AP

Judge hits 53rd HR, Yankees stop Rays, avoid 3-game sweep

Sep 4, 2022, 2:45 AM | Updated: 3:37 pm

New York Yankees' Aaron Judge point to the dugout while circling the bases after hitting a home run...

New York Yankees' Aaron Judge point to the dugout while circling the bases after hitting a home run against the Tampa Bay Rays during the first inning of a baseball game Sunday, Sept. 4, 2022, in St. Petersburg, Fla. (AP Photo/Scott Audette)

(AP Photo/Scott Audette)


              New York Yankees right fielder Aaron Judge celebrates with New York Yankees shortstop Isiah Kiner-Falefa after the Yankees defeated the Tampa Bay Rays in a baseball game, Sunday, Sept. 4, 2022, in St. Petersburg, Fla. (AP Photo/Scott Audette)
            
              New York Yankees' Aaron Judge watches his double to right field against the Tampa Bay Rays during the seventh inning of a baseball game Sunday, Sept. 4, 2022, in St. Petersburg, Fla. (AP Photo/Scott Audette)
            
              New York Yankees' Aaron Judge, left, celebrates with Oswaldo Cabrera after scoring against the Tampa Bay Rays during the seventh inning of a baseball game Sunday, Sept. 4, 2022, in St. Petersburg, Fla. Cabrera hit a sacrifice fly that allowed Judge to score. (AP Photo/Scott Audette)
            
              New York Yankees' Aaron Judge, right, celebrates with Giancarlo Stanton after scoring against the Tampa Bay Rays during the seventh inning of a baseball game Sunday, Sept. 4, 2022, in St. Petersburg, Fla. (AP Photo/Scott Audette)
            
              Home plate umpire Vic Carapazza ejects New York Yankees manager Aaron Boone from the game against the Tampa Bay Rays during the fifth inning of a baseball game, Sunday, Sept. 4, 2022, in St. Petersburg, Fla. (AP Photo/Scott Audette)
            
              Home plate umpire Vic Carapazza, right, ejects New York Yankees manager Aaron Boone, left, from a baseball game against the Tampa Bay Rays during the fifth inning Sunday, Sept. 4, 2022, in St. Petersburg, Fla. (AP Photo/Scott Audette)
            
              New York Yankees' Josh Donaldson talks with home plate umpire umpire Vic Carapazza during the second inning of a baseball game against the Tampa Bay Rays, Sunday, Sept. 4, 2022, in St. Petersburg, Fla. (AP Photo/Scott Audette)
            
              New York Yankees' Aaron Judge circles the the bases after hitting a home run against the Tampa Bay Rays during the first inning of a baseball game Sunday, Sept. 4, 2022, in St. Petersburg, Fla. (AP Photo/Scott Audette)
            
              New York Yankees starting pitcher Frankie Montas throws to a Tampa Bay Rays batter during the first inning of a baseball game Sunday, Sept. 4, 2022, in St. Petersburg, Fla. (AP Photo/Scott Audette)
            
              New York Yankees' Josh Donaldson, fourth from left, talks with home plate umpire umpire Vic Carapazza during the second inning of a baseball game against the Tampa Bay Rays, Sunday, Sept. 4, 2022, in St. Petersburg, Fla. (AP Photo/Scott Audette)
            
              Tampa Bay Rays' Yandy Diaz reacts after striking out looking to end the baseball game against the New York Yankees, Sunday, Sept. 4, 2022, in St. Petersburg, Fla. (AP Photo/Scott Audette)
            
              New York Yankees' Aaron Judge point to the dugout while circling the bases after hitting a home run against the Tampa Bay Rays during the first inning of a baseball game Sunday, Sept. 4, 2022, in St. Petersburg, Fla. (AP Photo/Scott Audette)

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. (AP) — Aaron Judge led off the game with his major league-leading 53rd homer and the New York Yankees stopped the Tampa Bay Rays 2-1 Sunday to avoid a three-game sweep.

Judge set a career high for homers, topping the 52 he hit as a rookie in 2017. He also doubled, singled and scored both New York runs.

“We were focused on today,” Judge said. “We really didn’t focus on the past two days, and I think that’s what helped us go out there and get this one today.”

Frankie Montas (5-11) allowed one hit over five shutout innings as the AL East-leading Yankees increased their lead to five games over Tampa Bay. The Rays trailed by 15 1/2 games on July 10.

Yankees manager Aaron Boone, who watched the final half of the game after being ejected, greeted players outside the clubhouse entrance after the important victory.

“It’s way more nerve-wrecking up here,” Boone said. “My pacemaker was kicking into overdrive.”

Down 2-0, Tampa Bay tried to rally in the ninth against Clay Holmes, the fourth Yankees reliever. David Peralta led off with his second double of the game and scored on a one-out single by pinch-hitter Francisco Mejia.

Jonathan Aranda doubled with two outs before Holmes struck out Yandy Díaz looking at a 3-2 pitch for his 18th save. Díaz had already tossed his bat aside and was headed toward first base when plate umpire Vic Carapazza called strike three. Díaz slammed his batting helmet to the ground.

Holmes’ final pitch was 101.7 mph, his fastest ever. His only other career triple-digit offering came earlier season also against Díaz.

“Yandy thought the ball was down,” Rays manager Kevin Cash said. “Was it down? A strike? I’m not sure. … It’s a close pitch, there’s no doubt about it.”

Boone was tossed in the fifth inning by Carapazza for arguing after Tampa Bay’s Taylor Walls reached on catcher’s interference.

The benches briefly emptied when Josh Donaldson took issue after a 3-0 pitch from Rays opener Shawn Armstrong was up-and-in leading off the second. Donaldson barked at the right-hander, but there were no significant incidents.

“It gets your attention,” Boone said. “Look, he’s just saying get it down. That’s just heat of the moment competition.”

Judge connected on the second pitch of the game from Armstrong (2-2), sending a drive into the left-field stands. The slugger, who had a ninth-inning homer in Saturday’s 2-1 loss to the Rays, flied out to the edge of the warning track in center with two on to end the eighth.

Judge opened the seventh with a double, advanced to third on DJ LeMahieu’s groundout and scored to make it 2-0 on a sacrifice fly by Oswaldo Cabrera.

“Special player, he’s having an MVP season,” Cash said. “He’s really tough to pitch to,”

Montas (5-11), who struck out seven without a walk, was pulled after making 93 pitches. The right-hander, 0-2 with a 7.01 ERA in his first five starts since being acquired from Oakland, had two outings earlier this season against the Rays while with the Athletics and has limited them to one earned run over 18 1/3 innings.

Tampa Bay loaded the bases with two out in the seventh before Jonathan Loaisiga retired Díaz on broken-bat grounder.

With runners on first and second with one out in the fifth, LeMahieu hit a foul that was caught by catcher Christian Bethancourt at the screen. Boone argued the ball gazed the netting, but the call stood after a video review.

Later in the fifth, struggling Giancarlo Stanton flied out to deep right with the base loaded to end the inning. He went 0 for 5, and has four hits in 35 at-bats since returning from an Achilles injury.

TURNOUT

The announced crowd was a sellout at 25,025. The series average was 21,555, well above the Rays’ home season average of 14,023.

TRAINER’S ROOM

Yankees: Boone said OF Andrew Benintendi, hurt on a swing Friday, will have surgery to repair a broken hook of the right hamate bone. Boone said he didn’t know if it was a season-ending injury. … Boone is hopeful that 1B Anthony Rizzo (lower back) will resume baseball activities Monday.

Rays: LHP Shane McClanahan (left shoulder impingement) threw at 75 feet. … 2B Brandon Lowe (bruised right elbow) is taking batting practice.

UP NEXT

Yankees: RHP Jameson Taillon (12-4) and Minnesota RHP Chris Archer (2-7) are Monday’s starters in New York. Taillon was hit in the right forearm by a batted ball Tuesday.

Rays: Will face Boston RHP Michael Wacha (10-1) on Monday.

___

More AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/mlb and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports

Copyright © The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

AP

Associated Press

Ex-Packer Guion gets 1 year for domestic violence assault

GREEN BAY, Wis. (AP) — Former Green Bay Packers defensive tackle Letroy Guion was sentenced to one year in jail after pleading no contest in a domestic violence assault at his home last fall. Brown County Circuit Court Judge Thomas Walsh also ordered Guion on Tuesday to serve three years’ probation and complete a domestic […]

1 year ago

Joe Jarzynka...

Associated Press

Durant eager for Suns debut vs. Hornets after knee injury

CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) — Kevin Durant has been through quite a bit during his 15-year NBA career — but joining a new team midway through the season is a new one for the 13-time All-Star. The 34-year-old Durant doesn’t seem all that worried. Durant makes his highly anticipated Phoenix Suns debut on Wednesday night against […]

1 year ago

FILE - Miami Dolphins head coach Brian Flores stands on the sideline during the second half of an N...

Associated Press

Judge: NFL coach can press discrimination claims in court

NEW YORK (AP) — NFL Coach Brian Flores can pursue some of his discrimination claims against the league and its teams in court rather than through arbitration, a judge ruled Wednesday. The written decision by Judge Valerie Caproni in Manhattan was issued months after lawyers for the league tried to get the lawsuit moved to […]

1 year ago

Chicago Blackhawks goaltender Alex Stalock cools off in the first period during an NHL hockey game ...

Associated Press

Kane trade reinforces hard reality of Blackhawks rebuild

CHICAGO (AP) — After days of speculation, the harsh reality of the Chicago Blackhawks’ situation was reinforced by one move in a flurry of transactions ahead of the NHL trade deadline. Showtime is over, at least in Chicago, and a seemingly bright future is, well, way off in the distance. The reverberations of Chicago’s decision […]

1 year ago

FILE -  Yves Jean-Bart, president of the Haitian Football Federation, wearing a protective face mas...

Associated Press

Disgraced ex-Haitian soccer president announces he’s back

PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti (AP) — Haiti’s former soccer federation president whose lifetime ban from sport over sexual abuse allegations was overturned last month announced Wednesday that he is reclaiming his position. Yves Jean-Bart’s defiant announcement could lead to a standoff with FIFA, which already has appointed an emergency management committee to lead the Haitian Football Association […]

1 year ago

FILE - Green Bay Packers' Aaron Rodgers walks off the field after an NFL football game against the ...

Associated Press

Rodgers says decision on future will come ‘soon enough’

GREEN BAY, Wis. (AP) — Aaron Rodgers says he will make a decision on his future “soon enough” as the four-time MVP quarterback ponders whether to play next season and if his future remains with the Green Bay Packers. Rodgers, 39, discussed his future while speaking on an episode of the “Aubrey Marcus Podcast” that […]

1 year ago

Judge hits 53rd HR, Yankees stop Rays, avoid 3-game sweep