Cody Bellinger's three homers, Carlos Rodon's gem lead Yankees to 11-0 rout of Cubs
It's the 40th time in franchise history a Yankee has had a three-home run game. It's the first of Bellinger's career.
Advertisement
The Yankees picked up 15 hits with every Yankees starter having at least one hit, except for Aaron Judge -- but he made up for it in other ways. And five starters (Bellinger, Jasson Dominguez, Paul Goldschmidt, Oswald Peraza, Ben Rice) had multi-hit games.
Here are the takeaways...
- It took the Yankees until the eighth inning on Thursday to get their first hit -- it wouldn't take that long on Friday, as they scratched out their first hit with a leadoff infield single by Oswald Peraza in the third. Jasson Dominguez, starting in the leadoff spot for the fourth straight game, followed with a single of his own to give the Yankees runners on the corners with no outs for Aaron Judge. The frontrunner for AL MVP lofted a sac fly to put up the game's first run.
Bellinger, facing the Cubs for the first time since being traded, dropped the hammer on a Chris Flexen curveball and sent it 371 feet just over the right-center field wall. The longball extended his hitting streak to a career-high 16 games. But the first-year Yankee wasn't done; he would hit another two-run blast in the fifth, taking lefty Caleb Thielbar nearly to the second deck in right field to put the Yankees up 5-0.
Advertisement
It's his 18th career multi-homer game. The first since September 2023, when he was with the Cubs.
Bellinger, who has never had a three-home game before, nearly achieved that feat in the seventh, lining a deep drive to right field, but Kyle Tucker made an incredible leaping grab at the wall to rob the slugger. But Bellinger would get that one back in the eighth, taking Jordan Wicks deep just over the wall in right-center for his 16th homer of the season.
- Anthony Volpe, who has had a tough season, assisted Judge in Thursday's win with an incredible slide at home to complete the comeback. And the Yankee Stadium fans were appreciative, giving the shortstop a nice ovation during roll-call and every time he came to bat. And Volpe rewarded the fans with an RBI double in the sixth, bringing the more than 46,000 in attendance to their feet.
- The day he was named to the All-Star Game, Carlos Rodon was dealing on Friday night. After scattering three singles in the first three innings, Rodon retired 15 straight Cubs and was through seven innings on just 84 pitches. That streak ended with a one-out walk in the eighth, but the southpaw bounced back, getting a force out, however, a single from Nico Hoerner put runners on the corners with two outs.
Advertisement
Manager Aaron Boone came out but left Rodon out there to take on Tucker. Rodon and Tucker battled to a 3-2 count, but the Cubs slugger lofted the ball toward the right field line, but Judge, again, slid and made the impressive catch to end the inning.
Rodon threw 109 pitches (70 strikes) in eight scoreless innings, allowing four hits, one walk and striking out eight batters. It's the longest outing of Rodon's Yankees career.
- Pete Crow-Armstrong, who received the largest ovation for a non-Yankee, had Yankee Stadium on its feet in his second at-bat in the fourth. He launched a long flyball to right field. But Judge got to the wall and timed his jump perfectly to rob the young outfielder of a home run.
Judge then robbed Dansby Swanson of a single by diving headfirst for the catch.
Advertisement
PCA nearly had another hit in the seventh when he hit a soft tapper to first base and almost outran Rodon as they raced to the bag. After a replay review, the call on the field, of out, was confirmed.
Game MVP: Cody Bellinger
Could pick Bellinger, Rodon or Judge but we'll go with the guy who hit three bombs, and was a few inches short of four.
Highlights
What's next
The Yankees continue their three-game set with the Cubs on Saturday afternoon. First pitch is set for 1:05 p.m.
Max Fried (11-2, 2.27 ERA) will make his final start before the All-Star break, while the Cubs send Matt Boyd (9-3, 2.52 ERA)
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
27 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Broncos star rocks amazing Jordan cleats at training camp
Pat Surtain is officially an ambassador of the Jordan brand. Denver Broncos coach Sean Payton is the only coach in the NFL with an endorsement deal with Michael Jordan, and after Surtain won the Defensive Player of the Year award last season, Payton told his star cornerback it was time to get PS2 a Jordan deal of his own. Surtain officially joined the brand last month, just in time to rock some amazing cleats at training camp: 'I'm pretty excited," Surtain said Tuesday when asked about becoming a Jordan athlete. "It was a cool experience meeting 'M.J.' himself. It was pretty dope. I feel like that whole brand, what they have in order, is a very close group and the brand [has] a family-first aspect. I'm glad to be a part of the Jordan brand. I'm looking forward to it.' The cornerback still hasn't quite caught up to his coach's level yet. 'We're going to be competing on the field, even though I know he has the exclusive [Eddie] Jones [sneakers] already," Surtain quipped. "I still have some catching up to do.' Social: Follow Broncos Wire on Facebook and Twitter/X! Did you know: These 25 celebrities are Broncos fans. This article originally appeared on Broncos Wire: NFL: Broncos star rocks amazing Jordan cleats at training camp
Washington Post
29 minutes ago
- Washington Post
Terry McLaurin ends holdout, returns to Commanders training camp
Washington Commanders wide receiver Terry McLaurin, who missed much of the offseason and the start of training camp as he seeks a new contract with the team, ended his holdout Sunday morning — without a new deal. The 29-year-old was removed from Washington's reserve/did not report list for camp and was placed on the active/physically unable to perform list because of an ankle injury.
New York Times
29 minutes ago
- New York Times
Prospect Sam Shaw one step closer to becoming next Canadian-born Blue Jay
TORONTO — Somewhere in Victoria, British Columbia, there's a tiny plastic cup resting on a basement shelf. It's a mini red helmet, emblazoned with a fading Vancouver Canadians logo, that once held Sam Shaw's serving of ballpark ice cream. Shaw, 20, grew up attending Canadians games at Nat Bailey Stadium, the home of the Toronto Blue Jays' High-A affiliate. It's a short drive and two-hour ferry ride from his childhood home. His memories of The Nat are faded and patchwork — swinging in the kids' batting cage down the left-field line, watching rising prospects and scooping soft serve out of a mini helmet. But as Shaw slipped on a much bigger, much more real Canadians batting helmet for the first time last week, the memories flooded back. Advertisement The Jays promoted Shaw to Vancouver after the All-Star break. It's a homecoming of sorts for the lifelong West Coast fan of the Blue Jays, who selected him in the ninth round of the 2023 draft. It's also a hard-earned trial run — a promotion earned by burgeoning power and a test of what it could be like for a rare Canadian player on the country's only MLB team. 'There's going to be a kid like me that gets to watch me play for the first time, that dreams of being a hometown kid in Vancouver or on the Blue Jays,' Shaw said. 'That's kind of what helps me in the weight room, or helps me with whatever. It's like, this is my chance to show that.' Last year, while scuffling in the Florida Complex League for a second-straight season, Shaw said that Vancouver — let alone the big leagues — felt particularly distant. The 5-foot-10 utilityman entered the season as Toronto's 20th-ranked prospect, per The Athletic's Keith Law. He walked at a 16.7 percent clip last year, second best on his FCL team, but a lack of power limited his ceiling. 'I sucked,' Shaw said. Perhaps a harsh diagnosis, but it's a blunt honesty that lives in Shaw's every word. 'What I had last year was I made a lot of contact,' he said. 'I controlled the zone, I didn't swing and miss too much. But my damage, my power, was not very good.' On the field, Shaw's jersey is often drenched with the dirt of a stolen base or diving defensive play. But while discussing his search for power, the second baseman and outfielder sounds more like a data analyst or baseball blogger than a gritty ballplayer. For him, it's swing speed, comparable swing paths, barrel rates, exit velocities and contact quality. His favorite movie, naturally, is 'Moneyball.' 'It's going to sound like I'm overthinking it,' Shaw said. 'And maybe rightfully so. But there's a puzzle in the numbers that I do like to look at to try and figure out how to be better.' Advertisement That mindset made Shaw the perfect candidate to attend Driveline Baseball for an offseason boot camp. He spent a week at the data-driven player development lab in Washington state. They broke down his swing in a batting cage filled with flashing cameras and computer monitors, looking for imperfections and concocting a plan to improve his bat speed and power potential. Shaw ate more, hit the gym more and swung with a weighted bat. 'Sammy is pretty dynamic in the box,' Blue Jays director of player development Joe Sclafani said. 'So with that as a foundation, the recognizing pitches and the plate discipline being there, the next step was an ability to impact the ball.' Shaw entered spring training with harder swings and increased exit velocities, earning a spot with Low-A Dunedin to start the season. In 62 games, he hit seven homers and 10 doubles, posting an .801 OPS — all career-high marks in just half a season. Ahead of every home game, Shaw drove past the Dunedin library, turning into the TD Ballpark players' lot. Each day, pausing for the security fence to open, Shaw looked out at the barren patch of concrete he stood on as a kid. Waiting at that same gate on spring training trips with his family, Shaw hoped that exiting Blue Jays players would stop to sign an autograph after a spring game. Darwin Barney, Shaw recalls with a chuckle, snubbed him for an autograph. But he had better luck with Jason Grilli, J.A. Happ, Troy Tulowitzki and Russell Martin. Shaw sat in TD Ballpark's outfield seats one year, baking under Florida's spring sun. Young Blue Jays right fielder Jonathan Davis drifted back for a ball, snagging it with his glove before turning to the stands. As Davis launched the ball into the crowd, Shaw reached up and caught the souvenir. Now, as Shaw joins High-A Vancouver, Davis is the hitting coach. Advertisement There's an added element to being a Canadian player in the Blue Jays' organization. Shaw cheered on Martin as the hometown catcher for the ALCS runs in 2015 and 2016. He watched Jordan Romano lock down saves the last few years. He knows what fans expect — how much they latch on to that rare Canadian — because he was that fan. Shaw remains several years and many promotions away from Rogers Centre, but this bump to Vancouver, Shaw said, is a hopeful trial run. 'Any Canadian that plays in Canada, you're kind of the hometown guy, ' Shaw said. 'It's gonna be different.' But more than any added bat speed or uptick in power, Shaw's success this season comes from an ability to silence that noise and calm the pressure. Before games, he's a self-proclaimed nerd, poring over swing data and game plans. At first pitch, Shaw looks to his wrist, at the red beaded bracelet his mother, Stephanie, gave him before the season. On it reads a simple message: 'Have Fun' — a gentle reminder to leave the deep dives in the clubhouse. It's helped ease the weight of his dream, Shaw said, simplifying the eight months and 132-game schedule of a minor-league season back to the game he grew up playing in Victoria. In the batter's box, his mind is clear. Playing in front of friends, family and hungry Canadian baseball fans at Nat Bailey Stadium, Shaw knows that mindset will be all the more important. If, one day, Shaw becomes the next Canadian to suit up for the Blue Jays at Rogers Centre, he hopes this Vancouver test will have prepared him. 'He's done a much better job of being where his feet are this year,' Sclafani said. 'Just a focus, locking in on what he needs to do day to day. But he's going to need to continue to do that up there. Because, of course, how cool is that, the prodigal son comes home.'
