Judge matches Ruth with 321 homers in first 1,000 Yankees games in 9-4 win over struggling Pirates

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New York Yankees’ Aaron Judge, left, celebrates with Ben Rice after hitting a two-run home run off Pittsburgh Pirates pitcher Tim Mayza during the seventh inning of a baseball game in Pittsburgh, Friday, April 4, 2025. (AP Photo/Gene J. Puskar)

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New York Yankees’ Aaron Judge celebrates with Jazz Chisholm Jr. (13) after hitting a two-run home run off Pittsburgh Pirates pitcher Tim Mayza during the seventh inning of a baseball game in Pittsburgh, Friday, April 4, 2025. (AP Photo/Gene J. Puskar)

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New York Yankees’ Aaron Judge celebrates as he rounds the bases after hitting a two-run home run off Pittsburgh Pirates pitcher Tim Mayza during the seventh inning of a baseball game in Pittsburgh, Friday, April 4, 2025. (AP Photo/Gene J. Puskar)

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New York Yankees starting pitcher Max Fried delivers during the sixth inning of a baseball game against the Pittsburgh Pirates in Pittsburgh, Friday, April 4, 2025. (AP Photo/Gene J. Puskar)

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New York Yankees’ Jazz Chisholm Jr. (13) swings and misses on a pitch from Pittsburgh Pirates pitcher Tim Mayza during the seventh inning of a baseball game in Pittsburgh, Friday, April 4, 2025. (AP Photo/Gene J. Puskar)

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New York Yankees’ Oswaldo Cabrera hts an RBI single off Pittsburgh Pirates pitcher Mitch Keller during the third inning of a baseball game in Pittsburgh, Friday, April 4, 2025. (AP Photo/Gene J. Puskar)

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Pittsburgh Pirates’ Bryan Reynolds, top, rounds the bases after hitting a solo home run off New York Yankees starting pitcher Max Fried (54) during the third inning of a baseball game in Pittsburgh, Friday, April 4, 2025. (AP Photo/Gene J. Puskar)

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New York Yankees’ Aaron Judge spits out his gum after striking out against Pittsburgh Pirates pitcher Mitch Keller in the second inning of a baseball game in Pittsburgh, Friday, April 4, 2025. (AP Photo/Gene J. Puskar)

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Pittsburgh Pirates’ Bryan Reynolds crosses home plate after hitting a solo home run off New York Yankees starting pitcher Max Fried during the third inning of a baseball game in Pittsburgh, Friday, April 4, 2025. (AP Photo/Gene J. Puskar)

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New York Yankees’ Jasson Domínguez, center, and Trent Grisham, right, are greeted by Ben Rice (22) after scoring on a single by Oswaldo Cabrera off Pittsburgh Pirates starting pitcher Mitch Keller during the second inning of a baseball game in Pittsburgh, Friday, April 4, 2025. (AP Photo/Gene J. Puskar)

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New York Yankees’ Jazz Chisholm Jr. stands on-deck during the first inning of a baseball game against the Pittsburgh Pirates in Pittsburgh, Friday, April 4, 2025. (AP Photo/Gene J. Puskar)

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New York Yankees’ manager Aaron Boone stands in the dugout during the first inning of a baseball game against the Pittsburgh Pirates in Pittsburgh, Friday, April 4, 2025. (AP Photo/Gene J. Puskar)

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Pittsburgh Pirates manager Derek Shelton, bottom, stands in the dugout with bench coach Don Kelly, top, during the first inning of a baseball game against the New York Yankees in Pittsburgh, Friday, April 4, 2025. (AP Photo/Gene J. Puskar)

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Pittsburgh Pirates owner Bob Nutting visits the field for pre-game activities before the team’s home-opening baseball game against the New York Yankees in Pittsburgh, Friday, April 4, 2025. (AP Photo/Gene J. Puskar)

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New York Yankees pitcher Max Fried delivers during the first inning of a baseball game against the Pittsburgh Pirates in Pittsburgh, Friday, April 4, 2025. (AP Photo/Gene J. Puskar)

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Pittsburgh Pirates pitcher Mitch Keller delivers during the first inning of a baseball game against the New York Yankees in Pittsburgh, Friday, April 4, 2025. (AP Photo/Gene J. Puskar)

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People watch a helicopter flyover of PNC Park before the home-opening baseball game between the Pittsburgh Pirates and the New York Yankees in Pittsburgh, Friday, April 4, 2025. (AP Photo/Gene J. Puskar)

By WILL GRAVES

PITTSBURGH (AP) — Aaron Judge marked his 1,000th game by hitting his sixth homer of the season and the New York Yankees beat Pittsburgh 9-4 on Friday in the Pirates’ home opener.

Judge’s shot to the seats in right-center in the seventh off Tim Mayza — who surrendered Judge’s 61st home run during Judge’s record-breaking 2022 season — boosted his career total to 321, the most by a player through his first 1,000 games. Those 321 homers also matched the number hit by Babe Ruth during his first 1,000 games with the Yankees.

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New York Yankees' Aaron Judge, left, celebrates with Ben Rice (22) after hitting a home run during the first inning of a baseball game against the Baltimore Orioles, Tuesday, April 29, 2025, in Baltimore. (AP Photo/Stephanie Scarbrough)

Yankees hit 6 solo homers, hand the Orioles another lopsided defeat in a 15-3 rout

New York Yankees' Trent Grisham rounds the bases after hitting a home run during the first inning of a baseball game against the Baltimore Orioles, Tuesday, April 29, 2025, in Baltimore. (AP Photo/Stephanie Scarbrough)

Yankees hit 3 straight homers to start game against Orioles -- a month after doing it vs. Brewers

New York Mets' Brandon Nimmo (9) gestures after hitting a three-run home run off Washington Nationals pitcher Colin Poche (not shown) which also scored Mark Vientos (27) and Jesse Winker, top right, during the sixth inning of a baseball game in Washington, Monday, April 28, 2025. (AP Photo/Terrance Williams)

Brandon Nimmo ties Mets record with 9 RBIs in a rout of the Nationals

Coming off his second AL MVP award, Judge has 17 RBIs in seven games.

Oswaldo Cabrera went 3 for 4 with four RBIs for New York. Anthony Volpe added three hits as the Yankees gave Max Fried (1-0) more than enough run support for the left-hander to collect his first Yankees win in pinstripes. Fried allowed one run and six hits with a walk and six strikeouts in 5 2/3 innings.

Pittsburgh’s Mitch Keller (1-1) didn’t make it out of the fourth inning on his 29th birthday. Six days removed from relatively smooth sailing against Miami, Keller didn’t fare so well against the torpedo-bat-wielding Yankees.

While Keller kept New York in the yard during 3 2/3 innings, that’s about all that went right. Keller allowed seven runs, eight hits and and four strikeouts as Pittsburgh fell to 2-6.

Ke’Bryan Hayes and Bryan Reynolds both hit their first homers of the season for the Pirates, who were met with chants of “Sell The Team” on a handful of occasions, most audibly during back-to-back plays in the third in which shortstop Isiah Kiner-Falefa and recently acquired outfielder Alexander Canario made shaky plays in the field.

Key moment

After Reynolds’ solo shot in the third gave the Pirates a small boost, the Yankees scored three runs in the fourth — all with two outs — to push their advantage to 8-1.

Key stat

139-38 — New York’s record since 2020 when Judge goes deep.

Up next

LHP Bailey Falter (0-0, 3.00 ERA) starts for Pittsburgh on Saturday and RHP Marcus Stroman (0-0, 5.79) for New York.

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