Aaron Judge of the New York Yankees showed his frustration after missing a hittable pitch during Sunday’s game against the Red Sox. However, he quickly made up for it by launching his Major League-leading 53rd home run on the next offering. The mammoth 445-foot blast was the highlight of the Yankees’ 5-2 victory at Yankee Stadium.
Judge acknowledged the significance of his homer, especially against their rivals, saying, “We’re playing the Red Sox — big games, big moments. So just having some fun with it there.” His two-run homer and Gleyber Torres’ solo blast supported left-hander Carlos Rodón’s team-leading 15th win as they wrapped up their homestand by taking three out of four games from Boston.
With a three-game lead over the Orioles in the American League East and only 12 games remaining in the regular season, Judge and his teammates are feeling confident about their chances. Torres expressed their focus and unity, stating that they can do something special this year.
Wearing No. 21 in honor of Roberto Clemente Day across MLB, Judge’s homer added to their celebratory mood. It came after Red Sox manager Alex Cora insinuated that a pitch near Judge was intentional retaliation for Gerrit Cole hitting three batters earlier in Saturday’s game.
When asked about Cora’s comments, both Judge and Yankees manager Aaron Boone downplayed any controversy surrounding it. They emphasized that such matters should be dealt with by others while focusing on playing good baseball.
Judge capitalized on his second chance at bat against Crawford and delivered an impressive home run to center field. Teammates praised him for his exceptional swing and power while acknowledging that he consistently produces remarkable hits.
This season has been outstanding for Judge as he reached career highs with 132 RBIs and became one of only four Yankees since 1962 to achieve this feat. Despite a brief drought in homers recently, he made significant contributions during the Red Sox series with two crucial long balls.
As front-runner for AL MVP Award consideration, Judge leads several major statistical categories including homers, RBIs, times on base, on-base percentage (.455), slugging percentage (.692), walks (122), total bases (364), and extra-base hits (88).
Teammates no longer find themselves surprised by Judge’s performance but rather appreciative of witnessing greatness firsthand. They recognize that what he is doing is not easy but truly special. With just two weeks left in the regular season, they eagerly anticipate more extraordinary moments from him.
