"We got a lot of faith in Stroman" - Aaron Judge lauds ex-Cubs ace for another scoreless outing for Yankees
New York Yankees captain Aaron Judge extended his hitting streak in his team's 4-1 victory over the San Diego Padres on Saturday. While the Yankees offense has been in red-hot form in the last couple of games, Judge praised Marcus Stroman's scoreless outing from the mound.
A fourth consecutive win helped the Yankees seal the three-game series against the Padres. The Bronx Bombers are now 37-17, the second-best record in the MLB behind the high-flying Philadelphia Phillies.
While Aaron Judge homered for a fourth straight game, the Yankees captain was all praise for ace pitcher Marcus Stroman, who went scoreless through six innings on Saturday.
"He was locked in and that's what you love about him," Judge said. "Especially against a good lineup like this. We got a lot of faith in Stroman, that's why we went out and got him. I guess that's why he wanted to come to New York because he wanted to be in big moments."
The former Chicago Cubs ace allowed three hits and a walk while striking out six batters in his shutout outing. He followed Nestor Cortes Jr. and Carlos Rodon in shutting out the opposition as the Yankees' starting rotation extended their scoreless streak to 26 ¹/₃ innings.
Aaron Judge gets his name into the record books as red-hot streak continues
While Juan Soto hit the ground running for the Yankees after his blockbuster trade from the Padres, Aaron Judge made a slow start to the season. But the Yankees superstar has found his groove over the last four weeks.
Judge's two-run home run off Dylan Cease in the first inning was his 17th of the season, tying him at the top of the home run leaderboard with Gunnar Henderson and Kyle Tucker.
The five-time All-Star became the first player in MLB history to hit 12+ doubles and 11 home runs in a 20-game span. Judge had the following to say after his record-setting outing:
"It's all swing and miss. I think that's the most simple thing, don't sweat it. Gotta hit the baseball, just trying to do your job and that's what everybody is trying to do."
Judge's team will be eying a fifth straight win and a series sweep when they face off against the Padres in the final game of the series on Sunday at Petco Park.