New York Yankees 5, Boston Red Sox 4
NEW YORK — The Yankees confirmed their postseason spot with a 5-4 walk-off win against the Red Sox on Thursday night. However, the 43,123-strong crowd went disappointed after a 404-foot drive by Aaron Judge was caught 4 feet before the center field wall denying him the record 61 home run.
New York fended off the Red Sox after recovering from a 3-0 deficit with a determined bid and clinched the comeback victory in the 10th inning. Josh Donaldson made a single and booked the ticket to their sixth straight playoff spot.
Aaron Judge unlucky to miss a home run by 4 feet
In the ninth inning, Aaron Judge, who has been at 60 home runs since the last two games, made a push to score his record-equalling 61st homer. He hit a pitch from Boston’s Matt Barnes toward the center field and everyone thought it was going to cross the wall. However, Kike Hernandez caught it just before the wall as the crowd at Yankee Stadium groaned.
Aaron Judge had already walked three times and struck out once before he got to bat in the ninth when the score was tied at 4. The crowd in the stadium stood up for every pitch. He hit a Matt Barnes 2-2 fastball just to the right of straightaway center.
However, Judge erred in hitting the ball to the longest part of the ballpark. Later, he acknowledged it.
According to Aaron Judge:
“I just got underneath it a little bit. A pretty windy night, so I was hoping maybe it was blowing out at the time I was hitting, but just missed it.”
The ball left Judge’s bat at 113 miles per hour, and fans were excited as he ran toward first base. But Hernandez caught the ball a step in front of the fence and close to the 408-foot sign.
His teammate Donaldson told:
“I thought that ball was gone…… Tonight it’s a little cool. Maybe it wasn’t meant for tonight. Maybe it’s another night.”
Aaron Judge at defense
Aaron Judge also threw out a runner at second base in the ninth inning, showing how good he is at defense. Clay Holmes was on the mound, and Tommy Pham hit a single off the wall in right field. He played the carom and then threw a strike to shortstop Isiah Kiner-Falefa from the warning track to tag him. This was Judge’s sixth assist this year.
Then, in the 10th inning, with pinch-runner Marwin Gonzalez at second as the automatic runner, pitcher Kaleb Ort intentionally walked Gleyber Torres before Donaldson hit a single into left field, just past diving shortstop Xander Bogaerts.
The Yankees’ Giancarlo Stanton hit a two-run homer, and Harrison Bader followed Stanton’s leadoff infield single with a tying sacrifice fly in the eighth.
Sixth straight playoff
New York is going to the playoffs for the 24th time in the last 28 years, and the Yankees lead the AL East by 7 1/2 games. Speaking about clinching the postseason berth, Aaron Judge said:
“A great accomplishment., a lot of hard work over the course of the season to get to this point; but I think you could ask anybody in this room; the job’s not finished; we have an ultimate goal of going out there and winning our division, and setting ourselves up for the postseason and this is step No. 1, step No. 1 of many steps to come.”
Triston Casas hit a solo home run, and Reese McGuire, who came in as a pinch-hitter, drove in three runs to help Boston come back from being down 3-0. As Donaldson’s single sealed their sixth straight playoff berth, the Yankees run to the field to celebrate.
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On Friday night, New York’s best pitcher, Gerrit Cole (12-7, 3.41), goes against Rich Hill (7-7, 4.70).
When do you think Aaron Judge will get his HR no. 61?
