1 of 5 | New York Yankees outfielder Cody Bellinger went 2 for 3 with two home runs, four RBIs, two runs scored and a walk in a win over the Tampa Bay Rays on Tuesday in Tampa, Fla. File Photo by David Tulis/UPI | License Photo
Cody Bellinger was one of three New York Yankees players to homer twice in a nine-homer barrage, leading to an MLB record and domination of the Tampa Bay Rays.
Outfielder Giancarlo Stanton and third baseman Jose Caballero also hit two homers apiece in the 13-3 win Tuesday in Tampa, Fla. Designated hitter Aaron Judge, second baseman Jazz Chisholm and catcher Ben Rice hit the Yankees’ other home runs.
“We have a really good offense,” Bellinger told reporters. “I think [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 is there. We are doing a good job of putting it all together. It’s been fun to be a part of.”
With their detonation, the Yankees, who also hit a franchise-record-tying nine home runs in a March 29 win over the Milwaukee Brewers, became the first team in MLB history with multiple games with at least nine home runs.
“To do it twice, that’s remarkable,” Yankees manager Aaron Boone said. “There were some ones that were seriously hit too.”
Yankees and Rays players waited out a two-hour weather delay before invading George M. Steinbrenner Field. Rays starter Shane Baz walked center fielder Trent Grisham to start the game.
Judge ignited the slugfest three pitches later when he crushed a 1-1 fastball to center field for a 429-foot solo homer. Bellinger and Stanton homered in the next two at-bats, smacking respective 381- and 386-foot solo shots, and the rout was on.
Caballero belted a 322-foot, two-run homer in the second for a 5-0 Yankees lead. The Rays finally got on the scoreboard with an RBI single from catcher Nick Fortes in the bottom of the inning. They scored their second run when left fielder Chandler Simpson grounded into a force out in the next exchange.
Chisholm pushed the Yankees lead back to four runs with a 382-foot solo homer in the top of the third. Stanton roped a 376-foot, three-run homer to center in the top of the fourth. Rice followed with a 406-foot homer in the next exchange.
Bellinger hit his second round-tripper of the night when he connected for a 348-foot, two-run homer in the top of the sixth.
The Rays scored their final run on an RBI single from right fielder Jake Mangum in the bottom of the eight. Caballero crushed the final home run of the night when he belted a 1-2 slider from relief pitcher Mason Montgomery to left center for a 389-foot solo shot.
Baz allowed seven hits and six runs, off of five home runs, over just three innings of work to drop to 8-10 this season.
Bellinger went 4 for 5 with three RBIs, three runs scored and a strikeout. Stanton went 2 for 3 with four RBIs, two runs scored and a walk. Caballero went 2 for 4 with three RBIs, two runs scored and a walk. Chisholm and Judge also recorded two hits apiece in the victory.
The Yankees (68-57) have now won six of their last seven games, including their last four. They sit in second place in the American League East, five games behind the division-leading Toronto Blue Jays (74-53).
The Rays (61-65) are in fourth, 12.5 games behind the Blue Jays. They will host the Yankees in a series finale at 7:35 p.m. EDT Wednesday in Tampa.
