BOSTON – The deep drive rocketed off Aaron Judge’s bat like so many before it, disappearing into the evening sky as it soared over Fenway Park’s Green Monster in left field, bound for Lansdowne Street.
If you were to pick a road setting for Judge to hit his 362nd career homer -- moving past Joe DiMaggio (361) to claim sole possession of fourth place on the Yankees’ franchise list -- there’d be no more fitting choice than this old Boston ballyard, where the Yankee Clipper played so many of his games.
Judge’s blast quieted a buzzing crowd and provided the first run of New York’s 4-1 victory over the Red Sox, clipping a Lucas Giolito four-seamer for a Statcast-projected 468-foot drive that carried an exit velocity of 112.6 mph. Only Babe Ruth (659 of his 714 homers), Mickey Mantle (536) and Lou Gehrig (493) have hit more long balls in a Yankees uniform.
“It’s special, but just like all those guys in front of me and on those lists, they weren’t playing for records. They were playing to win,” Judge said. “So I’m just trying to follow in their footsteps. I’m here to win. I’m trying to help put this team in the best possible position every single night.”
With the win, the Yankees (82-65) moved 1 1/2 games ahead of the Red Sox (81-67) for the top American League Wild Card spot -- with Boston holding the head-to-head tiebreaker -- and remained three games behind the Blue Jays for the AL East lead. The victory clinched the Yanks’ 33rd consecutive winning season (1993-present), but they have their sights set upon much more.
“We want to set a statement for the rest of the season,” Jazz Chisholm Jr. said. “We’re out there trying to win the division right now. I feel like this win is going to really help us.”
Luis Gil pitched six hitless innings before turning the contest over to the bullpen. Nate Eaton’s seventh-inning homer off Fernando Cruz ended the no-hit bid, but it was the only damage Boston could muster.
Gil was what manager Aaron Boone described as “unpredictable” and “effectively wild,” baffling Boston in a 93-pitch effort (54 strikes) – a mixed bag that included four walks, four strikeouts, two wild pitches and a balk.
By evening’s end, the busy line also featured a ‘W.’ Boone spoke of the outing as a springboard, suggesting it was the best Gil has looked since returning from the injured list.
“The most important thing is not to lose focus,” Gil said through interpreter Marlon Abreu. “You have to stay locked in.”
Judge set the tone with a drive that teammate Ben Rice said “electrified us,” officially securing his place in the gilded quartet atop the franchise list. It was Judge’s 47th homer of the season and his third in the past two games. By passing DiMaggio, he’s also now the franchise’s leading right-handed home run threat.
“It’s amazing,” Rice said. “You kind of catch yourself taking it for granted every now and then, what he’s doing. But then those milestones come along and you’re able to really appreciate it.”
It has been a busy week for Judge, who not only matched and surpassed DiMaggio but also moved past Yogi Berra (358).
“I think all those guys in front of me, and especially DiMaggio, they played to win in New York and win for this team,” Judge said. “So I’m going to keep trying to do that, and we can talk about all the milestones at the end.”
Boone said he has been seeing “more Aaron Judge-type swings” of late from the slugger, who is batting .333 (17-for-51) with a 1.265 OPS over his past 15 games since Aug. 27.
“He looks good to me,” Boone said. “These last several days, I feel like he’s really starting to get locked in.”
Judge was ready to go early, and that shouldn’t have been a surprise. The drive off Giolito also marked Judge’s 19th first-inning homer of the season, setting a new record, according to the Elias Sports Bureau.
The previous mark had been shared by Judge (2024) and Alex Rodriguez (‘01). Judge said that as he logs more at-bats as a designated hitter, his preparation is continuing to evolve, including running laps underneath the stadium and extra reps in the weight room.
“I feel like, at this point, it’s getting normal with him,” Chisholm said. “He gets us super hyped up. He brings the energy. Everybody thinks he’s really calm, but he’s really crazy – in my eyes, at least. He gives us that boost of energy we need every day.”