No-brainer to take the bat out of Aaron Judge's hands
Yankees designated hitter Aaron Judge hits a solo home run against the Twins in the fourth inning during the first game of an MLB doubleheader at Yankee Stadium on Wednesday. Credit: Kathleen Malone-Van Dyke
The Twins provided a glimpse into a future without Aaron Judge during Wednesday’s doubleheader in the Bronx.
Not the doomsday scenario of Judge signing elsewhere at season’s end. It’s a bit early to be prepping for that hysteria. We’re talking more about the rest of September, as the Yankees cling to their five-gave lead atop the AL East, and presumably deep into October, right up to the anticipated ALCS showdown with the Astros.
Because as long as the banged-up Yankees are forced to use Scranton-inspired lineups like the ones they deployed for Wednesday’s doubleheader, which they swept anyway by the scores of 5-4 (12 innings) and 7-1, Judge is going to increasingly become a non-factor in some big situations down the stretch.
Even the Twins ultimately figured out how to neutralize him after watching Judge slug two homers in as many games, including Wednesday’s opener in the fourth inning, when he hammered No. 55 into the leftfield seats. After that, the Twins walked him five times on the night, including three intentionally.
“I don’t want to think about it because I still got to stay mentally ready,” Judge said afterward. “If I get walked, then I’ll pass the baton to the guy behind me and I know they’ll get it done.”
This being the Twins, however, the Yankees scraped up enough offense to do the trick. In Game 1, Gleyber Torres hit a tying, two-run homer and Oswaldo Cabrera delivered a two-out walkoff RBI-single in the 12th. In Game 2, Isiah Kiner-Falefa played the Judge role by swatting his first career grand slam -- his second homer in as many games after hitting one all season.
Judge is still going to get some swings, just in lower-damage circumstances. In Game 1, when he led off the fourth inning, Twins starter Louie Varland -- making his MLB debut -- probably was a bit overconfident after claiming Judge as his first career K. In their next meeting, Varland wasn’t so lucky. He threw him an 85-mph changeup in the middle of the plate and Judge did what you would expect with such a pitch.
Beyond that, reliever Griffin Jax got Judge to pop out with a runner on in the sixth -- Torres followed with the tying homer -- and Judge never saw a pitch again as the game stretched into the 12th inning. With two outs in the eighth, and the go-ahead run at second, Twins manager Rocco Baldelli quickly held up four fingers. It happened again with Judge leading off the 11th -- first was open behind the ghost runner -- and the Yankees also failed to score that inning despite loading the bases with none out (No. 4 hitter Ronald Guzman bounced into a 3-2-3 double play that sabotaged the threat).
The Twins, as usual in these parts, did very little right Wednesday. They committed four errors and played the comical brand of baseball they’re known for during every visit to the Bronx (now 2-24 there since 2015). But it’s a no-brainer to take the bat out of Judge’s hands -- something the Twins refused to do when he beat them almost singlehandedly Tuesday -- as the Yankees have precious few weapons at the moment.
Wednesday’s Game 1 lineup had three of what we’d consider to be Yankees starters: Judge, Torres and Kiner-Falefa (Kyle Higashioka is essentially a backup). The other five were either fresh up from Triple-A Scranton or recent additions. Put it this way: If the Yankees sent their Game 1 lineup to Clearwater in March, the Phillies would have been annoyed by the lack of major-league quality players to make the trip.
Then again, manager Aaron Boone is nearly out of options. Boone announced after Game One that DJ LeMahieu (toe) could end up on the injured list, but was more optimistic that Giancarlo Stanton (Achilles) might return soon. Neither one made an appearance Wednesday night.
So no LeMahieu, Stanton or Anthony Rizzo, who was put on the IL Tuesday and sounds no closer to leaving his apartment due to debilitating headaches. The fewer credible bats around Judge, the fewer pitches he’s going to see moving forward. That’s the reality.
“Absolutely,” Boone said. “You try to get him into some spots where there’s no other choice, but I think we’re definitely seeing that.”
For good reason. As MLB.com’s Bryan Hoch tweeted before Game 1, since Aug. 1, Judge is hitting .317 with a 1.191 OPS and 12 homers in 136 plate appearances. The rest of the Yankees are batting .203 with a .577 OPS and 21 homers in 1,051 plate appearances. Those stunning numbers alone should be enough to earn Judge the MVP, as well as a contract over $300 million, but bring into question the Yankees ability to compete if teams keep pitching around him -- or flashing four fingers.
The solution? “Do your job,” Boone said, referring to Judge’s supporting cast. “We need that to happen.”
It’s worked against the Twins. Anyone else is going to be more difficult.
David Lennon is an award-winning columnist, a voter for baseball's Hall of Fame and has covered six no-hitters, including two perfect games.
