursday riding momentum after back-to-back wins, fell short in their comeback bid despite the late grand slam.
With Aaron Judge swinging like an early MVP candidate and the offense showing signs of life, the New York Yankees are hoping Thursday night was the start of a longer-term turnaround. Manager Aaron Boone will have decisions to make—particularly in the bullpen—but the team is proving it can hang tough even with some of its top stars on the shelf.
As for Judge, his milestone night only adds to his growing legend in pinstripes. The Yankees will look to build on this hard-fought win as they continue their homestand against another NL West opponent this weekend.
Yankees roster
| Hitter | AB | R | H | RBI | HR | BB | K | AVG | OBP | SLG |
| B. Rice1B | 3 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 0.375 | 0.474 | 0.875 |
| O. Peraza3B | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.5 | 0.5 | 2 |
| C. BellingerRF | 4 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 0.238 | 0.296 | 0.381 |
| A. JudgeDH | 5 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0.417 | 0.481 | 1.167 |
| J. Chisholm Jr.2B | 4 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0.292 | 0.37 | 0.792 |
| J. DominguezLF | 5 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0.25 | 0.348 | 0.45 |
| A. VolpeSS | 4 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0.208 | 0.269 | 0.708 |
| T. GrishamCF | 4 | 1 | 3 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0.5 | 0.583 | 0.9 |
| J.C. EscarraC | 4 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.167 | 0.167 | 0.333 |
| O. Cabrera3B | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0.2 | 0.25 | 0.2 |
| Paul GoldschmidtPH-1B | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0.25 | 0.348 | 0.45 |
| team | 36 | 9 | 12 | 9 | 3 | 5 | 7 | |||
| Pitchers | IP | H | R | ER | BB | K | HR | PC-ST | ERA | |
| C. Carrasco(W, 1-0) | 5.1 | 5 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 5 | 0 | 82-55 | 7.36 | |
| A. Ottavino | 0.2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 14-Jul | 0 | |
| R. Yarbrough | 0.2 | 2 | 4 | 4 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 24-Dec | 21.6 | |
| M. Leiter Jr.(H, 2) | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 12-Sep | 8.1 | |
| L. Weaver(S, 1) | 1.1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 19-15 | 0 | |
| team | 9 | 8 | 7 | 7 | 5 | 9 | 1 | 151-98 |
Final score:
New York Yankees 9, Arizona Diamondbacks 7
Judge: 3-for-4, HR, 4 RBI | Grisham: 2-for-4, HR, 3 RBI | Carrasco: 5.1 IP, 3 ER, 5 K
Stay tuned as the Bronx Bombers look to keep the bats hot and climb the standings early in this 2025 campaign.
Up next
The Yankees will start their first road trip of the 2025 season against the Pittsburgh Pirates. Max Fried will start in the first game of the three-game series.
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