CLEVELAND (AP) — Aaron Judge is out of the fall funk.
Falling from the leadoff spot to No. 2 in the lineup, New York’s star slugger — baseball’s home-ranking leader — had a two-run shot in the third inning of Game 3 of the AL Division Series against the Cleveland Guardians.
After striking out for the eighth time in his first nine at-bats, the judges hit a 2-for-1 fastball off Triston McKenzie over the wall in center field to tie the game at two. The Yankees can only wish him well this October.
Yankees manager Aaron Boone said Saturday morning he was considering moving the judges out of the leadoff spot.
“I wanted to change it up a bit,” Boone said.
Judges who set AL records 62 home runs Contending for the Triple Crown this season, he struck out four times in New York. 4-2 loss in 10 innings In Game 2, I was booed at Yankee Stadium.
“Judge has hit a lot of seconds in his career and just wanted to change that up a bit,” Boone said.
Boone juggled the lineup, dropping the judges and Anthony Rizzo from second to third and Oswaldo Cabrera from sixth to ninth. He also moved up Isiah Kiner-Falefa from his 7th to his 6th and Harrison Bader from his 9th to his 7th.
The Yankees are without a true leading hitter, with DJ Lemahue and Andrew Benintendi out due to injury.
“Judge is the most logical leadoff guy for us without DJ or Benny,” said Boone. “So it’s more than anything else.”
Judges have had big problems against Cleveland in the three postseason series. He appeared in the third game with 27 strikeouts in 2 of his 37 games and in 9 games.
But Boone felt the judges were getting closer to the right swing, and his big swing looked pretty good.
Judge has made 34 starts in the leadoff spot this season, many of them starting in mid-September chasing Roger Maris’ league-record 61 home runs.
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