Nine is Fine: Yankees Bombard Rays, Boone Loses Count
Published on: August 20, 2025
The Bronx Bombers lived up to their moniker Tuesday night, unleashing a historic barrage of long balls that left the Tampa Bay Rays scorched and their own manager, Aaron Boone, momentarily speechless. It was a display of raw power rarely witnessed in the modern game, a nine-homer explosion that not only tied the Yankees’ own single-game franchise record, set earlier this season, but etched their names in the annals of baseball history as the first team ever to achieve two nine-dinger games in a single season.
Coming off a rough patch that saw the pinstripes struggle to find their footing, the Yankees, energized by the return of their captain, Aaron Judge, looked like a team possessed. They wasted absolutely no time in setting the tone, detonating a trio of back-to-back-to-back jacks in the opening frames. Judge, the catalyst for so much of the Yankees’ success, ignited the fireworks display, followed by the sweet swing of Cody Bellinger and the thunderous crack of Giancarlo Stanton’s bat. It was a breathtaking sequence, a premonition of the offensive onslaught that was to follow.
The Rays, a team usually known for their pitching prowess, were simply overwhelmed, their hurlers resembling batting practice pitchers against the relentless Yankee attack. The home runs weren’t cheapies either. These were majestic blasts, moonshots that soared into the night sky, each one seemingly travelling further than the last. The barrage continued throughout the game, a relentless assault on the scoreboard and the Rays’ morale.
Bellinger and Stanton, two of the game's premier sluggers, each added another home run to their tally, finishing the night with a pair apiece. Judge, despite his early contribution, was kept in the yard for the remainder of the game, but his presence in the lineup clearly ignited a spark. Jazz Chisholm Jr. and rookie sensation Ben Rice also joined the home run party, showcasing the depth of power that permeates this Yankee lineup.
But perhaps the most surprising contribution came from the bottom of the order. Jose Caballero, the ninth hitter, a name not usually associated with prodigious power, erupted for two home runs of his own, proving that on this particular night, anyone wearing pinstripes was capable of launching a baseball into orbit.
The sheer volume of home runs left even the seasoned skipper, Aaron Boone, momentarily bewildered. In his post-game press conference, a clip of which quickly went viral, Boone, with a look of genuine astonishment, asked, "We hit nine?" It was a moment of levity amidst the historic achievement, a testament to the surreal nature of the Yankees’ offensive explosion.
"To do it twice," Boone later elaborated, shaking his head in disbelief, "that's remarkable. And there were ones that were seriously hit too.” He wasn't wrong. This wasn't a case of a few wall-scrapers or fortunate bounces. This was a display of pure, unadulterated power, a reminder to the rest of the league that the Bronx Bombers are still a force to be reckoned with.
The Yankees, with 649 runs scored on the season, boast the most potent offense in the American League and the third-best in all of baseball, trailing only the Los Angeles Dodgers and Milwaukee Brewers. While they’ve endured their share of struggles this season, Tuesday night's performance served as a potent reminder of their offensive capabilities. When this team is clicking, they are capable of putting up crooked numbers with alarming regularity.
The 204 home runs they've amassed so far this season lead the league by a significant margin, with no other team even eclipsing the 190 mark. This isn't simply a team that hits home runs; they devour pitching, turning opposing hurlers into nervous wrecks. They are a team built on power, a team that can change the complexion of a game in a single swing.
For Boone, the historic win provided a much-needed respite from the recent pressures of managing a team underperforming expectations. The smile on his face in the post-game presser was a testament to the relief he felt, a moment of pure joy amidst a season that has had its fair share of ups and downs.
The Yankees, despite their recent struggles, are a team that no one can afford to overlook. They are a sleeping giant, capable of awakening at any moment and unleashing a torrent of offense, as they so vividly demonstrated against the hapless Rays. Tuesday night's performance was a reminder of their potential, a glimpse into the destructive power that lies dormant within this team, waiting to be unleashed. And when it is, even the manager might lose count of the carnage.
Coming off a rough patch that saw the pinstripes struggle to find their footing, the Yankees, energized by the return of their captain, Aaron Judge, looked like a team possessed. They wasted absolutely no time in setting the tone, detonating a trio of back-to-back-to-back jacks in the opening frames. Judge, the catalyst for so much of the Yankees’ success, ignited the fireworks display, followed by the sweet swing of Cody Bellinger and the thunderous crack of Giancarlo Stanton’s bat. It was a breathtaking sequence, a premonition of the offensive onslaught that was to follow.
The Rays, a team usually known for their pitching prowess, were simply overwhelmed, their hurlers resembling batting practice pitchers against the relentless Yankee attack. The home runs weren’t cheapies either. These were majestic blasts, moonshots that soared into the night sky, each one seemingly travelling further than the last. The barrage continued throughout the game, a relentless assault on the scoreboard and the Rays’ morale.
Bellinger and Stanton, two of the game's premier sluggers, each added another home run to their tally, finishing the night with a pair apiece. Judge, despite his early contribution, was kept in the yard for the remainder of the game, but his presence in the lineup clearly ignited a spark. Jazz Chisholm Jr. and rookie sensation Ben Rice also joined the home run party, showcasing the depth of power that permeates this Yankee lineup.
But perhaps the most surprising contribution came from the bottom of the order. Jose Caballero, the ninth hitter, a name not usually associated with prodigious power, erupted for two home runs of his own, proving that on this particular night, anyone wearing pinstripes was capable of launching a baseball into orbit.
The sheer volume of home runs left even the seasoned skipper, Aaron Boone, momentarily bewildered. In his post-game press conference, a clip of which quickly went viral, Boone, with a look of genuine astonishment, asked, "We hit nine?" It was a moment of levity amidst the historic achievement, a testament to the surreal nature of the Yankees’ offensive explosion.
"To do it twice," Boone later elaborated, shaking his head in disbelief, "that's remarkable. And there were ones that were seriously hit too.” He wasn't wrong. This wasn't a case of a few wall-scrapers or fortunate bounces. This was a display of pure, unadulterated power, a reminder to the rest of the league that the Bronx Bombers are still a force to be reckoned with.
The Yankees, with 649 runs scored on the season, boast the most potent offense in the American League and the third-best in all of baseball, trailing only the Los Angeles Dodgers and Milwaukee Brewers. While they’ve endured their share of struggles this season, Tuesday night's performance served as a potent reminder of their offensive capabilities. When this team is clicking, they are capable of putting up crooked numbers with alarming regularity.
The 204 home runs they've amassed so far this season lead the league by a significant margin, with no other team even eclipsing the 190 mark. This isn't simply a team that hits home runs; they devour pitching, turning opposing hurlers into nervous wrecks. They are a team built on power, a team that can change the complexion of a game in a single swing.
For Boone, the historic win provided a much-needed respite from the recent pressures of managing a team underperforming expectations. The smile on his face in the post-game presser was a testament to the relief he felt, a moment of pure joy amidst a season that has had its fair share of ups and downs.
The Yankees, despite their recent struggles, are a team that no one can afford to overlook. They are a sleeping giant, capable of awakening at any moment and unleashing a torrent of offense, as they so vividly demonstrated against the hapless Rays. Tuesday night's performance was a reminder of their potential, a glimpse into the destructive power that lies dormant within this team, waiting to be unleashed. And when it is, even the manager might lose count of the carnage.
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