Aaron Judge hit a two-run homer in the first inning after Oakland starting pitcher Joe Boyle was called for a balk on the previous pitch, and the New York Yankees beat the Athletics 7-3 on Wednesday night. Anthony Rizzo and Juan Soto also homered as the Yankees won for the fifth time in seven games and improved to 10-1 in their last 11 in the Bronx against Oakland.
Judge appeared to take a called third strike and was headed back to the dugout, but Boyle (1-4) was charged with a balk. Judge then hit an outside fastball to the short porch in right field for his 261st homer, passing former captain Derek Jeter for ninth on the Yankees’ all-time list.
After hitting his fourth homer, Judge singled in the third. It was the slugger’s fourth multihit game this season and first since April 13.
Anthony Volpe opened the game by making a leaping catch on Ryan Noda and hit an RBI triple in the fourth on a ball that got by Oakland right fielder Lawrence Butler. The shortstop also scored on a sacrifice fly by Soto.
Rizzo homered for the second straight game in the fifth after going deep for the first time since April 6 in New York’s four-run first on Tuesday. Soto hit his sixth homer in the sixth, a drive that just cleared the center field fence adjacent to Monument Park. Alex Verdugo added a sacrifice fly as the Yankees totaled 11 hits.
Brent Rooker hit a three-run homer in the sixth that knocked out New York starter Clarke Schmidt. Schmidt (2-0) allowed three runs and four hits in 5 1/3 innings. The right-hander struck out six and walked two.
Boyle allowed two runs and three hits in three inning. He struck out six and walked four.
Oakland LHP Alex Wood (0-2, 7.89 ERA) opposes New York LHP Nestor Cortes (1-1, 3.41) in the finale of the four-game series Thursday.
