Aaron Judge hit his first home run of the season and drove in another run with a double in the 11th inning, helping the New York Yankees secure a 6-5 victory over the Arizona Diamondbacks on Wednesday to wrap up their opening road trip with a 6-1 record.
“Everyone knows 99 is our leader — we follow his lead,” Yankees outfielder Alex Verdugo said, referring to Judge’s jersey number. “He’s someone who puts in the work every day. You can see why he’s our leader.”
Verdugo broke a 2-2 tie in the 10th inning with his first home run as a Yankee, a two-run shot off Kevin Ginkel. However, Arizona managed to tie the game in the bottom half after an error by shortstop Anthony Volpe.
In the 11th inning, with runners on the corners after Gleyber Torres’ single, Scott McGough made a crucial mistake, causing a balk and allowing the go-ahead run to score. Judge then came through with a double to extend the Yankees’ lead.
Judge, who struggled at the plate early in the season, gave the Yankees a lead with a two-run homer in the fourth inning. Arizona fought back in the bottom of the 11th, scoring a run on Jorge Barrosa’s RBI single.
The Diamondbacks had a chance to tie or win the game, but they fell short. Manager Torey Lovullo’s decisions, including not having a designated hitter and using McGough as a hitter but didn’t work out.
“It was an exciting way to end the road trip,” Yankees manager Aaron Boone said. Despite a few errors and challenges, the Yankees managed to secure the win, marking their second victory in the three-game series against the defending NL champions.
Arizona tied the score in the 10th inning after an error by Volpe allowed a run to score. Rookie Blaze Alexander also contributed with his first major league home run in the second inning.
Both starting pitchers, Carlos Rodón for the Yankees and Merrill Kelly for the Diamondbacks, had solid outings despite some challenges, with Rodón allowing two runs and Kelly giving up two runs over seven innings.
