In an electrifying display on Sunday morning (AEDT), Aaron Judge made headlines by hitting three home runs in consecutive pitches, following the leads of Paul Goldschmidt and Cody Bellinger. This extraordinary achievement marked one of the standout days in Judge’s prolific career. After the game, he described the atmosphere as “electric,” highlighting the energy from the fans and his teammates as the New York Yankees triumphed over the Milwaukee Brewers with a remarkable score of 20-9.
This game was historic, as it represented the first instance since pitch tracking began in 1988 that a team homered on its first three pitches. The Yankees dominated with a total of nine home runs, equalling a franchise record and one shy of the all-time major league record.
The remarkable performance included contributions from players like Austin Wells, Anthony Volpe, Jazz Chisholm Jr., and Oswald Peraza. Notably, five of these home runs came off former Yankee Nestor Cortes, with four hitting the scoreboard already in the first inning, prompting him to leave the game without speaking to the media due to a miscommunication.
Yankees manager Pat Murphy expressed concern for Cortes, stating, “Your heart just hurts for him.” The Yankees began explosively, with Wells and Volpe contributing to a four-homer first inning, a first in the team’s history. Judge’s ninth career grand slam further pushed the lead to 12-3, while Chisholm’s back-to-back homer put the team ahead significantly.
Though Judge missed the opportunity for a fourth homer, he still achieved an impressive performance with a total of eight RBIs and his 40th multi-homer game. Judge maintained an optimistic outlook, reflecting on the team’s ambition following last year’s World Series defeat against the Los Angeles Dodgers. He acknowledged the Yankees’ need for improvement, especially after committing five errors that allowed four unearned runs.
Goldschmidt also had a notable day, hitting a 126m home run during his first time leading off in the majors, quickly followed by Bellinger. The collective energy in the dugout was palpable as players celebrated the early onslaught, with Judge admitting it took a moment to regain composure amid the excitement.
Ultimately, the game epitomised both the highs of baseball with unforgettable home runs and the need for focused teamwork moving forward as the Yankees strive for greatness this season.