Yankees Fall to A’s Despite Judge’s Homers

WEST SACRAMENTO, CA – Aaron Judge had his first experience in a major league ballpark at a hot minor league venue, noticing several baseballs landing on the warning track.

“It’s a good place to hit,” Judge mentioned on Friday, expressing eagerness for the following day.

Many players from the Yankees squad seemed to relish the unique qualities of the capital city, where the game felt lively, almost like a rubber ball bouncing around.

However, the outcome was frustrating.

On a day when an outfielder struggled to track a drifting ball, the Oakland Athletics launched three home runs, overpowering the Yankees with an 11-7 victory in front of a packed house at Sutter Health Park on Saturday.

The Yankees (22-17) couldn’t fully capitalize on Judge’s multi-home run game, which included a notable shot from Oswald Peraza, as they battled back from a four-run deficit.

After leading through six innings, the Yankees’ bullpen faltered, allowing seven runs in the seventh and eighth innings.

In the seventh, after closing the gap, the A’s took the lead against Fernando Cruz.

Brent Rooker got a single, and Tyler Soderstrom followed with a double, reaching base. When Shea Langeliers connected with Cruz’s splitter, both runners scored, culminating in a three-run home run that pushed the game forward until center fielder Trent Grisham collided with the wall.

In the eighth inning, the Yankees threatened again, managing to score with one out while seeking to regain the advantage. However, A’s pitcher Mason Miller managed to escape trouble, striking out Ben Rice and Paul Goldschmidt.

The A’s secured their win, pulling away in the bottom of the eighth, scoring four runs off Ian Hamilton and Tyler Matzek.

Hamilton loaded the bases only to turn it over to Matzek, who allowed a two-run single by Soderstrom and a two-run double from Langeliers.

This effectively dashed the Yankees’ hopes for a comeback, which had shown promise earlier in the game.

The Yankees capitalized on an early deficit, going 4-0 after four innings despite giving up two home runs to Carlos Rodon. They managed to score once in the sixth but struggled to regain control.

In the fourth inning, Judge faced a fan who yelled “overrated!” and made an immediate impact by hitting a home run against his former teammate, JP Sears, sending the ball over the right-center wall.

Two innings later, Judge hit his second home run of the day.

With a single pitch from Sears, Judge sent a line drive over deep into center field, marking one of the best homers of the season.

After that, a threat began with a walk from Cody Bellinger and a double by Anthony Volpe, resulting in sacrifice flies from Austin Wells and pinch-hitting Oswaldo Cabrera.

When Jackson Dominguez reached the plate tied in the early innings, Peraza nailed a 1-2 pitch for a two-run homer that temporarily put the Yankees ahead.

As DJ LeMahieu returned to Seattle on Monday, Peraza’s position on the roster seemed uncertain. This home run, just his second of the season, had special significance for him; he slammed his bat into the dirt, celebrating enthusiastically as he reached first base.

Ultimately, though, that swing marked the last bright spot for the Yankees on a challenging day.