Aaron Judge is still waiting for his homerun
Judge remained at 60 home runs on the season, one shy of Roger Maris’ American League record, and the Yankees’ bid to clinch the title was halted when Vladimir Guerrero Jr. hit a towering single in the 10th inning to give the Toronto Blue Jays a 3-2 win on Monday.
Judge started the game with a single, struck out twice and picked up two walks. The Yankees (94-59) had their seven-game winning streak snapped. A win would have sealed the division for New York.
“We approach every game like it’s a postseason game,” Judge said. “From the first game this year to tonight’s game. Nothing changes.”
Judge has gone six straight duels without a homer. His longest drought this season was nine games in mid-August.
On Tuesday, he will again try to tie Maris’ mark of 61 that he set with the Yankees in 1961. Judge’s batting average stands at .314. He began the day leading in all three Triple Crown categories (batting average, home runs and RBIs).
Guerrero Jr’s two-out single off Clarke Schmidt (5-5) allowed pinch-runner Cavan Biggio to score from second base. Toronto won its third straight game and extended its lead to two and a half games over the Tampa Bay Rays to take the first American League wild card.
Toronto is 17-8 in September. Among American League teams, only the Cleveland Guardians (18) have more wins this month.
“We’re not afraid to lose,” Guerrero Jr. said.
For the Yankees, Venezuelans Gleyber Torres 3-1 with one run batted in; and Oswaldo Cabrera 4-1.
For the Blue Jays, the Dominicans Guerrero Jr. is 5-2 with one run scored and one run batted in; Teóscar Hernández is 4-1 with two RBIs; and Raimel Tapia is 4-0.