Juan Soto steals the show as Aaron Judge, Giancarlo Stanton co-star in Yankees' rout of Astros

NEW YORK — As the crack of Juan Soto’s bat began to blend with the sound of a roaring stadium on Wednesday night, the Yankees slugger followed through on his swing and leaned backwards so that he could watch his work.

It’s not unusual for Soto to admire the damage he does, but the slight tilt indicated that even he was impressed with a two-run, opposite-field homer that traveled 440 feet at 113.4 mph. The blast off Spencer Arrighetti’s fastball quickly erased a 1-0 Astros lead — and exemplified why Aaron Boone described each of Soto’s at-bats as “theatrical.”

“It’s a show. You can feel the energy of the crowd,” the manager said before the Yankees’ 9-4 win. “Literally every pitch, it’s theater.”

Indeed, the Bronx has turned to Broadway whenever Soto steps to the plate. None of the adoring fans in attendance want to miss a pitch, as Soto never takes one off. Boone described that approach as “relentless,” adding that the 25-year-old treats each at-bat as a “war” that pitchers seem to lose more often than not.

It’s paid dividends for the impending free agent, as Soto is now batting .338 with a 1.023 OPS after going 3 for 5 with five RBIs on Wednesday.

The right fielder, who picked up additional ribbies on an infield single, a groundout and a single, is leading the Yankees with nine home runs and 33 RBIs. Soto is also hitting .448 with a 1.342 OPS, three homers and 25 RBIs with runners in scoring position.

While Soto has been the Yankees’ leading man in the early going of the season, Aaron Judge has been heating up at the plate. That continued on Wednesday, as Judge hit his eighth homer of the season, a solo shot, in the third inning.

The captain added two doubles, including a sixth-inning knock that drove in two.

And while Soto and Judge were the first to go yard off Arrighetti, it was Giancarlo Stanton who brought the fireworks in the third inning.

For the second straight night, Stanton recorded the hardest-hit homer in the majors this season. After drilling a 118.8-mph missile on Tuesday, his latest blast traveled 447 feet at 119.9 mph before landing in the second deck in left field.

With their biggest bats leading the way, the Yankees’ bombarded an Astros starter for the second time in as many games. Meanwhile, Carlos Rodón quietly bounced back after suffering a similar fate in Baltimore on May 2.

The lefty gave up six earned runs in that game, but he held Houston to two on Wednesday. The first came from Kyle Tucker, who hit a first-inning solo homer for the second day in a row. The second run came on a Jake Meyers double in the seventh.

All in all, Rodón also totaled 6 1/3 innings, seven hits, zero walks and seven strikeouts over 100 pitches. He lowered his ERA to 3.56.

Victor González later surrendered a solo homer to Jeremy Peña in the eighth, while Jose Altuve singled home run off Ian Hamilton in the ninth.

With Soto and a deep supporting cast having secured a series victory, the Yankees will go for their second sweep of the Astros this season on Thursday.

Marcus Stroman is scheduled to start the game, which begins at 5:05 p.m. Ronel Blanco, who threw a no-hitter in his first start of the season, will take the ball for Houston.