Yankees' Aaron Judge, Juan Soto and Giancarlo Stanton all homer in another win over Astros
Yankees’ Aaron Judge greets Juan Soto after his two-run home run against the Houston Astros during the first inning of an MLB baseball game at Yankee Stadium on Wednesday, May 8, 2024. Credit: Kathleen Malone-Van Dyke
Juan Soto, Aaron Judge and Giancarlo Stanton homered in the same game for the first time as teammates as the Yankees continued their mastery over the Astros with a 9-4 victory before 37,660 in the Bronx on Wednesday night.
Soto (3-for-5, 5 RBIs) hit a two-run home run to left-center in the first. Judge (3-for-5, 3 RBIs) connected on a solo shot to right-center in the third. Two batters later, Stanton homered to left, also a solo shot.
“I mean, all the balls put into orbit,” manager Aaron Boone said. “That certainly puts a smile on your face when those three guys do that.”
Said Soto: “I know it’s not going to be easy to do that every night. But definitely, we’re really capable of doing that and more in the days coming.”
The Yankees have beaten the Astros six times in a row this season and nine times overall dating back to Sept. 1.
Carlos Rodon allowed two runs in 6 1/3 innings as the Yankees won their fifth straight to improve to 25-13. Houston fell to 12-24.
Here are the pertinent numbers on the home runs by the trio of sluggers, all of whom went deep off Astros rookie righthander Spencer Arrighetti:
- Soto’s ninth home run left the bat at 113.4 miles per hour and traveled 440 feet to the back wall of the visiting bullpen in left-center.
- Judge’s eighth home run left the bat at 106.4 mph and traveled 404 feet to the right-centerfield box seats.
- Stanton’s eighth home run and second in two nights left the bat at 119.9 mph – the fifth-hardest hit homer of the Statcast era (since 2015) -- and traveled 447 feet to the second deck in left, near the foul pole.
“I think,” Boone said, “if you hit one 120, you win.”
- That’s 1,291 feet of home runs hit by players who combined have 844 career home runs (Stanton 410, Judge 265, Soto 169).
- It’s the second time Soto and Stanton have homered in the same game (also April 17). It’s the second time Soto and Judge have homered in the same game (also April 24). It’s the third time this season Judge and Stanton have homered in the same game (also April 6 and April 27).
- They say money can’t buy you love. But it can buy you power. The three players have combined 2024 salaries of $103 million (Judge $40 million, Stanton $32 million, Soto $31 million). That’s higher than the Opening Day payrolls of six MLB teams.
Rodon (3-2, 3.56 ERA) is making $27.8 million this season in year two of his six-year, $162-million contract. He has already matched his win total from 2023.
In his last outing, Rodon allowed seven runs (six earned) in four innings in a 7-2 loss at Baltimore. He was better on Wednesday, giving up seven hits and striking out seven. Rodon didn’t walk a batter, though he did hit one.
Kyle Tucker, the second batter of the game, took Rodon deep for a 1-0 Astros lead. Soto answered in the bottom of the first to put the Yankees on top, 2-1.
“Soto got the party started,” Judge said. “Especially that two-run homer in the first to give us the lead. That was impressive.”
Soto added a bases-loaded RBI infield single in the second. Judge and Stanton’s blasts gave the Yankees a 5-1 lead after three.
Soto added a bases-loaded RBI groundout in the sixth off reliever Shawn Dubin. Judge followed with a two-run double to the right-centerfield wall to make it 8-1.
Soto finished off the offensive barrage with an RBI single in the eighth.
Kahnle pitches in
Tommy Kahnle (shoulder) threw a 1-2-3 inning with two strikeouts in his first rehab outing for Single-A Tampa.
Anthony Rieber covers baseball, as well as the NFL, NBA and NHL. He has worked at Newsday since Aug. 31, 1998, and has been in his current position since July 5, 2004.
