Juan Soto, Aaron Judge power Yankees past Guardians

The Juan Soto-Aaron Judge tandem, universally acknowledged as the best one-two punch in the game, flattened the Cleveland Guardians on Wednesday night.

After hitting back-to-back homers Tuesday night in what otherwise was a quiet night by the offense, the dynamic duo Wednesday combined for three home runs in the Yankees’ 8-1 victory before 41,263 at the Stadium.

Judge hit a two-run homer and a solo shot, and Soto had a two-run home run, a double and finished with five RBIs.

“It’s fun,” said Judge, who leads MLB with 47 homers and 117 RBIs and is on pace to hit 60 for the second time in three years (he hit an American League-record 62 during his 2022 MVP season). “We’re really feeding off of each other.”

The Yankees (74-53) pulled one-half game ahead of the Orioles, who were walked-off by the Mets in Queens, in the AL East.

Soto hit a two-run blast in the first — giving the rightfielder a single-season career-high 36 homers, and Judge had a two-run shot in the third and a solo job in the seventh. Soto added a bases-clearing double in the fourth against shellshocked Guardians rookie lefthander Joey Cantillo.

It marked the 11th time Soto and Judge homered in the same game this season, with the Yankees improving to 9-2 in those games.

“That’s what’s great is, if I don’t come through Juan’s in front of me either driving somebody in or doing something special,” Judge said. “If Juan walks or doesn’t come through, I’m right behind him trying to do some damage.”

Soto used the same word as Judge.

“It’s fun,” Soto said. “It’s great to see. It’s great to take the lead early and followed up by one of the greatest hitters in the game. It’s really nice to see when we’re going and helping the team win.”

The duo’s performance overshadowed a second straight standout start by Nestor Cortes, who allowed three hits and struck out four with no walks in seven shutout innings. The lefthander’s fastball and cutter was especially effective on this night.

Cortes, coming off a start against the White Sox in which he also allowed three hits over seven scoreless innings, improved to 7-10 with a 4.00 ERA.

“I feel like I’ve found a little something the last two [starts],” said Cortes, who became just the fifth Yankee, and first since Ron Guidry in 1977, to throw at least seven scoreless innings and not allow a walk in back-to-back outings. “Hopefully I continue to do so.”

The lengthy outing gave a much-needed break for a taxed Yankees’ bullpen, from which Aaron Boone needed to use all eight of his relievers Tuesday night in a 12-inning loss.

“He was in complete command right away,” Boone said. “Definitely one we could use after last night.”

After Cortes retired the Guardians in order in the top of the first — needing just nine pitches to do so — Soto, after a leadoff single from Gleyber Torres, blasted a first-pitch, 92-mph fastball to center for a 2-0 lead. It was Soto’s eighth homer in his last nine games.

It was Judge’s turn in the third when, after Soto walked, he took a 2-and-2 curveball to right-center for a 4-0 lead.

Soto displayed his considerable bat-to-ball abilities in the fourth when, on a full-count changeup that arrived slightly outside, he poked it down the third-base line for a three-run double that made it 7-0. That gave Soto 93 RBIs, second-most on the team to Judge’s 117, which came in the seventh when Judge went the other way again, this time on a full-count, 94-mph fastball from righthander Eli Morgan.

Judge’s 11th homer in his last 23 games and 14th homer in his last 32 games made it 8-0.

Through his first 125 games, Judge has slashed .334/.465/.722 with 47 homers, 117 RBIs, and 30 doubles. Through 125 games in 2022, he slashed .294/.396/.661 with 50 homers, 110 RBIs and 20 doubles.

Cortes, part of the 2022 team, laughed in recalling an in-game dugout conversation Wednesday with first-year Yankee Marcus Stroman.

“He’s like, ‘Oh, man, this guy’s incredible,’ ” Cortes said. “I’m like, ‘I watched this in 2022 all year.’ It felt like every time he was up to bat, it was either a homer or a walk. And that’s exactly what’s happening now.”

Extra bases

As expected, the Yankees on Wednesday placed righthander Luis Gil on the IL with a lower back strain. Gil, 12-6 with a 3.39 ERA, left Tuesday night’s loss in the fourth inning with tightness in his lower back. Before Wednesday’s game, Boone said he expects Gil’s return to be “in short order,” meaning at the end of the pitcher’s requisite 15 days on the IL. Righthander Will Warren, one of the club’s top pitching prospects who has made three spot starts in the last month, was recalled to take Gil’s spot on the roster . . . Clarke Schmidt, on the IL since May 30 with a right lat strain, is slated to begin a rehab assignment Friday night with Double-A Somerset in Portland, Maine. Righty Ian Hamilton, out since June 18 with a right lat strain, also is headed to Portland, as is first baseman Anthony Rizzo. “It’s what I get paid to do, right? Play. I miss playing,” Rizzo, on the IL since June 18 with a right forearm fracture, said with a smile after taking batting practice on the field Wednesday. “I want to come back and help this team.”