The New York Yankees defeated the Kansas City Royals 7-0 on Sunday at Yankee Stadium, completing a series sweep. Aaron Judge hit his 90th career first-inning home run, while Ben Rice homered for the fourth straight game. Salvador Perez returned to the Royals' lineup after a brief controversy over his previous off-day.
NEW YORK – Aaron Judge belted a two-run homer into Monument Park in the first inning off Cole Ragans, marking his ninth home run of the season and 90th career first-inning blast. The milestone shot, his fifth in the first inning this year, put the Yankees ahead 3-0 early. Judge now ranks third in franchise history for first-inning homers behind Babe Ruth and Mickey Mantle. He and Rice have combined for 17 home runs, the most by any teammate duo this season. Judge praised Rice's consistency: “It’s just quality at-bat after at-bat.” Ben Rice added a solo homer in the second, extending his streak to four games and maintaining his second-place ranking in MLB with a 1.243 OPS. Trent Grisham's three-run homer later capped the offensive outburst against Ragans, who walked a career-high eight. Yankees manager Aaron Boone called Rice “one of the really outstanding hitters in this league.” Ryan Weathers earned his first win in pinstripes, pitching 7 1/3 innings with solid defense behind him, including a relay by José Caballero. The Yankees improved to 8-1 when hitting multiple homers this season. Salvador Perez returned to the Royals' lineup after manager Matt Quatraro's “mental breather” comment sparked social media backlash Saturday. Perez clarified post-game after going 0-for-4: “Everything is fine. He didn’t mean to say that.” He also revealed right hip soreness, prompting the Royals to call up catcher Elias Díaz. The Royals, now 7-15, optioned infielder Tyler Tolbert and pitcher Mitch Spence while recalling Mason Black.
