By Tiffany Williams –
On a vibrant Saturday afternoon at Yankee Stadium in the Bronx, the New York Yankees triumphed over the Milwaukee Brewers with an impressive score of 20-9. This victory marked a significant achievement, as the Yankees have now won their first two games of a season for the fifth time in the last 20 years, a feat last accomplished in 2011, 2018, 2022, and 2024.
The Yankees’ offensive display was nothing short of spectacular, as they set a franchise record with a staggering nine home runs. This remarkable achievement placed them among an elite group in Major League history, joining only the 1987 Toronto Blue Jays, who launched ten homers against Baltimore on September 14, 1987, and the 1999 Cincinnati Reds, who hit nine homers in a match against Philadelphia on September 4, 1999.
In a remarkable offensive outburst, the Yankees hit seven homers within the game’s first three innings, setting a new Major League record for the fastest accumulation of home runs. With a total of 11 home runs in just two games, they claimed the title for the most home runs by any Major League team at this stage of the season, eclipsing the previous record of nine set by the 2019 Los Angeles Dodgers and the 1980 Milwaukee Brewers.
The Yankees’ 20 runs represented only the second occasion in the past 10 years that they scored 20 runs in a game, the previous instance occurring on September 15, 2020, against Toronto.
A historic moment unfolded as Paul Goldschmidt, Cody Bellinger, and Aaron Judge became the first trio ever to hit back-to-back-to-back home runs on the first three pitches of a game, showcasing their explosive power from the very beginning.
Aaron Judge shone brightly, going 4-for-6 with four runs, a double, and an astonishing three home runs. This performance marked his third career game with three home runs and his 40th career multi-home run game. His extraordinary display included a solo shot in the first inning, a grand slam in the third inning, and a two-run homer in the fourth inning. Judge’s achievement places him among just four Yankees in franchise history to record at least three games with three home runs, joining legendary figures like Lou Gehrig (four), Alex Rodriguez (three), and Joe DiMaggio (three).
In a notable career milestone, Paul Goldschmidt led off for the first time and launched a home run right out of the gate, marking his 1,930th game in Major League Baseball. He became the first player to make his career leadoff start with such extensive experience since Detroit’s Iván Rodríguez on August 16, 2006.
Cody Bellinger contributed significantly as well, going 3-for-5 with three runs and driving in four runs, including his inaugural home run as a Yankee—a solo shot in the first inning.
Both Austin Wells and Anthony Volpe added to the home run tally, each hitting a homer in the Yankees’ first two games of the season. They became just the second pair of Yankees teammates in franchise history to achieve this feat, following the duo of Anthony Rizzo and Giancarlo Stanton in 2022, and only the 10th pair in the Modern Era to each hit home runs in their team’s first two games.
With Wells’s leadoff home run on Opening Day and Goldschmidt’s leadoff blast today, the Yankees joined an exclusive group as only the second team in Major League history to hit a leadoff home run in their first two games of the season, previously achieved by the 2011 Rangers.
Max Fried made his Yankees debut, pitching 4.2 innings with seven hits and six runs (two earned) but did not record a decision.
Additionally, Oswald Peraza hit a two-run pinch-hit home run in the seventh inning, marking his first home run of the year and the first pinch-hit home run by a Yankee since Kyle Higashioka did so on August 8, 2023.
J.C. Escarra made his Major League debut at the age of 29 years and 339 days, a notable milestone as only 12 Yankees have debuted at an older age in the franchise’s history.
Looking ahead, the Yankees are set to play the third game of their weekend series against the Brewers on Sunday. Following a day off on Monday, they will welcome the Arizona Diamondbacks to Yankee Stadium for the first game of a three-game series on Tuesday night.