The New York Yankees closed out their three-game set against the Washington Nationals with a commanding 11-2 victory on Wednesday at Yankee Stadium. The victory completed the sweep and guaranteed New York its 34th straight winning season at home, the second-longest run in MLB history behind the team’s own 47-year stretch from 1918 to 1964, according to USA Today reporter Bob Nightengale.
The Yankees’ bats erupted in a game that saw them launch six home runs for the day and plate nine runs in a marathon third inning that lasted over 40 minutes. Every starter reached base at least once except for Anthony Volpe, who finished 0-for-4 and is now 1-for-38 in his last 11 games, dropping his average to .204.
Trent Grisham opened the game with his 26th home run of the season, setting the tone with his sixth leadoff blast of 2025. The decisive damage came in the third inning, when New York sent 15 batters to the plate and forced Washington starter Cade Cavalli out after 2 1/3 innings. Cavalli was charged with eight runs (seven earned) on eight hits, including three home runs.
The barrage began with Aaron Judge’s 424-foot two-run homer, his 41st of the year, followed immediately by Cody Bellinger’s 410-foot solo shot, his 25th of the season. Judge, Grisham, and Bellinger became only the second Yankees outfield trio in history to each hit 25+ homers in the same season.
After a Jazz Chisholm Jr. walk and stolen base, Jasson Domínguez drove him in with a ground-rule double. A catcher’s interference call, which fractured Nationals catcher Drew Millas’ finger, extended the inning, setting up Ryan McMahon’s three-run homer, his second since joining New York.
Ben Rice then ended his stellar day with his 22nd home run of the year, already his second hit of the inning. Rice finished 3-for-4 with three hits, including a homer and two singles, continuing his torrid August. Domínguez later added an infield RBI single to bring the Yankees into double digits.
Austin Wells joined the slugfest in the fourth with his sixth homer of the year, the Yankees’ sixth long ball of the afternoon.
While the offense piled on runs, Max Fried (14-5) delivered his second consecutive strong outing. The left-hander carried a no-hitter into the sixth inning before three straight Nationals singles broke it up. He allowed one run on four hits and two walks across seven innings, striking out six. Fried has now tossed back-to-back quality starts following a stretch hampered by blister issues.
Paul Blackburn closed the final two frames, yielding a double and a late solo homer to Andrés Chaparro, but otherwise kept the Nationals in check.
The Nationals dropped their fifth straight game and allowed six home runs in a contest for the second time this season. They will return home to face the Tampa Bay Rays on Friday.
The Yankees, winners of four straight and firmly reestablished at the plate after scoring double-digit runs twice in this series, begin a seven-game road trip Thursday in Chicago against the White Sox.
