Aaron Judge hit a two-run homer to raise his major-league-leading total to 28 as the host New York Yankees stopped a three-game losing streak by beating the Atlanta Braves 8-3 on Saturday night.
Judge hit his second homer since missing Wednesday’s game against the Baltimore Orioles after being hit by a pitch on the left hand Tuesday. He also homered for the seventh time in 12 games and for the 21st time in 40 games.
Judge’s first-inning blast got New York rolling against Atlanta right-hander Charlie Morton (4-4). Judge also took a bases-loaded walk in New York’s three-run sixth to raise his RBI total to 70, also best in the majors.
Gleyber Torres added a fourth-inning double that scored Giancarlo Stanton from second. Stanton, the designated hitter, was injured on the play, and the Yankees said the slugger exited due to left hamstring tightness and will undergo imaging on Sunday.
Stanton’s double to begin the inning extended his hitting streak to 10 games.
Oswaldo Cabrera contributed a two-run single as the Yankees averted their first four-game slide of the season. Trent Grisham, who pinch-hit for Stanton in the sixth, homered to lead off the seventh.
New York starter Marcus Stroman (7-3) allowed three runs on three hits in 6 2/3 innings. The right-hander struck out six and walked two.
Michael Tonkin, Luke Weaver and Phil Bickford combined for 2 1/3 scoreless innings as the Yankees earned their MLB-leading 52nd win.
Morton allowed five runs on five hits in 5 2/3 innings. The veteran right-hander walked five and struck out four.
Marcell Ozuna homered three batters into the game for the Braves, who saw their four-game winning streak stopped after opening the series on Friday with an 8-1 rout. Travis d’Arnaud added a two-run homer in the seventh to end Stroman’s night, but the Braves were held to four hits after collecting 14 on Friday.
–Field Level Media
