Aaron Judge carries Yankees' offense to a win over the Reds
During the offseason, the New York Yankees signed outfielder Aaron Judge to a $360 million contract because he’s the rare superstar who’s talented enough to carry an entire offense to a series win. Judge’s power, approach and clutch factor make him the most dangerous hitter in baseball, which he’s showing this weekend as the Yankees visit Great American Ball Park.
On Saturday, in front of a sellout crowd of 41,374, Judge had three hits and two RBI and led the Yankees to a 7-4 10-inning win over the Cincinnati Reds at Great American Ball Park. One day after Judge homered and also drew a walk that changed the game for the Yankees, Judge showed again the type of difference that an MVP can make in a lineup.
In each of Judge’s five plate appearances on Saturday, he delivered a big moment for the Yankees. The biggest one was his go-ahead single in the 10th inning against Reds reliever Ian Gibaut. Judge lined a single over Reds third baseman Nick Senzel’s head to give the Yankees a 5-4 lead. One batter later, Yankees first baseman Anthony Rizzo hit a two-run homer.
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Judge finished the game with four hits, a walk, three RBI and a run scored.
After hitting a single in the first inning, Judge smoked an RBI single to left field in the third inning. Reds starting pitcher Luke Weaver, who allowed four runs in 4 ⅓ innings, left a fastball over the middle of the plate. Judge showed the type of power that few MLB hitters have, clubbing a line drive that was 115 mph off the bat.
Judge was even better in the fifth inning, lining a double off the left- field wall. Reds manager David Bell gave Weaver a shot to get out of a jam, but Judge took advantage of a cutter that Weaver left over the middle of the plate.
Following that double, Bell pulled Weaver from the game. The next time that Judge was back at the plate, Reds reliever Lucas Sims didn’t challenge him and walked the Yankees’ star outfielder.
Judge’s presence in the Yankees lineup shaped the Reds’ entire game plan for Saturday. Bell tried letting Weaver face one more batter in the fifth inning before bringing in left-handed reliever Alex Young to avoid a left-on-right matchup between Young and Judge. In the seventh inning, Bell brought in Sims specifically to face Judge.
Judge’s gravitas in the Yankees’ lineup is picking up a Yankees offense that’s trying to make up for several key hitters on the injured list. The Yankees entered Saturday in third place in the AL East, but Judge is keeping them competitive.
The Reds have advertised Judge playing at Great American Ball Park since the winter, and he earned MVP chants after his RBI single in the 10th inning.
Takeaways from Reds vs. Yankees
1. Reds second baseman Jonathan India nearly had an incredible moment in the bottom of the ninth inning. With a runner on first base, India fouled a ball off his left leg. He limped around home plate as Bell and a trainer checked on him on the field. Bell took India’s bat, and at one point India reached out to try to take it back as he campaigned to stay in the game. After India jogged and tested out his leg, Bell gave India the shot to finish his at-bat. But after India struck out, Kevin Newman entered the game at second base for the 10th inning.
2. The Reds signed veteran catcher Luke Maile because of his pitch framing and his game calling, but he’s also having a career year at the plate. He clubbed his third home run of the season, tying a career high, with a shot to left field in the fourth inning. Maile’s playing time has started to increase as he hits more consistently than he has in any other year of his career.
3. For the second straight game, Rizzo homered off of Gibaut’s cutter. Gibaut has been pressed into more high-leverage situations since Derek Law went on the injured list, and he allowed a big home run to Rizzo in each of the first two games of this series. On Friday, Rizzo’s home run off Gibaut in the sixth inning gave the Yankees a 3-0 lead. Then on Saturday, Rizzo’s homer gave the Yankees a 7-4 lead in the 10th
Roster moves
Before Saturday’s game, the Reds placed outfielder Henry Ramos on the 10-day injured list with a hip strain and called up outfielder Will Benson from Triple-A. Benson made the Reds’ Opening Day roster but struck out often early in the MLB season. He turned a corner in Triple-A in May, posting a 468 on-base percentage and a 1.024 OPS.
This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: Aaron Judge carries Yankees' offense to a win over the Reds
