Back-to-back first-inning home runs from Giancarlo Stanton and Billy McKinney plated three and all but beat the visiting Astros, but Kyle Tucker tied it with a sixth-inning home run. Not to worry, though, as the Yankees took it 4-3 once Harrison Bader walked and stole second in that frame’s bottom half, and Anthony Volpe drove him in with a single.

Although the Yankees used a five-run second, four rbi’s by Giancarlo Stanton, and a couple of home runs to destroy the visiting Orioles 13-1 on August 3, 2021, the standout highlight of this one was that the Yankees used three pitchers making their major league and Yankee debuts to pitch all nine frames. Luis Gil pitched six solid for the win, and fellow righties Stephen Ridings and Brody Koerner finished up. The Yankees selected the contracts of both Ridings and Koerner from the AAA Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders earlier that day.

The Yankees used early power, with homers from DJ LeMahieu, Brett Gardner, and Gio Urshela, combined with six strong innings from Gerrit Cole, to subdue the visiting Phillies 6-3 on Agust 3, 2020. Up 6-1 when a one-hour-plus rain delay eventuated in the sixth, the Bombers held on despite Philly scratching out a few late scores.

The Yankees used a day/night doubleheader against the visiting Red Sox on Saturday, August 3, 2019, as the cornerstone of a four-game sweep. Domingo German was superb in the 9-2 opener, going seven innings, highlighted by a seven-run fourth inning uprising against Boston ace Chris Sale. But a slew of arms, starting with a Chad Green opener, then two frames of Nestor Cortes, Jr., carried the team in the 6-4 nightcap. DJ LeMahieu went 3-for-5 with two homers and four rbi’s in Game One, while Gleyber Torres also hit two bombs in Game Two.

The Yankees failed to recover from a surprising six-run first-inning off ace Gerrit Cole on August 3, 2022. All three hometown runs in the 7-3 loss to Seattle were supplied by catcher Kyle Higashioka, although he only got two rbi’s, from a seventh-inning two-run jack. The first Yankee run crossed when Kyle grounded into a double play in the home second.

Three-run rallies off Stephen Matz of the Mets in the first two frames keyed by Chase Headley and Mark Teixeira home runs all but settled the Yankee 9-5 victory in the Stadium on August 3, 2016, but there was bigger and better news in the win. Righthander Luis Severino allowed one hit over 4.33 innings once he relieved Chad Green in the fourth and, serving as DH, Gary Sanchez, called up earlier in the day, singled for his first major league hit to start another three-run rally in the seventh. Both benches cleared briefly when Matz hit Teixeira with a pitch in the fifth inning.

Despite Dustin Ackley‘s two-run ninth-inning home run off complete-game-throwing CC Sabathia, the Yanks prevailed over visiting Seattle 6-3 in Yankee Stadium on August 3, 2012. CC struck out 10, the homer was just the third Mariners hit, and the first pitch the Yankee southpaw threw in the ninth was just No. 90 on the night. Two rbi’s apiece from Curtis Granderson and Eric Chavez carried the offense.

With the Yanks hoping to surge on their second baseman’s second-half exploits again in 2008, it is no surprise that the 7-1 Chien-Ming Wang win over Kansas City on August 3, 2007, in the Bronx got off to a good start when Robbie Cano homered in the second inning. Melky Cabrera had three hits and two rbi’s. Although we all hoped Mr. Wang would be back in 2010 after an injury-plagued experience in the last two years, it wasn’t to be. He signed as a free agent with Washington and attempted to recover from his injuries. He signed a minor league deal with the 2013 Yanks, but it wasn’t to be.

We have all heard the expression, “take a bullet for his team,” used in reference to a pitcher who is left in a game to take his lumps on the mound, rather than to spend whatever is in the bullpen in a game that looks like a sure loss. On August 3, 1998, Chuck Knoblauch led off a game in Oakland by lining a shot off the ribs of Mike Oquist, so in a sense Oquist took that “bullet” in more ways than one. The Yanks poured it on against the righty, scoring all 14 of their runs off him in the first five innings of a 14-1 Yankee win. It was the most runs allowed by one pitcher since Bill Travers did the same in 1977. The Yanks included four home runs in the 16-hit onslaught, and Orlando “el duque” Hernandez got the win.

The late Cory Lidle had one of his better games in Pinstripes in an 8-1 win over the Blue Jays in Yankee Stadium on August 3, 2006, on a stiflingly hot afternoon in the Bronx. Jason Giambi was the hitting star, sending the Yanks on their way with a three-run, first-inning jack before walking twice and doubling for two more scores.

The Yankees and their fans were stunned when six different Houston pitchers put together a no-hitter against the team in 2003, as that was a baseball fate the franchise had avoided for a very long time. It was in the eighth inning that Mike Easler stroked the only Yankees hit in another try at a no-hitter, as Cleveland knuckleballer Tom Candiotti blanked the Yankees 2-0 on just the one hit on August 3, 1987.

The opponent was Cleveland again one year earlier when the Bombers set a major league record for runs in the fifth inning with 10 on August 3, 1986. The deluge, which included five walks and a hbp along with six hits (with two homers), was sufficient to earn them a 10-6 win.

It was exactly four years later that Indians knuckleballer Tom Candiotti took another shot at no-hitting the Yankees on August 3, 1990. But wouldn’t you know that it was in the eighth inning once again that the Yanks escaped, this time on a single by free-swinging Oscar Azocar? But this one ended differently, as the Pinstripers rallied and went on to record a 6-4 victory.

Joey Hamilton won a pitcher’s duel with David Cone when ex-Yankee Homer Bush scored after doubling in the seventh for Toronto’s second run on August 3, 1999. Homer singled and scored in the ninth off Jason Grimsley too, and the Blue Jays prevailed, 3-1.

Andy Pettitte and Jarrod Washburn did battle on the same day two years later, each allowing four hits and no runs through six on August 3, 2001. David Eckstein plated two with a two-base hit in the seventh, but the Yankee reply of a Bernie Williams rbi double and home runs by Tino Martinez and Alfonso Soriano trumped the Angels rally. The Bombers won the game 4-2 and Williams’s eighth-inning, two-out, bases-loaded diving catch of an Izzy Molina line drive saved the day.

Miguel Tejada of the A’s reached Mariano Rivera for a three-run, one-out home run in the bottom of the ninth to beat the Yanks 3-1 on August 3, 2003, denying Andy Pettitte a win, and giving the victory to Mark Mulder.

Yesterday we reported on a 1978, 15-inning, 5-5 tie. On this day the Red Sox won the continuation in 17, 7-5, and won the scheduled game as well. Former Yankee starter Mike Torrez won the latter over Jim Beattie, 8-1.

The Yankees jumped on Oakland lefty Mark Mulder for three runs in the first inning of an August 3, 2004 tilt in the Bronx. But Jon Lieber just didn’t have it, as he allowed a hit for every four pitches he threw until he was pulled in the top of the fifth. Scott Hatteberg homered twice and singled in the 13-4 A’s win.

August 3, 1937, fell on a Tuesday, but there were almost 67,000 fans in Yankee Stadium anyway for a doubleheader sweep of the White Sox, 7-2 and 5-3. In the latter contest, Lou Gehrig played in his 1,900th consecutive game.

It was the White Sox doing the doubleheader sweeping on this day in 1982, 1-0 and 14-2, prompting George Steinbrenner to fire Manager Gene Michael. He replaced Michael with Clyde King, the Yanks’ third field boss of the season.

Perhaps the most famous bad-weather game during which the Yankees gave ticket-holders a free seat in an upcoming game was Opening Day in 1996 (they played in a near blizzard throughout, but the freebie got us seats to Doc Gooden‘s no-hitter), but they also bestowed the same prize on fans who persevered through the August 3, 2000, tilt against K.C., before which there was a three-hour, one minute rain delay. The game was won and lost in the bullpens, with Mariano Rivera prevailing over Jerry Spradlin, 3-2. Tino Martinez got the Yanks started right with a second-inning home run after the 10:08 pm first pitch.

Here is the foursome inducted into the Hall of Fame on August 3, 1997: Phil Niekro, Tommy Lasorda, Nellie Fox, and Willie Wells. Willie McCovey, Bobby Doerr, and Ernie Lombardi were honored this day in 1986; and Al Kaline, Duke Snider, Chuck Klein, and Tom Yawkey were inducted on August 3, 1980.

On August 3, 2023, the Yankees moved on from a painful medical misstep (or non-step) as they finally placed first baseman Anthony Rizzo on the 10-day injured list, with post-concussion syndrome, more than a month after the play on which the injury occurred took place. The team then recalled shortstop Oswaldo Cabrera from the AAA Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders and activated him.

On August 3, 2022, the Yankees placed righthander Frankie Montas on the bereavement list.

On August 3, 2021, the Yankees sent righthander Luis Severino on a rehab assignment to the Somerset Patriots; and placed righty Gerrit Cole, lefty Jordan Montgomery, and third baseman Gio Urshela on the 10-day injured list, the latter with a left hamstring strain. The team then recalled righthander Luis Gil from Scranton/Wilkes-Barre; and claimed center fielder Jonathan Davis off waivers from Toronto, and optioned him to Scranton/Wilkes-Barre. The club also sent first baseman Luke Voit on a rehab assignment to Scranton/Wilkes-Barre; while the Milwaukee Brewers were claiming righty Sal Romano off waivers from New York.

On August 3, 2019, the Yankees placed first baseman/DH Edwin Encarnacion on the 10-day injured list, with a right wrist fracture. The team recalled first baseman Mike Ford from the AAA Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders to take his place. And because they were playing a doubleheader that day, they also recalled righthander Chance Adams from Scranton/Wilkes-Barre.

On August 3, 2018, the Yankees optioned righthander Luis Cessa to the AAA Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders; and recalled righty Tommy Kahnle from Scranton/Wilkes-Barre.

On August 3, 2017, the Yankees sent first baseman Tyler Austin on a rehab assignment to the AAA Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders.

To make roster room for Gary Sanchez, whom the Yanks called up on August 3, 2016 (as reported in the game report atop this column), the Yankees optioned outfielder Ben Gamel to the AAA Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders.

In a story line that was finally about to turn good for the Yankees, the team sent righty starter Michael Pineda on a rehab assignment to the AAA Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders on August 3, 2014.

The Yankees optioned infielder Ramiro Pena to AAA Scranton/Wilkes-Barre on August 3, 2013.

Surely you remember Yankee catcher Les Nunamaker? He became the only man to throw three would-be base stealers out in one inning, as he nailed Donie Bush, George Moriarity, and Hugh High, in a 4-1 New York loss to Detroit in 1914.

The Anheuser-Busch Company was ordered on August 3, 2001, to pay the family of the late Roger Maris $50 million for improperly taking away a beer distributorship.

Joe Niekro was caught on the mound with a nail file in his pocket on this day in 1987. He was suspended for 10 days by then AL President Bobby Brown.

Lenny Randle was acquired by the Yankees from the Pirates on this day in 1979, and Bobby Brown and catcher Brad Gulden were brought up from AAA Columbus, the latter obviously in response to the tragic death of Thurman Munson.

When Lefty Grove of the A’s blanked the Yankees 7-0 on August 3, 1933, it was the first time New York was shut out in over 300 games.

It was painful to his teammates and the fans, certainly, when beloved catcher Elston Howard was sent to the Red Sox for cash and two players to be named later on August 3, 1967.

When lefthander C.J. Nitkowski hit three consecutive Marlins batters with pitches while pitching for Houston on August 3, 1998, he joined Dock Ellis (in 1974) and Wilbur Wood (in 1977) as the only pitchers in the century to do so. Interesting that the first two of the three would eventually wear the Pinstripes.

There is a fairly impressive list of August 3 accomplishments for future or former Yankee players, starting a century ago when Washington’s Long Tom Hughes stroked a game-winning home run in the 10th inning in 1906 after matching zeroes for nine frames with Fred Glade of the St. Louis Browns. Next, we have John Mayberry hitting for the cycle in a 12-2 Royals win over the White Sox on August 3, 1977.

Continuing in this vein, Cincinnati’s Mariano Duncan and teammate Luis Quinones tied a major league record when each batted three times in a 14-run Reds first inning as they beat the Astros 18-2 on August 3, 1989. And Doug Drabek lost a no-hitter when Sal Campusano of the Phillies singled with two down in the ninth in the 11-0 Pittsburgh win on this day in 1990. Lastly, Jason Giambi‘s ninth-inning home run against Detroit on August 3, 2001, not only won the game for Oakland 2-1, it also gave the A’s a rare team cycle in their only four hits. Fellow future Yanks Terrence Long (triple) and Johnny Damon (double) completed the feat with Jason’s brother Jeremy Giambi pitching in with the single.

Before listing Yankee birthdays, let’s acknowledge that James Hetfield of the rock group Mettalica (Enter Sandman) was born on August 3, 1963.

 
Players Who Have Died This Day

The only Yankee player to have died on August 3 unil recently is lefty-hitting outfielder Elmer Smith (1984), who hit eight home runs and drove in 24 runs in 91 games for the 1922-1923 Yankees, for whom he went 61-for-210 at bat. Smith spent most of his 1914-1925 career with Cleveland, and he reached 70 fences overall, good for 541 runs driven in. Lefthanded outfielder/first baseman Duke Carmel (2021) ended his career playing in six games for the Yankees in 1965. Having played 71 games with St. Louis from 1959-1963, and 47 games for the Mets in that latter year, Duke ended up with four home runs and 23 rbi’s.

Of the three noteworthy nonYankees to have passed August 3, two pitched and one played the outfield. Vic Willis (1947) won 249, lost 205, and saved 11 games mostly for the Beaneaters, but also for the Pirates and the Cardinals from 1888-1910. Most of Bill Hubbell‘s (1980) 1919-1925 stint was spent with the Pjillies, with 40 wins, 63 losses, and 10 saves. And outfielder Harry Craft (1995) hit all of his 44 home runs with 267 runs driven in from 1937-1942 with Cincinnati.

 
Players Born This Day

Lefty center fielder Roger Repoz (1940), one of many to disappoint as the Yanks attempted to fill that position once Mickey Mantle was moved to first base, is one of five Yankee August 3 birthdays. He recorded 12 homers and 37 rbi’s in the Bronx during the 1964 through 1966 seasons, and followed that with a year in K.C. and almost five playing for California. A 1960 Yankee amateur free agent selection, Repoz was traded with Gil Blanco and Bill Stafford to the Kansas City Athletics for Fred Talbot and Billy Bryan in June 1966.

Kevin Elster (1964), who played much of his 15 years at short for the Mets, filled that same position for 17 games for the 1994 and 1995 Yankees. The Yanks signed him as a free agent in May 1994, and released him 13 months later.

Backstop Jay Rogers (1888) had eight at bats in five games with the 1914 team in his only big-league action. And, although he never played in the Pinstripes, righthander Milo Candini (1917) was with the team until he was traded with Jerry Priddy to the Washington Senators for Bill Zuber and cash in January 1943. Candini won 26 and lost 21 in seven seasons with the Senators and one with Giants.

The Yankee August 3 birthday list added Mark Reynolds (1983), if only briefly, in 2013. Signed after the Indians released him in August, the power-hitting corner infielder hit six homers and six doubles good for 19 rbi’s in 36 games for the Yanks down the stretch. Signed for 2014 by Milwaukee once the Yanks released him, Mark is having a good season, one he began having accumulated 202 home runs and 568 rbi’s playing four years with Arizona, two with Baltimore and 2013 in Cleveland and New York.

Leading off other birthdays are Detroit Hall of Fame outfielder Harry Heilmann (1894), with 183 taters and 1,539 rbi’s from 1914-1932, and 20-year Cleveland catcher Jim Hegan (1920), best known for his “D,” but a 92-homer, 525-rbi man as well. Others: lefty-hitting Dan Meyer (1952), who hit 86 dingers with 459 rbi’s with Detroit, Seattle, and Oakland; Mike Jeffcoat (1959); Jim Gott (1959); Sid Bream (1960), who hit most of his 90 homers and 455 rbi’s with the Pirates; Mackey Sasser (1962); Rod Beck (1968), a 286-save man through the 2004 season. Rod passed away in July 2007. Also, Wendell Magee (1972); Blake Stein (1973); Troy Glaus (1976); Justin Lehr (1977); Sergio Escalona (1984); German Duran (1984); Matt Joyce (1984); Sergio Escalona (1984); Pat McCoy (1988); Roberto Gomez (1989); Bubba Starling (1992); Zac Gallen (1995); Alec Bohm (1996); Travis Blankenhorn (1996); Luis Robert (1997); Jared Shuster (1998); Jonathan Arauz (1998); and Darell Hernaiz (2001).