Aaron Judge’s Grand Slam Ends Homerless Streak in Yankees’ Victory Over Red Sox

In a remarkable turn of events at Yankee Stadium, New York Yankees‘ star outfielder Aaron Judge ended his longest career homerless drought with a grand slam, leading to a thrilling 5-4 victory over the Boston Red Sox on Friday night. The six-time All-Star managed to hit a decisive 95-mph fastball thrown by Red Sox reliever Cam Booser deep into left field during the bottom of the seventh inning, turning a three-run deficit into a lead for the Yankees.

Following the game, Judge expressed surprise when confronted with the fact that he had gone 16 games without hitting a home run. “Was it 16 games? I didn’t really know that,” Judge remarked. “It’s just another day. I really don’t focus on hitting homers. I don’t focus on any of that. I’ve got a job to do.” Yankees pitcher Clarke Schmidt mentioned that Judge might not have been aware of the length of his homerless streak, despite being usually conscious of his playing statistics.

Before the game-changing seventh inning, Boston’s pitchers had successfully stifled New York’s lineup, allowing a mere four hits through six innings and establishing a 4-0 lead. However, the dynamic shift started once the first five Yankees hitters reached base in the seventh inning and culminated in Judge’s monumental grand slam. Subsequent efforts by pitcher Luke Weaver led to a six-out save, ensuring the Yankees’ victory.

Judge’s crucial home run not only exhilarated fans, who demanded a curtain call following the seventh inning burst, but also bolstered the Yankees’ standing in the league. The win allowed the Yankees to expand their lead over the Baltimore Orioles to three games in the American League East. They are also now two games ahead of the Cleveland Guardians for securing home-field advantage throughout the AL playoffs.

This victory marked the Yankees’ third consecutive win, with two of them being walk-off victories, adding momentum as they prepare to host Boston for two more games before embarking on a seven-game road trip to Seattle and Oakland.