Judge breaks maple leaf with HR, Yanks beat Jays 6-3
Germán ejected for sticky substance
TORONTO — Accused by Toronto of cheating, Aaron Judge not only responded with a tiebreaking, two-run homer, he actually broke a maple leaf.
Judge’s eighth-inning homer, which chipped the corner off a sign attached to a wall in the Rogers Centre’s center field party deck, lifted the New York Yankees to a contentious 6-3 win over the Toronto Blue Jays on Tuesday night after pitcher Domingo Germán was ejected for sticky stuff.
Judge was booed in his first two at-bats following allegations of sign stealing Monday, when he hit a pair of solo homers in a 7-4 win. The second, a 462-foot drive in the eighth inning off Jay Jackson, came after Judge glanced into the Yankees dugout. Toronto’s broadcasters speculated he was looking for some kind of signal, and Toronto manager John Schneider called Judge’s look “kind of odd.”
With the score 3-3 Tuesday, Judge stared straight ahead at Erik Swanson (22), eyes never moving. His 448-foot drive broke part of a white maple leaf sign — Canada’s national symbol. It’s the logo for Canada’s West Jet airline, sponsor of the center field bar area.
“I haven’t seen that yet,” Judge said. “I had a text message about that, so we’ll have to take a look at that.”
Judge has five homers in his last four games, raising his season total to 11 with 26 RBIs. His deep drives have done some mild damage before, too.
“I think I might have got a TV at Yankee Stadium but that was a long time ago,” Judge said.
Asked whether he was sent a bill, Judge laughed: “I think they actually sent me a TV for doing it, so quite the opposite.”
Isaiah Kiner-Falefa also homered for the Yankees.
After Judge struck out in the third inning, there was a brief shouting match between Blue Jays pitching coach Pete Walker and Yankees third base coach Luis Rojas. Walker went to the outfield end of the dugout, yelling and gesturing at Rojas, a former Mets manager.
Boone said he found the arguments over coach positioning to be “tired.”
“It’s just silliness,” Boone said. “It’s ridiculous and I think everyone, I hope on both sides, realizes it.”
Blue Jays star Vladimir Guerrero Jr. was removed from the game after eight innings because of a sore right knee. He appeared to hurt himself while fielding Gleyber Torres’ popped bunt in the top half.
Manager John Schneider said Guerrero will undergo an MRI.á
Germ n was ejected after he walked to the mound to start the bottom of the fourth and umpires checked his hands for banned sticky stuff.
“I’ve got to apologize to my teammates and my team,” Germán said. “I’m putting them in a tough position right now.”
Germán’s ejection, likely to trigger a 10-game suspension, was the fourth since Major League Baseball started its crackdown on prohibited grip aids two years ago and the second this season.
“The instant I looked at his hand, it was extremely shiny and extremely sticky,” crew chief James Hoye told a pool reporter. “It’s the stickiest hand I’ve ever felt. My fingers had a hard time coming off his palm.”
Germán was replaced by Ian Hamilton, who was removed after five batters and 27 pitches because of right groin tightness.
Ryan Weber (1-0) allowed three hits in 2 1/3 scoreless innings for his first Yankees decision.
Wandy Peralta, the sixth Yankees pitcher, got Santiago Espinal — batting in Guerrero’s slot — to ground into a game-ending double play with two on for his third save.