Yankees’ Aaron Judge continues surge with homer, Nestor Cortes remains dominant at home in win over White Sox

18/05/2024

Aaron Judge of the New York Yankees hits a home run against the Chicago White Sox during the first inning at Yankee Stadium on Friday, May 17, 2024, in New York.

NEW YORK — Aaron Judge continues to make his early-season slump a very, very distant memory.

The Yankees slugger smashed another home run during Friday night’s 4-2 win over the Chicago White Sox in the Bronx, giving him seven extra-base hits over his last three games.

The first-inning solo shot against Chicago starter Mike Clevinger jumped off Judge’s bat at 114.4 mph and traveled 433 feet before landing in the second deck in the left-field stands. Judge’s 12 home runs this season are one behind the MLB lead.

Judge also walked three times — including once intentionally — and scored twice during Friday’s 1-for-1 performance, which boosted his season average to .267.

That average sat at .197 through 33 games. Judge had 12 extra-base hits at that point. In the 13 games since, Judge has gone 20 for 43 (.465) with 15 extra-base hits, including six home runs.

Four of those extra-base hits came Wednesday, when Judge delivered three doubles and a homer during a 4-for-4 outing against the Minnesota Twins. He followed that up with two more doubles Thursday to help complete a sweep in Minneapolis.

Judge’s offense on Friday came in support of Nestor Cortes, who continued his season-long dominance at Yankee Stadium by limiting light-hitting Chicago to one unearned run over seven innings.

The left-hander struck out six and surrendered five hits to the White Sox, who own the lowest batting average, on-base percentage and slugging percentage among the 30 MLB teams and have scored the fewest runs.

Cortes now boasts a 1.27 ERA in 35 1/3 innings at home this season, compared to a 6.75 ERA over 25 1/3 innings outside of the Bronx.

He’s delivered three starts of at least seven innings without an earned run at Yankee Stadium this year. Cortes’ latest gem came on the 26th anniversary of fellow lefty David Wells’ perfect game at Yankee Stadium.

Friday marked the fifth consecutive game — or a full turn through the rotation — that a Yankees starter pitched at least six innings and allowed one run or fewer.

Those stellar starts coincide with the Yankees’ five-game winning streak, which has boosted their record to an American League-best 31-15. The White Sox fell to 14-31.

Judge was hardly the only Yankee to pound Chicago pitching. Five of the Yankees’ nine hits registered an exit velocity of at least 102.6 mph. Those included Giancarlo Stanton’s fourth-inning RBI double (106.5 mph) and sixth-inning solo home run (116.2 mph).

The 417-foot blast was Stanton’s 10th home run of the season.

Friday’s win kicked off a seven-game homestand, which continues Saturday afternoon with Luis Gil (4-1, 2.51 ERA) set to start for the Yankees and Brad Keller (0-1, 2.84) slated to pitch for Chicago.

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