Judge homers after balk call overturns strikeout; A's lose to Yankees 7-3
Aaron Judge hit a two-run homer in the first inning after Oakland starting pitcher Joe Boyle was called for a balk on the previous pitch and the New York Yankees beat the Athletics 7-3 on Wednesday night.
Anthony Rizzo and Juan Soto also homered as the Yankees won for the fifth time in seven games and improved to 10-1 in their last 11 in the Bronx against Oakland.
It was the first time Judge, Rizzo and Soto homered in the same game this season.
Judge appeared to take a called third strike and was headed back to the dugout, but third base umpire John Tumpane charged Boyle (1-4) with a balk.
"It was a quick pitch," Judge said. "I kind of didn't know what was going on, but it was more subtle waving, 'Go back, go back'. Just, rules are rules."
Added Yankees manager Aaron Boone: "I didn't even realize Judge was walking off because I saw the balk right away and I saw the call right away. So yeah, it worked out."
Judge then hit an outside fastball to the short porch in right field for his 261st homer, passing former captain Derek Jeter for ninth on the Yankees' all-time list.
"It's an umpire judgment call, it was close," Oakland manager Mark Kotsay said. "You don't see that called that often and that moment it gives Judge another pitch and he capitalizes on it. That's definitely umpire's discretion and you can't argue balks. So you kind of have to stick with that."
After hitting his fourth homer, Judge singled in the third. It was the slugger's fourth multihit game this season and first since April 13.
"I like what I saw tonight, just at-bat wise," Boone said of Judge, whose average climbed from .180 to .191.
Anthony Volpe opened the game by making a leaping catch on Ryan Noda and hit an RBI triple in the fourth on a ball that got by Oakland right fielder Lawrence Butler. The shortstop also scored on a sacrifice fly by Soto.
Rizzo homered for the second straight game in the fifth after going deep for the first time since April 6 in New York's four-run first Tuesday. Rizzo homered in consecutive games for the first time since May 19-20.
Soto hit his sixth homer in the sixth, a drive that just cleared the center field fence adjacent to Monument Park.
Alex Verdugo added a sacrifice fly as the Yankees totaled 11 hits.
Brent Rooker hit a three-run homer in the sixth that knocked out New York starter Clarke Schmidt.
Schmidt (2-0) allowed three runs and four hits in 5 1/3 innings. The right-hander struck out six and walked two.
Boyle allowed two runs and three hits in three innings. He struck out six and walked four.
TRAINER'S ROOM
Athletics: 2B Zack Gelof was a late scratch because of left abdominal soreness. An MRI showed a strained left oblique and Gelof is likely headed to the injured list.
Yankees: 3B DJ LeMahieu underwent an MRI and CT scan that showed continued swelling in his right foot and will be shut down for at least another week. LeMahieu was removed in the second inning of his first rehab game Tuesday for Double-A Somerset due to soreness in his right foot. ... INF Jon Berti (strained left groin) could appear in rehab games this weekend. ... RHP Nick Burdi (right hip inflammation) had an injection Monday and could start throwing off a mound in the next few days.
UP NEXT
Oakland LHP Alex Wood (0-2, 7.89 ERA) opposes New York LHP Nestor Cortes (1-1, 3.41) in the finale of the four-game series Thursday.
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