New York, NY – September 23, 2023: In a historic and electrifying performance, Aaron Judge propelled the New York Yankees to a crucial 7-1 victory over the Arizona Diamondbacks on Friday night, marking a night of record-breaking accomplishments.
When the Yankees’ clubhouse opened to the media after the game, tradition dictated that the starting pitcher would address reporters first. However, Luke Weaver, one of the newest additions to the Yankees’ roster, broke with tradition. He humorously deferred to Judge, acknowledging the slugger’s extraordinary three-homer performance that had stolen the spotlight.
“Don’t you guys want to talk to Judge?” Weaver quipped, motioning toward his towering teammate, who grinned back from across the room.
Judge’s monumental night began with his first home run in the third inning, a 420-foot shot that cleared the right-center field bullpen after singles from Oswaldo Cabrera and Oswald Peraza set the stage.
In the fifth inning, Judge smashed his second homer, a two-run blast that extended the Yankees’ lead to 6-0. His third home run of the night came in the seventh inning, a 383-foot liner into the second deck in right field, sealing the Yankees’ win and making history.
This remarkable feat marked the first time in the franchise’s 121-season history that a Yankees player had recorded multiple three-homer games in a single season. Yankees manager Aaron Boone lauded Judge, stating, “Somebody’s got to have that. It’s not surprising, I don’t think, to anyone in this room, that it’s Aaron Judge.”
Weaver, reflecting on the historic night, expressed amazement at Judge’s power and batting prowess. “A historical night, just to see three homers. I mean, the guy hits the ball so hard, I’m surprised he doesn’t have a bazillion homers anyway,” Weaver remarked.
Judge’s offensive showcase wasn’t limited to home runs; he also added a first-inning double and a base hit to his impressive 4-for-4 night. All of this came as Judge continued to make strides in his return from a toe injury that had sidelined him for 51 games during the season.
In addition to his historic three-homer game, Judge tied a single-season milestone, hitting 35 home runs in 2023 despite missing 50-plus games due to injury. He matched the record set by Rudy York in 1937, who had appeared in only 104 games for the Detroit Tigers.
Judge’s incredible performance offered a glimmer of hope for the Yankees’ postseason aspirations. As Judge himself put it, “We’re not out of it.” The Bronx Bombers will be relying on more heroics from their star slugger as they push to keep their anemic season alive a little while longer.