Bellinger follows father’s first pitch with a three-run homer

The Bellinger family had two very different pitching moments at Yankee Stadium on Wednesday. Clay Bellinger threw the ceremonial first pitch before Game 2 of the American League Wild Card Series. His son Cody later hit a three-run home run as New York beat Boston 9–2.

The sixth-inning drive expanded the Yankees’ lead to 8–1, putting further distance between New York and a Red Sox team trying to extend its season.

Bellinger had already contributed an RBI single in the fifth after Boston removed Sonny Gray. His next major swing turned a comfortable advantage into a much larger one.

The family connection supplied the occasion’s personal detail; the home run supplied its competitive weight. New York completed the best-of-three series in two games and advanced.

For Bellinger, the night paired a familiar face on the mound before the game with a decisive contribution once it began.

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