Aaron Judge stays hot with 30th homer for slumping Yankees

NEW YORK -- The New York Yankees are suddenly staggering, losing nine of their past 12 games and four straight series after consecutive losses to the Mets. Wednesday's defeat was especially ugly: a 12-2, rain-delayed pounding at Citi Field. The Yankees remain in first place by one game only because the second-place Baltimore Orioles are also in a rut.

That doesn't mean Aaron Judge has stopped hitting.

The superstar slugger continued his rampage Wednesday, pushing both Yankees runs across with his 30th home run of the season in the Yankees' 82nd game -- the same pace he was on in 2022 when he finished with an American League-record 62 home runs.

Wednesday's blast, a two-run shot off Danny Young, was Judge's second home run of the two-game series -- he hit a grand slam in Tuesday's loss -- and his 287th career home run, tying Bernie Williams for seventh most in franchise history.

"It's great, but nothing to really focus on," Judge said. "We got a season ahead of us, a lot of ballgames ahead of us."

Judge joined Babe Ruth as the only players in franchise history with 30 home runs before July -- Ruth reached the number twice, in 1928 and 1930. He is the third player in major league history with 30 home runs before the All-Star break three times in his career, joining Mark McGwire and Ken Griffey Jr. He is the seventh player in major league history with 30 home runs and 75 RBIs before July, and the first since Chris Davis in 2013.

Judge has made that history on the back of an otherworldly tear after a sluggish first month of the season. Since May 1, Judge is batting .379 with a 1.412 OPS, 24 home runs and 17 doubles in 49 games. He is hitting .309/.433/.712 with 60 walks in 80 games this season.

"It's remarkable," Yankees manager Aaron Boone said. "Just more great at-bats tonight by him. Kind of running out of adjectives and superlatives and what have you. I mean, it's amazing what he's doing."

Judge finished Wednesday 2-for-2 with a walk for his 20th multihit game since the start of May. He and Juan Soto combined to drive in seven of the Yankees' nine runs in the two losses to the Mets as the rest of the offense continued to struggle, especially against left-handed pitching.

He could've inflicted more damage on Mets pitching Wednesday, but Boone replaced him with a pinch-hitter in the eighth inning with the Yankees trailing 11-2.

"I want every at-bat," Judge said. "The game is never over. So I want every at-bat, but I'm not the manager. He makes the call, and I wasn't upset at all."