The Yankees took care of the Nationals with ease on Wednesday, leveling the last-place club with six home runs in an 11-2 win.
The beatdown, which secured a series sweep, got out of hand early, as the Yankees scored nine runs and totaled four longballs in the third inning. The team has now blasted four-plus home runs in one inning on three separate occasions this year. No team in major league history has logged more four-plus-homer innings in a season, per Stathead’s Katie Sharp.
Wednesday’s third-inning bombardment began with Aaron Judge, who crushed a two-run homer. Judge had been scuffling prior to that, as he entered the afternoon with a .120 average over his last seven games.
Then came his 41st dinger of the season.
Cody Bellinger immediately followed with a solo home run, while Ryan McMahon hit his second jack a Yankee, a three-run rip, later in the inning.
The Yankees’ first three home runs of the inning came off Nationals starter Cade Cavalli before Ben Rice added one against Shinnosuke Ogasawara.
Jasson Domínguez also had an RBI ground-rule double and a run-scoring infield single in the third frame.
The Yankees’ first home run came courtesy of Trent Grisham in the first inning. He now has six leadoff home runs this season.
Austin Wells also went deep in the fourth inning.
While the Bombers’ bats pummeled Washington, Max Fried held them hitless for the first five innings. It wasn’t until Jacob Young led the sixth inning off with a single that the Nats had a knock.
Two more singles followed in the sixth, resulting in an RBI for CJ Abrams. However, Fried dominated the D.C. ballclub, allowing just that one run over seven innings of work.
Fried also ended up tallying four hits, two walks, six strikeouts and 94 pitches. Paul Blackburn allowed a solo homer to Andrés Chaparro in the ninth.
With the offense explosive and Fried sharp for the second straight start, the Yankees have now swept three of their last four series. Those sweeps have come against sub-.500 teams, though, and that stretch also includes losing 3-of-4 to the Red Sox.
Boston woke up Wednesday with a half-game lead over the Yankees for the American League’s top Wild Card spot. The Red Sox had a night game on their schedule.
The Yankees, meanwhile, had plans to fly to Chicago for a four-game series against the lowly White Sox.
