Tyler Austin, Aaron Judge first pair to hit back-to-back HRs in first plate appearances

— -- NEW YORK -- On the same day in which they honored several heroes of the past, a new era of New York Yankees baseball began with a bang.

Tyler Austin and Aaron Judge, who were called up by Yankees from Triple-A Scranton prior to Saturday's game against the Tampa Bay Rays, spectacularly delivered back-to-back home runs in their first major league at-bats during the second inning of an 8-4 victory at Yankee Stadium.

Austin and Judge are the first pair of teammates to accomplish the feat in baseball history, according to the Elias Sports Bureau.

"You can't draw it up any better when you call up two young players," Yankees manager Joe Girardi said.

With one out in the second, Austin drove a 2-2, 92-mph fastball from Rays right-hander Matt Andriese just over the 314 sign in right field, prompting both Austin and Girardi to pump their fists in celebration.

"I don't think I could've asked for anything better. It's pretty awesome," Austin said.

Shortly after, Judge followed with a mammoth blast of his own, drilling a 1-2, 87-mph changeup from Andriese off the batter's eye glass in center field. According to ESPN's home run tracking data, Judge's towering homer traveled 457 feet with an exit velocity of 109 mph.

It was tied for the fourth-longest home run ever hit at Yankee Stadium, trailing only Raul Ibanez (477 feet), Alex Rodriguez (460 feet) and Carlos Correa (459 feet). Mark Trumbo also hit a 457 foot shot.

"What a day. That's all I can really say," Judge said.

On Friday, Rodriguez, who has 696 career home runs -- trailing only Babe Ruth (714), Hank Aaron (755) and Barry Bonds (762) in that category -- played his final game as a Yankee. Rodriguez was officially released before Saturday's game.

Prior to Saturday's game, the Yankees honored their 1996 World Series championship team. Players in attendance included Derek Jeter, Mariano Rivera, Bernie Williams, Andy Pettitte and Jorge Posada.

Austin and Judge each finished with two hits in four at-bats. The duo had combined for 32 homers this season for Triple-A Scranton (Austin 13, Judge 19).

Judge, 24, has long been considered one of the top prospects in New York's farm system, while Austin, also 24, has had to overcome several injuries and other setbacks just to get to this point.

Judge, a 6-7 slugger who general manager Brian Cashman said will become the team's everyday right fielder, was ranked as the No. 23 overall prospect in Keith Law's midseason rankings. Austin will play a reserve outfield/first base role behind Mark Teixeira, Cashman added.

Both players found out they were getting called up in different ways. Austin learned of his promotion before the Railriders' road game in Rochester on Friday night, while Judge was eating dinner with his parents after the game.

Scranton manager Al Pedrique, who also happened to be having a meal there, approached Judge around midnight with the good news.

"He kind of walked up and said, 'You guys better hurry up, this guy's gotta be in New York for a game tomorrow,'" Judge said. "It kind of took me by surprise. I wasn't expecting that at all. I was just glad my family was able to be there and enjoy that moment."

Both players planned on giving Saturday's home run balls to their families.

Judge did not get into New York until 6 a.m. Saturday. He got the opportunity after Yankees left fielder Brett Gardner injured his ankle Friday night and wasn't going to be available. Gardner is day-to-day.

"I felt bad, because they're up in Rochester, but with it being Judge's first call-up, he's not going to sleep anyway," Cashman said. "It's a 1:25 p.m. first pitch. Thank God he's young, because if it were me, I'd be a zombie right now. With the adrenaline, he'll bounce back and hopefully that'll be enough for him to enjoy the day."

The Yankees, known in past years for their lavish spending on superstar talent, shifted gears at the trade deadline, unloading Carlos Beltran, Aroldis Chapman and Andrew Miller and adding several prospects to their system as a result.

Their youth movement got off to a strong start Saturday.

"There's a lot of excitement that they have and probably rightfully so," Rays manager Kevin Cash said. "Judge definitely looks the part. If he wasn't playing baseball, it looks like he should be a defensive end somewhere. He's massive. He's bigger than (Giancarlo) Stanton."