NEW YORK — Aaron Judge became the second-fastest player in major league history to hit 200 career home runs, and the New York Yankees defeated the Kansas City Royals 8-2 on Saturday.
DJ LeMahieu hit a homer and had an RBI single, and Matt Carpenter hit a homer for the 15th time in 40 games for New York, who won their third straight game after losing two games to the New York Mets.
The American League-leading Yankees have won seven straight games against the Royals and ten of the last 11.
Whit Merrifield had a third inning double for his 1,000. Career hit and Salvador Perez had a victim fly for the Royals who have lost five straight games.
Judge, who became the first player in the majors this season to hit 40 home runs on Friday, fouled two breaking balls from starter Jonathan Heasley before sending a 2-2 fastball to the pitches at right midfield in the second for a drive by two runs to score inning. It was one of his two hits, and he also went twice.
The 6-foot-7 slugger’s 200th homer came in his 671st career game, behind only Philadelphia’s Ryan Howard, who accomplished the feat in 2009 in 658 games.
Judge has 42 home runs this season and is on track for 67. He is tied with Sammy Sosa and two behind Barry Bonds and Mark McGwire for the most before August 1 in MLB history. Bonds holds the season record with 73 homers in 2001.
A season-ending free agent, Judge has nine homers and 21 RBI since the All-Star break with a .447 batting average in 10 games. After hitting just one homer in his first 13 games, Judge has hit 36 times in his last 79 games and is on track to surpass Roger Maris’ club record of 61 set in 1961.
Yankees All-Star Nestor Cortes (9-3) allowed two runs in five innings. He crossed out five and went two. He has a 2.60 ERA over five starts in July.
Heasley (1-6), who was recovered from the pre-game injury list after missing 17 games with right shoulder tendinitis, allowed six runs over 3 1/3 innings in his first start since July 9.
The Yankees took advantage of two consecutive errors by Kansas City in the fourth to open the game. Rookie Maikel Garcia dropped Isiah Kiner-Falefa’s pop-up and Merrifield huffed Nicky Lopez’s throw at Jose Trevinos Grounder to allow Kiner-Falefa for third place. LeMahieu singled in the middle to chase Heasley and Andrew Benintendi delivered a sacrificial fly against reliever Wyatt Mills.
Aroldis Chapman and Clarke Schmidt shared two hits over the last four innings. Schmidt worked the last three saves for his second career.
Garcia singled in the fourth to drive Kansas City’s second run for his first career RBI.
TRAINING ROOM
Royals: RHP Zack Greinke, originally scheduled to field on Saturday, was given an extra day off and will now field on Sunday. … SS Bobby Witt Jr. returned to the lineup after missing five games with right hamstring pain. … RHP Jackson Kowar was selected to Triple-A Omaha to make way for Heasley. … Perez (thumb) started behind the plate for the first time since June 21 after undergoing surgery to repair a torn ligament in his left thumb.
Yankees: OF Giancarlo Stanton (left Achilles tendonitis) has yet to resume baseball activities. … 1B Anthony Rizzo (rest) got the day off.
NEXT
Greinke (3-6, 3.44 ERA) represents Kansas City in the series finale. A potential trade pick, Greinke is winless in six career starts (seven appearances) at Yankee Stadium and holds an 0-3 record with a 9.22 ERA. Opposing him is LHP Jordan Montgomery (3-3, 3.50 ERA).
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