An electric atmosphere engulfed Yankee Stadium on Friday, as Cody Bellinger etched his name into franchise lore.
In an emphatic 11-0 drubbing of the Chicago Cubs, Bellinger became just the 40th player in New York Yankees history to smash three home runs in a single regular-season game.
But this was more than a baseball feat; it carried a storyline rich with subtext and sheer dominance.
New York‘s center fielder went deep in the third, fifth, and eighth innings, each time driving in pivotal runs.
Bellinger tagged starter Chris Flexen in the third and followed with shots off southpaws Caleb Thielbar and Jordan Wicks.
The third homer nearly became a fourth when he launched a shot in the seventh that looked destined to clear the wall, until Cubs‘ Kyle Tucker executed a granitic catch over the fence to rob him.
That near-miss didn’t discourage Bellinger. He sealed his historic night in the eighth inning, ensuring this would go down in Yankees history.
His six-RBI effort marked his first career three-homer game, just seven months after being traded from Chicago.
The historic moment also carried a personal edge: Bellinger faced the Cubs for the first time since a December trade that was widely viewed as a salary purge by Chicago.
Midgame heroics and defensive brilliance
Yankees‘ ace Carlos Rodón was equally commanding. He delivered eight shutout innings, allowing only four hits, striking out eight, and issuing a single walk.
That performance, his best in pinstripes, helped preserve bullpen strength ahead of the weekend.
His length and efficiency stole the show, extending New York’s win streak to five games heading into the All-Star break.
On defense, Aaron Judge turned heads. He launched a sacrifice fly to open the scoring in the third, then made two jaw-dropping plays in the fourth: robbing Pete Crow-Armstrong of a potential home run with a leap along the right-field wall, followed by a diving catch on a sinking liner from Dansby Swanson.
Judge capped his performance by sealing Rodón‘s shutout in the eighth with another spectacular catch near the wall.
Bellinger insists it wasn’t a “revenge game”
Bellinger, acquired by New York on December 17, 2024, in the trade that sent pitcher Cody Poteet to Chicago, signed a deal that included two years and roughly $52.5 million remaining, with a player option for 2026.
While he insisted this wasn’t a “revenge game”, citing good relations with former Cubs teammates, his electrifying display said otherwise
His upward trajectory this season has been remarkable: an OPS hovering around .838, a 16-game hitting streak, and now a spot-making night that fans won’t soon forget.
Teammates and coaches recognized it. Rodón and Judge even lobbied for his consideration as an All-Star, noting his hot stretch and curtain-call worthy performance.
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