Lombard, Warren Lead Yankees to 6-1 Victory Over Rockies as Wild-Card Lead Grows

Lombard’s Historic Grand Slam Powers Yankees

The New York Yankees secured a commanding 6-1 victory over the Colorado Rockies on Wednesday night, highlighted by a milestone moment from one of their brightest young talents. Rookie George Lombard Jr. etched his name into the franchise history books, becoming the second youngest player in Yankees history to hit a grand slam, anchoring a well-rounded performance for New York.

Lombard Makes History with Base-Clearing Drive

With New York holding a slim lead in the second inning, Spencer Jones drew a walk to load the bases, setting the stage for Lombard. The 21-year-old rookie took a 1-0 slider from Colorado starter Tomoyuki Sugano and drove it into the right-field seats to blow the game open, giving New York an early 5-0 cushion.

At 21 years and 99 days old, Lombard became the youngest Yankee to hit a grand slam since Hall of Famer Mickey Mantle accomplished the feat at 20 years and 283 days old against Chuck Stobbs of the White Sox on July 29, 1952.

The blast marked New York’s first grand slam since Ben Rice cleared the bases at Baltimore on September 21, and its first grand slam at home since Cody Bellinger hit one against the Mets on May 18, 2025.

Judge Returns to Form as Power Leads the Offense

Aaron Judge continued his smooth integration back into the lineup after returning from a broken rib a day earlier. The Yankees captain went 2-for-4 on the night, starting with a third-inning single for his first hit since returning from the injured list. He added another single in the eighth before being lifted for a pinch runner. Out in right field, Judge was tested only once, smoothly tracking down a catch off the bat of Kyle Karros near the foul line in the fourth.

The rest of the offense backed Lombard’s historic swing with additional long balls. Luis García Jr. got New York on the board early with a solo home run in the second off Sugano, while Cody Bellinger capped off the night’s scoring by going deep in the eighth inning.

Warren Dominates on the Mound

Yankees starter Will Warren (10-5) provided a stellar performance on the mound to claim his second straight win. Warren surrendered just one run on four hits across six sharp innings, walking one and striking out eight. The victory marked the first time Warren has won consecutive starts since a stretch from May 12–19.

The lone mistake for Warren came in the fifth inning, when Colorado’s Connor Norby launched a solo home run. That would be the only real damage against the New York pitching staff, as the Rockies managed just five hits total on the night.

Rockies Continue Road Struggles as Playoff Race Heats Up

With the defeat, the Colorado Rockies (55-90) reached 90 losses for the fifth consecutive season while dropping their sixth straight road contest. Starter Tomoyuki Sugano (12-9) picked up his fourth straight loss after allowing five runs on four hits over six innings.

The victory served as a crucial boost for New York in the late-season standings. The Yankees began the day four games behind the first-place Tampa Bay Rays in the AL East and moved four games ahead of the Boston Red Sox for the top AL wild-card spot.

Next Game for Both Teams

The Yankees look to complete the series sweep on Thursday night. Colorado right-hander Ryan Feltner (5-9, 5.91 ERA) takes the mound against New York left-hander Max Fried (4-4, 2.73) in the finale of the three-game set.