Aaron Judge loved watching the San Francisco Giants play when he was young. He imagined hitting home runs like his hero, Barry Bonds. In his first game at the Giants’ stadium, Judge did really well.
He ended an amazing month by hitting two home runs in San Francisco. The New York Yankees won the game 6-2 on Friday night.
“When I was running around the bases, I looked out to left field. I remembered being in those bleachers a few times. It brought back memories,” Judge said.
“It’s a special place for me. I was a Giants fan growing up. I loved coming to games here. So it’s cool being on the other team now.”
Judge grew up around 100 miles away in Linden. The Giants really wanted him to join them in December 2022, but he decided to stay with the Yankees and signed a big contract.
He had his first chance to bat during practice before the game. He felt comfortable once the game started, even though fans booed him each time he batted. But he quickly showed the Giants and their fans what they missed out on when he didn’t join them.
“I didn’t hit any home runs in practice, so I was a bit nervous,” Judge said. “Barry and those guys back then made it look easy.”
After getting a single in the first inning, Judge hit a three-run home run in the third inning against Jordan Hicks (4-2). Then, he hit another solo home run in the sixth inning, making him the player with the most home runs in the major leagues at 20.
“It’s hard to understand what he’s doing,” manager Aaron Boone said. “He just does his thing. He’s consistent as a person and a player. It’s fun to watch.”
