NEW YORK (AP) — Giancarlo Stanton hit a three-run homer, Austin Wells went deep for the third consecutive game and the New York Yankees pounded the Seattle Mariners 10-3 on Tuesday night in the opener of a three-game series between American League playoff contenders.
Aaron Judge and Cal Raleigh traded late home runs after the outcome was all but decided, with Raleigh's 36th of the season keeping the Seattle catcher two ahead of Judge for the major league lead.
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Seattle Mariners' Cal Raleigh (29) hits a home run during the eighth inning of a baseball game against the New York Yankees, Tuesday, July 8, 2025, in New York. (AP Photo/Yuki Iwamura)
New York Yankees' Austin Wells (28) hits a home run during the sixth inning of a baseball game against the Seattle Mariners, Tuesday, July 8, 2025, in New York. (AP Photo/Yuki Iwamura)
New York Yankees designated hitter Giancarlo Stanton (27) hits a two-run home run during the sixth inning of a baseball game against the Seattle Mariners, Tuesday, July 8, 2025, in New York. (AP Photo/Yuki Iwamura)
Seattle Mariners' Cal Raleigh (29) hits a home run during the eighth inning of a baseball game against the New York Yankees, Tuesday, July 8, 2025, in New York. (AP Photo/Yuki Iwamura)
New York Yankees' Aaron Judge (99) reacts after hitting a single during the sixth inning of a baseball game against the Seattle Mariners, Tuesday, July 8, 2025, in New York. (AP Photo/Yuki Iwamura)
Cody Bellinger and Paul Goldschmidt each had three hits for the Yankees, who won their second straight following a six-game slide. Rookie right-hander Will Warren (6-4) pitched 5 2/3 shutout innings, rebounding from an ugly start in Toronto last week.
Following a 35-minute rain delay in the top of the fifth, Oswald Peraza's run-scoring infield single off Mariners starter Logan Gilbert with two outs in the bottom half ended Seattle's team-record streak of 33 scoreless innings.
Gilbert (2-3) faded fast in the sixth. Judge and Bellinger opened the inning with consecutive singles before Stanton connected for his 431st career homer to make it 4-0.
Three batters later, Wells pulled the first pitch from reliever Casey Legumina to right field for his career-best 14th homer, a two-run shot.
Goldschmidt added a two-run single to make it 10-0 in a four-run seventh that included Judge's solo homer and an RBI double by Jazz Chisholm Jr.
Stanton's homer was his second this season after missing the first 70 games with pain in both elbows. He returned June 16.
With a two-run shot in the eighth, Raleigh eclipsed Hall of Fame slugger Ken Griffey Jr. (1998) for the most homers by a Mariners player before the All-Star break. Barry Bonds holds the big league record with 39 for San Francisco in 2001.
Mariners rookie Logan Evans (3-2, 2.96 ERA) starts Wednesday night against right-hander Cam Schlittler, who will be called up by the Yankees to make his major league debut in place of injured Clarke Schmidt. The 24-year-old Schlittler was 6-6 with a 2.82 ERA at Double-A and Triple-A combined this season.
AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/mlb
Seattle Mariners' Cal Raleigh (29) hits a home run during the eighth inning of a baseball game against the New York Yankees, Tuesday, July 8, 2025, in New York. (AP Photo/Yuki Iwamura)
New York Yankees' Austin Wells (28) hits a home run during the sixth inning of a baseball game against the Seattle Mariners, Tuesday, July 8, 2025, in New York. (AP Photo/Yuki Iwamura)
New York Yankees designated hitter Giancarlo Stanton (27) hits a two-run home run during the sixth inning of a baseball game against the Seattle Mariners, Tuesday, July 8, 2025, in New York. (AP Photo/Yuki Iwamura)
Seattle Mariners' Cal Raleigh (29) hits a home run during the eighth inning of a baseball game against the New York Yankees, Tuesday, July 8, 2025, in New York. (AP Photo/Yuki Iwamura)
New York Yankees' Aaron Judge (99) reacts after hitting a single during the sixth inning of a baseball game against the Seattle Mariners, Tuesday, July 8, 2025, in New York. (AP Photo/Yuki Iwamura)
MELBOURNE, Australia (AP) — England ended an 18-match winless streak in Australia and beat the home side by four wickets in the fourth Ashes test at the Melbourne Cricket Ground on Saturday.
England lost each of the first three tests to allow Australia to retain the Ashes in just 11 days of on-field action at Perth, Brisbane and Adelaide.
But England returned the favor by winning the MCG test Saturday inside two days, similar to Australia's opening win at Perth.
The England winless streak had dated to the 2013-14 Ashes series, which Australia won 5-0. Since England convincingly won the 2010-11 Ashes 3-1, England had lost 16 matches and drawn the other two of their 18 tests Down Under over a period of nearly 15 years.
Needing 175 second-innings runs to win and 98 after the tea break, England reached its target at 178-6 to clinch the match and send thousands of its long-suffering but faithful “Barmy Army” fans into frenzied celebration.
England raced to 70-2 off the first 10 overs in its second innings, losing the wickets of Ben Duckett (34) and Brydon Carse (6). Scott Boland removed Zak Crawley (37) and Jacob Bethell (40), who both made valuable contributions.
Joe Root (15) and captain Ben Stokes (2) fell cheaply before Jamie Smith and Harry Brook guided the visiting side to a morale-boosting win ahead of the fifth and final test beginning Jan. 4 in Sydney.
Earlier Saturday, England bowled out Australia out for 132 in its second innings after lunch on Day 2. On an MCG pitch offering substantial sideways movement for pace bowlers, England successfully chased down a target of 175 to win after 30 wickets had fallen in 4 1-2 sessions.
The dismissal of opener Travis Head (46) was quickly followed by the departures of Usman Khawaja (0) and Alex Carey (4) in the next two overs as Australia slumped from 82-3 to 88-6 in the morning session.
Ben Stokes (3-24) claimed the important wicket of Cameron Green (19) after lunch, caught at second slip, and Brydon Carse sliced through the tail to finish with 4-34.
Australia held an overall lead of 46 Friday after scoring 152, running through England for 110 in a dramatic first day
Josh Tongue claimed a career-best 5-45 to lead England’s bowling attack Friday before Michael Neser grabbed 4-45 for Australia.
Cricket Australia chief executive Todd Greenberg said Saturday “short tests are bad for business," and said CA would consider a closer role in pitch preparation in the future.
“Historically we have taken a hands-off approach in all of our wicket preparation and allowed the staff and the conditions and those characteristics to be presented,” Greenberg told SEN Radio. ”But it’s hard not to get more involved when you see the impact on the sport, particularly commercially."
The attendance at the MCG on Saturday was 92,045, the second-highest test crowd in Australia, only behind Friday's opening-day crowd of 94,199.
AP cricket: https://apnews.com/hub/cricket
Australia's Scott Boland, center, successfully appeals for a LBW decision on England's Zak Crawley, right, on Day 2 of their Ashes cricket test match in Melbourne, Saturday, Dec. 27, 2025. (AP Photo/Hamish Blair)
England's Joe Root bats against Australia on Day 2 of their Ashes cricket test match in Melbourne, Saturday, Dec. 27, 2025. (AP Photo/Hamish Blair)
England's Jamie Smith, left and Harry Brook touch bats near the end of their Ashes cricket test match against Australia in Melbourne, Saturday, Dec. 27, 2025. (AP Photo/Hamish Blair)
England's Brydon Carse, left, grabs the ball for a caught and bowled on Australia's Michael Neser, right, on Day 2 of their Ashes cricket test match in Melbourne, Saturday, Dec. 27, 2025. (AP Photo/Hamish Blair)
Australia's Steve Smith watches the ball while batting against England on Day 2 of their Ashes cricket test match in Melbourne, Saturday, Dec. 27, 2025. (AP Photo/Hamish Blair)
England's Ben Duckett bats against Australia on Day 2 of their Ashes cricket test match in Melbourne, Saturday, Dec. 27, 2025. (AP Photo/Hamish Blair)
England's Ben Stokes, right, celebrates with teammates after taking Australia's final wicket of their second innings on Day 2 of their Ashes cricket test match in Melbourne, Saturday, Dec. 27, 2025. (AP Photo/Hamish Blair)
England's Brydon Carse celebrates the wicket of Australia's Mitchell Starc on Day 2 of their Ashes cricket test match in Melbourne, Saturday, Dec. 27, 2025. (AP Photo/Hamish Blair)
Fans of the England cricket team, known as the Barmy Army, wave flags on Day 2 of the Ashes cricket test match between Australia and England in Melbourne, Saturday, Dec. 27, 2025. (AP Photo/Hamish Blair)
Australia's Jake Weatherald his bowled by England's Ben Stokes on Day 2 of their Ashes cricket test match in Melbourne, Saturday, Dec. 27, 2025. (AP Photo/Hamish Blair)
England's Josh Tongue, second left, celebrates with teammates after the wicket of Australia Usman Khawaja on Day 2 of their Ashes cricket test match in Melbourne, Saturday, Dec. 27, 2025. (AP Photo/Hamish Blair)
Australia's Travis Head walks off after he is bowled by England's Brydon Carse on Day 2 of their Ashes cricket test match in Melbourne, Saturday, Dec. 27, 2025. (AP Photo/Hamish Blair)
England's Josh Tongue, right, celebrates with teammate Jacob Bethell after the wicket of Australia Usman Khawaja on Day 2 of their Ashes cricket test match in Melbourne, Saturday, Dec. 27, 2025. (AP Photo/Hamish Blair)
