SEATTLE — The Yankees pounded out a season-high 18 hits Monday night, getting key contributions from the unlikely trio of Jake Bauers, Willie Calhoun and Isiah Kiner-Falefa.
Then, of course, there was old reliable: Aaron Judge.
Judge crushed a pair of home runs and a double, then took away a home run with more terrific defense in right field, to lift the Yankees to their third straight win, 10-4, over the Mariners at T-Mobile Park.
“It’s one of the great individual games you’ll see,” manager Aaron Boone said. “He’s just such a special player obviously that can do things no one else can. It’s just fun to watch him do it every day.”
The reigning American League MVP, who earned more “M-V-P” chants throughout his latest masterpiece, has now belted 11 home runs over his last 15 games.
His 17 home runs on the season — despite missing 10 games while on the injured list — lead the American League on the heels of his historic 62-homer campaign last season.
Judge then put an exclamation point on his night by robbing Teoscar Hernandez of a home run in the eighth inning, going back to the wall, leaping and reaching over to make the highlight-reel grab.
Aaron Judge celebrates after hitting a double during the Yankees’ win over the Mariners on May 29. AP“Just another catch,” the understated Judge said. “I’m just trying to do my job. When you’re 6-[foot]-7, I better be able to get up there and get to those.”
Judge, who went 3-for-4 with three runs and three RBIs, had some company in this one. Bauers, a former Mariner, went 3-for-4 with a home run, two doubles and two RBIs.
Calhoun, batting in the three-hole for the injured Anthony Rizzo, went 2-for-5 with a pair of doubles and two RBIs.
Aaron Judge robs a home run during the Yankees’ win over the Mariners on May 29. Getty Images
Aaron Judge hits a two-run homer during the Yankees’ win over the Mariners on May 29. Getty ImagesAnd Kiner-Falefa, making his first start of the season at shortstop, went 2-for-5 with a double and two RBIs.
Gleyber Torres, Harrison Bader and Kyle Higashioka each added a pair of hits, though Bader left the game in the third inning with right hamstring tightness after legging out an infield single.
It was more than enough support for Domingo German, who was solid across 6 ¹/₃ innings in his first game back from serving a 10-game suspension for a failed foreign-substance check on May 16.
Aaron Judge celebrates in the dugout during the Yankees’ win over the Mariners on May 29. Getty ImagesAn efficient German gave up four runs on seven hits and three walks, but more importantly, had no issues with the two sticky-stuff checks he got from umpires.
The Yankees were able to get to Mariners rookie right-hander Bryce Miller like no other team had through his first five starts in the big leagues.
Entering Monday, Miller had allowed just four earned runs on 13 hits and no home runs across 31 ¹/₃ innings since making his MLB debut earlier this month.
Domingo German pitches during the Yankees’ win over the Mariners on May 29. USA TODAY Sports
Isiah Kiner-Falefa celebrates during the Yankees’ win over the Mariners on May 29. APThen in 4 ²/₃ innings on Monday, the Yankees tagged Miller for eight runs on 11 hits and two home runs.
The game was tied 1-1 when Judge delivered his first blast of the night.
He clanked a two-run shot — it came off the bat at 116.9 mph — off the left-field foul pole to give the Yankees a 3-1 lead.
Bauers, who doubled home Bader in the second inning, then added a solo homer in the fourth inning to make it 4-1.
Jake Bauers celebrates during the Yankees’ win over the Mariners on May 29. APAfter Julio Rodriguez took German deep in the bottom of the fourth, the Yankees came back to pile on four more runs in the fifth inning — highlighted by two-run doubles from Calhoun and Kiner-Falefa.
“We could have cashed this game in after a tough series with the Padres,” said Judge, who added his second home run in the sixth. “We travel all the way to the West Coast, we got a tough Seattle team, we could have cashed in this first game. But the guys came out swinging.”






