It’s not every day that a three-homer game gets pushed to the background. But when Aaron Judge is on the field, even the most spectacular performance by the opposition may get overshadowed. On a night when Cody Bellinger launched three balls into the seats, it was Judge who stole the show. Not with his bat alone, but with the glove that spoke just as loudly. Well, in the Yankees’ dominant 11-0 routing of the Cubs, Judge reminded the baseball world that he’s far more than just a power hitter.
After his infamous dropped ball in the 2024 World Series, the narrative surrounding Judge’s glove work has been one of scrutiny and skepticism. But this time, he flipped the script. The game against the Cubs proved that the Yankees’ captain is here for redemption. With a trio of jaw-dropping catches, the towering right fielder single-handedly snuffed out what could’ve been a momentum-swinging night for the opposition.
First, he soared above the wall to steal a home run from Pete Crow-Armstrong. Then laid out to take a certain single away from Dansby Swanson. And finally denied Kyle Tucker an extra base hit with a sliding catch that brought the crowd to its feet. While the images from those moments were tailor-made for highlight reels, Judge took a moment afterwards to reveal what sparked him to go for the dive.
“Especially losing the lights, the one earlier from Nico, I was pretty upset about that. I thought they were going to pull him. But then when that last one came up, I was like, I got to if I got to run through this wall, I got to make this play for him. Man, he’s pitching a heck of a game. Really set the tone for us going into this, especially a big series against the Cubs,” the Yankees captain said in an honest assessment.
MLB, Baseball Herren, USA World Series-Los Angeles Dodgers at New York Yankees Oct 30, 2024 New York, New York, USA New York Yankees outfielder Aaron Judge 99 makes a fielding error during the fifth inning against the Los Angeles Dodgers in game five of the 2024 MLB World Series at Yankee Stadium. New York Yankee Stadium New York USA, EDITORIAL USE ONLY PUBLICATIONxINxGERxSUIxAUTxONLY Copyright: xVincentxCarchiettax 20241030_jhp_cb6_0144
For the unversed, just before the Tucker catch, Judge missed a liner from Nico Hoerner in the lights, which helped the Cubs to have runners in the corners. But he was not going to repeat the mistake.
And what about that diving play against Swanson’s liner? Well, Swanson ripped a line drive into right field, and that’s when Judge made a unique move. Stat-wise, the ball had an expected average of .910, meaning it had a high probability of reaching base. But thanks to Judge’s quick reaction and great range, he snagged it for the third out of the inning!
There’s still one to go and probably the best of the night… Robbing Armstrong’s homer!
With the Yankees up 3-0 and Carlos Rodon on the mound, Armstrong sent a towering fly ball toward right field that looked destined to clear the wall. But Judge had other plans. The 6-foot-7 slugger timed his jump perfectly, reaching up at the wall to rob PCA of what would’ve been his 26th homer of the season.
A fan in the Yankees’ jersey even reached out for it, but Judge beat him to the punch, making the grab and stealing the spotlight. But Judge was not the only Yankee who had a great night out there.
Apart from Aaron Judge, it was a night to remember for Cody Bellinger as well
It felt like Cody Bellinger was on a mission against the Cubs. Just last year, he wrapped up the season with 18 homers and a .266 average, numbers that ultimately led the Cubs to trade him to the Yankees. And he seemed to pick this game to make a statement. Bellinger became the first player in MLB history to hit three home runs in his first game against his former team.
He nearly had a fourth, too. But Cubs’ right fielder Kyle Tucker made a ridiculous catch at the wall in the seventh, pretty much like what Aaron Judge pulled off earlier against Pete Crow-Armstrong.
Eventually, that whole rollercoaster fed into the curtain call he ended up taking after Homer number three. A moment he seemed hesitant about, until Boone and Judge gave him a little push, right as the Bellinger chants started echoing louder through the stadium.
“You know, fans were kind of taken in. I thought Ben Rice might call a timeout to maybe give him some time. But the fans were building it up, so I was happy he did. You know, first time in his career, first time ever hitting three homers like that,” Judge said later.
Rodon was hot against the Cubs as well, with 8 SOs in the 8 innings pitched and no earned runs given. The trio’s clutch efforts resulted in an absolute routing of the Cubs. A night to remember for the Bombers indeed!
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