In a high-profile interleague series against the Los Angeles Dodgers, Aaron Judge of the New York Yankees delivered with his bat and his glove on Saturday. The reigning American League MVP hit his 19th homer, a line drive into the short left-field porch in the sixth inning off Dodgers reliever Shelby Miller. Despite only traveling 360 feet, the ball got into the low stands before left fielder David Peralta could make a play on it. Judge’s 113.7 mph line drive helped the Yankees rebound after an 8-4 loss on Friday night in the series opener.
Judge’s Spectacular Running Catch
In the eighth inning, Judge made a spectacular running catch at the fence to save a run for the Yankees. With Max Muncy on first base and nobody out, J.D. Martinez hit a liner into the right-field corner. Judge sprinted and made the catch an instant before running into the bullpen door, which partially opened when he hit it. Judge hung on to the ball and stayed upright while putting one foot in the bullpen. However, Muncy was allowed to advance to second as Judge technically left the field of play. Yankees manager Aaron Boone briefly argued the umpire’s decision to send Muncy to second.
The Yankees’ Lead
At the time of Judge’s catch, the Yankees led 5-3. Reliever Michael King retired the Dodgers’ next two batters, sending the matchup to the ninth inning. Yankees right-hander Gerrit Cole (7-0) was sharp in his native Southern California, striking out five with two walks and allowing only a run on David Peralta’s bloop RBI single. However, he was pulled after a season-low 80 pitches, apparently due to cramping.
The Outcome
Judge’s bat and glove proved to be instrumental in the Yankees’ 6-3 victory over the Dodgers. The win puts the Yankees at 30-22, while the loss drops the Dodgers to 31-22. The interleague series continues on Sunday as the Yankees and Dodgers face off in the final game of the three-game series.
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