Judge homers twice as Yanks turn tables on Rays
NEW YORK — There have been no hanging heads because the Yankees returned to their dugout within the fifth inning on Saturday afternoon, and at the very least one participant acknowledged a flipped script from final Sunday’s meltdown in opposition to the Rays some 1,200 miles south. There was a six-run deficit, an ace on the mound and these phrases spoken: “They did it to us. Let’s do it to them.”
With about 25 % of the schedule full, it’s unclear how this membership can be remembered, however it has proven one encouraging attribute — the resolve to punch again. Aaron Judge homered twice and drove in 4 runs because the Yankees surged from a six-run deficit on Saturday, notching their ninth comeback victory by edging the Rays, 9-8, at Yankee Stadium.
“We’ve got a lot of grinders in this clubhouse,” Judge mentioned. “This was one of the most fun games we’ve played all year. We’re facing the best. They’re bringing it every single night; we’re bringing it every single at-bat. There were a lot of gritty at-bats. It’s fun to be a part of.”
Of the Bombers’ previous eight wins, six have been of the come-from-behind selection; Saturday’s was their largest, with their rally in opposition to Shane McClanahan and the Rays’ bullpen eclipsing the three-run deficit that New York erased in opposition to Cleveland on April 12. As Anthony Rizzo famous, this was a reversal of the stunner absorbed six days earlier, when Gerrit Cole coughed up a six-run lead at Tropicana Field.
“Especially against the Rays, the way they’ve been playing, scratching and clawing with their ace on the mound and down six,” Rizzo mentioned. “We were kind of talking about that in the dugout a little bit. We just had to have good at-bats.”
Spirits have improved markedly from that Cole recreation at The Trop, buoyed by a 5-1 homestand so far, with a chance to assert a collection over the American League East-leading Rays on Sunday. The Yanks have gained eight of their previous 11 video games, helped in no small measure by their 23 residence runs this month — a mark that paces the Majors.
“We’re always in the game, and we’ve battled,” Kyle Higashioka mentioned. “We were disappointed not to get results last weekend, but it’s really big to get these two games now.”
The bats needed to step up after Nestor Cortes fatigued, surrendering six runs over 4 1/3 innings, together with Yandy Díaz’s fifth-inning grand slam. Cortes has been befuddled by his struggles the second and third instances by means of the batting order this season; one concept is that it might stem from his spring hamstring harm, which shortened his window to construct stamina.
“I’ve got to focus more; I’ve got to work on it,” Cortes mentioned. “Hopefully, I can fix it.”
New York chipped away, producing a four-run body in opposition to McClanahan. Higashioka hit a two-run homer, and Judge reached the right-field seats along with his seventh blast of the yr, each off McClanahan, who didn’t document an out within the fifth.
“We needed to lay off some powerful pitches and get ourselves in some good hitters’ counts,” Judge mentioned. “We did that, and when he had to come in the zone, we took advantage of it. I think that really got us going there in that one inning, to put some runs up against him. All year and even in the beginning of the game, he was pretty lights out.”
Anthony Volpe’s elite wheels sparked a five-run sixth. The rookie legged out a bunt single, stole second and third bases, then raced residence on a wild pitch — all whereas turning into the primary Yankee ever to steal his first 13 profession bases with out being caught, passing Joe DiMaggio, who swiped a dozen straight over the 1936-38 seasons.
Manager Aaron Boone known as Volpe’s bunt an “energy play,” even inspiring Rizzo to drop certainly one of his personal, gorgeous reliever Ryan Thompson after Judge despatched his second homer of the afternoon into the right-field seats moments earlier.
“We talk about that in our meetings,” Rizzo mentioned. “If you have that in your bag of tricks, why not? I felt the momentum of the game called for that. Everyone was into it.”
Oswaldo Cabrera stroked a two-run single off Javy Guerra to cap a five-run sixth, and although Randy Arozarena knocked Clay Holmes for a broken-bat, two-run single within the seventh, Wandy Peralta navigated a 27-pitch ninth for his second save in as many days.
“That’s what this team is trying to do,” Judge mentioned. “We didn’t get off to the start we wanted to, but all we can control is that next game, that next at-bat, that next pitch.”
