NEW YORK – This postseason version of Yankees’ captain Aaron Judge wasn’t leading the league in WAR or OPS, but that lethal swing – largely dormant in October – was still near the surface.
Yet, it didn’t prevent Cleveland Guardians manager Stephen Vogt from a bold Tuesday night gamble.
Intentionally walk Juan Soto with a base open to face Judge, with the bases loaded?
In the second inning of AL Championship Series Game 2 at Yankee Stadium?
Back in August, the nothing-to-lose (but another game) Chicago White Sox tried that strategy, and Judge responded with his 300 th career home run, on the way to 58 this year.
“It’s not the wrong move at the time,’’ said Alex Verdugo, standing on second base after an RBI double, with the Yanks ahead by two runs with one out.
“But you’ve got to remember who it is. It’s still Judge. He doesn’t take too kind to those things.’’
Judge produced a sacrifice fly, not the game-breaking homer Yankees Universe wished for in the moment.
That Judgian blast would come in the seventh inning - a towering, two-run shot to center that pushed the Yankees’ lead to four runs, on the way to a 6-3 victory.
Walking Juan Soto to face Aaron Judge
Sprinkling more Yankees’ mythology into his postgame comments, Judge said the “ghosts were pulling it out there to Monument Park,’’ as his first playoff homer of 2024 moved the Yankees a little closer to the World Series.
Until that at-bat off Hunter Gaddis, Judge was 2-for-17 in six postseason games, with a trail of early missed opportunities.
It nearly happened again Tuesday night, when Gleyber Torres and Juan Soto reached safely for fifth time in six games to start the first inning.
But Judge’s towering pop fly was dropped by shortstop Brayan Rocchio for a run-scoring error.
By the second inning, Vogt ordered Soto to first, loading the bases and lifting starter Tanner Bibee in favor of Cade Smith vs. Judge.
“They were hitting the ball around the ballpark and we needed a stop,’’ said Vogt, seeking a double play.
Judge said the move was “not really a surprise,’’ since the DP was in order and Soto is batting .350 this postseason.
“I would probably walk him, too, at this point,’’ said Judge diplomatically.
“It’s win or go home,’’ Judge said of the strategy. “You’ve just got to come up in that spot…get something to the outfield, drive some runs in.’’
In postseason, anything goes
As Anthony Rizzo put it, “you’re picking your poison right there’’ between Soto or Judge. “I’m personally, probably not doing that,’’ but he has high regard for Cleveland’s rookie manager.
Even Yankees manager Aaron Boone said: “I can’t say I was totally shocked’’ about passing Soto to face Judge, since “they were up against it a little bit in that situation.
“Sometimes, you’ve got to take a shot that’s a little unconventional.’’
Now, the Yankees are in position to clinch the best-of-seven at Cleveland, where the series switches beginning Thursday evening.
Boone can take credit for pushing the right bullpen buttons, calling first on Clay Holmes to rescue Gerrit Cole in the fifth inning, limiting the damage to two runs.
Cole said he “lost a little bit of the zone’’ in yielding four walks, along with six hits in 4.2 innings. By yielding just one inherited run, “Clay picked us up, that was huge.’’
That 3-2 Yanks’ lead grew to 4-2 in the sixth on a Rizzo base hit that scored Anthony Volpe (2-for-3, walk), with the aid of an outfield error, despite Jazz Chisholm Jr. being the first of two Yankees to be picked off second base that inning.
As the bullpen relay moved from Holmes to Tim Hill to Tommy Kahnle, Judge finally struck.
In a non-save spot, Luke Weaver got the last three outs, around a solo homer by Jose Ramirez, and the Yankees were halfway to a pennant.
This article originally appeared on NorthJersey.com: After an early debate, Aaron Judge comes through late in key Yankees postseason win
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