1 of 5 | New York Yankees slugger Aaron Judge hit his 43rd home run of the season in a win over the Chicago White Sox on Wednesday in Chicago. File Photo by Aaron Josefczyk/UPI | License Photo
New York Yankees star got the green light and tortured a 3-0 sinker, smacking it into the left field bullpen to become the fastest player in MLB history to reach 300 career home runs in a win over the Chicago White Sox.
Judge achieved the milestone in the top of the eighth inning of the 10-2 triumph Wednesday at Guaranteed Rate Field in Chicago. Advertisement
The blast came in his 955th career appearance, beating the previous mark of 1,087 games set by Ralph Kiner. Judge also recorded the long ball in his 3,431st at-bat, 400 at-bats sooner than Babe Ruth. Barry Bonds reached the mark in his 5,105th at-bat.
“It’s a great achievement,” Judge told reporters. “I’ve been in the game a little while now I guess. I’ve still got a long way to go, but like I said a couple days ago, I was hoping it would come in a win.”
Judge went 2 for 4 with three RBIs, two runs scored, a walk and two strikeouts. He is hitting .333 with 43 homers and 110 RBIs this season. Advertisement
Fellow MVP candidate Juan Soto got the scoring started in Wednesday’s win. The star outfielder ripped a 1-1 slider to right field for a 357-foot solo homer in the second at-bat of the game.
White Sox first baseman Gavin sheets answered with a 364-foot solo shot to left in the second. Sheets added an RBI single in the fourth, but the White Sox never scored again.
Yankees left fielder Alex Verdugo hit a game-tying sacrifice fly in the top of the seventh. Catcher Austin Wells drove in two more runs with an RBI double three at-bats later.
Third baseman Oswaldo Cabrera made the score 5-2 with another RBI single in the eighth. Verdugo followed with an RBI double in the same inning.
Judge walked to the plate two at-bats later, with two runners on base.
White Sox relief pitcher Chad Kuhl missed the zone with all four of his offerings, but his last pitch drifted closest. Judge crushed the high-and-inside offering over the left field wall for his 43rd homer of the season.
Wells hit a 393-foot homer in the next at-bat for the final run of the night. Advertisement
The Yankees’ catcher went 3 for 5 with three RBIs and a run scored in the victory. Cabrera went 2 for 5 with two runs scored and an RBI. Soto went 1 for 2 with three runs scored, three walks and an RBI.
Yankees starter Will Warren allowed seven hits and two runs over five innings, but was not on record for a decision.
The first-place Yankees (72-50) will face the Detroit Tigers (58-63) at 6:40 p.m. EDT Friday in Detroit. The White Sox (29-93) will battle the Houston Astros (65-55) at 8:10 p.m. Thursday in Houston.
