The Yankees just made MLB history, becoming the first team ever to hit home runs on each of the first three pitches of a game. And they did it against their former teammate Nestor Cortes, who was making his return to Yankee Stadium with the Milwaukee Brewers.
But that was just the beginning of an absolute slugfest.
The Yankees ended up smashing a franchise-record nine home runs in the game, turning the afternoon into a home run derby.
Paul Goldschmidt, Cody Bellinger, and Aaron Judge started the barrage with back-to-back-to-back homers to open the game. It was the first time in Yankees history they’ve hit three straight homers to start a game.
Goldschmidt, playing his first game as a Yankee, was batting leadoff for the first time in his 15-year career when he crushed Cortes’ first pitch.
Austin Wells made it four homers in the first inning alone, giving Cortes a rude welcome back to the Bronx. The lefty had been traded to Milwaukee during the offseason for closer Devin Williams.
Despite giving up four homers in the opening frame, Cortes somehow managed to escape without further damage by getting a ground-out and two strikeouts.
The Brewers tried to fight back with three runs in the second off Max Fried, who was making his Yankees debut.
But Cortes’ nightmare continued when Anthony Volpe blasted a three-run shot in the bottom half, making it five homers surrendered by the former Yankee.
After walking Jasson Domínguez to start the third inning, Cortes was finally pulled from the game. His final line was brutal: 2 innings, 6 hits, 8 runs, 5 homers, 5 walks, and 2 strikeouts.
That’s a 36.00 ERA to start the season.
Things didn’t get any better for Milwaukee when reliever Connor Thomas took over. Judge promptly crushed a grand slam in the third inning, and Jazz Chisholm Jr. followed with a solo shot.
Seven home runs through three innings set a new MLB record.
Judge wasn’t done yet. In the fourth inning, he blasted his third homer of the game, giving him the third three-homer game of his career.
His next time up, Judge just missed home run number four, settling for a ringing double. The performance put him in elite Yankees company alongside Lou Gehrig, Tony Lazzeri, Paul O’Neill, and Alex Rodriguez as the only Yankees with 3+ homers and 8+ RBIs in a game.
The historic day was capped in the seventh inning when pinch-hitter Oswaldo Peraza hit the Yankees’ ninth homer, setting a new franchise record.
Only two other teams in MLB history have hit nine or more homers in a game – the 1999 Cincinnati Reds (9) and the 1987 Toronto Blue Jays, who hold the record with 10.
Cortes, who spent four-plus seasons with the Yankees and was an All-Star in 2022, probably can’t wait to get out of the Bronx after this one.
