Aaron Judge hits 2nd home run in 2 games as Yankees beat Giants 3-1 to complete series sweep

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Aaron Judge homered for a second straight day to nearly the same left-field spot, Ben Rice hit a two-run double in the third inning, and the New York Yankees beat the San Francisco Giants 3-1 on Saturday for a three-game sweep.

San Francisco matched a franchise record dating to 1909 by going 20 straight innings without a run to start the season before Matt Chapman’s RBI single in the third finally got the Giants — and new manager Tony Vitello — on the scoreboard in 2026.

Meanwhile, Aaron Boone won his 700th game as the Yankees’ manager.

Seven automated ball-strike challenges of calls by plate umpire Chad Whitson were all overturned — four by San Francisco, three by New York.

Judge connected with two outs in the fifth, a 383-foot drive that ricocheted off the roof of an ambulance parked in the tunnel just inside the foul pole.

Rice put New York ahead in the third against right-hander Tyler Mahle (0-1), done after four innings in his San Francisco debut.

Jake Bird (1-0) pitched 1 2/3 innings of relief and David Bednar finished for his second save after surrendering two straight singles to start the inning before getting Patrick Bailey to ground into a game-ending double play.

The Giants were shut out by New York 7-0 and 3-0 with only four hits over their initial two games — the first time that had happened in baseball history to start a season.

Jung Hoo Lee began the third with a double to right off Will Warren. Chapman followed with an RBI single, and the crowd cheered as many fans jumped to their feet in obvious relief.

Vitello, hired from the University of Tennessee despite no professional playing or coaching experience, became the ninth manager in baseball history to be shut out in each of his first two games with a team, and seventh to do so in his first two games overall, according to Sportradar.

The 20 consecutive scoreless innings matched the previous franchise mark from 1909, when the Giants were scoreless for 13 innings in their opener and the first seven in Game 2.

Up next

After Sunday’s off day in this quirky opening-week schedule, LHP Ryan Weathers pitches the series opener at Seattle for the Yankees. The Giants hadn’t announced a starter for their series opener Monday at San Diego.

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AP MLB: https://apnews.com/mlb

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