Austin, Judge homer in 1st big league at-bats as Yanks win - MLB

NEW YORK — The Baby Bombers arrived with a bang. Two of them.

Tyler Austin and Aaron Judge became the first teammates to hit home runs in the first at-bats of their major league debuts in the same game, sparking the New York Yankees to an 8-4 win over the Tampa Bay Rays on Saturday.

And New York’s 24-year-old newbies did it back-to-back in a five-pitch span during the second inning.

Called up before the game as part of a youth movement that led to Alex Rodriguez‘s release, Austin batted seventh and sliced a 2-2 fastball from Matt Andriese (6-4) to the opposite field. The 331-foot drive down the right-field line landed in the first row over the short porch, about 3 feet fair.

Judge, wearing No. 99, drove a 1-2 changeup 446 feet off the railing above a sports bar in center field and into the netting above Monument Park.

Only once before had two players homered in the first at-bat of their debuts in the same game, and they were on opposing teams: Brooklyn’s Earnie Koy and the Phillies’ Heinie Mueller in the first inning at Philadelphia’s Baker Bowl on April 19, 1938.

Both Austin and Judge went 2 for 4, Austin using a bat with a lime-colored grip and Judge swinging black lumber. Austin, wearing No. 26, also swiped a base.

Aaron Hicks hit a three-run homer in the fifth for a 6-3 lead, and Starlin Castro and Didi Gregorius – batting cleanup for the first time in his big league career – also went deep. The Yankees (60-56), whose homers all came from players 26 and under, won their fourth straight and matched their season high of four games over .500.

Brad Miller homered twice for Tampa Bay, a three-run drive and a solo shot off Masahiro Tanaka (9-4).

New York started a pair of players making their big league debuts for the first time since center fielder Jim Lyttle and catcher John Ellis against the California Angels on May 17, 1969.

Judge had just ordered a postgame midnight meal with his parents in Rochester when Scranton/Wilkes-Barre manager Al Pedrique walked up to his table at Dinosaur Bar-B-Que and told him about the call-up. So after a bacon burger and mac and cheese, first baseman drove through the night with mom and dad, arriving at a Parsippany, New Jersey, hotel around 6 a.m.

“It was kind of a shock,” said Judge, who at first thought Pedrique was kidding.

Austin had gotten his news earlier Friday. When his flight was canceled, the Yankees sent a car service to take him on the 5-hour drive.

In a coincidence that highlighted the generational change, Derek Jeter, Mariano Rivera, Andy Pettitte, Jorge Posada and Bernie Williams were at Yankee Stadium for a 20th anniversary celebration of the 1996 World Series championship team, the start of a dynasty that would win four titles in five years.

“I’m excited to see all these guys that I watched on TV in October,” Judge said.

Manager Joe Girardi noticed the parallels.

“I think it’s good for them to be here today to see that these guys were young, these guys performed at a high level and they had a long run. Let’s go do the same thing,” the manager said.

Receiving their first recognition from the Bleacher Creatures in the game-opening roll call, they joined 23-year-old catcher Gary Sanchez, who entered the game hitting .357 (10 for 28) with three doubles, a home run and four RBIs since he was brought up Aug. 3.

Girardi said Judge, a burly 6-foot-7 and 275 pounds, will be the regular right fielder. Austin will share time at first with Mark Teixeira and also DH.

General manager Brian Cashman planned to bring up Austin and added Judge once it became clear following Friday night’s game that Brett Gardner would be sidelined for several days after getting hit by a pitch above the right ankle.

“I figured Judge, being his first call-up, he’s not going to sleep anyway,” Cashman said. “Thank God he’s young, because if that was me, I would be a zombie right now.”

Austin, who also plays corner outfield and third base, overcame testicular cancer surgery at age 17 and was a 13th-round draft pick in 2010. His career slowed after a wrist injury and he was designated for assignment Sept. 1, giving other teams a chance to claim him off waivers.

He remained with the Yankees and after playing in the Arizona Fall League and Venezuelan Winter League, he started this year at Double-A Trenton and blossomed after he was promoted to Scranton on June 4.

Cashman wouldn’t rule out more veterans leaving by the start of next season, opening more opportunities.

“It’s always in the best interest to be open-minded and listen,” he said. “I wouldn’t say anybody is untouchable.”

TRAINER’S ROOM

Yankees: Gardner said X-rays were negative.

UP NEXT

RHP Luis Severino (1-7) starts the series finale for the Yankees on Sunday, when Mariano Rivera’s Monument Park is unveiled. RHP Jake Odorizzi (6-5) opens for the Rays.

ATLANTA – Given a seven-run lead in the first inning, Atlanta right-hander Spencer Strider could relax and keep adding to his majors-leading strikeout total.

“That game felt like it was over pretty quick,” Strider said.

Ronald Acuña Jr. drove in three runs with four hits, including a two-run single in Atlanta’s seven-run first inning, and the Braves beat the Philadelphia Phillies 11-4 on Sunday night to split the four-game series.

“Getting a lead first is big, especially when you get that big of a lead,” Strider said. “… When we’re putting up runs, my job isn’t to be perfect. My job is to get outs.”

Following the game, Braves manager Brian Snitker announced right-hander Michael Soroka will be recalled to make his first start since the 2020 season on Monday night at Oakland.

Matt Olson hit a pair of two-run homers for Atlanta, and Strider became the fastest pitcher in modern history to reach 100 strikeouts in a season.

“It’s incredible,” said Acuña through a translator of Strider. “Every time he goes out to pitch it seems like he’s going to strike everybody out.”

Acuña hit a run-scoring triple in the fifth before Olson’s second homer to center. Acuña had two singles in the first when the Braves sent 11 batters to the plate, collected seven hits and opened a 7-0 lead. Led by Acuña and Olson, who had three hits, the Braves set a season high with 20 hits.

Strider (5-2) struck out nine while pitching six innings of two-run ball. The right-hander fired a called third strike past Nick Castellanos for the first out of the fourth, giving him 100 strikeouts in 61 innings and topping Jacob deGrom‘s 61 2/3 innings in 2021 as the fastest to 100 in the modern era.

“It’s cool,” Strider said, adding “hopefully it’ll keep going.”

Olson followed Acuña’s leadoff single with a 464-foot homer to right-center. Austin Riley added another homer before Ozzie Albies and Acuña had two-run singles in the long first inning.

Phillies shortstop Trea Turner and left fielder Kyle Schwarber each committed an error on a grounder by Orlando Arcia, setting up two unearned runs in the inning.

Strider walked Kody Clemens to open the third. Brandon Marsh followed with a two-run homer for the Phillies’ first hit. Schwarber hit a two-run homer off Collin McHugh in the seventh.

LEAPING CATCH

Michael Harris II celebrated the one-year anniversary of his major league debut by robbing Schwarber of a homer with a leaping catch at the center-field wall in the second. As Harris shook his head to say “No!” after coming down with the ball on the warning track, Strider pumped his fist in approval on the mound – after realizing Harris had the ball.

“He put me through an emotional roller coaster for a moment,” Strider said.

SOROKA RETURNING TO ROTATION

Soroka was scratched from his scheduled start at Triple-A Gwinnett on Sunday, setting the stage for his final step in his comeback from two torn Achilles tendons.

“To get back is really a feather in that kid’s cap,” Snitker said.

Soroka will be making his first start in the majors since Aug. 3, 2020, against the New York Mets when he suffered a torn right Achilles tendon. Following a setback which required a follow-up surgery, he suffered another tear of the same Achilles tendon midway through the 2021 season.

Soroka suffered another complication in his comeback when a hamstring injury slowed his progress this spring.

Acuña said he was “super happy, super excited for him, super proud of him” and added “I’m just hoping for continued good health.”

Soroka looked like an emerging ace when he finished 13-4 with a 2.68 ERA in 2019 and placed second in the NL Rookie of the Year voting and sixth in the NL Cy Young voting.

The Braves are 0-3 in bullpen committee games as they attempt to overcome losing two key starters, Max Fried (strained left forearm) and Kyle Wright (right shoulder inflammation) to the injured list in early May. Each is expected to miss at least two months.

RHP Dereck Rodriguez, who gave up one hit in two scoreless innings, was optioned to Gwinnett after the game to clear a roster spot for Soroka.

QUICK EXIT

Phillies right-hander Dylan Covey (0-1), claimed off waivers from the Los Angeles Dodgers on May 20, didn’t make it through the first inning. Covey allowed seven runs, five earned, and six hits, including the homers by Olson and Riley.

TRAINER’S ROOM

Phillies: 3B Alex Bohm was held out with hamstring tightness. … LHP José Alvarado (left elbow inflammation) threw the bullpen session originally scheduled for Saturday. Manager Rob Thomson said there was no report that Alvarado, who was placed on the injured list on May 10, had any difficulty.

UP NEXT

Phillies: Following an off day, LHP Ranger Suárez (0-1, 9.82 ERA) is scheduled to face Mets RHP Kodai Senga (4-3, 3.94 ERA) in Tuesday night’s opener of a three-game series in New York.

Braves: Soroka was 1-2 with a 4.33 ERA in eight games with Triple-A Gwinnett. He allowed a combined four hits and two runs over 10 2/3 innings in his last two starts. RHP Paul Blackburn (7-6, 4.28 ERA in 2022) is scheduled to make his 2023 debut for Oakland as he returns from a finger injury.