The Sports Xchange
Sep 10, 2017
ARLINGTON, Texas -- New York outfielder Aaron Judge continued his record-setting rookie season by blasting a pair of homers as the Yankees routed the Texas Rangers 16-7.
Judge hit home run No. 40 as part of a six run fourth inning for the Yankees and then hit No. 41 with a monster shot deep into the New York bullpen in the sixth inning.
Judge is just the second rookie to hit at least 40 homers in a season, joining Oakland's Mark McGwire. McGwire hit 49 in 1987. Judge, who went 2-for-2 with three RBI, also drew a walk in the second inning. That gave him 107 walks on the season, which is the most ever for a rookie.
Judge was far from the lone offensive star for New York, which broke a 1-1 tie with two runs in the third and then blew the game open in the fourth and finished with 18 hits, matching its season highs in runs and hits. Didi Gregorius went 4-for-4 with four RBI as the Yankees ripped 14 hits, including eight for extra bases. Catcher Gary Sanchez also hit a pair of solo homers as nine Yankees had at least one hit.
Gary Sanchez set the tone in the first inning with his solo homer off A.J. Griffin (6-6), who lasted just three innings and allowed five runs. Gregorius gave the Yankees the lead for good with an RBI double in the third inning and Judge also added a sacrifice fly in that frame.
The Yankees sent nine batters to the plate in the fourth and hit for the team cycle. Brett Gardner had a two-run triple, Chase Headley an RBI single, Gregorius an RBI single and Judge a homer in the frame that built the New York lead to 9-1.
Gregorius added a two-run single in the fifth. Chad Green (4-0) picked up the win after starter Jordan Montgomery couldn't make it out of the fourth inning. Green allowed one run on four hits in 2 1/3 innings. He struck out four. Montgomery pitched 3 1/3 innings and allowed three runs.
Sanchez, who went 3-for-4 and scored four times, hit his second homer in the eighth inning.
The Rangers tied the game 1-1 in the second on a Robinson Chirinos solo homer. Ryan Rua had three of the 10 Texas hits. Shin-Soo Choo had a pair of RBIs for Texas.
NOTES: Texas activated RHP Matt Bush from the 10-day disabled list. He had been out since Aug. 21 with a strained right MCL. ... Texas 2B Rougned Odor left the game in the fifth inning after spraining his left ankle during a collision with OF Nomar Mazara. X-rays were negative and Odor will be re-evaluated Monday. ... Rangers C A.J. Jimenez collected his first major league hit in the seventh inning. ... New York SS Didi Gregorius and C Austin Romine each matched career highs in hits in a game. Gregorius had four and Romine three.