Yankees revisit 29th rising, torch Orioles to remake history

The Yankees routed the Orioles 15-3, riding on an extraordinary six-homer assault, including three straight home runs to start and replicating their March 29 feat.

The New York Yankees unleashed an offensive barrage rarely seen even in their storied franchise history, clubbing the Baltimore Orioles 15-3 Tuesday night at Camden Yards. The display repeated a rare feat they first pulled off just 31 days ago. The Yankees opened the game with three straight home runs — again — becoming the first team in Major League Baseball history to do it twice in the same season.

The offensive explosion showcased the talents of budding standout Ben Rice, team leader Aaron Judge, and table-setter Trent Grisham, who collectively spearheaded a performance that etched another chapter in baseball’s record books.

Lightning struck twice for the Bronx Bombers this season. For the second time in barely a month, the Yankees launched three consecutive home runs to begin a game — becoming the first franchise in Major League Baseball history to achieve this remarkable feat twice within a single campaign. The previous instance on March 29 featured Judge, Cody Bellinger, and Paul Goldschmidt connecting in sequence. Tuesday night presented a different trio as Grisham, Judge, and Rice blasted their way into baseball lore.

This was the 11th such instance in MLB when a team began its first innings with three or more home runs

A Yankees home run parade — again

Baltimore starter Kyle Gibson encountered a nightmare from his opening delivery. Within his first five pitches, the veteran right-hander surrendered three consecutive home runs to Grisham, Judge, and Rice. Bellinger added insult to injury moments later with a towering drive of his own.

Grisham initiated the onslaught by sending Gibson’s second offering 412 feet onto Eutaw Street, registering his eighth homer this season. Judge followed immediately with an opposite-field 364-foot shot on the subsequent pitch, reclaiming team leadership with his ninth. Rice, making just his second appearance in the third slot, fouled off a breaking ball before depositing a changeup beyond the right-field barrier for 378 feet and for his seventh long ball.

“It takes a little weight off everybody’s shoulder once Grish goes out there and does that,” Judge said. “You can kind of fade off after the first inning when you score five, [thinking] the game’s set. But this team kept the pedal to the metal.”

Cody Bellinger, who comes fifth, slammed a 403-foot blast.

Two frames later, Rice connected again with a solo 389-foot blast in the second inning, extending New York’s advantage to 6-0. By this juncture, the contest had already tilted decisively in the Yankees‘ favor. Austin Wells joined the party in the ninth with a 386-foot home run.

Rice rises again

With his two-homer performance, Ben Rice continued his remarkable early-season emergence, demonstrating why he’s rapidly becoming a cornerstone in the heart of New York’s batting order.

“It just shows we got a lot of depth in the lineup,” Rice remarked afterward. “I know Judgey was part of the first one [earlier in the season], but it was different guys this time. We’ve got a lot of different guys that can do it.”

Rice concluded the evening 3-for-5 with four RBIs and two round-trippers, elevating his season homer count to eight. For a former 29th-round selection from Dartmouth just several seasons ago, his ascension — both metaphorically and literally — is capturing attention throughout baseball circles.

Offensive avalanche buries Orioles

When the final out was recorded, the Yankees had accumulated 19 hits — their highest single-game total this year — and scored in six separate innings. Every member of the starting lineup reached base safely at least once. Gibson absorbed punishing damage: nine runs on 11 hits and two walks before departing with two outs in the fourth.

“Just a great job by everyone putting together a big night,” manager Aaron Boone said.

Make it back-to-back-to-back 💥

Ben Rice Blast 🍚 pic.twitter.com/QiRbMvSxlv

— New York Yankees (@Yankees) April 29, 2025

Goldschmidt (2-for-5, two RBIs), Bellinger (2-for-4, two walks), and Peraza (three RBIs in relief duty) all delivered significant contributions. Even Austin Wells, who remained hitless through eight innings, joined the home run procession with a two-out blast in the ninth.

“It was fun. I’m happy [Grisham] gave us the lead and we were tied for a second,” Judge joked. “But I had to take that back.”

Rodon flirts with near-perfection

Overshadowed by the offensive fireworks was another stellar performance from Carlos Rodón. The southpaw carried a perfect game into the sixth before a walk and double-ended his bid for history. Nevertheless, he completed six impressive innings, yielding just two hits and two runs while accumulating seven strikeouts.

“It’s easy when the boys put up five runs in the first,” Rodon said. “You just go out there and attack the zone.”

Rodon has now permitted merely two earned runs across his previous three starts, lowering his ERA to 3.43 and cementing his position as New York’s most dependable starter during Gerrit Cole’s absence.

The sole disappointment during an otherwise flawless evening occurred in the opening frame when Jazz Chisholm Jr. doubled and advanced to third on an error before exiting with discomfort in his right oblique.

“I’d rather take two three days off than six weeks,” Chisholm said. He’s scheduled for diagnostic imaging in New York on Thursday. Oswald Peraza replaced him and later contributed a two-run single.

Looking Ahead

The Yankees improved to 18-12 with the convincing victory and continue setting the pace in the AL East through their combination of power, roster depth, and increasingly reliable pitching. Tuesday’s triumph represented more than just another win—it served as a resounding statement that when firing on all cylinders, this Yankees squad possesses the capability to rewrite history books while overwhelming even the most formidable opponents.

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