NEW YORK -- Yankees slugger Aaron Judge can do more than just hit home runs. He can do the job with the glove, and he proved it more than once on Friday night in the Yanks' 11-0 victory over the Cubs at Yankee Stadium.
With New York leading, 3-0, one out and All-Star left-hander Carlos Rodón on the mound, Cubs phenom Pete Crow-Armstrong hit a high fly ball that looked like it was going over the right-field wall for a home run, but Judge had other ideas. He leaped and caught the ball that would have gone over the fence.
Cubs shortstop Dansby Swanson was the next hitter and hit a low liner to right field, but the ball didn’t hit the ground because Judge made a diving catch for the last out of the frame.
And for good measure, Judge made a diving catch in right field, sliding onto the warning track to rob Kyle Tucker of a hit and ending the top of the eighth. That catch sealed an incredible outing for Rodón.
“Judge made three incredible plays for me, so that was part of it,” Rodón said.
Judge thought he was running a mile to make that third catch. He had to take a minute to make sure he was OK.
“I don’t feel like I’m getting old, but sometimes it feels like it after catches like that,” Judge said. “I just collect myself, get up and make sure that everything is where it is supposed to be and go from there.
“It’s tough, but it’s my job. I got a job to do out there. That’s why they have me playing out there. It doesn’t matter how tough it is, the ball is hit in your direction, you have to make a play.”
If he had to rank the three catches, Judge would pick the leaping catch No. 1.
“I would say robbing the homer is the best just to keep the run off the board,” he said. “Carlos is locked in. That’s got to be No. 1.”
The home run robbery kept Crow-Armstrong at 25 homers, while Judge has belted 34 blasts this year.
They are two of the biggest stars in the game. And they will both be in Atlanta next week for the MLB All-Star Game presented by Mastercard. But first, Judge and Crow-Armstrong are spending the weekend together in the Bronx.