Aaron Judge, Mike Trout trade blows as Yankees walk off Game of the Year contender

NEW YORK, NY - APRIL 13: José Caballero #72 of the New York Yankees celebrates with teammates after scoring off a wild pitch in the ninth inning to win the game between the Los Angeles Angels and the New York Yankees at Yankee Stadium on Monday, April 13, 2026 in New York, New York. (Photo by Michael Mooney/MLB Photos via Getty Images) | MLB Photos via Getty Images Mike Trout is a living legend of the game. His true prime ended before COVID-19 ravaged the world, due to a mountain of injuries costing not only him of accumulating the stats that would make him an inner-circle Hall of Famer, but robbing us fans of watching his greatness more.

It makes it all the more frustrating that he’s spent his career in the shadows of Anaheim, playing just three playoff games in his decade-and-a-half in the league. Even as it’s been seven years since his last truly great season, we see glimpses every so often of the player who once ruled the world. Tonight, Trout hit two clutch home runs that first tied the game at seven and then gave the Angels the lead, the 407th and 408th bombs of his career (moving past Brooklyn Dodgers Hall of Famer Duke Snider).

He went shot-for-shot with the current gold standard, Aaron Judge, in a memorable back-and-forth that you only hear about in legend. He even made a great catch to rob Randal Grichuk of extra bases, showing he’s all the way back in center field. This was vintage Mike Trout.

And yet, as it happens over and over again, the Angels found a way to lose. As the ancient scrolls dictate, “Mike Trout hits two home runs and makes a run-saving catch, while Josh Lowe did something that hasn’t been done since Tungsten Arm O’Doyle of the 1921 Akron Groomsmen, as the Angels get walked off by the Yankees, 11-10. ” Will Warren got things started with a 1-2-3 first inning against the top of the Angels’ order, giving the offense the opportunity to strike first.