Aaron Judge ends season with perfect moment for Yankees

We all know the Yankees desperately, perhaps improbably, want to tick the box that has hung over this franchise for 12 long years, their poor, no-complaining fans are suffering stoically through more than a decade of No-Series baseball. global.

In the team’s first big step towards that goal on Sunday, their MVP picked an optimal time to tick their own box.

A hell of a time for Aaron Judge to score his first career hit, eh?

Judge’s ninth inning single scored his pal Tyler Wade from third base, catapulting the Yankees over the Rays in a 1-0 thriller and AL wildcard game. They will face the Red Sox on Tuesday night at Fenway Park with ace Gerrit Cole on the mound, in a bid to oust their historic rivals so they can advance to the AL Division series and face their younger rivals, these Rays. .

Their best reason for hope is Judge, whose Sunday success arguably capped his most impressive regular season, if not necessarily the best statistically, with his personal milestone.

“It really wasn’t in my head,” the judge said of his zero starts in the contest, “but I was happy I was able to do it.”

Dude, did the Yankees need it after losing the first two games of the weekend, losing control of Tuesday’s home advantage and producing four base runners, none reaching scorer, during of the first eight innings. Swinger left-hander Rougned Odor, a most unlikely spark – starting at third base purely due to DJ LeMahieu’s absence of injury – led the bottom of the ninth with a bump line against Rays left-hander Josh Fleming, and his Pinch runner Tyler Wade came across huge when he touched Gleyber Torres’ long flight to the right center field and came on to second base. Anthony Rizzo followed with a hit so hard, and so on to the target of Tampa Bay right fielder Randy Arozarena, that Yankees third baseman Phil Nevin had to hold back the quick Wade in the third. goal as Rizzo moved up to second on the home pitch. .

The judge stepped up, which The Athletic’s Jayson Stark said had recorded eight RBIs in the eighth inning or later since Aug. 1. Rays manager Kevin Cash brought in tough Kittredge.

“You just have a feeling he’s going to do something special,” Chad Green said of Judge.

“Just try to keep it simple,” the judge said of his approach. “Just try to do something and put something on the line.”

He worked the count at 2 and 2, swinging a 1 and 0 cursor and a 1 and 1 lead, then, with the Rays’ infield drawn, he lifted a cursor to his knees and executed a bit of a shot. Rigged, the ball struck the back of the mound before going to Rays second baseman Brandon Lowe, who valiantly threw the ball at home but couldn’t catch Wade in time. The celebrating Yankees on the pitch survived the extreme turmoil of the season to land at their first stop, their fans chanting “MVP!” in honor of the judge (he won’t win the AL award, but he deserved love).

“A great regular season for Aaron Judge has ended as it should be,” said Aaron Boone.

“He’s my guy,” Wade said. “It’s a bit crazy for all the milestones he has taken that this is his first career. But this is the guy you want in this situation. He’s got a slow heartbeat right there. And I couldn’t be happier for him, sending us to the playoffs.

“I know the rhythm of the season and I know how much he cares about this team and this city. For him, being able to do that in this situation is the highlight.

The Yankees wouldn’t have sniffed at the 2021 playoff jackpot if the judge hadn’t stood up (in addition to his COVID case), recording 148 games and setting up a fantastic .287 / .373 / slash line. .544 with 39 circuits. While he didn’t approach the 52 home runs he smoked in his 2017 rookie campaign, it felt like a more comprehensive and cohesive campaign. And now Judge has the chance to tick another box, which would really appeal to ultra-patient supporters of his club: October for the ages.