Aaron Judge joined an elite club in New York on Tuesday and hit his 60th long ball of the season in the Yankees’ 9-8 win over the Pittsburgh Pirates.
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The fielder became only the sixth player in major league history to pull off such a feat. The judge threw out an offer from Wil Crowe in the ninth inning.
Although Judge is the sixth athlete in history to hit 60 home runs in a single season, it is the ninth time the feat has been accomplished as Sammy Sosa has done it three times while Mark McGwire has done it twice.
Richter will now try to join Roger Maris, who had managed 61 in 1961. It is he who holds the record in American.
Judges’ strike heralded a comeback for the crowd’s favourite. Trailing 8-4 early in the ninth inning, the outfielder initially allowed the Bronx Bombers to cut the Pirates’ lead to three runs. Then, a few minutes later, Giancarlo Stanton scored a grand slam that ended hostilities.
Crowe (5-10) was also the victim of that offensive boost, he who inherited the loss.
Harrison Bader also had a good game for the winners, hitting two singles and driving in three runs.
On the mound, starter Nestor Cortes did fairly well, giving up a small run with five hits and two free passes in five innings of work, but he had no part in the decision. Rather, it was assist Aroldis Chapman (3-3) who saw the win add to his tally.