Hours before the game, Brian Cashman surveyed a struggling Yankees offense and essentially shrugged.
The GM had watched many of the club’s best bats go silent in the first weeks of the season and expressed zero concern.
“We’d like them all firing on all cylinders at all times all season,” Cashman said, “but that’s not realistic.”
Maybe it’s realistic for those bats to all wake up and fire on all cylinders at the same moment.
Several struggling hitters, notably Aaron Judge and Anthony Rizzo, smacked home runs and a sizzling one in Juan Soto added his own dinger as the Yankees smacked around the A’s, 7-3, in front of 31,179 in The Bronx on Wednesday.
It was the first time Judge, who was given a second life after seemingly striking out before a balk was called, and Soto homered in the same game as teammates.
“Kind of warm and funny inside,” a deadpan manager Aaron Boone said about how he felt about that fact. “Kind of like some hot chocolate on a cold day.
“No, it was great. I don’t think it’s the last time those two homer together.”
The Yankees (17-8) have won five of seven and can take a series from the A’s on Thursday, a task that would be easier if Oakland plays like it did Wednesday.
The Yankees’ offense continually took advantage of poor defensive and fundamental play from the hopeless opponent, beginning immediately.
Judge was punched out by home-plate umpire Nick Mahrley in the first inning and began to trudge back to the dugout.
But he quickly returned as a balk had been called, A’s starter Joe Boyle failing to come set, which allowed Judge another chance that he took advantage of.
“It was a quick-pitch, so I didn’t really know what was going on,” said Judge, who demolished the very next pitch into the right-field seats.
The two-run shot was the 261st homer of his career, surpassing Derek Jeter for ninth on the club’s all-time list and jump-starting a loud night from the offense.
The A’s miscues continued: Oswaldo Cabrera saw extra pitches after a would-be foul out blew away from second baseman Abraham Toro in the second inning; Oakland got no outs on a third-inning, would-be double play off Rizzo’s bat, first baseman Ryan Noda throwing wildly to second.
But the Yankees didn’t score again until yet another misplay in the fourth inning.
After a gorgeous bunt from the struggling Austin Wells, Anthony Volpe smacked a sinking liner to right field. Lawrence Butler tried to shoestring the catch, but the ball skipped past his glove and rolled to the wall for an RBI triple.
Soto’s sac fly made it 4-0, and his solo shot in the sixth — his sixth homer of the year, this one just clearing the center-field wall — added some cushion.
Judge, who as recently as Monday was hitting .174 with a .645 OPS, is up to .191 and .702 after his 2-for-5 night. Rizzo, who smacked one home run in his first 23 games, has two in his past two games. Wells, who entered play with four hits and an .086 average in his first 14 games, added two singles and is finally beginning to see results.
“I feel pretty much the same [at the plate],” said Wells, who has been a victim of poor batted-ball luck that might be turning.
Volpe, who has struggled since being bumped up to the leadoff spot, added a pair of hits for his first multi-hit game since April 14.
Gleyber Torres, who entered the at-bat in a 1-for-17 funk, blasted a single in the seventh inning that helped lead to a run.
Every Yankees hitter in the starting lineup apart from Cabrera reached base.
“It was a good all-around team win with guys up and down the lineup having great at-bat after great at-bat,” said Judge, who led an 11-hit performance that qualified as an explosion and was more than enough for Clarke Schmidt and the Yankees’ bullpen.
Schmidt was excellent through five scoreless innings before watching Brent Rooker crush a three-run homer in the sixth.
Otherwise Schmidt was excellent, Luke Weaver was better (perfect in 2 ²/₃ innings of relief) and Ian Hamilton did not throw a ball in a clean, 11-pitch ninth.
“After every win I feel warm and fuzzy,” Judge said with a smile. “That’s a great line.”
