The New York Yankees crushed a franchise record-tying nine home runs in a dominant 13-3 win over the Tampa Bay Rays on Tuesday.
The players had to wait for almost two hours as rain and lightning delayed the game, before Aaron Judge, Cody Bellinger and Giancarlo Stanton hit consecutive homers in the first inning to set up what would become a blowout.
The nine home runs matches the record the Yankees set earlier this season during a 20-9 win over the Milwaukee Brewers in March.
The feat means the Bronx Bombers are the first franchise in league history to record two games with nine homers, in the same season or otherwise, according to MLB.
“To do it twice, that’s remarkable,” manager Aaron Boone said, per MLB. “There were some ones that were seriously hit, too.
“Just a really impressive offensive showing against a team that is not always easy to score runs against.”
The Yankees were one home run short of matching the MLB’s all-time record of 10 in a game, set by the Toronto Blue Jays in 1987.
Bellinger, Stanton and José Caballero finished with two homers each, while Judge, Ben Rice and Jazz Chisholm Jr. got one each.
“We have a really good offense,” Bellinger said. “With the ebbs and flows of a 162-game season, it’s not always going to be pretty, but we all believe in each other.
“The talent’s there, and we’re doing a good job of putting it all together. It’s been fun to be a part of.”
The win moves the Yankees to 68-57 on the season to the top of the American League Wild Card standings, five games back of the Toronto Blue Jays in the AL East. The Rays, meanwhile, fall to 61-65 and fourth in the division.
The second game of the series is Wednesday night in Tampa.
