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Judge Hits 60th, Yanks Stun Pirates

New York Yankees' Aaron Judge hits his 60th home run of the season, during the ninth inning of the team's baseball game against the Pittsburgh Pirates on Tuesday, Sept. 20, 2022, in New York. (AP Photo/Jessie Alcheh)

NEW YORK — Aaron Judge hit his 60th home run and Giancarlo Stanton followed minutes later with a game-ending grand slam, completing the New York Yankees’ stunning five-run, ninth-inning rally to beat the Pittsburgh Pirates 9-8 on Tuesday night.

Judge moved within one of Roger Maris’ American League record when he turned on a sinker from right-hander Wil Crowe (5-10) and drove it 430 feet into the left-field bleachers, pulling New York within 8-5.

Judge matched the 60 home runs Babe Ruth hit for the 1927 Yankees to set a big league record that stood for 37 years. It came off a pitcher whose great, great uncle, Hall of Famer Red Ruffing, was Ruth’s teammate on the Yankees in the 1930s.

Stanton, mired in a 9-for-72 slump, lined a slam off Crowe to make a winner of Aroldis Chapman (3-3) and set of a raucous celebration at Yankee Stadium.

Roger Maris Jr. and Kevin Maris, sons of the former player, were both on hand. Specially marked balls were used each time Judge walked to the plate. Fans in the outfield seats stood and many in the crowd of 40,157 groaned with each foul ball.

Bryan Reynolds tied the score 4-4 with a seventh-inning home run off Lou Trivino and had a go-ahead single off Jonathan Loaisiga (1-4) in the eighth for his fourth hit.

Rodolfo Castro — the player suspended for a game by Major League Baseball last month after a cell phone flew out of his pocket during a headfirst slide — followed with a three-run homer against Clay Holmes.

Holmes, an All-Star who has slumped in the second half, was pitching against his former team for the first time.

Harrison Bader had a pair of go-ahead singles and drove in three runs in his debut for the Yankees. First baseman Anthony Rizzo made a key error that led to the four-run eighth inning for the already-eliminated Pirates.

Reynolds also had a three-base error on a dropped fly in center, one of two errors by a team that leads the major leagues with 108.

FUNKY

Nestor Cortes stopped his leg twice in a double hesitation windup to Reynolds in the third but gave up a single to center.

FAMILY MATTERS

Former Yankees 3B Charlie Hayes, who caught the final out of the 1996 World Series, threw a ceremonial first pitch to his son, Pirates 3B Ke’Bryan Hayes.

MOVING UP

Pittsburgh promoted six players to Triple-A Indianapolis following the end of the season at Double-A Altoona: RHPs Quinn Priester and Colin Selby, 2B-C-OF Endy Rodriguez, INF Aaron Shackelford, 3B Malcom Nunez, OF Matt Gorski. “Now we have another 10 days of at-bats we can get them,” manager Derek Shelton said. “Losing 2020 was so vital for organizations like ours. The more reps we can get them, the better it is.”

TRAINER’S ROOM

Yankees: RHP Frankie Montas received a second cortisone injection in his ailing right shoulder and went on the 15-day IL, retroactive to Saturday. … LHP Zack Britton (Tommy John surgery) pitched a one-hit inning for Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre in his eighth rehab outing. RHP Miguel Castro (strained shoulder) pitched a hitless inning for the RailRiders.

UP NEXT

New York RHP Luis Severino (5-3, 3.45) starts Wednesday after recovering from a lat strain that has sidelined him since July 13. RHP Roansy Contreras (5-4, 3.24) pitches for the Pirates.

BLUE JAYS 18, PHILLIES 11

PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Matt Chapman hit a three-run homer in the first inning, Jackie Bradley Jr. added a three-run shot in the ninth and Toronto roughed up Philadelphia with 21 hits.

The Blue Jays have won five of seven and have a firm grip on the top AL wild-card spot. The Phillies lost their fifth straight.

Kyle Schwarber hit his NL-best 40th homer of the season for the Phillies in the eighth, a three-run shot that made it 14-10. J.T. Realmuto hit his 20th homer and went 5 for 5 for the Phillies, driving in two runs and scoring twice.

Toronto had 10 extra-base hits and scored in every inning but the fourth. Zach Pop (3-0) helped the Blue Jays escape the fifth inning with a 7-5 lead.

Kyle Gibson (10-7) got battered around for seven runs and 12 hits over five innings.

BRAVES 3, NATIONALS 2

ATLANTA (AP) — Travis d’Arnaud broke a scoreless tie with a two-run homer in the fourth inning, Dansby Swanson went deep in the eighth, and Atlanta beat Washington, clinching a playoff berth not long afterward when Milwaukee lost to the New York Mets.

The Braves have won 10 straight games at home, outscoring opponents 47-15 over this stretch.

Matt Olson singled with out in the fourth before d’Arnaud hit his 18th homer, a 422-foot shot off Erasmo Ramírez (4-2) that made it 2-0.

Charlie Morton (8-6) allowed one run and three hits with three walks and nine strikeouts in 5 1/3 innings.

Kenley Jansen faced seven batters in the ninth, allowing one run before securing his NL-leading 36th save in 43 chances.

METS 7, BREWERS 5

MILWAUKEE (AP) — Francisco Lindor hit a two-out grand slam in the seventh inning and New York rallied from a four-run deficit to beat Milwaukee.

Pete Alonso hit his second three-run homer in as many nights as the Mets maintained their one-game lead in the NL East over Atlanta and dealt a blow to the Brewers’ wild-card hopes. The Mets won with just four hits.

Milwaukee’s loss clinched a playoff spot for Atlanta.

Lindor’s grand slam off Taylor Rodgers (4-8) traveled an estimated 413 feet.

Joely Rodríguez (2-4) earned the win with one inning of shutout relief. Edwin Díaz got four outs for his 31st save.

Willy Adames went 4 for 5 with two RBIs and a pair of doubles for the Brewers.

ASTROS 5, RAYS 0

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. (AP) — Tampa Bay ace Shane McClanahan was pulled in the fifth inning with neck tightness during a loss to Houston.

McClanahan (12-6) was making his second start after returning from the 15-day injured list due to a left shoulder impingement. He allowed five runs for only the second time this season.

Jeremy Pena hit a three-run homer, Jose Altuve scored three runs and the Astros won for the ninth time in 10 games.

Houston starter Cristian Javier (10-9) gave up one hit and won his fourth straight start, striking out six in five innings.

Ryan Pressly got the final two outs for his 29th save in 33 attempts.

DODGERS 6, DIAMONDBACKS 5, GAME 1

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Rookie Miguel Vargas drove in the go-ahead run with an infield single in a five-run eighth inning and Los Angeles rallied for its MLB-leading 44th comeback win in the first game of a doubleheader.

The Dodgers won their fifth in a row and have the majors’ best record at 103-44. They batted around in the eighth and rallied from a 5-1 deficit.

Ryan Pepiot (3-0) got the win. Chris Martin pitched the ninth to earn his second save.

Christian Walker hit his 35th home run and Daulton Varsho also connected for Arizona, which lost for the 20th time in 21 games at Dodger Stadium. Kevin Ginkel (1-1) took the loss.

TIGERS 3, ORIOLES 2

BALTIMORE (AP) — Joey Wentz took a shutout into the sixth inning and Akil Baddoo and Kerry Carpenter homered to lift Detroit past fading Baltimore.

Wentz (2-2) allowed two hits and two walks in 5 2/3 innings. It was the third time in five big league starts that the rookie has held the opposition scoreless.

Rookie standout Gunnar Henderson hit a two-run homer in the seventh for Baltimore’s first runs of the series.

Austin Voth (5-3) allowed two runs and six hits in five innings for the Orioles, who have lost four of five.

RED SOX 5, REDS 3

CINCINNATI (AP) — J.D. Martinez and Rob Refsnyder hit solo homers, and Rafael Devers had a two-run shot as Boston beat Cincinnati.

Red Sox rookie right-hander Brayan Bello (2-6) ended a streak of 44 1/3 innings without allowing a homer as TJ Friedl had a solo shot in the third inning. Bello gave up the run and eight hits in five innings.

Reds rookie left-hander Nick Lodolo (4-7) walked three and hit three batters over his five innings, giving the Reds a major league-record 99 hit batters this season — eclipsing the Chicago Cubs’ total of 98 last year.

Cincinnati loaded the bases with one out in the bottom of the ninth. John Schreiber came in and allowed a sacrifice fly but got the final out for his eighth save.

CUBS 2, MARLINS 1

MIAMI (AP) — David Bote hit a tying home run in the seventh inning, then added a sacrifice fly in the eighth that lifted Chicago over Miami.

Esteban Quiroz got the first two hits of his major league career and P.J. Higgins also had two hits for the Cubs, who snapped a three-game skid.

Chicago loaded the bases with no outs without a hit in the eighth against reliever Steven Okert (5-3). Bote then hit a go-ahead flyball.

Adbert Alzolay (1-1) threw two innings of perfect relief. Brandon Hughes closed with a scoreless ninth around Garrett Cooper’s leadoff double for his sixth save.

ROYALS 5, TWINS 4

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — MJ Melendez hit a two-run homer, Salvador Perez drove in the go-ahead run with a two-out double in the seventh inning, and Kansas City held off fading Minnesota.

Dylan Coleman (5-2) pitched a scoreless seventh for the Royals. Scott Barlow cleaned up Jose Cuas’ mess by striking out Mark Contreras to strand runners on second and third in the eighth, then handled the ninth for his 22nd save.

The Royals trailed 3-0 in the second, pulled ahead in the fifth and were still tied 4-all when Melendez doubled off Twins reliever Michael Fulmer (5-6) in the seventh. Bobby Witt Jr. followed with a double, then took third when Melendez tried to score and was thrown out by Twins left fielder Jake Cave on a bang-bang play at the plate.

Perez came through on the very next pitch, though, dumping the go-ahead double down the right-field line.

Minnesota has dropped five of six to begin an eight-game trip, falling well behind in the wild-card race.

ANGELS 5, RANGERS 2

ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) — Taylor Ward hit a tiebreaking RBI double during Los Angeles’ three-run sixth inning that ended with a triple play by Texas.

Ward doubled into the left-field corner to score Shohei Ohtani from first base off Dennis Santana (3-8), the first of three Texas relievers. Mike Ford and Jo Adell added RBI singles off John King.

With the bases loaded and none out, Max Stassi hit a sharp grounder to third base. Josh Jung fielded the ball and stepped on the base before launching an around-the-horn triple play.

Patrick Sandoval (6-9) got his third consecutive win, allowing two runs in five innings.

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