NEW YORK — On Old-Timers’ Day in the Bronx, the current New York Yankees put their powerful stamp on the franchise record books.
For a record-setting 26th consecutive game, the Yankees hit at least one home run. When third baseman DJ LeMahieu‘s fifth-inning, three-run shot got up just over Yankee Stadium’s right-field wall Sunday afternoon, the 2019 Yankees broke a tie with the 1941 Yankees, who had held the old franchise record of 25 straight games.
That 1941 team was paced by the likes of Joe DiMaggio, Tommy Henrich and Charlie Keller. From June 1-29 that year, DiMaggio had 10 homers, while Henrich and Keller had nine.
This year’s Yankees have been paced during their streak by catcher Gary Sanchez, who has hit eight home runs since the streak began May 26. Shortstop Gleyber Torres and LeMahieu each have six.
With this current streak, 12 different Yankees have combined to hit 45 home runs — but none of them have been from Giancarlo Stanton or Aaron Judge. Both sluggers, who respectively were the National and American League home run champs in 2017, are just getting back from injured list stints that held them out for more than two months.
Up next for this year’s Bronx Bombers is the major league homer-hitting streak, which stands at 27. If they hit just one home run in Monday’s series opener with the visiting Toronto Blue Jays, the Yankees can tie that mark, which was set by the 2002 Texas Rangers.
Last season, the Yankees set a separate major league homer-hitting record. Their 267 are the most hit by a team in a single season.
Earlier Sunday, Yankees Hall of Fame closer Mariano Rivera, who went 0-for-3 as a hitter during his 19-year big league career, hit his own home run. The pitcher’s inside-the-park homer to center was a memorable moment in this year’s Old-Timers’ Day game, his first as a retired player.
0:46
During Yankees Old Timers’ Day, Mariano Rivera chases down a fly ball in center field and later hits an inside-the-park home run.
“I didn’t know those bases were that long, that far,” the 49-year-old said. “I was like, ‘Come on, put those bases closer.”’
The Associated Press contributed to this report.