Sports
Aaron Judge smokes two homers in another historic effort as Yankees dismantle Rockies
The Yankees infield defense let down Marcus Stroman, who was merely OK through five innings. The Yankees bats did not cash in on a few opportunities, including loading the bases with one out in the fifth inning and coming away with nothing.
Mistakes, though, can be camouflaged by power — and particularly by the best player in the sport authoring one of the greatest seasons ever seen.
Aaron Judge smoked his 50th and 51st home runs of the season — on a day the Yankees clubbed five — in an eventual 10-3 dismantling of the Rockies on a gorgeous and loud Sunday in The Bronx, where 41,324 watched a varsity player continue to feast on freshmen.
On yet another day for history, Judge jump-started the lineup by blasting his 18th first-inning home run — matching Alex Rodriguez (in 2001) for the major league record — and became the fifth player to reach 50 in a season at least three times. Rodriguez, Sammy Sosa, Babe Ruth and Mark McGwire are not bad company.
Speaking of good company, it wasn’t Judge but Juan Soto who jump-started the seventh inning, when Judge’s Robin to his Batman sent a 418-foot bomb to right-center to cushion what had been a one-run edge. Jeff Criswell’s next pitch was a fastball to Judge, who redirected it 371 feet to right-center for his second of the day.
Three pitches later, a Giancarlo Stanton missile made it back-to-back-to-back, and made the Stadium a nice venue for a party that intensified as the afternoon went on. Gleyber Torres’ three-run shot in the eighth provided a last jolt.
“We couldn’t separate really,” manager Aaron Boone said after a game the Yankees led 4-3 after six innings. “And then Juan gets it rolling. Judgie does what he does and G leaves no doubt.”
Judge was in the middle of the revelry.
Through 131 Yankees games, the all-time slugger is on pace for 63 homers, which would break the club and league record that he set two seasons ago.
Roger Maris Jr. might have to clear his September calendar.
The Yankees season — a solid one, to be sure — suddenly almost feels like an afterthought.
“It’s hard to put into words,” Stroman said of Judge, who has drilled seven homers in his past six games, nine in his past 10 and 10 in his past 13.
“Running out of words, honestly,” Boone said before the Yankees (77-54) brought the AL’s best record to a road series with the Nationals. “We’re getting on the train. I got to get the thesaurus out.”
Judge, hitting .377 with 47 home runs in his past 102 games — perhaps the greatest stretch in MLB history, considering no one had reached those totals in that span — is making the impossible seem possible.
Can Judge, who had a slow April, challenge Barry Bonds’ 73-homer 2001 season someday?
“If there’s any guy in the league that can do it,” Soto said, “it’s going to be him.”
Judge’s campaign and career loom nearly as large as the stakes of the most famous baseball team in the world. The Yankees have won or split nine of their 12 past completed series and taken 17 of their past 26 games overall.
Their best players have shown up, their 1-through-4 hitters Sunday going 8-for-15 with all five home runs and all 10 RBIs. Soto, Judge and Stanton became the first trio of Yankees to homer in succession since Brett Gardner, DJ LeMahieu and Luke Voit in 2020.
Against the Rockies (48-83), Boone’s group had misplayed its way into a first-inning hole.
Two errors by Jazz Chisholm Jr. and a double play that was not executed — Torres’ throw to first pulling LeMahieu off the bag — helped Colorado score in the first and forced Stroman to throw 31 pitches in the frame.
But then Judge went to work, jumping on an 0-2 Austin Gomber changeup and clobbering it to left-center to give the Yankees a lead they would not surrender.
“This team’s got a big mission in front of them, and I think we’re all focused on that right now,” said Judge, who has yet to win a World Series but could make September nearly as exciting as October.
Boone has said it does not feel as if Judge’s bat is hot; sizzling has become his normal. Judge agreed, saying he still does not feel “locked in.”
“Not yet,” Judge said, suggesting there is another level to his game. “We’re still getting there.”
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