Los Angeles Angels star and 2021 American League MVP, Shohei Ohtani made a big early impression in Tuesday’s series opener against the New York Yankees, hitting a two-run home run in the first inning.
On Wednesday, it was Aaron Judge, 2022’s American League MVP, who made his presence felt in the first inning.
First, it was his glove that did the talking. Ohtani appeared to have a first-inning home run for the second day in a row, when he drove a 3-2 pitch from Jhony Brito over the centerfield wall. Judge, though, had other ideas, robbing the homer.
A closer look showed that this was no typical home run robbery. First, Judge leaped and reached over the wall with his glove hand, knocking the ball back into the field of play. Then, Judge used his right hand to secure the barehanded catch.
And while Judge preserved a 0-0 tie in the top of the first inning, he broke it in the bottom half of the frame.
In the bottom half of the first, Judge came up with a man on and nobody out. He worked the count full, then sent the 3-2 offering from Griffin Canning over the wall.
This one was not coming back.
Judge’s incredible inning was deservedly praised by baseball fans on Twitter.
https://twitter.com/PlayoffTanaka_/status/1648830996484087810
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