New York Yankees star Aaron Judge hit his way into the record books on Sunday, sending his team to a big victory in the meantime.
Judge hit a walkoff home run, beating the Tampa Bay Rays 2-0 and ending an 11-game streak without an RBI. After the game, the Yankees slugger sent a strong statement about the bigger meaning behind his blast.
Aaron Judge Happy to Find a Way to Win
Speaking to reporters after the game, Judge relished in his big moment.
“There’s nothing better,” he said.
Judge added that it had been a trying stretch over the last two weeks as he tried to remain upbeat despite his extended slump.
“There’s no frustration, I got a job to do,” Judge said, via ESPN. “Obviously I want to get the job done and help the team win and we weren’t winning, so I was mad about that. But no homers, RBIs, you can find other ways to help your team win. So that’s what I was trying to do.”
Judge’s home run earned praise from manager Aaron Boone, who hinted that Judge could be hitting his way back out of the slump.
“That’s just a great swing from him,” Boone said.
Judge’s home run was the 385th of his career, helping him on his steady climb up the all-time home run list. Judge passed Hall of Famer Harold Baines and moved into a tie with Dwight Evans for the 68th all-time.
Aaron Judge Burst Out of Career-Worst Slump
Prior to the game-winning home run on Sunday, Judge had endured the longest streak of games without an RBI in his career. Judge had been hitting just .179 with three extra-base hits and 21 strikeouts over the last 15 games.
Boone said on Friday that he saw signs of Judge turning things around, saying he was swinging well — even though his team had been held to just two runs against the Rays.
“I thought we swung the bats well,’’ Boone said after the Yankees lost the series opener in the Bronx. “A lot of guys [were] squaring the ball up.”
Judge didn’t cut himself quite so much slack. After a loss to the Blue Jays earlier in the week, the All-Star admitted that his cold streak at the plate was impacting the team. The Yankees
“I’m not doing nothing at the plate. That’s what we’re doing right there,” Judge said, via SNY’s Yankees Videos.
Judge added that they faced a challenge against division rivals, but said the split against the Blue Jays set them up for the weekend series against the Rays.
“They got a great ball club over there… We’ve got some work to do,” Judge said. “We don’t like splitting that series, but we’ll take care of business in the next one.”
The Yankees have gone 4-6 in their last 1 games, falling to 5.5 games behind the Rays going into Sunday’s game. The win did bring the Yankees up to 31-22, keeping them in possession of the top wild card spot and within striking distance of the Rays.
Yankees Aaron Judge Delivers Statement After Historic Home Run