There was almost a startled sense of excitement from the Yankee Stadium crowd when the Guardians put up the four fingers to intentionally walk Juan Soto and load the bases for Aaron Judge.
First, there was the initial shock. Did Cleveland just purposefully load ‘em up to face a 58-home run hitter en route to a second MVP award in three years? Arguably the best hitter on the planet? Then, the almost confused stirring turned to hype, as the crowd once again reset in anticipation of what they hoped would be the time Judge finally broke through with a big postseason moment.
Judge responded with a sac fly to dead center, doing a job but still not the type of job the Yanks were used to seeing out of their captain. With his past playoff struggles well documented, the intentional pass to get to Judge felt like a landmark in a narrative that followed Judge into every at-bat since the calendar turned to October, not that Judge took it personally.
“It happened earlier in the year, so it’s not really a surprise,” Judge said. “[Soto’s] been swinging the bat well recently, and they’re trying to get a double play and get out of the inning. I’d walk him too at this point.
“It’s win or go home. everything is on the line here. You just gotta come up in that spot. Less than two [outs], bases loaded, I’m trying to get something to outfield and drive in some runs...they’re trying to grab a couple outs there with a double play in that situation, but we were able to scratch out a run.”
But five innings later, Judge launched a powerful reminder of who he is over the wall in right center field, blasting his first home run of the playoffs to give the Yankees some much-needed breathing room in game two.
Earlier in the game, Judge came up to bat with Gleyber Torres and Juan Soto on base in the first inning, the fourth time already this postseason that Judge stepped in with the one and two hitters aboard. The result was an infield popup that was luckily botched by Cleveland shortstop Brayan Rocchio. It was a sigh of relief for Yankee fans, who were faced with wondering again when their face of the franchise would flex his muscles in October. Turns out, they just had to wait a bit longer.
“I was excited it went out,” Judge said. “Never know on these windy, chilly nights what the ball’s gonna do when you hit it to center here, but the ghosts were pulling it out to Monument Park, that’s for sure…just happy to add a couple more runs.”
Judge has been working his walks in the playoffs, drawing six in six games, but the slug was not there, managing just a double in the extra-base hit column before his Judgian blast on Tuesday night. Pitches in the strike zone that Judge typically launches into the Bronx night were ending up as flyouts and popups. Through it all, Judge maintained a sense of calm when asked by reporters about his playoff slumps, but that calmness wasn’t shared by large corners of the fanbase. Patience was wearing thin, but whatever sense of patience was left, it was rewarded with a big home run that now has fans hoping will open the October floodgates for the team’s most important player.
The Yanks had been getting by without the big hits, Judge in particular. But if Judge’s home run is a launching pad towards the Judge of the regular season, the Bombers could be poised to kick the postseason into another gear.