– by Adesina O. Koiki
A Lot of Sports Talk editor-in-chief
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NEW YORK — Though Aaron Judge is on the other side of a pennant race for one of the few times in his Major League career, that didn’t stop him from showing off some of the form that highlighted the pursuit of a playoff spot — and the chance at history — at this point last year.
Judge had another historic night, smashing three home runs during a six-RBI night, leading the New York Yankees to a 7-0 victory over the Arizona Diamondbacks on Friday night in Yankee Stadium. Judge also hit a double as part of his 4-for-4 evening at the plate, while former Diamondback Luke Weaver pitched 5 1/3 scoreless innings for New York to win his first game in his first-ever start at Yankee Stadium.
The treble of homers for Judge was the second time this season that Judge hit three in a game this season, marking the first time in Yankees history that a player has had multiple three-homer games in the same season. It was almost one month to the day, on August 23 against Washington, that Judge pulled off the feat for the first time in 2023.
Despite missing 54 games this season with a toe injury, a stretch of games that saw the Yankees go from playoff hopeful to struggling also ran throughout most of the summer, Judge leads the team in home runs (35) and runs batted in (70). with those 35 dingers ranking third in the American League.
Center fielder Estevan Florial drove in a run in the fifth inning on a drive to left-center that hit the wall and almost left the yard, and then doubled in the seventh inning before being thrown out trying to stretch for a triple.
Arizona starter Brandon Pfaadt struck out eight batters in his 4 1/3 innings pitched, but allowed eight hits (two of them home runs to Judge) and six runs, with five of the runs being earned. The Diamondbacks remain in the second playoff position in the National League Wild Card race, now just a game ahead of the Chicago Cubs, who hold the third and final playoff spot.
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