"What a night! That was for you yankee faithful!" - Aaron Judge posts a message for the Bronx faithful on Instagram, adds Giancarlo Stanton's walk-off grand slam before his historic 60th homer
Fans are experiencing history and Aaron Judge is at the center of it all. The New York Yankees outfielder continued to marvel as he casually strolled toward Roger Maris' historic American League home run record. The four-time All-Star hit his 60th home run Tuesday night against the Pittsburgh Pirates.
That home run turned out to be crucial as the Yankees went on to win 9-8.
Judge is making it look easy as he now requires just one home run to tie the record with 15 games remaining in the season. Tuesday was a memorable night for the Yankees faithful. The 40,157 fans in attendance at Yankee Stadium were treated to arguably the most exciting game of the year.
Every Aaron Judge at-bat was greeted with cheers and applause.
Aaron Judge posted on Instagram. As you’d expect he put Giancarlo first https://t.co/DiRvtz2CFN
"Aaron Judge posted on Instagram. As you’d expect he put Giancarlo first" - Talkin' Yanks
Judge's caption read:
"What a night! That was for you yankee faithful!"
With his 60th home run of the year, Judge is now one away from a 61-year-old record held by fellow Yankee Maris. It seems inevitable that Judge will overtake Maris to cement his place in baseball history. As always, Judge remained humble and chose to give credit to his partner in crime, Giancarlo Stanton.
In his latest Instagram post, the Yankees slugger posted a rallying message to Yankees fans. The photo he chose to accompany his message was of Stanton rounding the bases. It was a classy move by Judge, who on countless occasions has proven to be a leader on and off the field.
With the Yankees trailing 8-4 entering the bottom of the ninth, all hope looked lost.
Judge sparked a late rally with a rocket to left-center field off Wil Crowe. The Pirates pitcher remained in the game but looked shakey. Anthony Rizzo kept the momentum going with a double before Gleyber Torres walked. Josh Donaldson did his part with a single to center.
Giancarlo stepped up in the bottom of the ninth with the bases loaded and a chance to play the role of hero. With the count at 2-2, Stanton pulled a changeup to left field to complete the miraculous comeback.
Aaron Judge is now one HR away from tying Roger Maris' 61-year-old American League record
While Giancarlo Stanton deserves the bulk of the credit for the win Tuesday, Aaron Judge is all anyone is talking about.
⚖️No. 60 ties The Sultan of Swat for 2nd all-time in American League history!
@TheJudge44 👨⚖️ https://t.co/DNwFXsJFMC
"No. 60 ties The Sultan of Swat for 2nd all-time in American League history!" - New York Yankees
Judge hit home run No. 60 to tie Babe Ruth's record, which stood from 1927 to 1961. The only player in the American League to reach 60 home runs since is Roger Maris. Judge is on the verge of comfortably surpassing both players.
With his contract up for renegotiation, Judge holds all the cards. The Yankees will regret not finalizing a deal for the slugger earlier this season as his value has certainly risen.
Aaron Judge is choosing to focus on a World Series title instead of personal accolades. This season, however, cannot be ignored. He is now on the verge of breaking the home run record and winning the Triple Crown in the same season.