In a jaw-dropping display of power, the New York Yankees unleashed an offensive onslaught, hammering nine home runs in a 13-3 rout of the Tampa Bay Rays on Tuesday night at George M. Steinbrenner Field. This historic performance marked the second time this season the Yankees achieved such a feat, becoming the first MLB team ever to record multiple nine-homer games in a single season, according to ESPN Research.
The fireworks began early, despite a nearly two-hour rain delay that pushed back the first pitch. Just four batters into the game, the Yankees erupted with back-to-back-to-back homers from Aaron Judge, Cody Bellinger, and Giancarlo Stanton, seizing a 3-0 lead that set the tone for the night. Judge, launching his 40th home run of the season, continued his MVP-caliber campaign, while Bellinger and Stanton each crushed two homers, showcasing their prodigious power.
Adding to the spectacle, Jose Caballero, returning to his former spring training home with the Rays, delivered a career-first multihomer game, also going deep twice. Jazz Chisholm Jr. and Ben Rice joined the homer parade, rounding out a performance that tied the Yankees’ franchise record for home runs in a single game, a mark previously reached three other times and matched earlier this season in a 20-9 victory over the Milwaukee Brewers on March 29.
“It was awesome to see,” Stanton said in a postgame interview on the YES Network. “It was incredible across the board.” The trio of Stanton, Bellinger, and Caballero became only the second Yankees group to each hit multiple homers in a single game, a feat last accomplished by legends Mickey Mantle, Roger Maris, and Bill Skowron in 1961 against the Boston Red Sox.
The game, played at the Yankees’ spring training facility due to ongoing repairs at Tropicana Field, felt like a homecoming for New York, who looked right at home as they extended their winning streak to four games. Bellinger led the charge, going 4-for-5 with three RBIs, while the team’s relentless offense overwhelmed Rays starter Shane Baz. Baz struggled mightily, surrendering six runs and five homers in just three innings, ballooning his recent ERA to 9.32 over his last six starts.
Yankees starter Carlos Rodon, meanwhile, was sharp, allowing just two runs over six innings to earn his 13th win of the season. The victory kept New York one game ahead of the Seattle Mariners and Boston Red Sox in the race for the American League’s top wild-card spot.
“It was impressive,” said Yankees manager Aaron Boone. “Great swings right out of the gate to give us a lead.” Boone marveled at the team’s ability to replicate their nine-homer feat from earlier in the season, calling it “remarkable” and praising the “seriously hit” homers against a Rays pitching staff that’s notoriously tough to crack.
Cody Bellinger echoed the sentiment, emphasizing the team’s resilience and talent. “We have a really good offense,” he said. “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, and the talent is there, and we’re doing a good job of putting it all together.”
Tuesday’s barrage marked only the fourth time in MLB history that a team has hit nine or more home runs in a game, with the record of 10 set by the Toronto Blue Jays in 1987. For the Yankees, this latest display of power was a reminder of their offensive prowess and a warning to the rest of the league as they push toward the postseason. With stars like Judge, Bellinger, and Stanton firing on all cylinders, New York is proving they’re a force to be reckoned with—rain or shine.