Yankees' Aaron Judge praised for 'creating' Anthony Rizzo HR in ALDS win
New York Yankees All-Star Aaron Judge went 0-3 with three strikeouts during Tuesday's 4-1 victory over the Cleveland Guardians in Game 1 of the American League Division Series but nevertheless helped create the contest's pivotal offensive moment.
As Randy Miller explained for NJ Advance Media for NJ.com, Judge reached first base in the opening at-bat of the bottom of the sixth inning when he was walked by Cleveland starter Cal Quantrill as the Yankees possessed a 2-1 advantage. The new AL single-season home-run record holder then stole second and advanced to third when Guardians catcher Austin Hedges made an errant throw.
These events allowed fellow slugger Anthony Rizzo to change his approach and attempt to hit a sacrifice fly that would've doubled New York's lead. Instead, Rizzo went yard with a shot that ultimately put the contest to bed:
"He’s a student of the game," Rizzo said of Judge after the victory. "He’s well-rounded in every aspect and that’s what makes him so special. He’s not just one-dimensional by any means. He’s the model of a five-tool player. He’s got speed. He can steal bases if he needs to. He’s just all-around prepared at all times."
Miller added that Baseball Savant lists Judge as the sixth-fastest player on New York's ALDS roster "with a sprint speed of 27.3 feet per second." That's impressive considering ESPN stats show Judge stands at 6-foot-7 and around 282 pounds.
The Yankees are next scheduled to host the Guardians in Game 2 on Thursday, but rain could force MLB to postpone that matchup until Friday.
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