05/10/25 07:17:00
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05/10 19:16 CDT Aaron Judge hits 2 homers in his return to the Sacramento area
Aaron Judge hits 2 homers in his return to the Sacramento area
By JOSH DUBOW
AP Sports Writer
WEST SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) --- Aaron Judge celebrated his return to the
Sacramento area by hitting two home runs Saturday in a losing effort for the
New York Yankees against the Athletics to extend his major league leading total
to 14.
Judge is playing in the Sacramento area for the first time since college in New
York's first visit to the A's temporary home near California's capital.
Judge was born in Sacramento and grew up not far away in Linden and had many
friends and family in the crowd of 12,113 at the minor league park that is
hosting the A's.
"It just felt like being home," Judge said after the Yankees' win Friday night.
"Any time we play the A's, that's always something that's familiar to me and
close to home, to me. It was special."
After going 1 for 4 with a walk and two near homers in the series opener, Judge
granted A's owner John Fisher his wish Saturday in an 11-7 loss by the Yankees.
He led off the fourth inning with a homer off JP Sears and then connected again
to lead off the sixth against Justin Sterner to the delight of the Yankees fans
in attendance, many of whom chanted "MVP! MVP!"
"Not surprising," Yankees starter Carlos Rodon said. "Once again putting on
great swings like he always does. Really good player."
The second homer gave Judge 14 on the season and gave him 41 career multi-homer
games --- fourth most in Yankees history.
Judge leads the majors in batting average (.396), on-base percentage (.486),
slugging percentage (.772) homers and RBIs (37).
When the A's announced their plans last season to play in this minor league
park, Fisher said he was excited to see what players like Judge could do in a
stadium known for offense.
"We're excited to be here for the next three years playing in this beautiful
ballpark, but also being able to watch some of the best players in baseball,
whether they be Athletics players or Aaron Judge and others launch home runs
out of this very intimate, the most intimate ballpark in all of Major League
Baseball," he said.
The ball carried well for everyone with the teams combining for six homers ---
including a go-ahead, three-run shot by Shea Langeliers for the A's that
pitcher Fernando Cruz was shocked carried over the wall.
Cruz said he went to back up home plate, assuming it would be a potential
sacrifice fly only to see the ball carry out.
"It's the same for all of us," Cruz said. "It's the same for the other team,
the same for me, the same for my other teammates. Just have to come back
tomorrow and do the same thing, pitch and locate a little better."
Games at this stadium that had previously been solely used in the Triple-A
Pacific Coast League have had a combined 2.75 home runs per game --- up more
than 40% from the rate of homers hit last season at the Oakland Coliseum.
"I'm sure as the summer builds up and the heat builds up, the PCL is known for
that," Yankees manager Aaron Boone said about the way the ball carries. "I'd be
speaking out of turn if I said I knew how this place is going to play
throughout. Today was a little different throughout."
___
AP MLB: https://apnews.com/MLB
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