ATLANTA (AP) — Aaron Judge hit his 36th home run of the season and tied Alex Rodriguez for sixth place in Yankees history as New York defeated the Atlanta Braves 4-2 Sunday.
Judge’s solo homer in the first inning was his 351st with the Yankees, matching A-Rod and behind Babe Ruth (659), Mickey Mantle (536), Lou Gehrig (493), Joe DiMaggio (361) and Yogi Berra (358).
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Atlanta Braves pitcher Grant Holmes (66) works in the first inning of a baseball game against the New York Yankees, Sunday, July 20, 2025, in Atlanta. (AP Photo/Mike Stewart)
Atlanta Braves'Jurickson Profar (7) bunts into the glove of New York Yankees second baseman Jorbit Vivas (90) in the third inning of a baseball game, Sunday, July 20, 2025, in Atlanta. (AP Photo/Mike Stewart)
New York Yankees pitcher Marcus Stroman (0) works against the Atlanta Braves in the first inning of a baseball game, Sunday, July 20, 2025, in Atlanta. (AP Photo/Mike Stewart)
New York Yankees' Aaron Judge (99) celebrates his solo home run against the Atlanta Braves in the first inning of a baseball game, Sunday, July 20, 2025, in Atlanta. (AP Photo/Mike Stewart)
New York Yankees' Aaron Judge (99) hits a solo home run against the Atlanta Braves in the first inning of a baseball game, Sunday, July 20, 2025, in Atlanta. (AP Photo/Mike Stewart)
Judge also scored from first on Jazz Chisholm Jr.’s double in the seventh and finished 1 for 4 with a walk and two runs scored.
Marcus Strohman (2-1) worked six strong innings in his fourth start since returning from a knee injury. He gave up one run on five hits with four strikeouts and no walks in his longest outing of the season.
Paul Goldschmidt was 1 for 3 with a walk, an RBI and a run scored, and Giancarlo Stanton was 3 for 5 with a run scored.
Ronald Acuña Jr. hit a solo home run, his 13th, in the ninth off Devin Williams, who earned his 14th save for the Yankees.
Matt Olson hit a 442-foot homer, his 18th, that hit the top of the Chop House in right field in the sixth inning for the Braves' other run.
Atlanta's Grant Holmes (4-9) gave up three runs on seven hits in six innings.
Trailing 2-0 in the third, the Braves put the first two runners on with the top of the order coming up. Jurickson Profar popped a bunt up to third baseman Jorbit Vivas, and Olson hit into a double play to end the threat.
The win kept the Yankees within three games of the Toronto Blue Jays in the American League East ahead of a three-game series in Toronto starting Monday.
Yankees LHP Carlos Rodón (10-6, 3.08) will open a three-game series in Toronto against RHP Kevin Gausman (6-7, 4.19) on Monday. Braves RHP Bryce Elder (3-6. 5.65) will oppose Giants RHP Hayden Birdsong (4-3, 4.11) in the opener of a three-game series in Atlanta on Monday.
AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/mlb
Atlanta Braves pitcher Grant Holmes (66) works in the first inning of a baseball game against the New York Yankees, Sunday, July 20, 2025, in Atlanta. (AP Photo/Mike Stewart)
Atlanta Braves'Jurickson Profar (7) bunts into the glove of New York Yankees second baseman Jorbit Vivas (90) in the third inning of a baseball game, Sunday, July 20, 2025, in Atlanta. (AP Photo/Mike Stewart)
New York Yankees pitcher Marcus Stroman (0) works against the Atlanta Braves in the first inning of a baseball game, Sunday, July 20, 2025, in Atlanta. (AP Photo/Mike Stewart)
New York Yankees' Aaron Judge (99) celebrates his solo home run against the Atlanta Braves in the first inning of a baseball game, Sunday, July 20, 2025, in Atlanta. (AP Photo/Mike Stewart)
New York Yankees' Aaron Judge (99) hits a solo home run against the Atlanta Braves in the first inning of a baseball game, Sunday, July 20, 2025, in Atlanta. (AP Photo/Mike Stewart)
ADELAIDE, Australia (AP) — Nathan Lyon severely dented England's desperate Ashes survival bid with three quick blows: vice-captain Harry Brook, bowled; captain Ben Stokes, bowled; leading scorer Zak Crawley, stumped.
Just as England was starting to gain confidence Saturday chasing what needed to be a world-record 435 to keep the Ashes series alive, Lyon returned to the Australian attack.
Crawley (85) and Brook (30) had combined in a 68-run stand to revive England's innings from 109-3 to 177-3 after Australia skipper Pat Cummins took out the top order.
Then Lyon, who moved to No. 2 on Australia's all-time list of wicket-takers in the first innings, started a new spell in the evening session.
On his second ball Lyon dismissed a cavalier Brook, who reached too far and completely missed an extravagant reverse sweep. The 38-year-old spinner quickly took three wickets for eight runs in a sequence that ripped through the middle order and suddenly England was 194-6.
Stokes, England's totemic leader, was out trying to defend against Lyon but missed a turning ball that rattled his off stump. Crawley, batting patiently in pursuit of a sixth test century, was deceived by a drifting Lyon delivery and stumped by Alex Carey.
At stumps on Day 4, England was 207-6 and needing 228 runs for an improbable victory in the third test.
Australia, which hasn't lost an Ashes test at home since 2010-11, needed four wickets to clinch the five-match series with two tests to spare.
Crawley said England had been outplayed by Australia.
“Obviously we’ve been slightly short of our best but credit has to go them, they haven’t allowed us to be at our best," Crawley said. “It’s disappointing, we came here to win the Ashes and we’re staring down the barrel now.”
After losing the first two tests in Perth and Brisbane, England needs a win in Adelaide to have any hope of reclaiming the Ashes. Australia needs only a draw to retain the old urn.
“We’ll reflect on today and make plans for tomorrow,” Australia wicketkeeper Carey said in a post-match TV interview, trying to play down his team's strong position.
Of Lyon's impact, Carey added: “He toiled away all day, finally got some reward.”
Cummins rattled the top order in three spells, dismissing Ben Duckett (4) and Ollie Pope (17), both caught by Marnus Labuschagne, on either side of the lunch interval. Then he had Joe Root, the No. 1-ranked batter in test cricket, caught behind for 39.
It was the 13th time Cummins has dismissed the former England captain in test cricket. And it was an all-too familiar setup — Cummins repeatedly putting the ball on a perfect length before getting Root to dabble at a ball that shaped in and seamed away.
Even his Australian teammates late in the afternoon were mildly taunting Lyon, who said in a TV interview earlier this month he was “filthy” at being dropped for the second test in Brisbane. Chirps of “C'mon Big Fil. C'mon Filthy” echoed around the stumps as fielders encouraged the veteran spin bowler.
Lyon hadn't taken a wicket in 27 overs and had figures of 0-50 from 10.1 overs in the second innings Saturday before he dramatically swung the momentum.
For much of Day 4, England was playing the better cricket.
Australia resumed at 271-4 in its second innings, a lead of 356, with Head unbeaten on 142 and Carey on 52.
Head’s dismissal for 170 triggered a lower-order collapse, with the last six wickets falling for 38 in 11 overs. The Australians were all out for 349, a lead of 434.
Head's 162-run stand with Carey ended when he pulled a short ball from Josh Tongue (4-70) high and deep into the outfield.
Stokes then had Carey out for 72, tucking a short ball around the corner and caught at leg slip in a smart piece of field positioning.
Brydon Carse (3-80) dismissed Cummins (6) and Lyon on consecutive balls but Scott Boland left a wide ball to deny England its first Ashes hat-trick since 1999.
The highest successful fourth-innings run chase in test history was West Indies’ 418 in a three-wicket win over Australia in 2003.
England has successfully chased 370-plus targets twice to win against India in the last three years.
AP cricket: https://apnews.com/hub/cricket
Australian players celebrate after England's Ben Stokes, right, was dismissed during play on day four of the third Ashes cricket test between England and Australia in Adelaide, Australia, Saturday, Dec. 20, 2025. (AP Photo/James Elsby)
England's Zak Crawley reacts after he was out stumped by Australia's Alex Carey, left, during play on day four of the third Ashes cricket test between England and Australia in Adelaide, Australia, Saturday, Dec. 20, 2025. (AP Photo/James Elsby)
Australia's Nathan Lyon, second left, is congratulated by teammates after dismissing England's Ben Stokes during play on day four of the third Ashes cricket test between England and Australia in Adelaide, Australia, Saturday, Dec. 20, 2025. (AP Photo/James Elsby)
Australian players celebrate after England's Ben Stokes, right, was dismissed during play on day four of the third Ashes cricket test between England and Australia in Adelaide, Australia, Saturday, Dec. 20, 2025. (AP Photo/James Elsby)
Australia's Nathan Lyon, second left, is congratulated by teammates after dismissing England's Ben Stokes during play on day four of the third Ashes cricket test between England and Australia in Adelaide, Australia, Saturday, Dec. 20, 2025. (AP Photo/James Elsby)
Australia's Pat Cummins, centre, celebrates with teammate Australia's Marnus Labuschagne, right, after dismissing England's Ollie Pope during play on day four of the third Ashes cricket test between England and Australia in Adelaide, Australia, Saturday, Dec. 20, 2025. (AP Photo/James Elsby)
England batsmen Zak Crawley, right, and Joe Root gesture during play on day four of the third Ashes cricket test between England and Australia in Adelaide, Australia, Saturday, Dec. 20, 2025. (AP Photo/James Elsby)
England's Joe Root bats during play on day four of the third Ashes cricket test between England and Australia in Adelaide, Australia, Saturday, Dec. 20, 2025. (AP Photo/James Elsby)
England's Ben Stokes, right, walks with teammate Jofra Archer after dismissing Australia during play on day four of the third Ashes cricket test between England and Australia in Adelaide, Australia, Saturday, Dec. 20, 2025. (AP Photo/James Elsby)
Australia's Pat Cummins is congratulated by teammates after dismissing England's Ben Duckettduring play on day four of the third Ashes cricket test between England and Australia in Adelaide, Australia, Saturday, Dec. 20, 2025. (AP Photo/James Elsby)
England's Ben Stokes, right, celebrates after dismissing Australia's Alex Carey, left, during play on day four of the third Ashes cricket test between England and Australia in Adelaide, Australia, Saturday, Dec. 20, 2025. (AP Photo/James Elsby)
England's Ben Duckett walks from the field after he was dismissed during play on day four of the third Ashes cricket test between England and Australia in Adelaide, Australia, Saturday, Dec. 20, 2025. (AP Photo/James Elsby)
England's Jofra Archer bowls during play on day four of the third Ashes cricket test between England and Australia in Adelaide, Australia, Saturday, Dec. 20, 2025. (AP Photo/James Elsby)
England's Ben Stokes, centre, celebrates with teammates after dismissing Australia's Alex Carey during play on day four of the third Ashes cricket test between England and Australia in Adelaide, Australia, Saturday, Dec. 20, 2025. (AP Photo/James Elsby)
