Yankees Dominate Guardians with Judge's 48th Homer and Cole's Stellar Performance
- Aaron Judge hits his MLB-best 48th homer for the New York Yankees.
- Gerrit Cole allows only 1 hit in 6 innings, securing a dominant win over the Cleveland Guardians.
- The Yankees defeat the Guardians 6-0 with a strong performance from Judge and Cole.
NEW YORK (AP) — The New York Yankees secured a commanding 6-0 victory over the Cleveland Guardians on Thursday, highlighted by Aaron Judge's major-league leading 48th home run and Gerrit Cole's impressive pitching. Cole allowed just one hit over six innings, marking his 150th career win and placing him among the top active pitchers in the league. Judge's recent power surge continued, as he homered for the sixth time in seven games, showcasing his remarkable consistency this season. Judge's performance has been particularly noteworthy, as he has now hit 44 homers in his last 90 games, a stark contrast to his slow start earlier in the season. Yankees manager Aaron Boone acknowledged the significance of Judge's contributions, especially as he becomes the only Yankee to reach 48 homers at this point in multiple seasons. The 360-foot blast was also notable for being the fourth time this season that Judge homered in three consecutive games. The Yankees capitalized on Judge's presence, scoring four runs in the fifth inning after he drew his 16th intentional walk of the season. This game marked the 10th occasion this year that both Judge and Giancarlo Stanton homered in the same game, further solidifying their offensive prowess. Meanwhile, the Guardians struggled offensively, managing only one hit after allowing a hit to the first batter, a rare occurrence in Yankees history. Looking ahead, the Yankees will face the Colorado Rockies in a three-game series, with Carlos Rodón set to pitch against Kyle Freeland. The Guardians, having been blanked for the 13th time this season, will need to regroup as they continue their campaign.