Aaron Judge smashed a two-run homer in the first inning right after Oakland’s starting pitcher, Joe Boyle, was called for a balk on the previous pitch, leading the New York Yankees to a 7-3 victory over the Athletics on Wednesday night.
Anthony Rizzo and Juan Soto also hit home runs as the Yankees continued their strong performance, winning five of their last seven games. Their dominance at home against Oakland continued, with a remarkable 10-1 record in their last 11 meetings in the Bronx.
This game marked the first time this season that Judge, Rizzo, and Soto all hit home runs in the same game.
Judge initially thought he had struck out, but the umpire called a balk on Boyle, giving Judge another chance.
Taking advantage of the opportunity, Judge sent a fastball into the short porch in right field, marking his 261st career home run and surpassing Derek Jeter for ninth place on the Yankees’ all-time home run list.
“It’s an umpire judgment call,” remarked Oakland manager Mark Kotsay. “You don’t see that called that often, and that moment it gives Judge another pitch and he capitalizes on it.”
Following his homer, Judge also singled in the third inning, showing signs of improvement in his batting performance.
Meanwhile, Anthony Volpe made a defensive play with a leaping catch in the first inning and contributed offensively with an RBI triple in the fourth, highlighting his impact on both ends of the field.
