Staff Report
The New York Yankees’ visit to the Sacramento area to face the Athletics last week was more than just a baseball series; it was a homecoming for slugger Aaron Judge and a significant moment for local sports fans.
Judge, raised in nearby Linden, received a hero’s welcome. Playing in the region for the first time since his college days at Fresno State, Judge delivered memorable performances all weekend. He hit two home runs in a losing effort Saturday afternoon, much to the delight of the many Judge family members and Yankees fans in the crowd. His overall performance throughout the series was stellar, culminating in a .409 batting average by Sunday.
The second homer gave Judge 14 on the season and 41 career multi-homer games – fourth in Yankees history.
Judge leads the majors in batting, on-base percentage (.486), slugging percentage (.772), homers and RBIs (37).
“It just felt like being home,” Judge told the Associated Press after the Yankees’ win Friday night. “Any time we play the A’s, that’s always something that’s familiar to me and close to home, to me. It was special.”
The series marked a unique occasion, as Sacramento hosted the Yankees for the first time at Sutter Health Park. The atmosphere at the minor league park was electric, with attendance exceeding 12,000 on multiple occasions. While Athletics fans were boisterous, a significant portion of the crowd was there to see Judge and the Yankees, showcasing the widespread appeal of one of sports’ most iconic franchises and the local connection to Judge. The Yankees won two of the three games.
Beyond Judge’s individual achievements, the series saw offensive fireworks from both sides. Jasson Dominguez of the Yankees had a standout game in the series opener Friday night, hitting three home runs and driving in seven runs.
While the Yankees showcased their offensive prowess, the Athletics also contributed to the high-scoring affair. Sutter Health Park has been an exciting venue for MLB. Games at the stadium have had a combined 2.75 home runs per game – up more than 40% from the rate of homers hit last season at the Oakland Coliseum.