New York, NY – Aaron Judge broke out of a 10-game home run slump in emphatic fashion, launching a tiebreaking solo shot to lead off the seventh inning and propel the New York Yankees to a 4-3 victory over the Kansas City Royals on Wednesday night at Yankee Stadium. The win secured a three-game sweep for the Bronx Bombers in their home stand.
The crowd erupted as Judge connected with a 1-0 sinker from Royals reliever John Schreiber (1-1), sending the ball soaring into the Yankees’ bullpen beyond the right-center field fence. It was Judge’s first home run since April 4th in Pittsburgh.
Judge was a force throughout the night, tallying three hits for the third time this season and reaching base four times. His offensive outburst raised his already league-leading batting average by a remarkable 27 points to .409.
While Judge provided the late-inning heroics, Cody Bellinger’s spectacular defensive gem in the top of the ninth inning preserved the Yankees’ narrow lead. With a runner on second base, Bellinger made a diving catch in right field on a sharply hit sinking liner off the bat of MJ Melendez, securing Fernando Cruz’s first career save.
Yankees starter Clarke Schmidt made a strong return to the mound in his season debut after recovering from rotator cuff tendinitis. The right-hander pitched 5 2/3 innings, allowing three runs on four hits while showcasing moments of dominance and throwing 73 pitches.
The Yankees initially jumped out to a 3-1 advantage. Anthony Volpe drove in two runs with a double in the third inning, and Bellinger followed up with an RBI double of his own in the fourth.
Schmidt had found a rhythm, retiring 11 consecutive Royals batters before Drew Waters led off the fifth with a single. Waters eventually scored on a triple by Kyle Isbel, who then tied the game at 3-3 on a groundout by Jonathan India. Earlier in the contest, Salvador Perez put the Royals on the board with an RBI single in the first inning before Schmidt settled into his outing.
Kansas City starter Kris Bubic pitched 5 1/3 innings, surrendering three runs on seven hits.
Following Schmidt’s departure, Mark Leiter Jr. (2-1) provided crucial relief, recording four outs. Cruz then shut down the Royals in his two scoreless innings to close out the game. After the Royals leveled the score in the fifth, Bobby Witt Jr. swung at the first pitch and flied out to end the inning, preventing further damage.
Despite entering the game hitting a solid .382 (13 for 34) over his previous 10 contests, Judge had been searching for his power swing. His timely home run proved to be the decisive factor in the Yankees’ hard-earned sweep.
Up Next:
The Kansas City Royals will travel to Detroit to begin a four-game series against the Tigers on Thursday. Right-hander Michael Lorenzen (1-2, 3.71 ERA) is slated to start for the Royals, while the Tigers are expected to counter with right-hander Reese Olson (1-1, 6.00 ERA). Pregame coverage on SuperStar Country 102.5 FM & 1530 AM begins at 5:00 p.m. CDT.
