Judge, Yankees beat A’s despite 3 HRs by rookie Diaz

NEW YORK — Aaron Judge is back in the lineup and the New York Yankees are getting healthy at the plate against the worst team in baseball.

Gleyber Torres homered for the second consecutive game and drove in three runs as the Yankees overcame three homers by rookie Jordan Diaz in a 10-5 victory Tuesday night over the Oakland Athletics.

“It just feels good to have offensive production like that,” New York first baseman Anthony Rizzo said.

Diaz launched a solo shot in the fourth inning, a leadoff drive in the seventh and a two-run homer in the eighth. The 22-year-old second baseman from Colombia connected off three different pitchers, giving him four home runs in 30 major league games.

“For me, it’s a very special day,” Diaz said through a translator. “I’m just really excited and happy for what happened to me today — especially here.”

Diaz said he’d never hit three homers in a game before — at any level — and he plans to keep the souvenir ball from No. 3 at home.

He joined Héctor López as the only second basemen in franchise history with three home runs in a game. López accomplished the feat with the Kansas City A’s in June 1958 against the Washington Senators.

“I know the big leagues is not going to be like that every night,” Diaz said with a smile. “But I’ve just been working on it, making some adjustments.”

Judge had two RBIs in his return from the injured list and Clarke Schmidt (1-3) pitched a career-high six innings for his first big league win as a starter. The right-hander allowed two runs and five hits with seven strikeouts and two walks.

“I thought his stuff was again good,” Yankees manager Aaron Boone said. “I liked the way he was able to kind of all night make little adjustments.”

Schmidt entered 0-6 with a 5.47 ERA in his first 12 career starts, although he was 5-9 with a 4.33 ERA in 41 appearances overall since making his debut in September 2020. He was an effective reliever last season, earning five wins and two saves while compiling a 2.74 ERA in 26 relief outings.

“Obviously, really happy with where the breaking pitches are at,” Schmidt said. “Just continuing to get better and better each time out. I’m learning a lot.”

Harrison Bader had three more hits for New York, including the last of three consecutive RBI singles in a five-run third. Rizzo and Torres delivered the others after Drew Rucinski (0-3) walked the bottom two batters in the order on eight pitches. Judge knocked in the first run of the inning on a grounder to third that was booted by Jace Peterson for an error.

Judge added a sacrifice fly in the eighth following Anthony Volpe’s leadoff triple. The reigning AL MVP hadn’t played since April 27 because of a right hip strain.

“I thought he looked good. I thought his first at-bat he got off some really good swings,” Boone said.

Jake Bauers hit a two-run homer and a sac fly for the Yankees (20-17). They have scored 24 runs in their last three games — including 17 against the A’s (8-29) in winning the first two games of a three-game set.

Clay Holmes entered with two runners on in the ninth and struck out three batters to end it.

… AND THEY’RE OFF

Hall of Fame jockey Javier Castellano threw out the first pitch — three days after riding Mage to victory in the Kentucky Derby. It was Castellano’s first win in 16 tries at the Derby.

TRAINER’S ROOM

Athletics: OF Ramón Laureano remained in concussion protocol. Laureano left Monday night’s game in the first inning after his neck and shoulder hit the right-field fence hard when he made a leaping catch to rob Torres of a home run.

Yankees: LF Aaron Hicks was removed in the fourth with left hip tightness, moments after scoring from second on a single. He was examined at the ballpark by head team physician Dr. Christopher Ahmad and will be re-evaluated Wednesday. Isiah Kiner-Falefa entered at third base and Oswaldo Cabrera moved from third base to left field. … RHP Luis Severino (right lat strain) is scheduled to make a rehab start Wednesday at Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre in an 11:05 a.m. game. … INF DJ LeMahieu was rested. … After the game, the Yankees optioned RHP Greg Weissert to Triple-A.

UP NEXT

Oakland LHP Kyle Muller (1-2, 6.62 ERA) starts the series finale against rookie RHP Jhony Brito (2-3, 6.08) in a Wednesday matinee.

Muller allowed five runs and eight hits over 5 1/3 innings last Friday in Kansas City, beating the Royals 12-8. It was the first win by an A’s starter through 33 games this year. That was the longest drought to begin a season in MLB history, according to the Elias Sports Bureau.