NEW YORK — — Aaron Judge is back in the lineup and the New York Yankees are getting healthy against the worst team in baseball.
Gleyber Torres homered for the second straight game and drove in three runs as the Yankees overcame three homers by rookie Jordan Diaz in a 10-5 victory Tuesday night over the Oakland Athletics.
“It just feels good to have that kind of offensive production,” New York first baseman Anthony Rizzo said.
Diaz hit a solo shot in the fourth inning, leading off the seventh and two-run homer in the eighth. The 22-year-old second baseman from Colombia connected on three different pitchers, giving him four home runs in 30 major league games.
“For me, this is a very special day,” Diaz said through a translator. “I’m just very excited and happy about what happened to me today – especially here.”
Diaz said he has never hit three homers in a game before – at any level – and plans to keep the No. 3 souvenir ball at home.
He joined Héctor López as the only second basemen in franchise history with three home runs in a game. Lopez accomplished the feat with the Kansas City A’s in June 1958 against the Washington Senators.
“I know the big leagues aren’t going to be like this every night,” Diaz said with a smile. “But I’m just working on it, making some adjustments.”
Judge had two RBIs in his return from the injured list and Clark Schmidt (1-3) pitched a career-high six innings for his first major league win as a starter. The right-hander allowed two runs and five hits with seven strikeouts and two walks.
“I thought his stuff was good again,” Yankees manager Aaron Boone said. “I liked the way he was able to make little adjustments all night.”
Schmidt went 0-6 with a 5.47 ERA in his first 12 career starts, though he was 5-9 with a 4.33 ERA in 41 total appearances since making his debut in September 2020. He was an effective reliever last season, picking up five wins and two saves while compiling a 2.74 ERA in 26 relief outings.
“I’m obviously very happy with where the hitting pitches are,” Schmidt said. “I just keep getting better and better every time. I’m learning a lot.”
Harrison Bader recorded three more hits for New York, including the last of three straight RBI singles in a five-run third. Rizzo and Torres delivered the others after Drew Rucinski (0-3) led off the bottom two batters in an eight-pitch order. Judge struck out in the first run of the inning on a groundout to third that was thrown out by Jace Peterson on an error.
Judge added a sacrifice fly in the eighth after Anthony Volpe’s leadoff triple. The reigning AL MVP had not played since April 27 with a right hamstring strain.
“I thought it looked good. I thought his first at-bat took some really good swings,” Boone said.
Jake Bowers hit a two-run homer and a sac fly for the Yankees (20-17). They scored 24 runs in their last three games — including 17 against the A’s (8-29) in winning the first two games of a three-game set.
Clay Holmes entered with two runners on in the ninth and struck out three batters to end it.
… AND THEY ARE OFF
Hall of Fame jockey Javier Castellano threw the first punch — three days after riding Mage to victory in the Kentucky Derby. It was Castellano’s first victory in 16 attempts at the Derby.
TRAINING ROOM
Athletics: OF Ramon Laureano remained in the concussion protocol. Laureano left Monday night’s game in the first inning after his neck and shoulder hit the right-field fence hard as he made a diving catch to rob Torres of a home run.
Yankees: LF Aaron Hicks was sidelined in the fourth with left hip tightness moments after scoring in the second. He was examined at the stadium by the team’s head physician Dr Christopher Ahmad and will be re-evaluated on Wednesday. Isiah Kiner-Falefa moved to third base and Oswaldo Cabrera moved from third base to left field. … RHP Luis Severino (right hamstring) is scheduled to make a rehab start Wednesday at Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre in an 11:05 a.m. game. … INF DJ LeMahieu was rested. … After the game, the Yankees optioned RHP Greg Weissert to Triple-A.
NEXT
Oakland LHP Kyle Mueller (1-2, 6.62 ERA) starts the series finale against rookie RHP Johnny Brito (2-3, 6.08) in Wednesday’s matinee.
Mueller allowed five runs and eight hits in 5 1/3 innings last Friday in Kansas City, beating the Royals 12-8. It was the first win by a starter in 33 games this year. It was the longest early season drought in MLB history, according to the Elias Sports Bureau.
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