Aaron Judge and Trent Grisham combined for four home runs and eight runs batted in as the New York Yankees defeated the Los Angeles Angels, 11-10, in a walk-off victory at Yankee Stadium on April 14. The win ended a five-game losing streak for the Yankees.
The game was significant for the Yankees, who had just been swept by the Tampa Bay Rays and were seeking to reverse their recent struggles. Judge set an early tone with a two-run homer in his first at-bat, which traveled 456 feet with an exit velocity of 116.2 miles per hour—the hardest-hit home run in Major League Baseball so far this season.
Judge added another home run later in the game after Mike Trout tied it with a three-run shot for the Angels. Judge’s second homer gave New York back the lead. Grisham also played a key role, hitting his first home run of the season as a pinch-hitter in the fifth inning to give his team a three-run advantage. He followed up with another two-run homer in the ninth inning that tied the game before José Caballero scored on a wild pitch to secure victory.
Manager Aaron Boone said, “In a lot of ways, good to win a game like that… As tough as tonight was for the belly sitting over there — after you get a lead, get another lead and then it’s gone — maybe it was good to have a game like that, where it was a little messy and then the offense was able to really pick up what’s been excellent pitching so far.”
Judge now has 28 career home runs traveling more than 455 feet since Statcast began tracking such data in 2015—second only to teammate Giancarlo Stanton—and recorded his 47th career multi-homer game, passing Mickey Mantle for second most in franchise history behind Babe Ruth’s record of 68.
Reflecting on reaching this milestone during a win, Judge said: “Hopefully, we can keep that list growing. I’ve played a lot of games here, and to be surrounded by some greats like that is special, but [I’m] just happy to do stuff like that in a win.”
Boone also commented on Grisham’s performance: “We talked about some of the guys who had been struggling; I don’t know if I really throw him in that bucket… Just because there have been all the walks; I feel like he’s hit a lot balls on the barrel.”
Looking ahead, both players’ performances could signal improved results for an offense seeking consistency as they continue their season.
