Judge tops McGwire’s rookie homer record

Aaron Judge broke Mark McGwire’s major-league record for home runs by a rookie, hitting a pair for the second straight day to raise his total to 50 and lead the New York Yankees over the Kansas City Royals 11-3 on Monday. The six-foot-seven, 25-yearold slugger tied the mark with a two-run drive to right-centre off Jakob Junis in the third inning. His solo shot over the visitors’ bullpen in left against Trevor Cahill in the seventh made it 7-3 and earned him a rare curtain call. Judge has 13 home runs in September and six in five games. He is second in the majors behind Miami’s Giancarlo Stanton, who has 57. Judge is a contender for AL MVP, along with Houston’s Jose Altuve and Cleveland’s Jose Ramirez.

SETH WENIG/THE ASSOCIATED PRESS Aaron Judge of the New York Yankees hits his 50th home run of the season on Monday against the Kansas City Royals, his second of the day, to set a new MLB rookie record.