ARLINGTON, Wis. – Aaron Judge of the New York Yankees launched his 16th home run of the season on Tuesday, passing Chicago White Sox infielder Munetaka Murakami to take sole possession of the American League lead in home runs.
Judge, 34, connected for his first homer in four games during a road matchup against the Milwaukee Brewers. Batting third as the designated hitter, he crushed a first-pitch four-seam fastball from Brewers starter Henderson in the top of the first inning, sending a solo shot to the opposite field into the right-field stands. The blast came four games after his solo homer against the Texas Rangers on May 6, and it marked his fourth homer in the last eight games, showcasing a hot stretch at the plate.
With 16 homers, Judge now leads the American League outright and is tied for the major league lead with Phillies slugger Kyle Schwarber, who also homered twice on Tuesday. Judge is batting .267 with 16 home runs, 30 RBIs, and a 1.043 OPS this season.
Despite Judge’s heroics, the Yankees suffered a walk-off loss in the ninth inning. With the game tied 3-3, reliever Bednar surrendered a solo homer to Churinga, handing New York its third consecutive defeat and a sweep by the Brewers. The Yankees now sit one game behind the first-place Rays in the AL East standings.
“It was a tough weekend,” Yankees manager Boone said after the series. “We didn’t play our best, and they pitched extremely well against our lineup.”
