The New York Yankees became the first team to hit back-to-back-to-back home runs to start a game twice in a season.
The Yankees won 15-3 against the Baltimore Orioles on 30th (Korean time) at Oriole Park at Camden Yards in Baltimore, Maryland.
The Yankees' lineup erupted with 19 hits and 6 home runs, overwhelming the Baltimore mound. Ben Rice (his 7th and 8th home runs of the season) hit multi-home runs, and Trent Grisham (his 8th home run of the season), Aaron Judge (his 9th home run of the season), KODI Bellinger (his 3rd home run of the season), and Austin Wells (his 5th home run of the season) also hit home runs.
The game was off to a perfect start for the Yankees as soon as their attack began in the top of the first inning. Lead-off batter Grisham hit a leadoff home run that sailed over the right field wall off a 2nd pitch cutter clocked at 87 mph (140.0 km) from Baltimore's right-handed starting pitcher Kyle Gibson. Following that, Judge launched a back-to-back home run off Gibson’s first pitch, a 91.4 mph (147.1 km) sinker, over the right field wall.
The third batter, Rice, completed the historic feat. He lifted Gibson’s 2nd pitch, an 85 mph (136.8 km) changeup, over the right field wall for a back-to-back-to-back home run. This was the Yankees' second back-to-back-to-back home run this season. Afterward, Paul Goldschmidt grounded out to the shortstop, but Bellinger hit another home run off Gibson’s 3rd pitch, a 92.5 mph (148.9 km) fastball, once again sending the ball over the right field wall.
Major League Baseball's official media outlet MLB.com noted, "As Yogi Berra said, once again, a déjà vu happened. Just a month after recording 4 home runs in the first inning for the first time in franchise history, the Yankees struck again with 4 home runs in the first inning against Kyle Gibson at Camden Yards," highlighting the Yankees' explosive power.
The Yankees hit back-to-back-to-back home runs for the first time in Major League history on 30th of last month against Milwaukee. The Yankees' 1-2-3 hitters—Goldschmidt, Bellinger, and Judge—hit 3 home runs off Milwaukee's starting pitcher Nestor Cortes on just 3 pitches at the start of the bottom of the first inning. Afterward, Jazz Chisholm Jr. struck out, and Anthony Volpe grounded out to the pitcher, but Wells hit another home run, recording 4 home runs in just the first inning.
MLB.com explained, "The Yankees are the first to hit back-to-back-to-back home runs to start games across both the American League and National League in a single season." The Yankees needed only 5 pitches to record their second back-to-back-to-back home runs.
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