Aaron Judge combined with Paul Goldschmidt and Cody Bellinger to go deep on the first three pitches from Nestor Cortes, then hit two more homers as the New York Yankees set a team record with nine home runs against the Milwaukee Brewers on Saturday.

Judge hit a solo homer, his ninth career grand slam and a two-run shot in his 40th multihomer game and third with three homers. He finished with a career-high eight RBIs in New York’s 20-9 victory.

He came up just short of becoming the 19th player to hit four homers in a game when his sixth-inning fly fell on the right-field warning track for a run-scoring double. He flied out again in the eighth against Jake Bauers, an outfielder and first baseman.

Goldschmidt, Bellinger and Judge homered starting the first on the unusually warm 78-degree afternoon. Major League Baseball said this was the first time a team homered on its first three pitches since tracking of pitch counts began in 1988.

Austin Wells homered later in the inning as New York hit four home runs in the first inning for the first time in its century-plus history. Anthony Volpe added a three-run drive in the second for a 7-3 lead against Cortes, who allowed a career-high five home runs.

Jazz Chisholm Jr. and pinch-hitter Oswald Peraza also homered.

New York had hit eight homers at the Philadelphia Athletics on June 28, 1939, and against the Chicago White Sox on July 31, 2007. Toronto set the record of 10 homers against Baltimore on Sept. 14, 1987.

Ramírez jams wrist while attempting steal

Cleveland Guardians All-Star José Ramírez jammed his right wrist while attempting to steal a base in the third inning against the Kansas City Royals and later left the game.

Ramírez, who was 0 for 2 with a walk, exited in the sixth inning and the Royals went on to win 4-3.

Ramírez has been durable, playing in 156-plus games the previous three seasons. He hit .299 with 39 homers and 118 RBIs last season, earning All-Star recognition for a fourth straight year and honors as the best offensive player at his position for the fifth time.

Scherzer leaves game with lat muscle injury

Three-time Cy Young Award winner Max Scherzer left his debut start with the Toronto Blue Jays on Saturday because of soreness in his right lat muscle.

Facing Baltimore, Scherzer allowed two runs and three hits, including two solo home runs. He threw 45 pitches in three innings, 28 for strikes. Scherzer struck out one and walked none.

Earlier this month, the 40-year-old Scherzer had a spring training start pushed back because of thumb pain.

Scherzer signed a $15.5 million, one-year contract with Toronto in February.

He went 2-4 with a 3.95 ERA in nine starts for Texas last season, starting the year on the injured list while recovering from lower back surgery. He also had a stint on the IL with shoulder fatigue and didn’t pitch after Sept. 14 because of a left hamstring strain.

Briefly

Rangers >> Josh Jung was out of the Texas lineup Saturday because of neck spasms in another early-season setback for the third baseman. Manager Bruce Bochy said Jung was “going to need a few days” to let the spasms calm, and that a stint on the injured list was possible.

Angels >> Los Angeles outfielder Jo Adell hurt his left hip while running out an infield single in the fifth inning and left his team’s 1-0 win over the Chicago White Sox on Saturday. Adell told reporters after the game that he was not concerned about the injury, adding he didn’t expect it to keep him out of the lineup.

Rays >> Tampa Bay put outfielder Josh Lowe on the 10-day injured list with a strained right oblique. The Rays recalled outfielder Jake Mangum from Triple-A Durham. Lowe was hurt in Tampa Bay’s opener on Friday, a year after he missed 46 games with a similar injury.