Aaron Judge continues to set records as the dismal Yankees season comes to a close. Judge smashed three home runs against the Diamondbacks on Friday night, giving New York a 6 RBI victory. The outfielder had already accomplished the feat against the Nationals earlier in the season, making it his second three-home run game of the campaign.
No Yankee batter before Aaron Judge had ever hit three home runs in a single game, which he has done twice this year. When Arizona plays the second game of a three-game series against the visiting New York Yankees on Saturday, it tries to pitch to Judge better and hopes to avoid a rainout.
Arizona (81-73) currently holds a one-game advantage over the Chicago Cubs for the second of three wild-card places with eight games remaining. After five straight victories for the Diamondbacks, Judge’s three-run, two-run, and solo home runs caused them to lose 7-1.
The D-backs (81-73) have dropped their last four contests in New York City, including the series against the Mets last week. On an otherwise quiet night for the Astros, Christian Walker struck a single shot in the ninth inning to avoid a whitewash.
The Diamondbacks’ five-game winning streak was broken on Friday, and their lead over the Chicago Cubs, who defeated the Colorado Rockies, in the race for the second NL Wild Card slot was cut to one game.
The eighth four-hit game of his career and first since May 20 at Cincinnati came from the current AL MVP. He hit a six for the fourth time in his career.
The Yankees moved two games over 500 at 78-76, trying to avoid their first losing season since going 76-86 in 1992, Buck Showalter’s first season in charge. They are almost out of the running for the playoffs, though.
With Judge’s first home run, the Yankees were up 3-0. After Pfaadt erred by misplaying Oswald Peraza’s gentle comebacker two batters earlier, Aaron Judge hit a first-pitch sinker into the right-center corner of the New York bullpen.
Pfaadt’s fate was sealed by an error after his promising first two scoreless innings. In the third inning, Yankees third baseman Oswald Peraza tapped a ball back to Pfaadt with a runner on first base, but Pfaadt messed up the play. This provided Judge with the chance to score, who hit a three-run home run.
Judge’s season has gone unnoticed due to his ongoing toe injury and the Yankees’ difficulties. He is currently the reigning MVP. But Judge has hit 35 home runs in just 100 games this season, tying Rudy York for the most home runs ever by a player who missed at least 50 games.
The Judge would have at least challenged his AL home run record from last year if he hadn’t spent time on the injured list. Judge hit 42 home runs in 100 games in 2022, but that was back when he wasn’t battling a toe ailment like he is this year.
Even though it’s improbable that the Yankees will participate in the postseason for the first time since 2016, Judge nonetheless fulfilled the first year of his enormous contract despite seeing little playing time.
Torey Lovullo, the manager of Arizona, remarked of Judge, the only Yankees player in history to have multiple games with three home runs in a season, “You can’t make mistakes to him.”
We’re in a wonderful position, added Lovullo. “I managed today’s match at one point so that we could just grab onto some arms. We’ll be prepared to adjust as necessary. Over the next 24 to 36 hours, everything will be quite fluid, but we’re certain that we’ll be prepared to play baseball as soon as they tell us to.”
It became 6-0 after his two-run drive to right-center in the fifth. After completing the bases in the seventh inning, Judge waved to the 39,143 spectators in Yankee Stadium and tipped his cap as teammate Gleyber Torres exited the batter’s box.
Estevan Florial made the final out of the eighth, leaving Judge in the on-deck circle. The judge is striking 267 in 100 games this season, with 35 home runs and 70 RBIs. After fracturing his right big toe on June 3 at Dodger Stadium, he was out for over eight weeks. On July 28, he was back in the lineup.
History Of Aaron Judge
Judge became the sixth player in the history of the Yankees to have numerous games with 3 home runs. The Yankees’ leader with four such games is Lou Gehrig, who also hit four home runs in June 1926 at Philadelphia against the A’s. Tony Lazzeri, Bobby Murcer, Joe DiMaggio, and Alex Rodriguez each had three.
“Greatness doing extraordinary things,” stated Aaron Boone, the manager of New York., “Those are the kinds of bizarre things that happen, but it’s just a special player. That he is on that list is hardly shocking,” Boone added.
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