SAN FRANCISCO – Aaron Judge has hit balls that have landed in upper decks, across concourses and out of ballparks entirely. As the Yankees completed a sweep of the Giants on Saturday, their captain found a new target: an ambulance.
Judge helped to power a 3-1 victory with his second home run in as many games, launching a drive off Ryan Borucki in the fifth that struck an emergency vehicle parked beyond the left-field wall at Oracle Park.
Ben Rice pounded a two-run double off Tyler Mahle in the third as the Yankees opened the season 3-0 for the third consecutive year.
Rice’s hit was set up by Trent Grisham’s successful ABS challenge, avoiding a strikeout in a plate appearance that became a walk.
Will Warren held the Giants to a run over 4 1/3 innings, with Yanks hurlers having blanked San Francisco through the first 20 innings of the season.
Judge’s drive, a solo shot on a 90 mph cutter, came off his bat at 102.1 mph and was calculated to travel 383 feet, according to Statcast.
Judge grew up as a Giants fan in the Bay Area, counting former infielder Rich Aurilia as his favorite player. Saturday’s homer was Judge’s fifth career homer in six career games at Oracle Park.
It was also Judge’s 370th career home run, tying Gil Hodges for 83rd place all time.