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Yankees’ Aaron Judge highlights ideal lineup setup after Royals sweep
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- Yankees’ Aaron Judge highlights ideal lineup setup after Royals sweep
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The New York Yankees beat the Kansas City Royals 7-0 on Sunday, completing a three-game sweep. Aaron Judge hit his 90th 1st inning home run to put the Yankees in front, and they never looked back. It was a two-run smash for the captain, thanks to lead-off hitter Ben Rice getting on. Judge was asked who he likes hitting lead off after the game.
“I just love having guys on in front of me. Especially if we’ve got Trent Grisham , Ben Rice or Paul Goldschmidt in front of me, there’s going to be some traffic out there,” Judge said, per SNY.
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The Yankees have locked Judge into the 2 hole in recent years, no matter who the pitcher is. If they are facing a left-handed pitcher, the righty-hitting Goldschmidt usually slots in above the captain. For righties, it is usually Grisham. But Rice got the opportunity against the lefty Cole Ragans on Sunday, and may have staked his claim to the spot.
Rice started the game with a walk, which made Judge’s first-inning homer hurt twice as much for the Royals. But the designated hitter did not stop there, smashing his 8th homer of the season in the second inning. There was consternation online about manager Aaron Boone benching Rice against lefty starters . Rice made that noise louder with his first two at-bats against Ragans.
The Yankees are tied for the lead in the American League East after their sweep of the Royals. They split a four-game set against the Angels, but there was reason for concern with poor bullpen performances. This series was nearly perfect, winning by an aggregate score of 24-6.
The Yankees have Monday off before they hit the road to face the Boston Red Sox for three games. New York is 0-3 in the AL East so far this year and has struggled with division play in the past.
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