NEW YORK — Aaron Judge is on the board.
The slugger smashed his first home run of the postseason in the Yankees’ 6-3 win over the Cleveland Guardians on Tuesday night in the Bronx, delivering a two-run dagger in Game 2 of the American League Championship Series.
Judge flashed a smile as he rounded the bases after his 414-foot blast off of reliever Hunter Gaddis cleared the center-field wall. The seventh-inning shot helped lead the Yankees to a 2-0 advantage in the best-of-seven playoff series.
The homer marked the first hit of the ALCS for Judge, who was 2 for 17 with six walks and two sacrifice flies in these playoffs to that point.
Judge, 32, is the heavy favorite to win his second American League MVP award after leading the majors with 58 home runs, 144 RBIs and a 1.159 OPS in the regular season.
But amid his slow start to the postseason, the Guardians opted Tuesday to intentionally walk Juan Soto with one out in the second inning, loading the bases for Judge.
Judge responded by lifting a sacrifice fly to center field against Cleveland strikeout specialist Cade Smith, putting the Yankees up, 3-0.
The decision to walk anyone — even Soto, who is hitting .350 this postseason — in front of Judge came as a shock, including to Anthony Volpe, who waved his arms in disbelief in the Yankees’ dugout.
It was only the second time this year that a team intentionally walked Soto in front of Judge. The first instance occurred on Aug. 14 in Chicago, and Judge punished the White Sox in that at-bat by hitting a three-run home run for the 300th homer of his career.
Judge now boasts 14 postseason home runs — the fifth most in Yankees history — through 50 career playoff games.