JOE ‘LEARNS’ FROM REPORTERS THAT JUDGE'S STRIKEOUT STREAK ENDS:
Pinch-hits for Aaron, ending strikeout mark
DETROIT — Joe says he didn’t know. Apparently, his stat-laden binder doesn’t have a section with strikeout streaks. In the seventh inning of the Yankees’ 13-4 victory over the Tigers on Tuesday night, Joe Girardi pinch-hit for Aaron Judge, meaning the 25-year-old rookie’s MLB-record strikeout streak would end at 37 consecutive games.
“I mean, I wouldn’t even have known about it if you hadn’t told me, so I don’t look at those things,” Girardi said.
The streak lasted from July 8 to Aug. 22. In four at-bats Tuesday, Judge posted an RBI single and three walks.
“So he doesn’t have to talk about it, I think it’s a good thing that it’s over, yeah,” Girardi said. “But it was just getting him off his feet.”
Girardi pointed his decision at giving Judge some added rest. He may DH him this week.
“I don’t think about it,” Judge said of the streak. “I only think about it when you guys ask me.”
Asked about being taken out in favor of Jacoby Ellsbury, Judge said he wasn’t disappointed.
“I’m just a player, so I have to go out there and play,” he said. “I’m not the one making decisions. So if they want to take me out at that time, I guess they have to take me out.”
Brett Gardner and Aaron Hicks are also candidates to get DH days coming up.
Girardi also isn’t worried about Judge’s left shoulder. The 25-yearold rookie has been icing and wrapping it for a while now.
“No. That’s been maintenance,” Girardi said. “That’s something he’s been doing for a while. There are a lot of guys that do maintenance things. They ice a lot of different body parts and go from the ice tub to the hot tub. It’s a long year. There are a lot of swings and there’s a lot of diving and your body gets sore. But no, I don’t (worry about Judge’s shoulder).”
GETTING CLOSER
Greg Bird (ankle) and Starlin Castro (hamstring) have both been hitting well at Triple-A Scranton. Bird came into Tuesday night 8-for-17 with two homers and two doubles while Castro is 4-for-15. Both Bird and Castro had two hits on Monday in Rochester.
Tuesday night’s Triple-A game was suspended in the fourth due to rain. Bird was 0-for-1 with an RBI at the time while Castro was 1-for2 with a run scored.
“They’re closer than they were (Monday). How’s that?” Girardi said before Tuesday’s game. “As I’ve said, that’s a determination that (GM Brian Cashman) is going to make and I could ask day after day, but if they don’t feel that they’re ready, I’m not getting them.”
Matt Holliday (back) went 1-for3 with an RBI and a run scored for Class A Tampa on Tuesday night. Holliday had been 0-for-10 in his minor-league rehab stint prior to that.
PINSTRIPES EDITION
MLB commissioner Rob Manfred told reporters in Detroit of the Yankees having nicknames on the back of their jerseys this upcoming weekend and no pinstripes at home: “Modern civilization is going to probably survive.”