Aaron Judge Homers, Sends Yankees To ALDS Vs. Red Sox

Players of the Day for Wednesday, October 3, 2018

American League

Judge: HR, 2B, 2 R, 2 RBI

Aaron Judge socked a two-run homer in the first inning and Luis Severino and the Yankee bullpen made it stand up as the Yankees downed the Oakland A's, 7-2, in the AL Wild Card game.

Judge, who was sidelined with a broken wrist much of the second half of the season, lifted a 2-1 pitch from Oakland's Liam Hendriks 427 feet into the left field stands. Andrew McCutchen, who walked to lead off the inning, was on first base when Judge set off his blast. Judge finished the game 2-for-3, adding a double and scoring in the sixth inning when the Yankees tacked on four more runs.

Severino only lasted into the fifth, but he didn't allow a hit through the first four, pitching out of a bases-loaded jam on an error and two walks in the fourth, the Yankee ace gave up two singles in the fifth before getting any outs and was replaced by Dellin Betances, who got the win, throwing two hitless, scoreless innings.

The Athletics finally struck in the eighth on a two-run homer by Khris Davis, but by then the Yankees had built the lead to six runs. Giancarlo Stanton finished the scoring with his first post-season home run, a solo shot in the Yankee eighth.

Boston, which finished the regular season with the best record in the majors (108-54), awaits their arch-rival in the division series which begins Friday at Fenway Park. Game time is 7:32 pm ET. Houston hosts Cleveland in the other division series. Game one is Friday at 2:05 pm ET.

National League

There were no games in the National League on Wednesday.

The NL division series starts Thursday. The Colorado Rockies play at Milwaukee (5:07 pm ET) and Atlanta is at Los Angeles (8:37 pm ET).