In Seattle, Aaron Judge had a moment that could make anyone feel human, even if just for a day.
As he stepped up to bat in the eighth inning, the Yankees star was having a tough game—just 3-3 with two strikeouts. But then he saw a slider right down the middle, and well, it ended just like you’d expect: over the fence.
Judge hit his 15th home run, sending it 444 feet, which helped the Yankees clinch a narrow 3-2 victory over the Mariners at T-Mobile Park on Wednesday afternoon.
This win marked another strong effort in the Yankees’ season, with Judge smacking a pitch from Carlos Vargas at an impressive 117.7 mph off the bat, leading to their third consecutive series win as they now hold a record of 25-18, gearing up for the Subway Series this weekend.
Earlier in the game, Paul Goldschmidt tied things up in the seventh inning, hitting a pinch-hit home run on the first pitch from the left-handed reliever Gabe Spier. Goldschmidt has been especially effective against lefties this season.
Before that, the Yankees had scored with back-to-back doubles from Anthony Volpe and Jackson Dominguez off Luis Castillo, narrowing the gap to 2-1. Castillo had largely kept the Yankees in check until the Mariners decided it was time to switch up their pitching strategy.
Warren, despite a decent start, did find himself in a bit of a jam. He struck out a career-high nine batters over five innings, but allowed two runs, with his early pitching displaying plenty of dominance as he struck out five of the first six batters he faced.
Even with Warren pulled from the game, relief pitchers Tyler Matzek, Ian Hamilton, and Fernando Cruz combined to throw 21 pitches over two innings, managing to keep the scoreline intact.
A mishap involving Ben Rice on defense led to a couple of runs that were ultimately charged to Warren, complicating things slightly.
In a tricky defensive play, Leody Taveras hit a ground ball that DJ Lemahieu tried to field cleanly. Rice, who had started toward the ball, didn’t manage to catch a throw in time, resulting in some confusion, but both Taveras and Rice stayed in the game after the play.
Lemahieu ended up with an error on that play, but Rice moved positions from DH to first base afterward, allowing Goldschmidt to step in and contribute.
Warren managed to retire two out of three batters afterward, but a walk to Giorge Polanco loaded the bases, setting the stage for Julio Rodriguez to hit a solid double, putting the Mariners up 2-0.
Trent Grisham got the Yankees off to a quick start with a home run, but Rodriguez’s catch in the outfield kept him from grabbing another run. A terrific leap at the wall proved crucial for the Mariners, preserving the inning for them.
