Aaron Judge and Ben Rice match Yankees greats Mickey Mantle and Yogi Berra with powerful starts
Aaron Judge allowed Ben Rice to match his home run total for only a few pitches. Together, the sluggers have now accomplished something for the New York Yankees with their powerful starts that only Mickey Mantle and Yogi Berra had done before them. Rice went 404 feet the opposite way for a two-run shot to left field in the Yankees' 4-2 win at Texas on Monday night, his 10th homer of the season.
ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) — Aaron Judge allowed Ben Rice to match his home run total for only a few pitches. Together, the sluggers have now accomplished something for the New York Yankees with their powerful starts that only Mickey Mantle and Yogi Berra had done before them. Rice went 404 feet the opposite way for a two-run shot to left field in the Yankees' 4-2 win at Texas on Monday night, his 10th homer of the season.
Judge immediately followed by driving a full-count curveball 414 feet to tie for the MLB lead with his 11th. “After he hit his, he said, `I'm not going to let Benny catch me,'” Rice said with a smile. “Just trying to keep him honest, keep him motivated.
” They became the second pair of Yankees teammates to each have 10 or more homers in the first 29 games of a season, joining Mantle and Berra in 1956. “I’m glad that I don’t have to face them, let’s just put it that way,” said Yankees starter Max Fried (4-1), who threw six scoreless innings for New York (19-10). “Benny’s off to an amazing start.
Judgie, ho-hum, 11 homers already,” manager Aaron Boone said. “It's a pretty good combo there. ” Rice, a 27-year-old first baseman, is hitting .