Aaron Judge upstages Shohei Ohtani, Yankees walk-off vs. Angels in 10th on Gleyber Torres' sacrifice fly

Aaron Judge has said it before, multiple times.

He derives as much — if not more — excitement from making a stellar defensive play that saves a run as he does from hitting a homer.

The reigning American League MVP did both Wednesday night and, for one day, changed his tune just a bit regarding the above.

Judge robbed Shohei Ohtani, the 2021 MVP and runner-up to Judge last season for the award, of a home run in the top of the first inning, going up and over the wall in center to bring the ball back.

The centerfielder then crushed his sixth homer of the season in the bottom half, the two-run shot helping send the Yankees to a 3-2 victory over the Angels in 10 innings in front of 31,131 at the Stadium.

“You always love putting runs on the board, especially after the game we had last night when the offense wasn’t really clicking and we were pretty flat,” Judge said, referencing Tuesday night’s 5-2 loss. “Being able to jump out with a two-run lead there . . . was I think big-time for us.”

The Yankees (11-7) won it in the 10th on Gleyber Torres’ sacrifice fly to deep center. His drive scored Isiah Kiner-Falefa, who started the inning on second after striking out to end the ninth.

With a runner at third and one out in the top half of the 10th, third baseman DJ LeMahieu, playing in, made a terrific stop on a Hunter Renfroe ground smash off Ian Hamilton to save a run and set up Torres’ game-winner.

Judge, who very much would like to add a Gold Glove to his career achievement list, saved multiple runs Wednesday.

After the Angels (9-9) had tied it at 2 earlier in the eighth inning against Wandy Peralta, Judge, with a runner on, made a diving catch on Brandon Drury’s laser headed for the gap in right-center to keep the score tied.

“You have to be an all-around athlete, you have to be an all-around player,” said Judge, who dating back to his days in the minors has put as much effort into his defense as his offense. “For me, I never wanted to be a home run hitter or just a hitter, I wanted to be an all-around good athlete.”

The night didn’t have much action after the Judge-dominated first as both teams’ pitching staffs excelled much of the night.

Jhony Brito, coming off last Thursday’s horrid start against the Twins when he allowed seven runs in two-thirds of an inning, was better Wednesday. The rookie allowed one run, three hits and three walks over 4 1⁄3 innings. He struck out three.

Brito, like most in the ballpark, felt Ohtani’s first-inning blast was headed for the other side of the centerfield wall.

“I thought it was going to be a homer,” Brito said through his interpreter of the full-count changeup.

But Judge, after drifting back to the wall, leaped straight up. The ball landed in his glove, which was extended above the wall and slightly overhanging Monument Park, and popped out but into the field of play where Judge corralled it with his bare right hand.

“If I was a good outfielder, I would have caught it on the first try,” Judge said with a smile. “Kind of did a little juggling act out there.”

Michael King took over for Brito with one out in the fifth and runners at second and third, and the top of the order due up. Taylor Ward’s groundout to short made it 2-1 but King struck out Ohtani swinging at a 95-mph sinker.

Rookie Anthony Volpe, who came in hitting .180, went 2-for-4 with a walk and a stolen base, which improved him to 8-for-8 on the season in that category. Volpe, who made several standout defensive plays — including a Jeter-ian play on a ball hit in the hole — singled in the first and scored on Judge’s homer.

“Probably his best game all-around so far,” Aaron Boone said of Volpe. “I think you got the look of how good of a young player he is.”