Aaron Judge Takes Responsibility After Yankees Sweep in Boston
BOSTON – Aaron Judge, a key figure for the New York Yankees, did not hesitate to take responsibility for the team’s poor results, after the sweep suffered at the hands of the Boston Red Sox in a three-game series. Judge, who underperformed by batting 1-12 in the series, attributed his difficulties to swings taken at pitches outside the strike zone. “You have to hit the strikes,” Judge said after the last game, in which Boston won 2-0. Judge’s performance included three or more strikeouts in three consecutive games, something that has only happened three times in his Major League career. Judge admitted that looking for pitches outside the strike zone was a mistake, and that he tried to “make something happen” at those moments. Despite connecting a solo home run in the first game of the series, Judge accumulated a total of nine strikeouts, marking the first time this season that the Yankees were swept. New York only scored four runs in the three games, matching their lowest amount in a three-game series at Fenway Park, something that hadn’t happened since June 1916 and September 1922. The Red Sox manager, Alex Cora, acknowledged the difficulty of facing Judge, highlighting his skill and the team’s strategy to counter him.Cora added that it’s always a challenge to compete against Judge, whom she considers one of the best players at the moment. Judge’s league-leading batting average dipped to .378. Ben Rice, Judge’s teammate, expressed his confidence in the player’s recovery ability. Judge faced Garrett Whitlock with two runners on base in the eighth inning of the last game, resulting in a double play that ended the inning. Whitlock praised Judge, highlighting his status as one of the best hitters in the world.“It’s very difficult. He’s very good at what he does. We used our fastballs in the right spots, got some swings and misses”.
Alex Cora
