Aaron Judge kissed Yankees logo in win over Guardians to salute fans

It appears that wasn't the case. 

"That was for the fans," Judge said about the gesture he made after he hit a home run in the second inning of what became a 5-1 win over the Guardians in Game 5 of the American League Division Series, per Randy Miller of NJ Advance Media for NJ.com. "I’ve been watching a lot of Premier League soccer games. I see those guys doing it, so it was in the moment. The fans brought the energy from the very first pitch. They were loud, they were screaming and they made it a fun atmosphere." 

Judge heard boos from some among the Yankee Stadium faithful following his fourth strikeout in Game 2 of the series this past Friday but then went yard twice across the subsequent three contests, including during Tuesday's victory. His long-term future remains in doubt after he rejected a seven-year, $213.5 million contract extension offer from the Yankees before Opening Day, a decision that has him set to hit free agency this coming offseason. 

After Judge and company secured an AL Championship Series matchup against the Houston Astros, players began their champagne celebrations on the field in front of those who flocked to the Bronx to support them on a workday afternoon. 

"That’s who you play for," Judge said of those who cheered loudly throughout Tuesday's result. "These fans that continue to show up in the cold games in April to the hot games in the summer when they got better things to do, they continue to show up and pack this place.

"Getting the chance to win a Game 5 here at home and move on to the next round with these fans, that’s what it’s about for us. We wanted to try to get out there as soon as we can with our fans and celebrate a little bit."

Game 1 of the ALCS opens in Houston on Wednesday night.