With the Yankees having only mustered four hits, their captain came to bat in the eighth inning and launched his 44th home run of the season. He effortlessly sent a 2-2 sinker an estimated 431 feet into the ivy-covered wall in center field, leading New York to a 3-0 victory over the Tigers in the series opener at Comerica Park.
Judge, who reached the 300-home run milestone faster than any player in AL/NL history on Wednesday, is now 18 home runs away from the AL record of 62 he set in 2022, with 39 games remaining in the regular season.
“The Tigers did a great job keeping him off the basepaths and from making solid contact tonight,” manager Aaron Boone said. “Yet he still managed to hit one 420 feet to center, giving us some extra breathing room. It’s been remarkable to watch.”
What amazes the Yankees’ dugout often poses a major challenge for their opponents, who strive to keep Judge in check or, at the very least, contained within the park. Detroit catcher Jake Rogers and his team largely succeeded in keeping Judge hitless through his first three at-bats.
However, with a hitter of Judge’s caliber, it only takes one pitch to make an impact, and he found that pitch in the eighth inning from reliever Brant Hurter.
“He’s a great hitter,” Rogers said. “It was a bad pitch. As soon as I called for the sinker inside, I thought, ‘Man, this is a risky move.’ It’s one of those decisions that will either earn me praise or criticism for a while. I went straight to [Hurter] afterward and apologized because it was a mistake. Credit to Judge.”
Judge’s home run rounded out what Boone described as a “clean, solid game” for New York, which secured its third consecutive win and its sixth in the last 10 games, taking over first place in the American League East after the Orioles lost to the Red Sox.
Oswald Peraza, who was recalled from Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre on Wednesday, also hit a home run off Hurter in his season debut. Alex Verdugo ignited the offense with a sacrifice fly in the first inning, marking his 53rd RBI of the season.
Gerrit Cole didn’t have the luxury of a large lead, but he didn’t need one. Cole delivered another impressive performance, striking out eight over six scoreless innings. He allowed only four singles and walked two, improving to 4-2 on the season and lowering his August ERA to 2.45 across three starts.
“[Cole] was impressive,” Judge said. “From the very first inning, his fastball command was spot on, his velocity was up, and his slider and curveball have been really sharp in these last two games. It was great to see. When he’s pitching like that, I’d love for him to go the full nine innings.”
Cole, who made his third start since missing a game due to fatigue and a stomach bug, noted that he felt physically well throughout his 95-pitch outing and maintained a “nice cruising speed.”
Cole also noted that having Jose Trevino back as his batterymate following Trevino’s return from the IL was a positive factor.
“It’s a blessing to be a pitcher for the Yankees,” Cole said. “[Carlos] Narvaez did an excellent job filling in while Trevi was out, and [Austin] Wells has been solid in that role for the past few months. Plus, Trevi is a Platinum Glove winner. We’re definitely spoiled.”
Luke Weaver, Tommy Kahnle, and Clay Holmes each delivered a scoreless inning after Cole to seal the shutout, helping the bullpen recover from a tough period. The Yankees’ relief pitchers had the sixth-worst ERA (4.49) since May 20 entering Friday.
“Everyone has their ups and downs,” Cole said. “It’s a blessing to count on them to be exceptional every time. Tonight was definitely one of those nights.”
New York improved to 4-0 against Detroit this season.
Be the first to comment