BALTIMORE – The New York Yankees came out swinging on Tuesday night, April 29, 2025, as they launched four home runs in the first inning against Baltimore Orioles veteran starter Kyle Gibson, marking a historic moment in baseball. The Yankees greeted Gibson, who was making his season debut, with three consecutive home runs on the first five pitches of the game, sending a clear message to the league: they are a force to be reckoned with.
Trent Grisham set the tone with a leadoff homer that soared 412 feet onto Eutaw Street, followed closely by Aaron Judge, who crushed his ninth home run of the year and Ben Rice, who followed suit with his seventh. After a groundout from Paul Goldschmidt, Cody Bellinger added a fourth home run, bringing the score to 4-0 before the Orioles even had a chance to bat.
In a remarkable display of offensive power, the Yankees became the first team in Major League Baseball history to lead off a game with three consecutive home runs twice in one season, having previously accomplished this feat on March 29 at Yankee Stadium against the Milwaukee Brewers.
But the onslaught didn’t stop there. After Bellinger's homer, Jazz Chisholm Jr. doubled, and Anthony Volpe followed with another double, bringing the score to 5-0. Chisholm's hit was initially ruled a triple, showcasing just how close the Yankees were to an even more historic opening inning.
Gibson, who was signed by the Orioles on March 22 to help fill a struggling rotation, had a night to forget. He exited the first inning with a staggering 45.00 ERA after allowing five hits and five runs. Unfortunately for him, the situation only worsened in the second inning when Rice took him deep again, marking Gibson's second home run allowed of the night. He ultimately lasted just 3 2/3 innings, surrendering 11 hits and nine earned runs, finishing his night with a 22.09 ERA.
Meanwhile, Yankees' starter Carlos Rodon was in complete control, carrying a perfect game into the sixth inning and striking out seven batters while allowing just two runs on two hits and a walk over six innings of work. Rodon’s performance was a stark contrast to Gibson’s struggles, and the Yankees’ bats were relentless throughout the game.
After the first inning fireworks, the Yankees continued to pile on the runs, with Rice hitting his second home run of the night in the second inning to extend the lead to 6-0. The Yankees' bats have been exceptional this season, and they now lead the league in home runs with 51 after belting six long balls against the Orioles.
In the ninth inning, Austin Wells, who had been 0-for-5 up to that point, added a solo shot to the tally, capping off a dominant 15-3 victory for the Yankees. The crowd of 22,164 at Camden Yards witnessed a display of power that highlighted the Yankees' offensive prowess and their position as a top contender in the league.
Despite the Yankees’ success, the game was not without its concerns. Jazz Chisholm Jr. exited the game after his double due to what the team described as "right flank discomfort." His status will be evaluated, as his health is crucial to the Yankees' lineup moving forward.
The Yankees entered the game with a record of 17-12, sitting atop the AL East, while the Orioles struggled at 11-17, facing challenges with their starting rotation, which has the third-worst ERA in baseball at 5.62. The Orioles' decision to invest $5.25 million in Gibson, who is 37 years old and had lingered in free agency, has raised eyebrows given the team's current pitching woes.
Yankees manager Aaron Boone praised his team’s performance, noting, "What a performance. It’s hard to wrap your head around that," referring to the back-to-back-to-back leadoff homers. Judge echoed this sentiment, stating, "It really starts with Grish. He set the tone for us early on. When he goes up there and takes a tough pitch and sends one to Eutaw Street, it’s pretty impressive and gets you going."
As the Yankees continue to demonstrate their offensive firepower, they remain a team to watch in the coming months. With a potent lineup and a strong pitching rotation, they are poised to make a significant impact this season. The Orioles, on the other hand, will need to regroup quickly if they hope to turn their season around and avoid falling further behind in the competitive AL East.
With the season still young and plenty of games ahead, the Yankees will look to build on this momentum while the Orioles search for answers in their rotation. The story of this matchup is far from over, and fans can expect more thrilling baseball as the season progresses.
