BOSTON — Aaron Judge visited a part of Fenway Park few have ever been to before, the Yankees went from one run down to two with one swing and many Red Sox fans asked each other if they’d seen where the home run landed.
It was epic. It was a jolt to a team that needed it. But it wasn’t enough.
The only drawback to Judge’s incredible 470-foot home run was that no extra points were awarded for style or distance.
The Yankees captain hit a three-run homer that reached the moon, but still counted for just three runs. Three runs wasn’t enough on a night when the Bombers’ relief pitchers collapsed late in a 9-7 loss to the Red Sox in Friday’s series opener.
Losing seemed all but impossible after Judge swung in the seventh inning, hitting Zach Kelly’s first pitch, a cutter ball, across home plate, and sending the ball soaring toward center field at the far end of the park.
Center fielder Jarren Duran took a few steps back and looked up.
Fans in the center seats were also craning their necks to watch.
The nicked ball slid through the section, under the scoreboard and into the back of the camera well, becoming the third-longest home run at Fenway Park in the Statcast era (since 2015).
Only Miguel Sano (485 feet in 2021) and Vladimir Guerrero Jr. (471 feet on June 24 this season) have climbed deeper.
Judge reached even greater depths this year with a 473-foot shot on May 9 in the Bronx.
“That was as clean a hit as you can get to hit a baseball,” said manager Aaron Boone, who didn’t even know where the ball landed. “He hit it pure.”
Judge ran the bases, saluted the bullpen and jogged toward third base, peering into the bustling visitors’ dugout.
He downplayed the big moment, saying he had to watch the replay later to see where the ball landed.
“I try not to look at the home run,” Judge said of his hit. “It was cool to see the excitement from the team.”
Judge’s 36th homer of the season gave the Yankees a 6-4 lead, and the next batter, Austin Wells, homered to extend the lead to three runs.
It felt like a much-needed breakthrough for a team that had been lackluster for the better part of the past six weeks. It was simply another giant shot for a Titanic-like squad.
“It just gave us a leash,” Judge said. “It’s not safe without a leash, especially in this park.”
