Judge halts longest HR drought of career with go-ahead grand slam to lift Yankees over Red Sox 5-4

NEW YORK (AP) — Aaron Judge ended the longest home run drought of his career with a go-ahead grand slam in the seventh inning that rallied the New York Yankees past the Boston Red Sox 5-4 on Friday night.

The star slugger had gone 16 games and 75 plate appearances without a longball before launching a clutch drive into the lower left-field seats off reliever Cam Booser (2-3) for a 5-4 advantage.

New York won its third straight and extended its AL East lead to three games over Baltimore, held hitless for 8 2/3 innings by four Tigers pitchers in a 1-0 loss at Detroit. It is the Yankees' largest cushion since they led by 3 1/2 games before a June 15 defeat at Boston that started a 4-14 slide.

“Hopefully nobody's looking at the standings,” Judge said. “I'm certainly not.”

The fading Red Sox (74-74) are 4 1/2 games behind Minnesota for the league's last wild card.

Mark Leiter Jr. (4-5) got four outs in relief of starter Clarke Schmidt for the win. Luke Weaver struck out five in two scoreless innings to earn his second career save.

“Just got to keep it rolling,” Judge said. “Everybody’s doing their job.”

Judge’s eighth career slam and second this season sent the Yankee Stadium crowd of 45,292 — and jubilant players in the New York dugout — into a jumping, dancing frenzy. The 6-foot-7 team captain popped out of the dugout for a curtain call.

“Tonight was rocking, especially in that seventh inning,” Judge said. “Kind of felt like a playoff atmosphere there in the seventh inning as we were kind of rallying. So, we've been waiting for that, that's for sure.”

It was the 52nd homer of the season for Judge, who also leads the majors with 130 RBIs. He hadn’t gone deep since Aug. 25, when he homered twice against Colorado.

Judge hit nine homers in 10 games before the drought.

The 2022 AL MVP set a career worst when his homerless streak reached 16 games Thursday night against Boston.

Emergency starter Richard Fitts pitched five shutout innings for Boston after Tanner Houck was scratched less than an hour before the first pitch due to right shoulder fatigue.

“I think the team did everything they needed to do," Booser said. “I think this is solely on me. Didn’t do my job.”

Masataka Yoshida snapped a scoreless tie when he connected for a two-run homer that chased Schmidt with two outs in the sixth.

Trevor Story hit a two-run shot off Leiter in the seventh for a 4-0 lead, his first home run this season after returning last weekend from a dislocated left shoulder that had sidelined him since April 6.

“It’s a tough one. No getting around it," Story said. "Tough game. That kind of stuff can happen in the big leagues.”

Zack Kelly walked the bottom two batters in New York's lineup starting the seventh and was removed after an RBI single by Gleyber Torres. Juan Soto drew a four-pitch walk from Booser before Judge connected on a 2-0 fastball.

“I think this probably might be my most memorable win of my career so far here. I think just the magnitude of that homer,” said Schmidt, who made his second start since since recovering from a strained right lat muscle.

“It was like everything clicked. It was a perfect moment. Just really special. The whole team's kind of a part of it.”

TRAINER’S ROOM

Red Sox: OF Rob Refsnyder (right wrist discomfort) remained out of the starting lineup, but manager Alex Cora said he hopes Refsnyder can start Sunday against left-hander Carlos Rodón. ... RHP Liam Hendriks said he still hopes to pitch for the Red Sox this season despite a small setback in his rehabilitation from Tommy John surgery — but that will largely depend on whether they remain in the pennant race. Hendriks will receive a cortisone injection in his right elbow Monday in Boston and then be shut down for about three days before he resumes throwing.

Yankees: Manager Aaron Boone said Judge will probably be the designated hitter Saturday to give him a bit of a breather.

UP NEXT

Red Sox RHP Brayan Bello (13-7, 4.70 ERA) faces Yankees ace Gerrit Cole (6-4, 3.36) on Saturday.

AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/mlb

New York Yankees' Clarke Schmidt pitches during the sixth inning of a baseball game against the Boston Red Sox, Friday, Sept. 13, 2024, in New York. (AP Photo/Adam Hunger)

New York Yankees' Aaron Judge, center, Alex Verdugo, left, and Juan Soto, right, celebrate after a baseball game against the Boston Red Sox, Friday, Sept. 13, 2024, in New York. (AP Photo/Adam Hunger)

New York Yankees relief pitcher Luke Weaver reacts after the final out of a baseball game against the Boston Red Sox Friday, Sept. 13, 2024, in New York. (AP Photo/Adam Hunger)

Boston Red Sox relief pitcher Cam Booser reacts after giving up a grand slam to New York Yankees' Aaron Judge during the seventh inning of a baseball game Friday, Sept. 13, 2024, in New York. (AP Photo/Adam Hunger)

New York Yankees' Aaron Judge reacts after hitting a grand slam during the seventh inning of a baseball game at bat Friday, Sept. 13, 2024, in New York. (AP Photo/Adam Hunger)

New York Yankees' Aaron Judge reacts after hitting a grand slam off Boston Red Sox relief pitcher Cam Booser during the seventh inning of a baseball game Friday, Sept. 13, 2024, in New York. (AP Photo/Adam Hunger)

New York Yankees' Aaron Judge hits a grand slam during the seventh inning of a baseball game at bat Friday, Sept. 13, 2024, in New York. (AP Photo/Adam Hunger)

New York Yankees' Aaron Judge hits a grand slam during the seventh inning of a baseball game at bat Friday, Sept. 13, 2024, in New York. (AP Photo/Adam Hunger)

TOKYO (AP) — Official campaigning for Japan's Oct. 27 parliamentary election began Tuesday with new Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba seeking a mandate for his policies and for reforms after the governing party’s political funds scandal.

More than 1,300 candidates were expected to enter the races for the 465-seat Lower House before registration closes later Tuesday.

Ishiba called the snap election after he took office as prime minister on Oct. 1. As customary for Liberal Democratic Party leaders over the past decade, he was to start his campaign in Fukushima to renew his pledge to support the area’s recovery from the 2011 nuclear disaster.

With the early election, Ishiba is seeking to secure a majority in the lower house, the more powerful of Japan's two parliamentary chambers, before the congratulatory mood fades.

The move has been criticized as prioritizing an election rather than policies and for allowing little debate.

A majority for the ruling coalition would be 233 seats between his LDP and its junior coalition partner Komeito. Prior to the dissolution, the coalition held 288 seats, including 256 by LDP.

The main opposition Constitutional Democratic Party of Japan, which briefly ruled Japan from 2009-2012, sees the public anger over the LDP funds scandal as a rare chance to gain ground by appealing to conservative swing voters. The liberal-leaning CDPJ is making a conservative shift and now has a centrist leader Yoshihiko Noda, also a former prime minister.

“A leadership change is the biggest political reform,” Noda said.

Political watchers say Japan’s opposition has remained too fractured to push the governing party out of power, which it has held almost without interruption in postwar times.

While support ratings in Kyodo News survey for Ishiba’s new government already dipped from above 50% to 42% just over a week from taking office, LDP was still by far a voter favorite among all political parties.

Follow AP's Asia-Pacific coverage at https://apnews.com/hub/asia-pacific

Yoshihiko Noda, leader of Japan's opposition Constitutional Democratic Party delivers a speech in Hachioji, outskirts of Tokyo as official campaigning for a parliamentary election later this month officially kicked off Tuesday, Oct. 15, 2024. (Kyodo News via AP)

Japan's Prime Minister and head of the governing Liberal Democratic Party Shigeru Ishiba delivers a speech in Iwaki, Fukushima prefecture, Japan as official campaigning for a parliamentary election later this month officially kicked off Tuesday, Oct. 15, 2024. (Kyodo News via AP)