1 week Ago
NEW YORK — Saturday’s rainout prevented Aaron Judge from having a chance to hit the third birthday blast of his career. The Yankees ’ superstar slugger is a .333 hitter with two home runs on April 26 in his career.
One day later, in the nightcap of a doubleheader against the Blue Jays, Judge went deep for the first time as a 33-year-old and it came in a huge spot. Judge’s solo shot to right-center field in the bottom of the sixth broke a 1-1 tie with Toronto, the swing that sparked a late rally in a 5-1 win, the Yankees’ second victory of the day. The Yankees crushed the Jays in Game 1 earlier in the afternoon, an 11-2 blowout.
Both clubs were quiet offensively through the first five innings other than a solo homer on each side. Center fielder Trent Grisham, back in the starting lineup after sitting in Game 1, hit a leadoff home run off Blue Jays righty Chris Bassitt, a no-doubter to right-center. It was the outfielder’s seventh of the year, temporarily tying him with Judge and Jazz Chisholm Jr.
for the Yankees team lead. Blue Jays right fielder Anthony Santander responded in the third, blasting an elevated sinker from Yankees starter Clarke Schmidt into the second deck in right to tie the game. That was the only blemish (and only hit) against Schmidt as the right-hander — in his third outing of the year — worked five innings of one-run ball with six strikeouts and four walks.
Schmidt had 14 swings and misses including seven whiffs on his trademark knuckle curve. Bassitt was still pitching for Toronto when Judge stepped up to the plate in the sixth. He grooved a first-pitch cutter to begin the inning and Judge didn’t miss it.
Later in the inning, Jasson Domínguez sat on a two-strike breaking ball from Bassitt and lined it in the left-center gap, a run-scoring double that plated Chisholm from second. Toronto pulled Bassitt, but the Yankees added a few more insurance runs against their bullpen, both coming from backup catcher J.C.
Escarra. The lefty drove in a run in the sixth with an RBI single and then he powered the first home run of his big-league career to deep right-center in the bottom of the eighth, a 415-foot moonshot off ex-Yankee Chad Green. With Devin Williams out of the closer spot , the Yankees showcased how their bullpen could look moving forward in the late innings.
Tim Hill and Mark Leiter Jr. bridged the gap to Fernando Cruz, who handled the eighth inning. Then Luke Weaver, last year’s breakout reliever, took care of business in the ninth, closing it out.
All four of those relievers didn’t give up a run. LOOKING AHEAD Monday: Yankees at Orioles, 6:35 p.m.
, YES. RHP Will Warren (1-0, 4.79) vs.
TBA Tuesday: Yankees at Orioles, 6:35 p.m., YES.
LHP Carlos Rodón (3-3, 3.50) vs. TBA Wednesday: Yankees at Orioles, 6:35 p.
m., Amazon. RHP Carlos Carrasco (2-1, 5.
26) vs. TBA MORE YANKEES COVERAGE Yankees blast Blue Jays to open doubleheader as Max Fried keeps winning Key Yankees pitchers take big steps in rehab process Yankees make Devin Williams decision: Who will be closer moving forward? How Yankees’ diverse clubhouse makes room for two Ivy Leaguers | Klapisch Closer change? Where Yankees stand with Devin Williams after latest implosion Thank you for relying on us to provide the journalism you can trust. Please consider supporting us with a subscription.
Max Goodman may be reached at [email protected] ..
