It looked as if it was swinging from the flagpole behind the left field seats.
The five-pitch blast in the bottom of the seventh inning in the Bronx was the ultimate expression of the power and glory that has defined the Yankees since Babe Ruth settled in New York 104 years ago.
Aaron Judge had already made history by hitting his 50th home run in the first inning, but Sunday’s game against Colorado wasn’t the kind of day he’d envisioned on the beach. The Rockies were leading 4-3 when Juan Soto came to bat with one out in the bottom of the seventh.
He hit the first pitch from relief pitcher Jeff Criswell deep into the right field stands.
Judge was up next, smashing the first pitch into the front row of the right field stands.
Next up was Giancarlo Stanton, who took three pitches before picking up the ball and smashing it into the netting protecting Monument Park.
“The trifecta” was what coach Aaron Boone called it after the 10-3 victory that gave the division-leading team its 17th victory in its last 26 games. “Juan stepped up, Judge, he did what he had to do and G left no room for doubt.”
The 2-3-4 batting order is the new 3-4-5. I don’t know if there has ever been a more lethal 3-4-5 in baseball history. When Ruth played third and Lou Gehrig batted fourth for the 1927 Yankees, Bob Meusel batted fifth. When Roger Maris played third and Mickey Mantle batted fourth in 1961, Yogi Berra, Elston Howard and John Blanchard shared the fifth duties. In 1936, when Joe DiMaggio played third and Gehrig batted fourth, Bill Dickey batted fifth.
Now, we’re talking about a Hall of Famer here, but in terms of pure wattage, power (and featured power as well), this one feels unique.
Of course, when we talk about Ruth, Gehrig, DiMaggio, Mantle, Maris and Blanchard, we’re talking about Yankees who won multiple World Series. When we talk about Soto, Judge and Stanton, the rings on their fingers add up, and Soto’s ring was won with the Nationals.
History is second only to winning in the Bronx. For Judge, history is second only to winning. He is the first player since Ruth not involved in performance-enhancing drugs to hit 50 or more home runs three or more times in his career. He is on pace to break the AL record of 62 he set two years ago.
“The main thing is there’s still a game left,” Judge said when asked about his ability to block out the noise when he enters the penalty area. “The main thing is I want to be there to win the game, it doesn’t matter what I do.
“It’s just a special moment when you hit home plate and then you just move on. It helps you stay focused on the game.”
Judge has hit 47 home runs in his last 102 games, including 150 home runs over the last three years for an average of one home run every 9.29 at-bats. Ruth hit 161 home runs from 1926-1928 for an average of one home run every 9.76 at-bats.
The Yankees haven’t been as vulnerable behind Judge in the lineup since Stanton returned from a six-week absence in late July. There’s some defense there. Moving Gleyber Torres to the leadoff spot changed the dynamics. In fact, Torres, batting leadoff for the ninth straight game, hit the Yankees’ fifth home run in the eighth inning to cap off the winning streak.
But still, just as the home runs in the classic movie “Masterpiece League” were “too expensive,” the Yankees have been considered to have “hit too many home runs” in many of their postseason failures since 2009. The question always remains as to whether the Yankees’ offense is diversifying enough, or whether a stronger pitching staff will stifle this show of force.
Baseball has become a playoff sport, just like hockey and basketball. As you all know, the Yankees have struggled in the postseason lately. Judge has been no different. He was 1-for-16 in a loss to Houston in the ALCS two years ago, but in the playoffs he’s batted .211/.310/.462 with 13 home runs and 66 strikeouts in 171 at-bats.
Number 99 is the Greatest Show on Earth, and I’m not talking about Wayne Gretzky, because only two people in history have accomplished the feat, the other being Babe Ruth, so 1-for-16 is best left for another day.
On Sunday afternoon in the Bronx, Soto, Judge and Stanton took to the skies and lit up the sky.
It’s a once in a lifetime event that should be savored.
