Aaron Judge robbed Shohei Ohtani of a homer just before hitting a two-run shot of his own, and the New York Yankees beat the Los Angeles Angels 3-2 Wednesday night on Gleyber Torres’ sacrifice fly in the 10th inning.
Judge also saved the go-ahead run with a diving grab in the eighth inning, and the Yankees evened this star-studded series after dropping the opener.
Gio Urshela tied it 2-all for the Angels in the eighth with a two-out RBI single against his former team – one pitch after Wandy Peralta balked Hunter Renfroe to second base.
Brandon Drury followed with a slicing drive to deep right-center that would have knocked in the go-ahead run if Judge hadn’t made a sensational catch just shy of the warning track.
Angels manager Phil Nevin was ejected in the ninth for arguing after Mike Trout was called out to end the inning on a full-count check swing with two on against Clay Holmes. Between innings, Nevin went all the way out to shallow right field to get in the face of first base umpire Will Little and give him an earful.
New York Yankees’ Aaron Judge watches his two-run home run against the Los Angeles Angels
With one out and the automatic runner at second, Judge was intentionally walked in the 10th before Matt Moore (1-1) plunked Anthony Rizzo with a breaking ball to load the bases.
Torres, in a 1-for-21 slide, lofted a fly ball to deep right-center, and Isiah Kiner-Falefa scored easily from third without a throw.
Ian Hamilton (1-1) worked a scoreless inning for his second major league win, aided by a fine play at third base from DJ LeMahieu.
The game got off to a rousing start when Ohtani, the second batter, sent a high fly to deep center field. The 6-foot-7 Judge went back to the wall and jumped, a little to the right of the 408-foot sign in front of Monument Park.
The ball hit the heel of Judge´s glove well above the fence and caromed back toward the warning track. As he landed on his feet after keeping the ball in the park, Judge stuck out his bare hand and completed the catch – a snapshot play headed for the highlight reels in this three-game series featuring several of baseball´s biggest stars.
Last year´s AL MVP paused a moment and flashed a wide smile wide as he tossed the ball in.
Judge then launched a two-run shot into the left-center bullpen in the bottom of the first off Griffin Canning for his sixth homer this season. The slugger hit 62 last year, breaking the American League record.
In the series opener Tuesday night, Ohtani hit a two-run homer in the first inning, sending the Angels on their way to a 5-2 victory. The two-way superstar won the 2021 AL MVP award before finishing runner-up to Judge last year.
Ohtani had several chances to do damage Wednesday but stranded three runners with inning-ending strikeouts in the fifth and seventh.
Yankees rookie Jhony Brito rebounded from a dreadful outing last week, when he gave up seven runs while getting only two outs against Minnesota. The right-hander took a shutout into the fifth this time and was charged with one run over 4 1/3 innings.
The second double of the night by Angels rookie Zach Neto chased Brito and set up Taylor Ward’s RBI groundout against Michael King.
Canning allowed two runs and four hits over 5 1/3 for Los Angeles in his second start following a long injury layoff.
New York Yankees’ Anthony Rizzo celebrates with Aaron Judge after Judge hit a two-run homer
PADRES 1, BRAVES 0
Juan Soto homered off Charlie Morton (2-2) leading off the fourth, his fourth homer of the season, stopping Atlanta’s eight-game inning streak. The Braves were blanked for the first time this season.
Nick Martinez (1-1) allowed three hits in seven innings, and Josh Hader pitched the ninth for his fifth save.
San Diego won for just the second time in eight games and will welcome back superstar Fernando Tatis Jr. on Thursday in the opening game of a four-game series at Arizona. Tatis finished an 80-game PED suspension on Wednesday.
San Diego Padres’ Juan Soto, right, poses for a photo with teammate Ha-Seong Kim after hitting a home run during the fourth inning of a baseball game against the Atlanta Braves, Wednesday, April 19, 2023, in San Diego. (AP Photo/Gregory Bull)
RAYS 8, REDS 0
Yandy Díaz homered on the third pitch of Levi Stoudt´s big league debut to spark a six-run first inning, and Tampa Bay improved to a major league-best 16-3.
Tampa Bay pitched its second straight shutout and has six this season, more than half the Rays total of 10 for all of last year.
Drew Rasmussen (3-1) allowed three hits and three walks in five innings with seven strikeouts.
Cincinnati dropped to a season-worst four games under .500 at 7-11 and was held scoreless in consecutive games for the first time since April 2019.
Stoudt (0-1), a 25-year-old right-hander acquired from Seattle in last summer´s trade that sent Luis Castillo to the Mariners, allowed seven runs, nine hits and one walk in four innings with three strikeouts.
Rays’ Yandy Diaz runs the bases after hitting a solo home run during game against the Rays
GUARDIANS 3, TIGERS 2
José Ramírez a three-run homer off Spencer Turnbull (1-3) in the sixth inning. Detroit had won five straight after a 2-9 start
Paul Quantrill (1-1) allowed four hits over six shutout innings, then left after Kerry Carpenter´s line drive hit him on a leg.
Emmanuel Clase pitching the ninth for his sixth save.
Cleveland Guardians starting pitcher Cal Quantrill throws during the first inning of baseball
GIANTS 5, MARLINS 2, 11 INNINGS
Michael Conforto and Mike Yastrzemski hit two-run homers off Devin Smeltzer (0-1) in the 11th inning as San Francisco stopped a five-game losing streak. Miami had won six of its previous seven games
Camilo Doval (1-2) got three outs in the 10th around intentional walks to Luis Arraez and Jorge Soler. Doval struck out Bryan De La Cruz and Avisail Garcia to end Miami´s threat.
Taylor Rogers entered with two on and one out, struck out Jazz Chisholm Jr. and hit Garrett Cooper with a pitch. Rogers then retired Arraez on a groundout for his first save this year.
San Francisco’s Michael Conforto is congratulated in the dugout after hitting a two-run homer
CARDINALS 14, DIAMONDBACKS 5
Tommy Edman had a three-run homer with a career-best five RBIs and Nolan Gorman hit his first big league grand slam as St. Louis Cardinals avoided a three-game sweep.
Madison Bumgarner (0-3) allowed seven runs, seven hits and four walks in three innings. The 33-year-old left-hander´s ERA rose from 7.90 to 10.26 in four starts.
St. Louis set a season high for runs, scoring three or more runs in four innings.
Jake Woodford (1-2) earned his first win as a starter since last Aug. 23, allowing four runs and eight hits in five innings.
St. Louis Cardinals’ Tommy Edman (19) and Brendan Donovan (33) celebrate a 14-5 victory
RANGERS 12, ROYALS 3
Jonah Heim hit a three-run homer, Marcus Semien had three hits and drove in a pair of runs. Texas won its fourth straight.
Martin Pérez (3-1) allowed three runs on eight hits over 5 2/3 innings.
Kansas City has been outscored 52-15 while losing six straight games and is 4-15 under first-year manager Matt Quatraro. Brady Singer (1-2) allowed five runs, six hits and three walks in five innings.
Texas Rangers’ Marcus Semien is congratulated after scoring against the Kansas City Royals
PHILLIES 5, WHITE SOX 2
Trea Turner hit his first home run for Philadelphia after leaving the Los Angeles Dodgers for a $300 million, 11-year contract, then singled and scored in the third and capped a two-run fourth with an RBI double. Brandon Marsh also went deep.
Taijuan Walker (2-1) gave up two runs and five hits in 6 1/3 innings, and José Alvarado pitched the ninth for his second save.
Mike Clevinger (2-1) gave up three runs and six hits in three innings as the White Sox lost for the sixth time in eight games.
Phillies’ Brandon Marsh celebrates his home run off Chicago White Sox pitcher Mike Clevinger
PIRATES 14, ROCKIES 3
Rodolfo Castro hit a 458-foot homer and drove in four runs as Pittsburgh completed a three-game sweep in which it outscored Colorado 33-9.
Colorado has lost eight straight games and is a National League-worst 5-14. The game drew 18,511, the smallest crowd for a Coors Field game with unrestricted ticket sales since 18,341 on April 18, 2013.
Andrew McCutchen put the Pirates ahead in the first with an RBI double off Austin Gomber (0-4) and hit a 442-foot home run in the second as Pittsburgh took a 9-0 lead. Johan Oviedo (2-1) gave up one run and three hits in six innings.
Pittsburgh Pirates celebrate after the ninth inning of game against the Colorado Rockies
CUBS 12, ATHLETICS 2
Dansby Swanson scored the tiebreaking run standing up on an infield grounder to spark a four-run sixth inning, and Chicago finished a three-game sweep. The A´s have lost seven straight and at 3-16 are mired in their poorest 19-game start since the 1951 Philadelphia A´s.
Eric Hosmer hit his first home run since last July 29 for San Diego, and Patrick Wisdom had a two-run triple.
Justin Steele (3-0) struck out five in six innings, allowing two runs – one earned – and four hits.
Mason Miller made his major league debut and allowed two runs, four hits and one walk with five strikeouts in 4 1/3 innings.
Cubs catcher Tucker Barnhart, and pitcher Julian Merryweather celebrate the 12-2 victory
BREWERS 5, MARINERS 3
Eric Lauer (3-1) allowed just four hits over 7 2/3 innings as Milwaukee finished a three-game sweep, giving up Julio Rodriguez’s two-run homer in the third.
Brice Turang hit a go-ahead single in a five-run seventh off Matt Brash (1-2), who relieved Marco Gonzales with two on and a 2-0 lead.
Matt Bush got two outs for his first save this season.
Brewers’ Jesse Winker reacts after he and Brian Anderson scored on a single by Brice Turang
ORIOLES 4, NATIONALS 0
Kyle Bradish (1-0) allowed five hits over six innings in his return from a bruised left foot n April 3, combining with four relievers to extend Baltimore’s scoreless streak to 26 innings.
Adam Frazier hit a two-run homer in the fourth off MacKenzie Gore (2-1).
Washington has lost six of seven. The Orioles are on a season-high three-game winning streak.
Baltimore Orioles pitcher Kyle Bradish throws to a Washington Nationals batter during the first
TWINS 10, RED SOX 4
Joey Gallo hit a three-run homer in his return from the injured list, and Trevor Larnach and Edouard Julien also homered. Gallo, who missed 10 games with a right intercostal strain, had two hits and Larnach had a three-run homer and four RBIs.
Joe Ryan (4-0) allowed three runs and six hits in six innings and Brent Headrick got a save in his major league debut, giving up one run and one hit in three innings.
Corey Kluber (0-4) gave up seven runs and six hits in five innings, his ERA jumping to 8.50.
Twins’ Joey Gallo signals skyward after hitting a three-run home run during the third inning
METS 5, DODGERS 3
Max Scherzer was ejected in the fourth inning after the umpires´ customary check of his glove, but New York´s bullpen came through and Brandon Nimmo went 5 for 5 in the Mets´ 5-3 victory over the slumping Los Angeles Dodgers on Wednesday.
Nimmo hit a two-run homer off Noah Syndergaard (0-3) in the fifth inning, and he singled and scored on Mark Canha´s two-run double in the ninth to complete his second career five-hit game.
Five Mets relievers filled in resourcefully for Scherzer, who was furious when umpire Phil Cuzzi tossed him following the inspection of his glove. Scherzer yelled “It´s rosin!” at umpires when was ejected after three scoreless innings of one-hit ball.
Jimmy Yacabonis (2-0) pitched 2 2/3 innings of two-hit ball after getting the abrupt call to the mound following Scherzer´s ejection. Adam Ottavino got his third save.
New York Mets starting pitcher Max Scherzer, left, is ejected from the game om the fourth
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