Yankees’ DJ LeMahieu, Aaron Hicks makes MLB history in London game

The Boston Red Sox and New York Yankees are among the most historic rivalries in all of sports. The two teams traveled across the pond to play in a historic series in London. It’s only fitting that history was also made by one of the players.

According to NJ.com’s report, the Red Sox and Yankees scored six runs each in the first inning, giving the spectators a high-powered show. Since the New York Yankees batted first, DJ LeMahieu was able to put his name into the history books. At the top of the first, he connected on a single to right field, giving him the distinction as the first MLB player to get a hit in Europe.

It didn’t stop there, as the Yankees’ hit parade continued. After three-straight doubles from the Yankees’ Luke Voit, Didi Gregorius, and Edwin Encarnacion, it was Aaron Hicks’ turn to make history. Hicks connected on a two-RBI, 385-foot dinger, giving him the first home run ever hit in Europe by an MLB player. Encarnacion was on based for the historic home run.

In terms of the season, the home run was the sixth of the season for Hicks. His teammates Brett Gardner and Aaron Judge each added home runs in the third and fourth innings, respectively. Gardner now has 12 for the season, while Judge has seven.

First basemen Michael Chavis was just a bit late to the record books. He hit his 14th home run of the season in the first inning, making him the second player in MLB history to record one in Europe. His teammate Jackie Bradley Jr. recorded his ninth for the season later in the game’s sixth inning.

The two teams are playing a two-game series in London, England this weekend. Their next game is slated for 10 a.m. on Sunday, June 30, with ESPN providing the telecast. The Red Sox (44-38) are currently nine games behind their rivals in the American League East. With the Yankee’s 52-28 record, they are the best overall team in the AL, and only second to the Los Angeles Dodgers (56-28) in MLB.

The New York Yankees were also holding a big lead over their opponents earlier in this London game. The Bronx Bombers were certainly earning the nickname as they were up 17-7 in the sixth inning. However, the Sox rallied with another six runs scored in the bottom of the seventh to cut the lead to 17-13. Based on the box score run output between these two squads, and with two innings left, it wouldn’t be surprising to see even more runs added to the final score.