6 MVP Awards, 4 HRs: Trout, Judge do battle in epic dinger duel

NEW YORK -- If you like the kind of game where two multi-time MVP Award winners make history, with each of them hitting a pair of game-changing home runs, then Monday night at Yankee Stadium was just for you.

The battle it turned out to be was a bit more fun for Yankees fans than Angels fans, as seven-time All-Star Aaron Judge and 11-time All-Star Mike Trout both homered twice but it was New York that came out with a thrilling 11-10 walk-off win on a wild pitch. Trent Grisham also went deep twice, including hitting a game-tying two-run blast in the ninth inning off closer Jordan Romano.

It was a wild one, as it was just the second time in MLB history where two three-time MVPs each hit multiple home runs in the same game. The first was way back on June 21, 1956, when Hall of Famers Stan Musial and Roy Campanella each hit two homers.

“He’s the greatest, the greatest of all time,” Judge said with a smile postgame. “ … I know he’s had some tough injuries over the years, but to see himself back in a better spot this year -- every time he comes to the Bronx, man, he puts on a show. I hate to see it, but it’s fun competing against a guy like that.”

Trout, 34, looked like he would get the last laugh after he added to his franchise-leading total with his 31st career multihomer game by smacking what looked like would be the game-winner with a two-run shot off reliever Camilo Doval in the eighth for his fourth homer of the year. But it wasn’t to be, with Grisham spoiling the Angels’ night and the Yankees rallying in the ninth.

“It was definitely a battle,” Trout said. “A fun one to be part of. The loss is disappointing, but we fought throughout the whole game and we battled back and had great at-bats all game from up and down the lineup. To go blow for blow like that back and forth with both teams, it's pretty cool.”

Trout, who grew up roughly 140 miles southwest of the Bronx in Millville, N.J., was unusually fired up during the game, especially in the sixth inning. After just missing a grand slam in his last at-bat, Trout stood and watched near home plate after crushing a game-tying three-run homer in the sixth.

Trout worked a full count against reliever Jake Bird, including taking a 2-2 cutter up and in for ball three, which irked him, especially after being pitched inside by Mariners pitchers last week and getting hit on the hand by a fastball that caused him to miss a game. Trout obliterated an 85.1 mph sweeper to left with an exit velocity of 108.7 mph and sent it a Statcast-projected 421 feet.

“I think anybody who gets anything up and in will get a little upset,” Trout said. “It is what it is.”

But after the blast, Judge one-upped him with his second homer of the game, a solo shot to give the Yankees the lead in the bottom of the inning. Judge previously set the tone early with a two-run homer in the first inning off lefty Yusei Kikuchi as the Yankees took an early 4-0 lead through the first two frames.

The Angels didn’t get a hit against right-hander Will Warren until the fourth inning, which Trout started by reaching on an error from shortstop José Caballero. The Angels worked several impressive plate appearances against Warren, including an 11-pitch walk from Josh Lowe, and ended up plating four runs to tie the game.

Trout came up with the bases loaded and a chance to add on to that total, crushing a deep drive to center field that died at the warning track and dropped safely into Cody Bellinger’s glove. But it was barreled, as it left the bat at 106.8 mph at a high launch angle of 38 degrees and would've been a homer in four parks, including Angel Stadium, per Statcast.

“I was going to talk some smack tonight on the one he hit all the way to the warning track, tell him to hit the weight room,” Judge said. “But I didn’t get a chance, then he answered right back with two big homers for them.”

“I thought I got enough, for sure,” Trout said. “But [Randal] Grichuk hit one before that at 107 [mph] at like a 30 [degree angle], too, and that didn't go out either. Talking to some of their guys, center field is tough to go, especially at night.”

Matthew Ritchie, a reporter and producer for MLB.com, contributed to this story.