Soto, Judge and Stanton homer in same game with Yankees for 1st time during 9-4 win over Astros

NEW YORK (AP) — Juan Soto homered and drove in five runs, Aaron Judge and Giancarlo Stanton also went deep and the New York Yankees beat the Houston Astros 9-4 on Wednesday night.

It was the first time the power trio all connected in the same game for the Yankees, who won their fifth straight and improved to 6-0 against the Astros this season.

“That certainly puts a smile on your face when those three guys do that,” New York manager Aaron Boone said.

Stanton hit a 119.9 mph rocket into the second deck that was the hardest-hit ball in the majors this year.

“We all know how capable we are and when you have nights like that, it’s great,” Soto said.

New York starter Carlos Rodón (3-2) bounced back from his worst outing of the season last week in Baltimore. He allowed two runs and seven hits in 6 1/3 innings, earning a nice hand from the home crowd.

Kyle Tucker and Jeremy Peña homered for the Astros, who lost their fourth in a row and dropped to 12-24.

Soto launched a two-run homer on the first pitch he saw in the first inning. He connected for a 440-foot drive on a fastball from Houston rookie Spencer Arrighetti (0-4), sending his 10th homer off an advertisement at the back of the Astros’ bullpen in left-center field.

“I feel like when I’m hitting the ball that way and I’m in my best path and my swing is in the best spot, it's everything that I’ve been asking for with all my practices and everything,” Soto said.

Judge lined a 404-foot shot to right-center to open the third. Two batters later, Stanton’s 447-foot solo drive stayed fair inside the left-field foul pole.

It was Stanton’s third hardest-hit homer since Statcast tracking began in 2015, and it came one night after he launched a 118.8 mph homer off Justin Verlander.

“I feel like the night before he had the hardest hit in baseball,” Judge said. “Then he outdid himself again tonight. Just impressive.”

Judge’s homer was part of his second three-hit game this season. He added a pair of doubles, including a two-run double that put the Yankees up 8-1 in the sixth.

New York improved to 34-4 when Stanton and Judge homer in the same game, including the postseason.

Throw in Soto’s drive, and the trio hit a combined 1,291 feet of home runs.

New York beat the Astros for the ninth straight time dating to last year. The season series concludes Thursday at Yankee Stadium.

Since the start of last season, the Yankees are 11-2 against Houston, which eliminated them from the playoffs four times from 2015-22, including in the AL Championship Series in 2017, 2019 and 2022.

Soto also hit RBI singles in the second and eighth along with a run-scoring groundout in the sixth. He is batting .538 (14 for 26) against the Astros in his first season with the Yankees and had his fourth career game with at least five RBIs.

“He’s always been hard (to face),” Astros manager Joe Espada said. “It doesn’t matter who’s pitching. Juan Soto is a great hitter.”

Jake Meyers hit an RBI triple and Jose Altuve had an RBI double in the ninth for Houston, which got 11 hits but went 2 for 11 with runners in scoring position.

Arrighetti allowed five runs and eight hits in five innings.

TRAINER’S ROOM

Astros: RHP Cristian Javier (neck), who pitched 3 1/3 innings Saturday in a rehab start for Double-A Corpus Christi, threw a bullpen ahead of his return to the rotation this weekend. … RHP Jose Urquidy (right forearm) and OF Chas McCormick (right hamstring) are expected to begin rehab assignments this weekend.

Yankees: RHP Tommy Kahnle (right shoulder) struck out two in one inning for Class A Tampa during his first minor league rehab appearance. Kahnle will appear in at least four more rehab games before possibly being activated. … RHP Nick Burdi (right hip), who made his first rehab appearance for Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre on Tuesday, could be activated Friday.

UP NEXT

Houston RHP Ronel Blanco (3-0, 2.09 ERA) opposes RHP Marcus Stroman (2-1, 3.41) in Thursday’s series finale.

AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/mlb

Houston Astros pitcher Spencer Arrighetti throws to a New York Yankees batter during the first inning of a baseball game Wednesday, May 8, 2024, in New York. (AP Photo/Adam Hunger)

New York Yankees' Juan Soto beats Houston Astros pitcher Spencer Arrighetti to first base for a run-scoring infield single during the second inning of a baseball game Wednesday, May 8, 2024, in New York. (AP Photo/Adam Hunger)

Houston Astros catcher Yainer Diaz, left, talks to pitcher Spencer Arrighetti after New York Yankees' Anthony Volpe walked to load the bases during the second inning of a baseball game Wednesday, May 8, 2024, in New York. (AP Photo/Adam Hunger)

New York Yankees pitcher Carlos Rodón throws against the Houston Astros during the first inning of a baseball game Wednesday, May 8, 2024, in New York. (AP Photo/Adam Hunger)

New York Yankees outfielder Aaron Judge celebrates with Gleyber Torres (25) after the Yankees defeated the Houston Astros in a baseball game Wednesday, May 8, 2024, in New York. (AP Photo/Adam Hunger)

New York Yankees' Aaron Judge watches his two-run double against the Houston Astros during the sixth inning of a baseball game Wednesday, May 8, 2024, in New York. (AP Photo/Adam Hunger)

New York Yankees' Aaron Judge reacts after hitting a two-run double, next to Houston Astros shortstop Jeremy Peña during the sixth inning of a baseball game Wednesday, May 8, 2024, in New York. (AP Photo/Adam Hunger)

New York Yankees' Aaron Judge gestures after hitting a home run against the Houston Astros during the third inning of a baseball game Wednesday, May 8, 2024, in New York. (AP Photo/Adam Hunger)

Houston Astros pitcher Spencer Arrighetti walks on the mound after giving up a home run to New York Yankees designated hitter Giancarlo Stanton during the third inning of a baseball game Wednesday, May 8, 2024, in New York. (AP Photo/Adam Hunger)

New York Yankees designated hitter Giancarlo Stanton reacts after hitting a home run against the Houston Astros during the third inning of a baseball game Wednesday, May 8, 2024, in New York. (AP Photo/Adam Hunger)

New York Yankees' Aaron Judge, center, Juan Soto and Alex Verdugo, left, celebrate after the Yankees defeated the Houston Astros in a baseball game Wednesday, May 8, 2024, in New York. (AP Photo/Adam Hunger)

New York Yankees' Juan Soto celebrates with third base coach Luis Rojas (67) after hitting a two-run home run against the Houston Astros during the first inning of a baseball game Wednesday, May 8, 2024, in New York. (AP Photo/Adam Hunger)

New York Yankees' Juan Soto celebrates with Aaron Judge, left, after hitting a two-run home run against the Houston Astros during the first inning of a baseball game Wednesday, May 8, 2024, in New York. (AP Photo/Adam Hunger)

New York Yankees' Juan Soto throws his bat after hitting a two-run home run against the Houston Astros during the first inning of a baseball game Wednesday, May 8, 2024, in New York. (AP Photo/Adam Hunger)

MIAMI (AP) — Harrison Bader and Tyrone Taylor each drove in two runs in a four-run first inning, star closer Edwin Díaz was not used in a save situation and the New York Mets beat the Miami Marlins 7-3 on Sunday for just their second win in seven games.

Brandon Nimmo homered and Francisco Lindor singled twice following a 1-for-27 skid as the Mets rebounded from blowing a four-run, ninth-inning lead on Saturday and avoided a three-game sweep. New York stopped Miami’s four-game winning streak.

“You’re not defined by what you do the day before. You’re defined by how you get up from adversity,” Lindor said. “We wanted this one for sure. I think it’s important to win after a tough loss like that.”

Sean Manaea (3-1) allowed two runs and five hits in five innings. Sean Reid-Foley and Jake Diekman pitched an inning each, and Reed Garrett got his second save by allowing one hit over two innings with four strikeouts in a 34-pitch outing.

Díaz has a 10.80 ERA over his last eight appearances after serving up four homers in 8 1/3 innings. He has blown three of his last four save chances.

“We all believe in him. We all know he’s going to be back,” Garrett said. “Whenever my name’s called, I’ll pitch, but I know as a collective unit we all believe in Edwin and we know what he can do.”

New York (21-25) had dropped five games under .500 on Saturday for the first time since an 0-5 start.

“Not an easy weekend, not the way we expected, but we just have to continue to move forward,” Mets manager Carlos Mendoza said. “Today was a huge win for us.”

With New York ahead 4-3, Nimmo hit a two-run homer off Anthony Bender in a three-run ninth that included Brett Baty’s RBI single.

“I was just looking for a good pitch in the middle of the plate to drive,” Nimmo said. “I was able to hit that ball — good launch angle — and hit it hard. Found its way out of the ballpark.”

Nimmo returned to the lineup Saturday after missing two games because of a stomach illness.

“I’m coming around,” Nimmo said. “It’s been a little bit of a journey the last three days to get over the sickness. Right now, I’m just trying to get some appetite back. I’m definitely not at 100%. Just trying to battle through it and glad that I was able to help out there at the end and solidify the win.”

Dane Myers hit a two-run homer in the second, and Christian Bethancourt had a solo drive in the seventh against DIekman.

Sixto Sánchez (0-2) allowed four runs and six hits in four innings. He gave up Taylor’s two-out double in the first and Bader’s single.

“He was obviously better second through the fourth inning but he put us in a hole early,” Marlins manager Skip Schumaker said. “At this level it’s hard to come back from four runs every single time. He’s not giving his teammates a chance to win.”

Miami recalled right-handed reliever Emmanuel Ramirez from Jacksonville and optioned right-handed reliever Anthony Maldonado to the Triple-A farm team.

TRAINER’S ROOM

Mets: DH J.D. Martinez (flu symptoms) didn’t play but was available to pinch hit. Mendoza said Martinez played through the illness the prior two days.

Marlins: INF Tim Anderson (lower back tightness) homered and had three singles in five at-bats during a rehab game with Jacksonville on Saturday, then went 0 for 4 with a walk on Sunday.

UP NEXT

Mets: RHP Tylor Megill (0-1, 2.25) will start the opener of a three-game series at Cleveland on Monday. RHP Ben Lively (2-2, 3.06) will start for the Guardians.

Marlins: LHP Ryan Weathers (2-4, 3.81) is scheduled to start the opener of a three-game home series against Milwaukee on Monday. The Brewers will go with RHP Joe Ross (2-4, 4.61).

AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/mlb

New York Mets' Sean Manaea delivers a pitch during the first inning of a baseball game against the Miami Marlins, Sunday, May 19, 2024, in Miami. (AP Photo/Wilfredo Lee)

New York Mets' Brandon Nimmo (9) and Francisco Lindor (12) congratulate each other after they scored on a double by Tyrone Taylor, during the first inning of a baseball game against the Miami Marlins Sunday, May 19, 2024, in Miami. (AP Photo/Wilfredo Lee)

New York Mets center fielder Harrison Bader is unable to catch a ball hit by Miami Marlins' Josh Bell for a double, during the first inning of a baseball game, Sunday, May 19, 2024, in Miami. (AP Photo/Wilfredo Lee)

Miami Marlins third base Emmanuel Rivera, right, tags out New York Mets' Harrison Bader as he slides into third base during the fourth inning of a baseball game, Sunday, May 19, 2024, in Miami. (AP Photo/Wilfredo Lee)

New York Mets center fielder Harrison Bader (44) catches a ball hit by Miami Marlins' Josh Bell as both he and left fielder Tyrone Taylor (15) vie for the ball during the fifth inning of a baseball game, Sunday, May 19, 2024, in Miami. (AP Photo/Wilfredo Lee)

New York Mets relief pitcher Reed Garrett, right, and catcher Omar Narvaez celebrate after the Mets beat the Miami Marlins 7-3, during a baseball game, Sunday, May 19, 2024, in Miami. (AP Photo/Wilfredo Lee)