Aaron Judge has awakened.
The Yankees slugger belted his first home run of the postseason in the third inning on Saturday night in Game 3 of the American League Division Series against the Guardians in Cleveland.
And it was a big one.
The two-run shot, which drove in Oswaldo Cabrera who doubled earlier in the game, tied the game at 2-2. Judge, who is hitting second in the order or the first time in these playoffs, struck out in his first at-bat.
Judge, who will soon be a free-agent, went 0-for-5 in Game 2 with four strikeouts, and was 0-for-8 with seven strikeouts and a walk through the first two postseason games. Plus, he heard some booing during Game 2.
As for the Yankees’ revised Game 3 lineup, Gleyber Torres is hitting first and Anthony Rizzo is the No. 3 hole behind Judge.
Before the game, Boone explained the reason for moving Judge back into the No. 2 hole, where he had been earlier in the regular season.
“I just woke up on it and just not to have all the focus on the first at-bat of the game, so he can settle in … and get him in the two-hole for a minute,’’ Boone said, referring to the decision. “And we feel more whole [with the lineup] than even 10 days ago.”
Credit: Source link
