Weird Yankees Moments: June 2023

Last week saw another month of the 2023 baseball season enter the history books. June 2023 was not the best of months for the Yankees — injuries continued to affect the team, as they went 11-12 and averaged less than four runs per game over the course of it. While there’s a lot to dissect there, we’re not exactly going to do that. Instead, it’s time to look back at the weirdest moments from the Yankees’ June 2023.

June 3rd

At the time this one was weird, but has since become annoying and a bit infuriating. With the Yankees clinging to a two-run lead in the eighth inning of a game against the Dodgers, Aaron Jude quite literally ran through a Dodger Stadium wall to make a catch.

While breaking a wall by running into it is a funny visual for someone of Judge’s status, the fact that Judge hurt his toe on the play and has been out since has ruined this moment quite a bit.

June 7th

The weird thing about this day wasn’t anything that happened in a game. It was that there wasn’t a game because Yankee Stadium and New York City in general looked like this due to wildfire smoke:

Photo by New York Yankees/Getty Images

June 14th

ISIAH KINER-FALEFA STOLE HOME!

June 22nd

In just 3.1 innings, Domingo Germán was knocked out after allowing 10 runs on eight hits and two walks against the Mainers. A starting pitcher, or any pitcher to be honest, allowing a 10 spot in one game is fairly rare in this day and age. It was the first time a Yankee pitcher had done that since a Masahiro Tanaka start in 2019, and just the sixth time since 2000. Adding to the weirdness of that is what Germán would do in his next start, which may or may not also appear in this post.

June 23rd

The Yankees opened a series against the Rangers this day and the game went to extra innings. With the extra inning runner rules, there’s always a bit of immediate jeopardy once a game goes past the ninth. In this case, the jeopardy was like immediate immediate. On the very first pitch of the top of the 10th, Texas’ Adolis García took a Michael King pitch over the wall in left field. At least the pain came quickly instead of being extended, like it sometimes can be in extra innings.

June 24th

The Yankees’ pitching has been excellent this season, but it was arguably most evident in this game. They held the Rangers’ offense — who leads MLB in runs scored — to no runs, getting a 1-0 lead to hold up. Most impressively, Ron Marinaccio allowed the first two batters to reach in the ninth, only to get three-straight outs to seal the win.

June 27th

Yeah, it’s pretty obvious that the Yankees’ offense isn’t exactly impressive, especially with Judge out. However, they managed just one run against Athletics’ pitching. Like, how?

June 28th

It was alluded to earlier, and here it is. On this day, Domingo Germán threw the 24th perfect game in MLB history and first for a Yankee since David Cone’s in 1999. For one, it was wild considering what he had done in his previous start as mentioned earlier. Also, while Germán wouldn’t be the last MLB pitcher I would guess would throw one, there are several dozen I’d have guessed before him.

June 29th

Kiner-Falefa hit a home run that clean took A’s center fielder Esteury Ruiz’s glove off.