Verdugo moves to cleanup, promptly kicks off Yanks' blowout

MILWAUKEE -- Alex Verdugo eyed a lineup card with his name in the cleanup spot on Saturday, marking the first time it appeared there as a member of the Yankees. His immediate thoughts were about keeping what he described as “a humble approach,” reminding himself to see the ball well and try to use the whole field.

It took just one pitch for Verdugo to make an immediate impact, cracking a three-run homer in the first inning that sparked his team to its biggest offensive outburst of the season. Gleyber Torres added a big three-run double as the Bombers rolled to a 15-3 victory over the Brewers on Saturday at American Family Field.

“That four spot is a great spot in the lineup to come up with guys on the bases,” said Verdugo, who flipped his bat and gestured toward his teammates as he rounded the bases following his fourth homer of the season. “Today we just got it done.”

The 15 runs marked the Yanks’ most in a game since July 6, 2022, a 16-0 win at Pittsburgh. Their 19 hits were the club’s most since Aug. 25, 2022, at Oakland (20).

“As hard as it is in this league to score runs, and as good as pitching is, to have a night like that definitely is nice,” Yankees manager Aaron Boone said. “Hopefully there’s little things that unlock and get a few guys going even more.”

Verdugo’s homer came as he dug out an 87.6 mph slider from right-hander Joe Ross, taking advantage after Anthony Volpe was hit by a pitch and Juan Soto worked a walk. Torres busted the game open with a three-run double off Ross in the third inning.

“Finally, I did something for the team, especially in that situation,” Torres said. “There has been a lot of work in the cage. Finally, I saw a result tonight. … Here in the clubhouse, we’re a family. We know how hard the game is.”

Verdugo said he was happy for Torres, who entered Saturday’s game in a 5-for-32 (.156) slide.

“You have to eliminate results and go off feels or little victories that might not show up in the box score,” Verdugo said. “He’s been doing a really good job of competing, fighting and working on his craft. Today was one of those days.”

Pleased by his initial returns on shaking up the batting order, Boone said Verdugo could bat fourth again on Sunday. Verdugo is hitting .350 (21-for-60) with three homers and 10 RBIs in his past 18 games.

“I think he’ll be there tomorrow,” Boone said. “We’ll see.”

The early support allowed Carlos Rodón to settle into a groove early, limiting Milwaukee to a run on two hits over six innings. Rhys Hoskins hit a first-inning solo homer off Rodón, who struck out a season-high eight and walked one.

“It’s always easy when the offense is firing like that,” Rodón said. “I can just go right at the zone and get guys out. Hats off to them for getting guys across the plate.”

Aaron Judge and Anthony Rizzo went deep in the sixth, sending the Yankees into a double-digit run total. Judge had been slumping, entering play on Saturday with a .674 OPS, but the captain had no doubt that his two-run homer off Thyago Vieira would leave the yard.

Rizzo, bumped from the cleanup spot in favor of Verdugo, added a two-run blast of his own later in the frame. Rizzo has homered in three of his past five games.

“We were trying to keep the throttle down, because this is a good team,” Judge said. “They’re a good ballclub that swings the bat well, and they’ve got a great bullpen on the back end. Through and through, guys were having great at-bats and staying locked in all game.”

Giancarlo Stanton’s ninth-inning homer off position player Owen Miller prompted Boone to look up and down his bench, a 14-run cushion permitting catcher Jose Trevino to make his first career pitching appearance.

Trevino frequently dazzles his teammates by showing off his knuckleball in workouts, but to their chagrin, Trevino tried only a couple while navigating a two-run ninth. That prompted one of the few complaints on a night where everything seemed to go the Yankees’ way.

“I think he needed to go to the knuckleball a little more,” Verdugo said. “Next time, we need to see a little bit more knucks. His dances a lot, so it’d be fun to see him throw a handful of those.”