Home is where the start is: Yankees’ rally in full swing

Baby Bombers get even with Astros, have momentum

NEWYORK— Withasoaring shot headed for Monument Park, Aaron Judge got New York back on course for another memorable October.

Yankee Stadium sounds like it’s ready, too.

“That ballpark is alive,” Judge said after this latest rousing rally.

Judge ignited a comeback with a home run, then hit a tying double during a fourrun eighth inning to spur the unflappable Yankees over the Houston Astros 6-4 Tuesday night and tie the best-of-7 American League Championship Series 2-2.

The Baby Bombers trailed 4-0 against starter Lance Mccullers Jr. until Judge homered leading off the seventh. He tied it with a line drive that nearly left the park in the eighth and scored when Gary Sanchez hit a goahead two-run double off loser Ken Giles.

“I didn’t know what to do after I touched home plate,” Judge said. “I can’t describe it.”

The Yankees overcame three errors and have roared back from a second straight 0-2 series deficit — they beat Cleveland in the Division Series by winning three in a row to take that bestof-5 matchup.

Aroldis Chapman struck out two in a perfect ninth to cap a three-hitter and get the save. Before a sellout crowd of 48,804, New York improved to 5-0 at home in the playoffs and won for the 18th time in its last 21 home games.

“Every home game has been special,” manager Joe Girardi said. “I just feel like the fans are back. And I see things that I haven’t in a while, and it reminds me a lot of when I was playing here.”

Yankee Stadium will be rocking again when Masahiro Tanaka pitches for New York against Dallas Keuchel in Game

5 on Wednesday. It’s a rematch of the series opener, when Keuchel outdid the Japanese right-hander in a 2-1 Astros win.

An AL Most Valuable Player candidate mired in a sluggish October, Judge sparked the Yankees by chasing Mccullers, who baffled the Yankees with his power breaking ball.

Except for the last one.

Judge launched a curveball into the netting above center field’s Monument Park for New York’s second hit.

“I thought Aaron’s home run just lit a little spark,” Girardi said.

Kathy Willens The Associated Press Yankees slugger Aaron Judge (99) is congratulated by teammate Gary Sanchez after hitting a home run in the seventh inning of Game 4 of the American League Championship Series against the Houston Astros on Tuesday in New York.