ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) 鈥� Aaron Judge allowed Ben Rice to match his home run total for only a few pitches.
Together, the sluggers have now accomplished something for the New York Yankees with their powerful starts that only Mickey Mantle and Yogi Berra had done before them.
Rice went 404 feet the opposite way for a two-run shot to left field in the at Texas on Monday night, his 10th homer of the season. by driving a full-count curveball 414 feet to tie for the MLB lead with his 11th.
鈥淎fter he hit his, he said, `I’m not going to let Benny catch me,’鈥� Rice said with a smile. 鈥淛ust trying to keep him honest, keep him motivated.鈥�
They became the second pair of Yankees teammates to each have 10 or more homers in the first 29 games of a season, joining Mantle and Berra in 1956.
鈥淚鈥檓 glad that I don鈥檛 have to face them, let鈥檚 just put it that way,鈥� said Yankees starter Max Fried (4-1), who threw six scoreless innings for New York (19-10).
鈥淏enny鈥檚 off to an amazing start. Judgie, ho-hum, 11 homers already,鈥� manager Aaron Boone said. 鈥淚t’s a pretty good combo there.鈥�
Rice, a 27-year-old first baseman, is hitting .322 with 23 RBIs. Judge is at .252 with 19 RBIs.
鈥淛ust consistent at-bat after consistent at-bat. Like it鈥檚 must-watch TV at this point,鈥� Judge said of Rice. 鈥淗e’s going to put something in play hard or he鈥檚 going to take his walk and pass the baton. It’s just impressive to watch, and I get a front-row seat. … And, makes my job easier when he does that.鈥�
Rice deposited a 95 mph first-pitch fastball from Jack Leiter into the Yankees bullpen in left-center field to make it 2-0 with two outs in the third inning. It was Rice’s sixth homer in 11 games.
Judge then homered into the left-field seats, the ball landing not far from the spot he on Oct. 4, 2022. He also had two doubles and was hit by a pitch in his other plate appearances.
鈥淢aybe his best game of at-bats. … On all four times, stings two doubles, smokes the homer where he just rides out the curveball,鈥� Boone said.
And it came a day after Judge also .
Judge has hit 260 of his 379 career homers since the start of the 2021 season and already has four 50-homer seasons.
Rice has 43 homers in 216 career games since his debut in June 2024.
After their fast starts in 1956, Mantle went on to hit a majors-best 52 homers and Berra finished with 30.
When Rice was asked if he could keep pace with Judge all season, he said he’s relishing the moment now.
鈥淵eah, I don鈥檛 know how long this is going to last, but I鈥檓 enjoying it. I鈥檓 enjoying it right now being this close,鈥� Rice said before reflecting on the history he now shares with a trio of three-time MVPs: Judge and two Hall of Fame players.
鈥淚t鈥檚 pretty cool. I definitely would not have anticipated something like that,鈥� he said. 鈥淏ut obviously the three names I鈥檓 surrounded with there are pretty big ones, so definitely very humbling.鈥�
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