ST. PETERSBURG — A day out of the lineup once again helped to recharge Aaron Judge’s batteries, as the Yankees slugger responded with a two-homer performance in Wednesday’s 5-4 win over the Rays at Tropicana Field.
One night after flying out to the warning track as a ninth-inning pinch-hitter, Judge launched his Major League-leading 26th and 27th home runs, a pair of solo shots that marked his sixth multi-homer performance of the season.
Jose Trevino joined the power party with a go-ahead, two-run blast in the eighth inning off Ralph Garza Jr.
Judge’s drives came in the fourth and seventh innings off Shane Baz and Colin Poche, respectively, including a towering 406-foot blast off a hanging Poche curveball that stayed in the air for 6.7 seconds, clearing a catwalk in left field.
It’s the third time this season that Judge has immediately followed a day off with a two-homer game (also May 1 at Kansas City and May 17 at Baltimore).
Yankees starter Jordan Montgomery permitted four runs and nine hits over six innings, receiving a no-decision as the Bombers took two of three at Tropicana Field. Having tallied an MLB-best 51 wins, New York has only lost two series all year — to the Orioles (April 15-17) and White Sox (May 21-22).
