Aaron Judge Hits His 41st Home Run with a Grand Slam
As the New York Yankees rallied to defeat the Kansas City Royals 11-5 on Friday, Aaron Judge became the first major leaguer to hit 40 home runs this season, hit a grand slam for his 41st, and snagged a home run in right field.
Isiah Kiner-Falefa hit a single that tied the game in the eighth inning, giving New York its 29th come-from-behind victory.
Throughout the night, Judge was greeted by a barrage of “MVP!” chants, none louder than after his home run in the eighth inning sealed yet another Yankees comeback. He also had a single and scored six runs.
On a rainy night in the Bronx, Judge and Anthony Rizzo homered early, but Kansas City rallied against Gerrit Cole, with a two-run single by Whit Merrifield in the fifth that ended the Royals’ 31 2/3-inning scoreless streak.
Upon his return from the IL, Salvador Pérez tied the game at 5-3 with a three-run home run.
New York crushed them with a wild eighth inning that followed a 23-minute rain delay.
Shortstop Maikel García fielded Josh Donaldson’s grounder off the slippery infield after Rizzo and Gleyber Torres had hit singles with one out.
First baseman Nick Pratto dove to the ground when Andrew Benintendi hadthe bases loaded, but pitcher Scott Barlow (4-4) failed to cover first base, allowing Benintendi to score on an RBI single—his first hit with the Yankees since being traded from the Royals on Wednesday.
Barlow’s next pitch sailed past Aaron Hicks’ feet, and home plate umpire Chris Guccione called it an RBI hit-by-pitch. That call was overturned on video review, but Hicks walked on a full count a few pitches later to tie the game at 5-5.
Next, Kiner-Falefa singled to left field, and José Treviño followed with an RBI grounder to put the game out of reach at 7-5. Judge hit the fourth grand slam of his career off Jackson Kowar before DJ LeMahieu walked.
Judge started the game by leaping over the right-field fence to prevent MJ Melendez from hitting a home run, and then hit a two-run, 449-foot home run in the third inning. It was his second home run in three at-bats, following the game-winning home run he hit in the ninth inning of Thursday’s 1-0 victory over Kansas City.
Except for the fifth inning, Cole was unstoppable. He was pulled after six innings, with nine strikeouts and no walks. Five of the seven hits he allowed came in the fifth inning, as did the five runs charged to him.
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Nestor Cortes (8-3, 2.48 ERA) takes the mound for his second start with the Yankees since pitching in the All-Star Game. He’ll face the Royals’ veteran right-hander Zack Greinke (3-6, 4.35), who could be traded before Tuesday’s deadline.
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