The New York Yankees desperately needed a spark, and on Thursday night in the Bronx, Aaron Judge became their lightning bolt.
After being outscored 23-3 in the first two games against the Detroit Tigers, the Yankees roared back with a cathartic 9-3 win.
It felt less like a routine victory and more like a statement that this team still has fire left inside.
The Toronto Blue Jays also won, so the standings didn’t shift, but morale in the clubhouse certainly did.
There was an urgency in how the Yankees played, as if they knew their season’s tone was on the line.
Judge ties DiMaggio with historic power show
Judge didn’t just set the tone—he completely rewrote it, blasting homers in his first two at-bats of the night.
Those blasts were his 360th and 361st career home runs, tying the legendary Joe DiMaggio for fourth in team history.
DiMaggio needed 1,736 games to get there; Judge pulled it off in only 1,129—a staggering display of efficiency.
At this pace, he’s treating milestone chases like a casual stroll while others are running marathons to keep up.
Judge now has 46 home runs this season, with a wRC+ of 196, flirting with rarefied MVP air once again.
He’s in a neck-and-neck battle with Cal Raleigh for the award, and performances like this tilt the scale heavily.
Schlittler bounces back to anchor the win
Just six days earlier, Cam Schlittler endured the lowest point of his young career, getting chased by the Blue Jays early.
Rather than sulk, the rookie right-hander responded like a seasoned ace, carving through Detroit’s lineup across six sturdy innings.
He allowed just one run on five hits, walked two, and struck out seven in a composed, surgical performance.
It was as if he hit a mental reset button, showing the resilience that defines October-caliber pitchers.
With his ERA down to a sparkling 3.05, Schlittler is rapidly locking down a postseason rotation slot for New York.
Caballero injects energy at the bottom of the lineup
Anthony Volpe’s shoulder injury opened the door for Jose Caballero, and the versatile infielder has seized the opportunity with flair.
On Thursday, Caballero turned the ninth spot into an engine, going 2-for-3 with a run, a walk, two steals, and an RBI.
He’s now up to 45 stolen bases, injecting chaos into games the way a rogue spark plug jolts an old engine to life.
Caballero lacks Volpe’s home run power, but his disruptive baserunning brings an element the Yankees sorely missed recently.
Having that type of production from the bottom spot lengthens the lineup and keeps pressure constantly on opposing pitchers.
Stanton quietly reaches 20 home runs
Giancarlo Stanton joined the power party with his 20th homer of the season, a no-doubt missile to left field.
It might not seem staggering by his lofty standards, but he’s done it in just 63 games while battling lingering pain.
There’s a quiet determination to Stanton this year, as if he’s willing his body to cooperate through sheer force.
His presence lengthens the order and gives Judge badly needed lineup protection, which showed on Thursday’s scoreline.
Stanton’s timing and impact have been massive for New York.
Rice breaks mini slump with extra-base surge
Rookie Ben Rice had been stuck in a brief funk, hitless in the first two games of the Tigers series.
He broke out in emphatic fashion, ripping two doubles while scoring twice and driving in a run in the win.
Rice also drew a walk, showing the plate discipline that’s made him such a tough out for opposing righties.
His OPS now sits at a robust .804, and he continues solidifying his role as a dangerous left-handed option.
With the postseason approaching, Rice heating back up would add yet another potent layer to the Yankees’ offense.
READ MORE: Yankees start Jose Caballero again, give leadoff assignment to Austin Slater
More about: New York Yankees
