Aaron Judge, the New York Yankees captain and lead slugger, was struggling to get help from the other end as his team witnessed an unprecedented slump. Despite being on the pace of an MVP-caliber season, Judge was struggling to fetch wins for his team until last Sunday.
With the four-game series on the line against the Toronto Blue Jays, captain Aaron Judge, with significant help from superstar Juan Soto, added an early lead for the Yankees on the board. That crucial lead helped a struggling ace, Gerrit Cole, get his rhythm and record a dominant start on the mound.
Aaron Judge Says 2-Run Early Lead On Vs Jays Provided Cushion To Gerrit Cole!
With 10 minutes left for the first pitch, Juan Soto was included back into the New York Yankees starting lineup for the series finale held against Toronto Blue Jays on Sunday. Recovering from a bruised hand, Soto went through a cage session after his X-rays came back negative. Interestingly, captain Aaron Judge revealed that he heard loud swing sounds coming from the cage, and he instantly knew that Soto was fit enough to play. Meanwhile, Soto relayed a line drive in his first at-bat after return, and Judge doubled down with a two-run home run in the next at-bat to put an early 2-run lead on the board.
Notably, Yankees ace Gerrit Cole was struggling in the first inning, with his pitches landing all over the place. However, following the 2-run lead, Cole came alive and pitched like a defending AL CY Young pitcher. “Getting those two runs and allowing our ace to focus on making his pitches and not trying to do too much,” Judge said. He finished his day with one earned run and walk on 3 hits across five innings pitched and struck out 6 hitters as well in the process. With the help of Judge, Soto, and Cole’s commendable start, the New York Yankees ended up with an 8-1 win to split the four-game series. Indeed, the win was much-needed for the Bronx Bombers to regain winning momentum and confidence ahead of the important home stand this week. The Yanks are still tied for AL-East’s top spot with the Baltimore Orioles.
Judge Reaches Halfway Through Home Run Record Before July 1
Meanwhile, Aaron Judge is on the cusp of breaking his own all-time high home run record this year if he continues to hit like a maniac on the plate. Last Sunday, he slammed his 31st season home run against Toronto Blue Jays and is now halfway through his iconic 62-home run record. Notably, in 2022 season, Judge hadn’t crossed 30 homers until July 14.
Hence, this season, the Yankees captain Aaron Judge is way ahead schedule and is expected to surpass his home run record by the end of the season in October. Notably, Judge is also leading the triple crown race with .316 batting average, 31 home runs, and 82 RBIs in just first half of the an MLB tournament.
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