BRONX, N.Y. — The last time Walker Buehler toed the mound in the Bronx, he was celebrating a World Series championship with the Los Angeles Dodgers. On Friday night, he was chased off it — early and emphatically — as the New York Yankees unleashed a storm of offense that felt as much about revenge as it did about momentum.
Powered by Jazz Chisholm Jr.’s electric return, Aaron Judge’s machine-like consistency, and timely blasts from Anthony Volpe and Paul Goldschmidt, the Yankees rolled to a 9-6 victory over the Boston Red Sox in front of a raucous sellout crowd of 46,783 at Yankee Stadium.
“We not only want to win the division,” Chisholm said postgame, “we want to win in every category. We want to be the best team in MLB.”
With the win, the Yankees improved to 39-23, reaching a season-high 16 games above .500 and extending their American League East lead. Boston, meanwhile, stumbled to 30-35, dropping their ninth contest in the last 12.
A first-inning barrage to serve revenge
The Yankees didn’t wait long to make Buehler’s return to the Bronx a nightmare. After a leadoff walk by Trent Grisham and a double from Judge, Chisholm launched a three-run homer to dead center on an 0-2 curveball. Volpe followed a few batters later with a two-run blast to right, giving New York a five-spot — all with two outs.
Buehler, now wearing a Red Sox uniform after signing a one-year, $21 million deal this offseason, never found his footing. He was tagged by the Yankees for seven runs (five earned) in just two innings of work. The right-hander allowed seven hits and two walks, throwing 67 pitches before manager Alex Cora mercifully pulled him.
“Every guy had a good beat on him,” Yankees manager Aaron Boone said. “A lot of balls squared up… He was probably in the heart of the plate a little too much.”
This wasn’t just an offensive outburst. It was targeted, deliberate, and symbolic. Buehler had shut out the Yankees across six innings during the 2024 World Series, including recording the final out to clinch the title. Friday night was a reversal of fortune, one that Yankees fans relished.
Chisholm’s 70% looks like 100%
Since returning from an oblique strain earlier this week, Chisholm has been nothing short of sensational. On Friday, he went 3-for-5 with a home run, two singles, and two stolen bases. He now sits at 8-for-16 with two homers, six RBIs, and three steals in four games back.
“I wasn’t even trying to hit a home run,” Chisholm admitted of his first-inning blast. “I was really trying to dunk one into center field and it ended up shooting off my bat.”
He wasn’t done there. In the second inning, Chisholm delivered an RBI single, then capped his night with another hit and a steal in the sixth. The Yankees infielder was thrown out trying for third, but the message was clear — he’s playing fearless baseball.
“If that’s 70%, it doesn’t look like it,” Volpe joked. “In his mind, it might be 70%. But what I think everyone in this clubhouse loves and respects about him is, it looks like every night he’s playing with his hair on fire.”
Judge solid, Volpe scare, Goldschmidt deep for Yankees
Judge continued his MVP-caliber season, going 3-for-5 with an RBI and raising his batting average to .397. “When you step out there in Yankee Stadium, the adrenaline is going to be flowing,” the Yankees captain said. “It’s really about slowing everything down.”
Volpe also played a pivotal role, notching a two-run homer in the first and later adding an RBI hit-by-pitch in the second. However, he exited after three innings due to a left elbow contusion from a Buehler pitch. Fortunately for the Yankees, X-rays and a CT scan came back negative, and Volpe expects to return Saturday.
Goldschmidt, who has quietly provided veteran power in the middle of the lineup, went deep in the sixth. His solo shot gave the Yankees a cushion they would ultimately need.
Warren rebounds, bullpen locks down
Rookie starter Will Warren (4-3) provided much-needed stability after a rough outing against the Dodgers last week. He held Boston scoreless through four innings and left after allowing four runs in 5 ⅓.
“Last start, I got off to a rocky start,” Warren said. “This time, I just went back to what’s been working before. Just trusting the stuff in the zone.”
Marcelo Mayer, Boston’s 22-year-old top prospect, got to Warren with his first career homer in the fifth, and Rafael Devers launched a two-run bomb in the seventh to make it 9-6. But the Yankees bullpen — anchored by Brent Headrick, Jonathan Loaisiga, and Devin Williams — shut the door from there.
Williams earned his seventh save as a Yankee and has looked more dominant with each outing.
Looking ahead
The Yankees have now won three of four since Chisholm’s return and look poised to surge further in June. Their offense is firing, their bullpen is tightening, and the ghosts of last October seem to be fading fast.
“Last year we thought we had it,” Chisholm said. “This year, we’re going to make sure we have it.”
If this was the opening statement in a summer-long declaration of vengeance, the Red Sox — and maybe the rest of the league — would do well to pay attention. The Yankees aren’t just chasing October redemption. They’re hunting dominance.
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