OAKLAND, Calif. (AP) — Can't blame Carlos Rodón for becoming “fan boy” as his teammates clear the fences.
Aaron Judge hit his major league-leading 54th home run of the season, Giancarlo Stanton had a three-run drive, and Anthony Volpe also went deep as the New York Yankees powered past the Oakland Athletics 10-0 on Saturday night.
“It's fun to watch. You're kind of a fan in the moment even though I'm still pitching,” Rodón said. “But just a little fan boy watching the guys hit homers.”
The Yankees matched their season high by opening a five-game lead over Baltimore in the AL East with seven games left and earned Aaron Boone his 600th managerial win.
New York isn't ready to celebrate anything just yet.
“We're in a great spot,” Stanton said. “The number's three now so we've still got work to do.”
Rodón (16-9) struck out four and walked one, allowing five hits over six innings to win his second straight start and build on his career-best wins total.
The A's drew 33,198 fans on a night they planned a postgame drone and fireworks show during the club's final homestand before a planned move to Sacramento for the next three seasons before hoping to head to Las Vegas in 2028. Oakland has dropped four straight games at the Coliseum with four remaining.
New York jumped on A's lefty starter JP Sears (11-12) with back-to-back singles to begin the game by Gleyber Torres and Juan Soto. A walk to Judge loaded the bases. Stanton's double-play ball brought home the first run then Jasson Domínguez added an RBI single.
Sears struck out six but was tagged for six runs on nine hits in five innings.
The Yankees are now 44-4 including the postseason when Judge and Stanton hit home runs in the same game.
SENTIMENTAL JUDGE
Judge so appreciates the Oakland Coliseum and his own history here. He was born and raised in the California Central Valley town of Linden.
“Just really looking back to the first stadium I stepped on being considered a Yankee after I got drafted was coming out here for a little workout back in 2013,” Judge recalled. “And even looking back to taking my girlfriend at the time who is now my wife to a Yankees-A's game — which is so funny — when I was in high school. It's kind of full circle. I'll definitely miss coming here because of the fan support, the community that's here, it feels like home.”
TRAINER'S ROOM
Yankees: INF DJ LeMahieu has begun doing some light movement and recently hit off a tee as he resumes some baseball activity while recovering from a right hip impingement. Boone expected to know more about LeMahieu's chances of returning this season once the club returns home. ... 3B Jazz Chisholm Jr. had the night off ahead of the afternoon series finale. Boone had been wanting to get Jon Berti a game, so the timing worked well. Anthony Rizzo also rested as Oswaldo Cabrera eared a start at first base. ... Soto returned to the starting lineup batting second and playing right field a day after being scratched following a left leg injury sustained Thursday sliding into a wall to make a catch. He had a pinch-hit RBI double in the 10th inning of Friday's 4-2 win.
Athletics: RHP Ross Stripling tested his back injury by throwing in the bullpen and is scheduled to face hitters on Tuesday with a chance of still returning to pitch in the final weekend of the season.
UP NEXT
RHP Luis Gil (14-6, 3.14 ERA) takes the mound in the Yankees' last scheduled game in Oakland on Sundayopposite RHP Joey Estes (7-8, 4.78), who has a 9.26 ERA over his past three starts.
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AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/mlb
Janie Mccauley, The Associated Press
