The Yankees are closing in on a first World Series appearance since 2009 – and Aaron Judge has returned to form at the perfect time.
The New York captain came up clutch with a two-run home run in the seventh inning on Tuesday night, to ensure that he and his team-mates head to Cleveland for Game 3 with a 2-0 lead in their back pockets.
The best-of-seven American League Championship Series is firmly in the Yankees’ control, and the team have won the first two games at this stage of the playoffs for the first time since 2009 against the LA Angels. That year they won the World Series.
In the boisterous Bronx, there was no Taylor Swift or Travis Kelce to keep the crowd entertained, but Judge’s home run and three RBIs kept eyes firmly fixed on the field.
Judge hit his first postseason homer since Game 5 of the 2022 AL Division Series, sending a 1-1 fastball from Hunter Gaddis onto the netting in Monument Park beyond the center field fence to give the Yankees a 6-2 lead.
Aaron Judge hits a two-run home run to send the Bronx wild and help the Yankees to victory
The Yankees captain runs the bases after putting the team 6-2 up over the Guardians
Outfielders Alex Verdugo, Judge and Juan Soto celebrate after sealing the Game 2 win
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It was just his third hit of the postseason but his 14th career playoff homer.
In the first inning, Gleyber Torres scored New York’s first run when Cleveland shortstop Brayan Rocchio dropped Judge’s popup.
Judge also lifted a sacrifice fly in the second to make it 3-0 after the Guardians opted to intentionally walk Juan Soto to load the bases.
Alex Verdugo added an RBI double in between Judge’s first two plate appearances. New York’s Anthony Rizzo hit an RBI double in the sixth.
Judge’s blast occurred on a rocky night for New York ace Gerrit Cole, who allowed two runs on six hits in a laborious 4 1/3-inning outing. Cole struck out four and walked four in his shortest postseason outing since lasting two-plus innings in the 2021 wild-card game at Boston.
Judge and Gleyber Torres celebrate in the Yankees dugout after his seventh-inning homer
Jazz Chisholm (right) waits to find out his fate after being tagged out on second base
Lane Thomas and Will Brennan are unable to stop Judge’s deep shot landing in Monument Park
Cole stranded two in the third inning by retiring Jose Ramirez for the final out and left the bases loaded in the fourth by getting a called third strike with his curveball to Rocchio.
Cleveland pulled within 3-1 on Josh Naylor’s sacrifice fly in the fifth, and Cole was replaced by Clay Holmes after walking Lane Thomas to load the bases with one out. Holmes gave up a run-scoring groundout to Will Brennan, walked the bases loaded again but then struck out Austin Hedges to end the inning.
Holmes (2-0) was among four New York relievers who combined to pitch 4 2/3 innings. Luke Weaver allowed a one-out homer to Ramirez in the ninth before closing out the win.
Cleveland starter Tanner Bibee (0-1) allowed three runs (two earned) on five hits in 1 1/3 innings. He fanned two and walked one. The Guardians used seven relievers the rest of the way.