Aaron’s assault ousts A’s
Aaron Judge exited the dugout, and headed to the field for pregame introductions, easily receiving the loudest ovation before Wednesday night’s A.L. wild-card game at Yankee Stadium.
Minutes later, it would have sounded like polite applause. With one swing, the building was shaking like it did across the street, rocking as only the fans’ favorite can make it. With one swing, any concerns about Judge’s health were obliterated.
After being out of the lineup for a month and a half with a chip fracture in his right wrist, Judge again showed the power of his presence — and his swings — by delivering a first-inning, two-run homer, and giving the Yankees control in their 7-2 win over the A’s.
Judge, who had just one home run in 12 regular-season games since returning from injury, has now homered in two of his past three games.
“People had questions about the wrist, but I wouldn’t be playing the last couple of weeks if it wasn’t good,” Judge said. “I felt [healthy] the first game I was back. I felt like I never left.”
At the start of his second postseason, Judge looked like the sensation who stole the national spotlight a year ago as AL Rookie of the Year.
Following a leadoff walk by Andrew McCutchen, Judge stepped to the plate for his first at-bat against opener Liam Hendriks. Four pitches later, A’s manager Bob Melvin’s unorthodox pitching strategy was blown to bits.
The Yankees slugger drew a 2-1 count, and then destroyed a fastball into the left-field seats. It traveled 427 feet, and had a 116.1 mph exit velocity.
“I was just feeding off the energy of the crowd,” said Judge, who also homered in last year’s wild-card win over the Twins. “The crowd set the tone for us.”
And Judge set the tone for the Yankees, hitting his fifth career postseason home run in his 14th postseason game. Judge later sparked the game-breaking four-run sixth-inning with a leadoff double.
“It’s something we needed,” Didi Gregorius said. “When Judge hit that homer, that’s what we needed, that lift to get us going.”