Aaron Judge on Friday became the first big-leaguer with 40 homers this season, smashed a grand slam for No. 41 and robbed a home run in right field as the New York Yankees rallied to beat the Kansas City Royals 11-5.
There is no sorcery to Judge’s recent success, although it looks that way, even close up.
“Just takes the magic wand and does his thing,” Yankees ace Gerrit Cole said.
Photo: Wendell Cruz-USA TODAY
No doubt, this is Judge’s show. He added a new trick on Friday, too — making someone else’s homer disappear.
“He’s amazing,” Yankees manager Aaron Boone said. “He’s just doing some really special things.”
Isiah Kiner-Falefa lined a tiebreaking single in the eighth inning as New York completed their MLB-leading 29th comeback victory.
Photo: Wendell Cruz-USA TODAY
It only seems as though Judge has had a hand in all of them.
“It’s like a steady dose of amazingness,” Cole said.
A free agent at the end of the season, Judge is on pace for 66 home runs, which would top Roger Maris’ club record of 61 in 1961.
Judge, Maris and Babe Ruth in 1928 are the only Yankees with at least 40 homers by the end of July, MLB.com data showed.
Judge was lavished with “MVP” chants throughout the night, none louder than after his slam in the eighth cemented yet another Yankees rally. He also had a single and finished with six RBIs, giving him a major league-leading 89.
He has eight homers and 19 RBIs in nine games since the All-Star break, but claims he feels no different at the plate.
“Just like any other time,” he said.
Judge and Anthony Rizzo homered early on a rainy night in the Bronx, but Kansas City came back against Cole, with Whit Merrifield’s two-run single in the fifth ending a scoreless drought of 31-2/3 innings for the Royals.
Salvador Perez followed Merrifield with a go-ahead, three-run homer in his return from the injured list for a 5-3 lead.
New York erased it by batting around during a messy eighth inning that followed a 23-minute rain delay.
Rizzo and Gleyber Torres hit one-out singles, then shortstop Maikel Garcia booted Josh Donaldson’s grounder off the slick infield.
Andrew Benintendi’s bases-loaded grounder was gloved by diving first baseman Nick Pratto, but pitcher Scott Barlow (4-4) failed to cover first, giving Benintendi an RBI single — his first hit with the Yankees after a trade from the Royals on Wednesday.
Barlow’s next pitch skipped near Aaron Hicks’ feet, and plate umpire Chris Guccione called an RBI hit by pitch. That ruling was reversed via video replay, but Hicks walked a few pitches later on a full count to make it 5-5.
Kiner-Falefa then ripped a single to left and Jose Trevino followed with an RBI groundout for a 7-5 edge.
D.J. LeMahieu walked before Judge clubbed his fourth career slam off Jackson Kowar.
Albert Abreu (2-0) pitched a scoreless eighth against a Kansas City team who waived him on June 21.
The 2m Judge began the game by reaching over the right-field fence to rob M.J. Melendez of a homer, then hit a two-run shot in the third inning. It was his second homer in three at-bats after he hit a game-ending drive in the ninth inning of a 1-0 win against Kansas City on Thursday.
“Hitting a homer is still above robbing one for me right now, but it’s still fun,” Judge said.
Cole was overpowering — except for the fifth inning. He was pulled after six with nine strikeouts and no walks. Five of the seven hits he allowed came in the fifth, and all five runs charged against him came in the inning.
In other games on Friday, it was:
‧ Angels 2, Rangers 7
‧ Astros 11, Mariners 1
‧ Blue Jays 2, Tigers 4
‧ Braves 5, Diamondbacks 2
‧ Giants 2, Cubs 4
‧ Marlins 4, Mets 6
‧ Nationals 2, Cardinals 6
‧ Reds 2, Orioles 6
‧ Padres 10, Twins 1
‧ Pirates 2, Phillies 4 (10i)
‧ Rays 1, Guardians 4
‧ Red Sox 1, Brewers 4
‧ Rockies 4, Dodgers 5
‧ White Sox 3, Athletics 7
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