Aug 3, 2024; Bronx, New York, USA; New York Yankees designated hitter Aaron Judge (99) hits a two run home run against the Toronto Blue Jays during the first inning at Yankee Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports
Aaron Judge hit a two-run homer in the first inning to increase his major league-leading total to 41 as the New York Yankees beat the Toronto Blue Jays 8-3 on Saturday afternoon.
After reaching 40 homers for the third time in his career in the first inning on Friday, Judge hit his 16th homer of the season in the first inning on Saturday, tying the team record set by Hall of Famer Babe Ruth in 1927.
Judge gave the Yankees a 2-1 lead when he connected on an 0-1 pitch from Toronto’s Jose Berrios (9-9) into the visiting bullpen beyond the left-center field fence. It was Judge’s sixth homer in his last eight games and the 38th of his career against the Blue Jays.
Trent Grisham and Anthony Volpe also hit two-run homers and the Yankees won for the sixth time in seven games after falling 10-23.
Gleyber Torres started after being pulled in Friday’s 8-5 loss for failure to hustle and singled two batters in before Volpe’s homer put the Yankees ahead 6-1 in the fifth.
Judge was intentionally walked with nobody on and two outs in the second and also walked in the seventh before scoring on Volpe’s base hit. The slugger also singled in the eighth before Austin Wells hit an RBI single.
Vladimir Guerrero Jr. homered in the first inning and went 3-for-3 off New York’s Carlos Rodon (12-7). Guerrero also singled in the fourth and doubled in the sixth to extend his hitting streak to 16 games.
Rodón allowed three runs and three hits in 5 1/3 innings. He convinced manager Aaron Boone to stay in the game and came away with a good hand after Guerrero doubled to set up Alejandro Kirk’s two-run single off Jake Cousins.
Cousins protected the three-run lead by retiring Spencer Horwitz and Ernie Clement. Luke Weaver took a called third strike against George Springer with a runner on to end the seventh, which also resulted in Toronto starter Kevin Gausman being ejected from the dugout by home plate umpire Laz Diaz.
Tommy Kahnle fanned Guerrero and turned into a double play to end the scoreless eighth. Mark Leiter Jr. loaded the bases in the ninth before Clay Holmes struck out Springer to secure his 23rd save in 31 chances.
Berrios allowed six runs (five earned) and seven hits in five innings. The right-hander struck out six and walked three.
–Field level media
