Judge’s clutch hitting helps Yanks tie series

Aaron Judge homered and hit a clutch RBI double to lead the Yankees to a 6-4 win over the Astros in Game 4 of the ALCS in New York. the Yankees tied the series, 2-2.

With a soaring shot headed for Yankee Stadium’s Monument Park, Aaron Judge got New York back on track for another memorable October.

Judge ignited a rousing rally with a home run, then doubled during a four-run eighth inning to spur the unflappable New York Yankees over the Houston Astros, 6-4, Tuesday night to tie the AL 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 go-ahead two-run double off loser Ken Giles.

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 best-of-five matchup.

Aroldis Chapman struck out two in a perfect ninth to cap a three-hitter. New York improved to 5-0 at home in the playoffs and won for the 18th time in their last 21 home games.

Yankee Stadium will be rocking again when Masahiro Tanaka pitches for New York against Dallas Keuchel in Game 5 Wednesday. It’s a rematch of the series opener, when Keuchel outdid the Japanese righthander in a 2-1 Astros win.

An AL MVP candidate marred 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.

“Once we’re within striking distance like that, anything can happen,” Judge said.

Houston manager A.J. Hinch pulled McCullers after 81 pitches, Didi Gregorius tripled off Chris Devenski and Sanchez brought Gregorius in with a sacrifice fly.

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

Todd Frazier led off the eighth with a double to left, and pinch hitter Chase Headley then did the same — only after falling between first and second base, taking one step back, then heading for second and sliding in ahead of Jose Altuve’s tag.

“Panic,” Headley recalled. “I went from one of the best feelings of my career to one of the worst in just a matter of seconds, but fortunately it worked out.”

Brett Gardner brought in Frazier on a groundout, and Judge came to bat with the bundled crowd on its feet.

He reached down to stay with a slider and drilled a double high off the left-field wall as a fan in a longsleeve yellow shirt reached down and touched the ball. Gardner came home with the tying run, and Gregorius grounded a single just beyond shortstop Carlos Correa’s reach to put runners at the corner. Sanchez, who had been 0 for 13 in the series, scored them both with a slicing drive that skipped to the wall in right-center.

DAVID J. PHILLIP — THE ASSOCIATED PRESS The Yankees’ Gary Sanchez is forced out at home as Astros catcher Brian McCann takes the throw during the eighth inning of Game 4 of the American League Championship Series on Oct. 17 in New York.