CINCINNATI – They braved the Midwestern heat by the thousands, many clad in pinstripes, just for a glimpse of Aaron Judge taking batting practice hacks along the banks of the Ohio River. The Yankees captain’s warmup drew waves of applause -- but that was nothing compared to the first inning.
Judge launched his team-leading 28th home run of the season, a towering upper-deck rocket to left field that offered early promise. It was all Elly De La Cruz and the Reds the rest of the way, as the Yankees dropped Monday’s series opener, 6-1, at Great American Ball Park.
"He can hit, he can throw, he's got the wheels, he's got the power -- we saw it tonight. He's a total package,” Judge said of De La Cruz, who stole the show with three hits and three RBIs, including an eighth-inning homer. “You don't want to see him come up with guys on base, or honestly, in any situation."
The Yankees had plenty of traffic on the basepaths, but they couldn’t deliver the big swing. Nick Lodolo limited them to six hits over 4 1/3 innings, wriggling free of a two-on jam in the second inning, with Scott Barlow doing the same in the fifth. Cincinnati’s bullpen collected the final 14 outs.
A key opportunity was missed in the eighth, when Cody Bellinger led off with a double and Judge walked. Tony Santillan struck out Giancarlo Stanton and Jazz Chisholm Jr. before inducing Anthony Volpe to ground out to first base.
“We didn’t put the ball in play with runners out there when we had opportunities,” manager Aaron Boone said.
New York finished 0-for-12 with runners in scoring position, stranding nine men on base.
“I think it’s just going back to guys having intent, going up there with a plan and trying to execute,” Judge said. “You’re not always going to drive the guy in or move him over, but as long as we continue to have good at-bats, I like our chances.”
With Ryan Yarbrough (right oblique strain) on the injured list for approximately a month, the Yankees gave Allan Winans a look against Cincinnati’s lineup. It was a warranted reward after the right-hander posted a 0.90 ERA across 50 innings with Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre.
Winans was sharp through the first three innings, setting Cincinnati down on just 24 pitches. That changed in the fourth, when Winans’ offerings veered into the heart of the plate.
De La Cruz ripped a run-scoring triple past a lunging Bellinger in deep center, Spencer Steer sent De La Cruz diving into home plate on a sacrifice fly and Gavin Lux hammered a sinker over the right-field wall for a homer.
“I feel like there’s another gear I could hit, probably,” Winans said. “A couple of missed execution pitches, a couple of fastballs I’d like back. But for the most part, I try to keep the team in the game as much as we can, and the bullpen did a good job, too.”
De La Cruz added a run-scoring single in the fifth off Ian Hamilton, charged to Winans, who permitted four runs and five hits over 4 1/3 innings. Boone said “there was a lot of good” in Winans’ outing, but his velocity (88-90 mph) leaves a smaller margin for error.
“He can’t live in the center of the plate – not many guys can,” Boone said. “He’s not overpowering with his stuff, so his mix has got to be good and his command has got to be right.”
It’s unclear if Winans will take another turn in the rotation. Marcus Stroman is scheduled to throw approximately 70 pitches in his third Minor League rehab start for Double-A Somerset on Tuesday, after which point Boone said Stroman would “be in the mix” to be activated.
Though the game got away, the Yanks were pleased to be reunited with catcher Jose Trevino, who was dealt to the Reds this past offseason for right-hander Fernando Cruz.
In the early afternoon hours, Boone presented Trevino with his 2024 American League championship ring, saying he “elevated our room.” When Wells dug in for his second-inning at-bat, he told Trevino that he “loved him,” and the veteran catcher returned the favor.
Trevino arrived with a tribute of his own: He asked the scoreboard staff to cue Judge’s Yankee Stadium walk-up song, Pop Smoke’s “Hello,” for his third-inning plate appearance. The playful gesture drew a grin from Judge in right field, who responded by tipping his cap.
“When I heard that, I was kind of laughing a little bit,” Judge said. “Trevi was one of my favorite teammates over here – such a hard worker and always put the team first. You see the success he’s having over there with Cincy right now; it’s not by chance. It’s from the type of person he is.
“We definitely miss him over here, but we’re excited for his success. And we’re going to go out there and kick his butt tomorrow.”