NEW YORK — Aaron Judge has said it before, multiple times.
He derives as much – if not more – excitement from making a stellar defensive play that saves a run as he does from hitting a home run.
The reigning American League MVP did both Wednesday night.
Judge robbed Shohei Ohtani, the 2021 MVP and runner-up to Judge last season for the award, of a home run in the top of the first inning, going up and over the wall in center to bring the ball back.
The centerfielder then crushed his sixth homer of the season in the bottom half, the two-run shot helping send the Yankees to a 3-2 victory over the Angels in 10 innings in front of 31,131 at the Stadium.
The Yankees (11-7) won it in the 10th on Gleyber Torres’ sacrifice fly to deep center. His drive scored Isiah Kiner-Falefa, who started the inning on second after striking out to end the ninth.
With a runner at third and one out in the top half of the 10th, third baseman DJ LeMahieu, playing in, made a terrific stop on a Hunter Renfroe ground smash off Ian Hamilton to save a run and set up Torres’ game-winner.
Judge, who very much would like to add a Gold Glove to his career achievement list, saved multiple runs Wednesday on defense.
After the Angels (9-9) had tied it at 2-2 earlier in the inning, Judge made a diving catch on Brandon Drury’s laser headed for the gap in right-center to end the threat and keep the score tied.
The night didn’t have much action after the Judge-dominated first as both teams’ pitching staffs excelled much of the night.
Jhony Brito, coming off a start last Thursday against the Twins when he allowed seven runs and six hits in two-thirds of an inning, was better Wednesday, though the righthander didn’t go as deep as the Yankees would have liked. The rookie allowed one run, three hits and three walks over 4 1/3 innings. He struck out three.
Michael King took over for Brito with one out in the fifth and runners at second and third, and the top of the order due up. King fell behind leadoff man Taylor Ward 3-and-0 before the leftfielder grounded to short, which brought in a run to make it 2-1. Ohtani was up next and King stuck him out swinging at a 95-mph sinker.
Wandy Peralta came on for King with two outs and two on in the seventh and also struck out Ohtani to keep it a 2-1 lead.
But after retiring Mike Trout and Anthony Rendon to start the eighth, Renfroe singled and Peralta balked him to second. That proved a critical sequence as former Yankee Gio Urshela dumped a soft liner to center, the RBI single making it 2-2. Drury, another former Yankee, then laced one toward the gap in right-center, the ball off the bat looking like a sure-thing extra base hit. But a hard-running Judge chased it down, saving another run with his catch.
The Angels put two on with two outs in the ninth against Clay Holmes but the closer struck out Trout on a check swing by first base umpire Will Little to end the inning. Angels manager, and former Yankees third base coach, Phil Nevin exploded out of the dugout, aggressively gesturing at Little before he was quickly ejected by the umpire.
Brito retired Angels leadoff man Taylor Ward to start the game on a soft fly out to right before Ohtani stepped in. The DH launched a full-count changeup to center where Judge drifted back to the wall and leaped straight up. The ball landed in his glove, which was extended above the wall and slightly overhanging Monument Park, and popped out but into the field of play where Judge corralled it with his bare right hand.
Anthony Volpe led off the bottom half with a sharp single to left after getting ahead 3-and-1, the first of his two hits. Judge fell behind 0-and-2 before fighting back to a full count. The outfielder then pummeled a 95-mph to left-center for a 2-0 lead.
