NEW YORK
Catcher Austin Wells became the first player in MLB history to hit two home runs in a single inning as a non-starter, powering the Yankees to a 16-1 victory over the Boston Red Sox on Sunday and securing the season series tiebreaker for home-field advantage.
Wells entered the game in the sixth inning as a pinch-hitter for Ali Sanchez. In the eighth, he hit a two-run home run to extend New York's lead to 9-1. He returned to the plate later in the inning—facing a position player on the mound—and launched his second two-run homer, pushing the advantage to 16-1.
The achievement placed Wells in rare historical company. He is the only player ever to hit two home runs in one inning without starting that day. This season, Kyle Schwarber and Yordan Alvarez also hit two homers in a single inning. Gleyber Torres last accomplished the feat for the Yankees in 2022.
Manager Aaron Boone had benched Wells in favor of right-handed-hitting Sanchez to exploit a platoon advantage against Boston's left-handed starter.
Wells' breakout comes after a difficult season at the plate. Entering Sunday, he had hit.184 with a.316 slugging percentage across 282 at-bats. But he showed improvement in August with a.257 average and three home runs.
The win gave the Yankees the season series 7-6 and placed them 3 1/2 games behind AL East-leading Tampa Bay. The tiebreaker could determine home-field advantage in a wild-card matchup.
