Stephen Vogt made the right choice. It was still great though. Still, it was a little insulting, at least to Aaron Judge.
The Guardians' manager had decided to treat Game 2 of the ALCS as close to an elimination as possible and actively steer the team in that direction.
So by the time the second inning rolled around and the Yankees took the lead with three straight hits and were looking to take a two-run lead in this best-of-seven, taking a 2-0 lead, Vogt had already become a great setup man. Ta. Cade Smith.
Then, when Gleyber Torres popped out and put him on second and third base for a first down, Vogt decided he had to do everything he could to keep the Yankees from giving up a third run. After all, in the first seven games against the Yankees this year, including the ALCS opener, Cleveland allowed just 15 runs without the help of the Ghost Runner in overtime.
Several Yankees described what happened next as “choosing poison.” But in October 2024, Juan Soto was far more deadly than Judge, far tougher, and definitely more likely to hit a triple. So Voigt walked Soto and faced a monster of a batter who intentionally walked and was thrown around more than anyone else this season.
“We want to be able to get two outs on one pitch,” Vogt said. “You want to find a way to get out of that inning.”
The previous day in the NLCS, the Dodgers intentionally loaded the bases in front of Mark Vientos, who said he felt insulted by it and countered with a grand slam that was the key to the Mets' victory in Game 2. The judge insisted he did not feel disrespected.
He hit a sacrifice fly to make it 3-0. Judge is still hitless when the count reaches two strikes in his final 21 at-bats of the postseason, so it shouldn't be ignored that this one came one-two from Smith's great right-hander.
But the Yankees needed more from Judge. He is their keeper. As he progresses, the offense and team often progress as well. The Yankees have won this postseason, but it hasn't been all that impressive. They are a home run-hitting team, with just five home runs through five postseason games and the sixth inning of Game 2 of the ALCS, and the first one without a solo hit (Torres in the Division Series opener). He only hit 2 runs). That's why the Yankees couldn't open the game.
Judge was leading 4-2 in the 7th inning with one out and one on first base. Hunter Gaddis, another powerful right-hander, threw a fastball, and Judge hit the hardest ball of the game, a towering 111.3 mph shot to right-center field. It landed in the net 414 feet away. This postseason, the Yankees finally have some breathing room as they face an overwhelmingly strong opponent in the Central Division of the American League. Jose Ramirez's solo home run in the 9th inning was rendered meaningless, resulting in a 6-3 victory.
But it's more than that.
“It feels just right. [when Judge stars]'' said Clay Holmes. “He plays a very important role for the organization. It's that no matter what happens, in his last at-bat, in his last 50 at-bats, we know who he's going to end up being and we have a lot of confidence in that.” It's one of those things where we never doubt him.”
That's true, but October's slump is different from what Judge experienced in April, when he had a long season ahead of him to erase the slide. Judge hit 58 home runs and is likely to become the AL MVP for the second time. But at this time of year, the season could end quickly, and Legacy could go either way just as quickly.
Judge was 3-for-15 with no home runs and one RBI this postseason. He had a batting average of .204 through 49 postseason games. On Tuesday, for the fifth time this postseason, Torres and Soto led off with hits in the first inning and quickly handed the game-breaking baton to Judge. He missed his first four and hit an infield pop-up here, but shortstop Brayan Rocchio dropped it, allowing Torres to score.
Still, the judges left one decision for the final 22, leaving runners in scoring position in the playoffs. It certainly gave Voigt more information to go after Judge, who walked Soto in the second inning. And that had even more resonance for the judges who later broke the fight. The judge insisted that even during this time, “no moment should be overblown.” However, in order for the Yankees to go from 5 to 11 wins in the postseason and advance to the Canyon of Heroes, they desperately need Judge's home run to be the starting point that will lead them.
“It was a big swing to give us that cushion,” Aaron Boone said. “I think the bench was pretty excited when that happened.”
Of course they were excited. The judges are the captains, the most formidable players and catalysts in the sport. When he goes, the Yankees often follow suit. He finally got over the fence in Game 2 of the ALCS. It was worth two runs and a breather, but was it worth more as it was the beginning of tears for the judges?
