BAGELS & SOX
CC C tosses eight scoreless as Yanks schmear Boston
CC Sabathia continued his scorching streak with his best start of the season, blanking Boston over eight dominant innings as the Yankees stayed ahead of the second-place Red Sox with an 8-0 win. Chris Carter provided plenty of offense with three hits, including a homer, and four RBIs.
THE ANTICIPATION begins building at the sight of Aaron Judge striding to the on-deck circle, then builds to a crescendo when he steps into the batter’s box.
There are 18 Yankees fans, selected randomly for each game by team public relations director Jason Zillo, wearing black robes with the interlocking NY on the front and 99 on the back, wielding blue foam gavels in The Judge’s Chambers, the wood-paneled, courtroom-style testament in right field to the Yankees’ own Paul Bunyan, a modern-day Sultan of Swat who would make Babe Ruth resemble a jockey if he stood next to him.
Judge is must-watch theater, especially in and around The Judge’s Chambers, where the verdict always is innocent.
Anthony Martinez, clad in a Rodriguez No. 13 jersey, was one of the judges. His 6-year-old son Antonio also was wearing Rodriguez’s 13. He was asked what he knows about Judge. “He’s a big power hitter,” the boy said.
This was no ordinary night for him.
“I just brought him here to actually see it. God works in mysterious ways — we got selected. And for his birthday!” his father said.
Wayne Gonzalez was a judge along with his stepson, Ryan Simmons.
“Love Judge,” Gonzalez said. “I saw him in preseason, he threw me a ball, and then he threw him a ball today. He’s an awesome guy.”
Simmons, 14, was celebrating a birthday as well. “He threw me a ball today [during batting practice], out of all the people he coulda threw it to, it was an amazing experience,” the boy said. “He made me the most happiest person in the world.”
Elba Basquez from Tucson, Ariz., was in the first row with her son, E.J. Mayer, and daughter Baelyn, 19.
“We’re so lucky and thankful,” the mother said. “It’s our first time in New York, our first time at a Yankee game, so this kid is a diehard Yankee game.”
She was smiling as she looked down at her 8-year-old boy, long brown hair protruding out of the back of his Yankees cap. The boy was asked about Judge.
“He could catch balls that they hit really far. He’s tall too, he could probably rob home runs. And he’s a home-run leader,” he said.
They had stood and cheered for Judge when he first made his way out to right field, sun-splashed Yankees fans living a dream, so near on this night to a Yankees phenom living his.
Now it was the bottom of the first, and here came Da Judge.
They all rose and waved their gavels high and hooted and hollered.
And quietly took their seats when Judge grounded out on the first pitch.
And all rose again when he caught a lazy Deven Marrero flyball in the third.
Joe Peragallo was seated in the third and last row with his wife Teri, 12-year-old son, Jason, and 10-yearold daughter, Ava. Here comes Da Judge love.
“I think he’s amazing. He’s everything that we want out of the Yankees,” Peragallo said.
The Judge’s Chambers delivers verdicts on other Yankees, of course. All rose on Didi Gregorius’ home run in the third.
“My wife got us tickets for my birthday, and she actually went out and bought Aaron Judge shirts ’cause she heard what’s going on,” Peragallo said. “And just on a whim, we were walking to our seats and they grabbed us, and we were floored.”
Now it was the third inning and here came Da Judge, Yankees on second and third against Rick Porcello. Intentional walk! The verdict inside The Judge’s Chambers: Guilty!
“That was horrible,” Gonzalez said. “They robbed us. They robbed us of a home run.”
All rose following a Gary Sanchez RBI single and a three-run bomb from Chris Carter in the fourth.
And here came Da Judge for the third time, in the fourth. All rose. Some waved their gavels.
“Judge, Judge, Judge,” they chanted. Strike three looking. They were waving their gavels when Josh Rutledge was held on third on a short Merrero flyball to Judge with one out in the fifth as CC Sabathia preserved his shutout, 8-0 over the Red Sox.
Now it was the seventh inning and here came Da Judge.
All rose. Blaine Boyer was summoned out of the bullpen. John Pelosi held up an “ALL” sign. His 9year-old son, John John, held up a “RISE” sign.
“Let’s go Judge!” Gonzalez bellowed. Strike three swinging. But here came Da Judge in the eighth. “MVP, MVP, MVP,” came the chant from the Chambers.
The sound of ball hitting bat gave Gonzalez fleeting hope on a fly to short right.
“I thought it was going,” he said, and smiled.
No hung jury inside The Judge’s Chambers.
“He had a tough night at the plate,” Pelosi said, “but he’s still The Man.”
He smiled and added: “That’s why they have these chambers for him.”