The New York Yankees kicked off the 2024 MLB season’s second half with an important 6-1 victory over the Tampa Bay Rays. In front of a packed home crowd at Yankee Stadium, Juan Soto and Gerrit Cole delivered commendable performances to regain the winning momentum ahead of the crucial stretch.
Meanwhile, Aaron Judge left the Yankees fan in splits as well as concerned at the same time on Friday. He was up on the plate to face Rays starter Zach Eflin. However, Judge got hit by a foul ball which was embarrassing and concerning at the same time as fans took to twitter to share their honest reactions.
Aaron Judge Gets Hit Near Crotch By Foul Ball Vs Rays!
The series opener between the New York Yankees and Tampa Bay Rays took an unfortunate turn when home captain Aaron Judge got hit with a foul ball. With Juan Soto putting runs on the board with his first little league home run in pinstripes, Judge arrived in the batter’s box to extend the damage with the momentum. However, Judge fouled off a low slider pitch from Eflin, and the ball ricocheted off his toe, hitting him in a sensitive area. The sudden impact caused Judge to crouch in pain, halting the game momentarily. Not only that, the medical team rushed to check on Judge, who had an embarrassing smile on his face following the incident.
Fortunately, Judge got back on the plate quickly without any discomfort complaints. That being said, the incident immediately blew up on social media, with fans expressing their concern and wishing Aaron Judge a speedy recovery. Given Judge’s injury history and his crucial role in the team, the impact of any potential injury to him cannot be overstated. However, the foul ball was just an unfortunate incident which luckily didn’t leave an everlasting impact. Meanwhile, the Yankees ended up winning the contest after Gerrit Cole delivered a CY Young-worthy start. He allowed only one earned run in six innings pitched and struck out 8 hitters. On the other hand, Juan Soto had a busy night as he went 4-for-4 and scored 3 important runs in the Yank’s 6-1 victory. The Yankees are still a game below the Orioles in Al-East. But a series victory here would change things drastically.
Gerrit Cole Fumes Over Bizarre Pitch Clock Violation Call
A bizarre officiating call took the Yankee Stadium by storm on Friday night. New York Yankees ace Gerrit Cole was warming up for his start with catcher Austin Wells. While Ray’s leadoff hitter was yet to arrive on the plate, the umpire reprimanded Cole with a pitch clock violation.
The plate umpire argued that Gerrit Cole took way too long during warm-ups ups, which called for a violation. However, the Yankees pitcher fumed over the bizarre call and rightly so. The game was yet to start, and hence, the pitch clock violation didn’t make sense at all. However, the umpire stood his ground, and as a result, the Rays’ leadoff hitter started with a 1-0 count.
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