Yankees Make History with Unprecedented Third-Inning Surge

On May 31, the New York Yankees defeated the Oakland Athletics in West Sacramento with a unique and historic performance. The Yankees became the first team to score 13 runs within a single inning while failing to record runs in any other inning.

This extraordinary scoring outburst occurred in the third inning. Remarkably, the Yankees did not record a hit in the remaining seven innings of the game.

“It was crazy,” Anthony Volpe, the Yankees shortstop, told reporters. “It felt like I would run the bases, then I would get up, and I would have to put my stuff back on. So it was a cool feeling.”

Volpe had two appearances at the plate during the inning and was on deck when the inning concluded with Trent Grisham’s flyout. In total, 18 Yankees players batted in this inning, facing three of the Athletics’ pitchers.

Throughout the rest of the game, four Yankees relievers—Jack Perkins, Mark Leiter, Jr., Luis Medina, and José Suarez—kept the Athletics at bay. Unfortunately for the A’s, the game was effectively decided by the end of the third inning as Perkins came in with two outs.

According to the Elias Sports Bureau, since MLB’s expansion in 1961, no team had scored 13 runs with all hits occurring in a single inning. Additionally, the first 12 Yankees batters in the third inning reached base safely, tying the record for consecutive safe bases at the start of an inning in the expansion era.

Even the renowned 1927 Yankees, featuring legends Babe Ruth and Lou Gehrig, never achieved a 13-run inning. The franchise record of 14 runs in an inning remains from July 6, 1920, when Babe Ruth drew an intentional walk and later hit a two-run single in the fifth inning against the Washington Senators.

Today, Yankees fans witnessed a third inning that will be remembered in team history.