NEW YORK (AP) — Aaron Judge hit his MLB-leading 49th home run of the season Friday night, helping the New York Yankees to a 3-0 win over the Colorado Rockies.
Judge homered for the fourth straight game, sending a 388-foot shot to left-center off Kyle Freeland (3-6) in the sixth inning. In earlier at-bats, Judge grounded into a double play and lined out.
With the crowd of 38,910 chanting “M-V-P! M-V-P!” Judge popped out to third base in his final at-bat in the eighth.
“Hard to wrap your head around it,” Yankees manager Aaron Boone said. “I get asked about it all the time, not just in these pressers but people coming up to you. I’m kind of running out of words to say.
“It’s just — you’re witnessing greatness. I mean, you really are. He’s just kind of better than everyone.”
Judge has eight homers in his last 11 games and 17 homers in his last 34. He is one home run shy of becoming just the fifth player in history to record three 50-homer seasons. Babe Ruth is the only Yankees player with three 50-homer seasons for the club.
Judge has an OPS of 1.192. Since World War II, only five players have posted a higher OPS over a full season — Barry Bonds four times, Ted Williams and Mark McGwire twice each and Frank Thomas and Jeff Bagwell once apiece.
“It’s not real, I try not to think about it,” Judge said with a smile. “Even when they would say a lot of the Yankees greats — (Mickey) Mantle, (Joe) DiMaggio, (Roger) Maris, Babe Ruth, it’s tough to comprehend or even think about.”
Judge is on pace to match the 62 homers he hit in 2022, when he broke the American League record set in 1961 by by late Yankees slugger Roger Maris.
“He’s done it before, we can’t be surprised,” teammate Giancarlo Stanton said. “And we’ve got plenty of time for him to do even more impressive things.”
Judge is hitting .381 with 43 homers and 101 RBIs in 94 games since his average dipped to .197 on May 2.
Stanton opened the scoring with a solo homer in the fourth for the Yankees, who improved to 11-0 this season when Judge and Stanton homer in the same game and 42-4 all-time, counting the playoffs.
“Those are the kind of guys you want to be facing,” Freeland said. “Being able to go up against Judge, Stanton, (Juan) Soto — three of the top four guys in their lineup who are just savages. It’s fun to go battle with them, but at the same time, you’ve got to be well aware that any mistake can be taken deep.”
Carlos Rodón (14-8) moved into a tie for the major league lead in wins after striking out five in six innings of four-hit ball. Rodón, Gerrit Cole and Nestor Cortes have combined to toss 19 straight scoreless innings in the Yankees’ last three games.
“We’re almost competing against each other,” Rodón said. “Just keep throwing up those zeroes. You don’t want to be the guy that gives up the run.”
Luke Weaver and Jake Cousins each threw a hitless inning before Clay Holmes earned his 27th save by working around a leadoff walk to Ryan McMahon.
Freeland gave up three runs (two earned) in 6 2/3 innings for the Rockies, who clinched their sixth straight losing season, tying the franchise record set from 2001-06 and matched from 2011-16.
“He gave us a chance to win,” Rockies manager Bud Black said. “We just couldn’t solve their pitching.”
The Yankees activated Jazz Chisholm Jr. from the 10-day injured list on Friday after he was sidelined with a sprained left elbow. He was hitless in three at-bats with a strikeout.
TRAINER’S ROOM
Rockies: RHP Germán Márquez (right elbow inflammation) was transferred to the 60-day injured list to make room on the 40-man roster for LHP Luis Peralta, who was recalled from Triple-A Albuquerque. Peralta, the younger brother of Milwaukee Brewers pitcher Freddy Peralta, was acquired from the Pittsburgh Pirates on July 29 in exchange for Jalen Beeks. Colorado also optioned RHP Tanner Gordon to Albuquerque.
Yankees: To make room for Chisholm, IF Oswald Peraza was optioned to Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre following Thursday’s game. … IF DJ LeMahieu, who was slated to bat ninth and play first base, was scratched just before first pitch after he was was hit in the face by a ball while taking grounders at first base during batting practice. Ben Rice replaced LeMahieu at first base and in the ninth spot. Boone said LeMahieu loosened a tooth in the accident but seemed to be in good spirits after the game. … 1B Anthony Rizzo (right forearm fracture) began a rehab assignment with Double-A Somerset and went 0 for 1 with two walks and a run scored. Boone said Rizzo would be limited to designated hitter duties for the first few games of his rehab. … RHP Clarke Schmidt (right lat) also began a rehab assignment with Somerset by allowing one run and striking out six over 3 2/3 innings.
UP NEXT
The three-game interleague series continues Saturday, when New York RHP Will Warren (0-1, 0-1, 8.59 ERA) opposes Rockies RHP Bradley Blalock (0-0, 2.92 ERA) in a battle of rookies following the Yankees’ Old-Timers Day festivities.
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