After opening the scoring with a first-inning home run during Tuesday’s clash in the Bronx, Angels superstar Shohei Ohtani attempted to do it again Wednesday against the Yankees.
Only this time, Aaron Judge took matters into his own hands.
During Ohtani’s first at-bat of Wednesday’s game, he connected with a pitch from Jhony Brito and launched it to deep center field. Judge expertly tracked the ball to the fence before leaping up and bringing the ball back into the field of play.
It wasn’t a clean home run robbery from Judge, however, as the ball nipped off the heel of his glove before the 6’ 7” center fielder recovered to secure a jaw-dropping bare-handed catch.
AARON JUDGE GETS UP TO ROB SHOHEI OHTANI pic.twitter.com/Kw0reHmNbd
— Talkin' Yanks (@TalkinYanks) April 19, 2023
Ohtani was mere inches from registering his second home run of the series at Yankee Stadium, but the heads-up play from Judge helped keep zeroes on the scoreboard through the top half of the first inning.
The reigning American League MVP and home run king doesn’t just hit dingers. He takes them away from fellow superstars, too.
Judge was grinning from ear to ear after bringing the baseball back into play, while Ohtani put his head down and trotted back to the dugout.
After robbing Ohtani’s home run in the top half, Judge hit a two-run shot of his own in the bottom of the first inning off the Angels’ Griffin Canning.
MVP Mash. #AllRise pic.twitter.com/TM6Fc3NXzy
— New York Yankees (@Yankees) April 19, 2023
Talk about making an early impact. Judge came up huge for the Yankees in the first inning, both in the outfield and from the batter’s box.
