Following the New York Yankees‘ win over the Cleveland Guardians in Game 2 of the MLB American League Championship Series, Aaron Judge, a key player in the matchup, spoke to the press about a moment of frustration involving a teammate.
The Yankees delivered a strong performance for their home crowd, securing a 6-3 victory that puts them closer to their first World Series appearance since 2009. With a 2-0 lead in the series, they now head to Cleveland with a chance to clinch the series at Progressive Field.
Despite the win, Judge expressed some frustration over a play involving Gleyber Torres. “He did that earlier this year when I hit, so I was pretty upset then, and I was pretty upset again,” Judge said, referring to a moment when Torres failed to tag up on a play.
Judge reflects on Torres’ decision
While Judge’s frustration was evident, he acknowledged the circumstances of the play: “But, like I said, you never know when it’s windy like this, with the ball going down to center field. He’s trying to get into scoring position, so I’ll let this one slide.”
Fortunately for Torres, the play didn’t impact the game’s outcome, as the Yankees controlled the match, highlighted by Judge’s solo home run that helped secure the win.
Judge on the Yankees’ mindset
Tuesday’s victory put the Yankees in high spirits, but Judge remains focused on the challenges ahead. “Guys are excited, but we still know there’s a lot of work to be done,” he said.
“We’re playing against a good Cleveland team that all year they battled. They had some tough games, went through a tough series with Detroit taking it to game five and came out on the other side,” Judge added.
The Yankees and Guardians will meet again next Thursday at Progressive Field in Cleveland. A win would bring New York one step closer to a MLB World Series appearance after a 15-year drought.