Yankees Butcher Juan Soto, Aaron Rechter And Giancarlo Stanton hit two straight home runs in the seventh inning to lift New York from the Colorado Rockies, winning 10-3 and securing the series win.

Takeaway meals

1. When Judge and Soto are up, the Yankees lineup — despite its flaws — has a chance to keep the team ahead against any opponent. But if Judge, Soto And Stanton is in power and they have become a force that is difficult to defeat.

Case in point came in the seventh inning, when Soto — with one out — gave the Yankees some breathing room while leading 4-3, hitting his 37th homer of the year to extend New York’s lead to two runs. On the next pitch, Judge — coming off his 50th homer of the season earlier in the game, a two-run homer that put the Yankees up 2-1 in the first inning — threw a wall-scraper for an MLB-leading 51st while chasing 63.

Stanton completed the trifecta with his 23rd long ball of 2024, converting a hanging 2-0 slider into a 425-foot shot into the Monument Park center field net. In three swings, the trio turned a one-run sweater into a final laugh.

2. If it weren’t for Soto and Stanton, we would be talking more about Judge’s multi-homer game — and how he is rightfully threatening, and perhaps even likely, to break his own American League record of 62 that he set just two seasons ago.

With five games remaining before August turns to September, Judge — also the MLB leader in RBI (122) and second-best, Bobby Witt Jr. (.347) batting average with .334 — needs just 12 more. For comparison, Judge’s 51st home run of 2022 came on Aug. 30.

3. In order not to be completely overlooked, the light has been turned on for Gleyber TorresHe extended his streak to five games with an RBI single in the second inning to extend the Yankees’ lead to 3-1. The final 10-3 score was sealed with a three-run home run to left, his 11th of the season.

In 124 games, Torres has a batting average of .241/.319/.357 with 11 home runs and 49 RBI.

4. Also not to be neglected, Marcus Stroman continues to trend in the right direction after a recent rough patch. Stroman (9-6, 3.88 ERA) battled five innings, striking out five, walking three and scattering three runs on five hits before handing the keys to the bullpen for a scoreless final four frames.

Who is the MVP?

Judge, and it shouldn’t just be for this game. He leaves no doubt as the American League MVP.

Highlights

What’s next?

The Yankees open a three-game series at the Washington Nationals with the opener on Monday at 6:45 p.m.

In a confrontation between left-handers, Nestor Cortes (7-10, ERA 4.00) and Mitchell Parker (7-7, 4.26 ERA) will start.