Moms are always ready to fight for their kids. And Aaron Judge‘s mom Patty Judge is no exception. She came down heavily on the Blue Jay’s pitcher for not allowing his son a chance to hit his 61st home run on Monday night.
The New York Yankees lost the game 2-3 after leading 2-0 early in the game on Monday. As part of their strategy to stop Aaron Judge, the Blue Jays’ pitchers intentionally walked the slugger and denied him chances to hit a home run.
Patty Judge was furious after seeing the Toronto team purposely walking the New York slugger. Aaron Judge was seeking his 61st home run to tie with ex-Yankee great Roger Maris for most AL homers in one season. However, he went without a home run for five games in a row, including Monday’s game.
Patty Judge went to Toronto’s Rogers Center to witness her son matching Roger Maris’ team and AL record of 1961. She shook her head when the Blue Jays purposely walked her son with runners on first and second and two outs in the 10th inning. Toronto had just replaced right-handed Anthony Bass with left-handed Tim Mayza.
The strategy was successful for the Blue Jays, though, as the left-handed hitter Anthony Rizzo grounded out to stop the danger. Then, in the bottom of the 10th inning, Vladimir Guerrero Jr. won the game for Toronto with a walk-off single. Patty Judge, who was seated next to Roger Maris Jr. during the game, could be seen staring in shock as her son made his way down to the first base when it was televised on the YES Network.
Explaining the entire her reaction, Yankees booth announcer Michael Kay told:
“Just to see his mom shake her head, kind of bemused and frustrated, just think what you back at home, how frustrated you’re feeling that you don’t get a chance to see Judge, and then think that’s her son, and she’s watching every single at-bat waiting for him to do something so special. So probably times it by a million by what you’re feeling at home.”
Patty Judge, along with her husband Wayne and Aaron Judge’s wife Samantha, also watched the California-born Yankees outfielder pursuing the AL record in Yankee Stadium the week before.
Since hitting his 60th home run of the year, Aaron Judge has not hit a home run in the last six games, which is the third-longest drought of the year he has had. Speaking on the Blue Jays intentionally walking him, Judge said:
“Game on the line, that’s where you want to hit. But I trust every single guy in that lineup.”
The Yankees (95-59) couldn’t win the AL East on Monday because of the loss. However, they became the AL East divisional champions on Tuesday. Aaron Judge went homeless in that game too. The third and final game of the three-game set is on Wednesday.
If Judge stays at 60 by then, his next chance to make history will be against the Orioles on Friday night at Yankee Stadium.
What do you think about Patty Judge’s reaction? Should the Jays avoid intentional walks on Aaron Judge?
