Judge has ‘significant’ strain
NEW YORK — Aaron Judge won’t be back with the Yankees anytime soon, a further blowto an injurydecimated team with a mediocre record 31⁄
2 weeks into the season.
The Yankees’ biggest offensive threat and the heart of the clubhouse went on the injured list for the third time in four seasons Sunday, a day after straining the oblique muscle on the left side of his abdomen.
“Pretty significant strain,” manager Aaron Boone said. “These next couple of weeks will be a lot of the healing. Once we get through thatwe’ll have a better timeline.”
Judge became the Yankees’ major league-high 13th player on the IL and the 14thoverall this season.
Against the Royals on Sunday, Austin Romine drove inthe winning run in the 10th with his third RBI single, and the Yankees overcame a bullpen collapse that followed another scoreless start by James Paxton to win 7-6.
Jake Diekman ( 0-1) walked Mike Tauchman andGioUrshela leading off the bottom of the 10th, and 23- year- old Thairo Estrada made his big league debut as a pinch hitter and sacrificed against IanKennedy.
Romine drove a fly that bounced on the centerfield warning track for his first careerwalk-off hit.
Clint Frazier made his first career cleanup start and hit a three-run homer for a 5-0 lead in the fifth.
Paxton allowed three hits and became only the second Yankees pitcher to strike out 12 or more in consecutive starts. He left with a 5-0 lead, but the Royals got back in the game against the bullpen. ■ Christian Vazquez hit a sacrifice fly in the 11th inning and the Red Sox completed a threegame sweep of the AL East-leading Rays with a 4-3 victory Sunday in St. Petersburg, Fla. After starting the season by losing eight of 10, the defending World Series champions are 7-5 over the last 12 games. Rays starter Tyler Glasnow, bidding to open the season with five consecutive wins, was pulled after Mookie Betts singled with one out in the sixth.
■ Cody Bellinger reached over the right-field wall to rob Christian Yelich of a HR in the eighth, then hit a solo drive off Josh Hader with two out in the ninth to lift theDodgers over the Brewers 6-5 in Milwaukee. Bellinger connected for his 11th HR. Joc Pederson hit two HRs, tied a career high with four hits and scored three times as the Dodgers won for the seventh time in eight games. Dodgers ace Clayton Kershaw allowed just two hits and two runs in six innings in his second start of the season.
■ Jon Gray pitched six scoreless innings, Tony Wolters had a two-run double and the Rockies beat the Phillies4-1 in Denver for their sixth win in seven games. The Rockies won three of four against the Phillies for their second series win. Bryce Harper drew a leadoffwalk in the eighth and has reached base safely in all 21 games to start the season.
■ Stephen Strasburg struck out 11 and allowed just two hits in eight innings to help the Nationals avoid a series sweep with a 5-0 win over theMarlins in Miami. Ryan Zimmerman hit two solo HRs, and Brian Dozier also had a solo HR. Strasburg improved to 18-7 in 32 career starts against the Marlins. He has won his last nine decisions against them, and has more victories over the Marlins than any other team.
■ Justin Smoak had a HR and totaled four hits the help the Blue Jays beat the A’s 5-4 in Oakland, Calif., for a three-game sweep. It was the Jays’ first road sweep of at least three games since 2015. ... Jays RHP Matt Shoemaker will miss the rest of the season after tearing the ACL in his left knee Saturday. Shoemaker, 32, was 3-0 with a 1.57 ERA in his first season with the Jays.
■ Buster Posey snapped the longest homerless drought of his career with a three-run shot and tagged out Jung Ho Kang at the plate for the final out as the Giants edged the host Pirates 3-2. Posey’s HR in the fifth was his first since hewent deep against theMarlins onJune 19, a span of 237 at-bats. The Pirates had won five straight. ... Joey Gallo had the first sacrifice fly of his career in his 1,337th plate appearance and matched his best with five RBIs, helping Shelby Miller get his first victory in two years as the Rangers held on to beat the visiting Astros 1110. The Astros hit five solo HRs after falling behind 10-1. ... The Rays placed OF Austin Meadows on the 10-day IL with a sprained right thumb. Meadows is hitting .351 with six HRs and 19 RBIs. ... A’s starter Brett Anderson sprained his left ankle during their loss to the Jays.
Red Sox: Dodgers: Rockies: Nationals: Blue Jays: Extra innings: