Aaron Judge’s historic home run chase is dashed by rain in Yankees’ win over Red Sox

Aaron Judge remains on 60 homeruns, one less than Roger Maris’ American League-record, after the New York Yankees’ 2-0 victory over the Boston Red Sox on Sunday-evening, which was called off after six innings due to rain.

Judge went 1 for 2 with a double and had to be next for the Yankees when play was interrupted. The match was called off after a 98-minute delay, leaving Judge this week to chase Maris in Toronto.

New York can take the AL East title Monday night with a win over the Blue Jays.

Due to the delay, fans at Yankee Stadium were faced with a difficult decision: wait out a big storm and hope to see a historic moment, or go home before the hour is too late.

Many in the sold-out crowd of 46,707 lingered until the game’s announcement was called, leaving their seats for dry cover on halls and under overhangs. Some hooted when the umpires called for the sail at 9:15 PM, but it soon started pouring rain in the margins. Loud thunder and lightning accompanied a severe storm that continued after 11pm.

“We’re not leaving,” Joe G. said, refusing to give his last name during the delay. He made the trip from Pennsylvania and received the tickets last month as a 30th birthday gift to his first game since the COVID-19 pandemic began.

Brayan Bello #66 of the Boston Red Sox pauses in the sixth inning against the New York Yankees as it rains in the Bronx at Yankee Stadium on September 25, 2022

The game marked Judge’s last chance to catch Maris on New York’s 6-0 homestand – the Yankees play a three-game run in Toronto starting Monday night, then return next weekend for three games against Baltimore before entering the regular season in Texas. shut down.

‘I don’t think we’re leaving. I wish they’d hurry, but I don’t think we’re going anywhere,” said Brian Cassidy of Ocean View, Delaware.

Cassidy bought tickets as a birthday present for his father in mid-August and they were lucky enough to watch Judge personally chase Maris’ home run record.

“I want to see two—one to tie and one to break,” said Cassidy’s father, Patrick, as they took cover in a hallway between the second and third decks on third base.

Judge had played four games without a home run. Since playing for number 60 against Pittsburgh on Tuesday night to drive a comeback in the ninth inning in the first game from the homestand, the four-time All-Star was 4 for 15 with three doubles, six walks and six strikeouts.

The New York Yankees are cleared from the field as the tarp is laid on the field to start the seventh inning and the game against the Boston Red Sox is in rain delay at Yankee Stadium on September 25, 2022 in the Bronx

The closest he’d come to Maris’ 1961 mark was a 404-foot drive caught in front of the midfield fence on Thursday.

Judge led off the bottom of the first by hitting a double inside third base against Red Sox rookie Brayan Bello (2-7). The slugger fought back from a 0-2 count to pull a walk in the third and was visibly disappointed when he flied out to midfield on a hanging slider in the fifth.

Moments before the game was interrupted, Boston rightfielder Rob Refsnyder dropped a two-out ball while looking up into the raindrops. The error allowed Aaron Hicks to score from first base to make it 2-0.

Bello then threw a called third striker past Oswald Peraza to end the sixth inning with Judge on deck.

A fan holds a board as New York Yankees designated batter Aaron Judge prepares to hit Boston Red Sox starting pitcher Brayan Bello

As the rain intensified, fans donned ponchos and opened umbrellas in the stands. Two umpires huddled with a member of the Yankee Stadium ground team in foul territory, and the tarpaulin was rolled up the infield.

Amanda Peso, of nearby Westchester, bought tickets on Thursday and said she and friend Jennifer Lamond, a Red Sox fan from Manhattan, would wait hours for the game to resume.

“I wanted to wait and see because you never know if Aaron is going to do it tonight,” Peso said. “So I’m here to support him. I’m a Yankee fan, period. Regardless of this history thing, it wasn’t about to happen, I’d be here and probably wait it out anyway, because I was taking tomorrow off for this reason.’

Nestor Cortes (11-4) gave up one basehit and struckout five batters in a rain-shortened complete game.

Bello also went the distance, giving up one earned run and six hits.

Oswaldo Cabrera doubled the lead on the New York fourth and scored on Jose Trevino’s two-out single.

Aaron Judge #99 of the New York Yankees signs autographs for Sunday’s game against the Boston Red Sox at Yankee Stadium