Led by Aaron Judge, the Yankees offense overtakes Atlanta

NEW YORK (AP) — Aaron Judge hit his major league-leading 28th home run and the New York Yankees ended a three-game losing streak with an 8-3 win over the Atlanta Braves. Atlanta on Saturday night as Giancarlo Stanton injured his left hamstring.

Judge had three RBIs for a major league-high 70, Juan Soto reached base four times on a single and three walks, and Marcus Stroman won for the fifth time in six decisions. The league-best Yankees (52-27) had lost five of their previous six games, in which they were outscored 51-23.

“It’s just one game, but it’s what we have to do,” Judge said. “Any time you have a few tough slips out there, you have to understand that it’s a long season, but every game counts.”

Stanton doubled off the centerfield wall in the fourth inning and grimaced when he rounded third base on Gleyber Torres’ double, giving the Yankees a 4-1 lead. Trent Grisham homered to Stanton in the sixth, and the Yankees said the oft-injured 34-year-old slugger had a left hamstring strain and would undergo imaging Sunday.

Stanton appeared to walk gingerly as he left the clubhouse.

“He’s in a really good mood,” Yankees manager Aaron Boone said. “Obviously he’s dealt with this sort of thing in the past. So, I hope it’s not something that holds him back too long.

Stanton came into spring training thinner after missing 266 games over the previous five seasons with biceps, knee, hamstring, quad, ankle and Achilles injuries. He played in 69 of the Yankees’ first 79 games this season and hit .246 with 18 home runs and 45 RBIs.

“He’s had an incredible year – I think he’s been very consistent,” Stroman said.

Boone was thrown out by Derek Thomas after Stroman began yelling at the home plate umpire about a four-ball call to Marcell Ozuna in the top of the seventh. Boone yelled at Thomas from the dugout and was ejected for the fourth time this season and the 37th time in seven seasons as Yankees manager.

“I understand, I kept going a little bit,” Boone said. “But I just felt like there were some pitches at the top of the zone that we should have had.”

Ozuna homered in the opener against Stroman (7-3), who allowed three runs, three hits and two walks in 6 2/3 innings. Atlanta hitters were 0 for 9 on his slider, and he got all six of his strikeouts.

Judge followed Soto’s march in the bottom half by hitting Charlie Morton (4-4) for a 2-1 lead – Judge’s 22nd homer in 42 games. He has 11 first-inning homers this season for the Yankees, who lead the majors with 63 first-inning runs.

“He makes the count, did a great job passing first, and then my job is to try to keep the line moving,” Judge said. “Having the chance to get those two points and give us the lead again, that’s the game plan here.”

Judge’s 28 homers in his first 77 games leave him just one homer behind his 77-game pace in 2022, when he set an American League record with 62 homers.

“He’s in another historic race,” Stroman said.

Judge hit a run-scoring double play in the third and drew a loaded walk from Aaron Bummer in a three-run sixth.

Oswaldo Cabrera had a two-run single and Grisham homered into the opposite field in left in the seventh against Jesse Chavez.

Travis d’Arnaud chased Stroman with a two-run homer.

Atlanta (42-32) had won seven of its previous eight games. Braves pitchers walked a season-high eight, and Atlanta finished with four hits.

Morton allowed five runs, five hits and five walks in 5 2/3 innings.

“Even when he left the game, we were only down three,” Braves manager Brian Snitker said. “I felt pretty good there. I just couldn’t stop the bleeding by the sixth.

TRAINERS ROOM

Braves: LHP AJ Minter (left hip) allowed an unearned run and struck out three batters in one inning Saturday night in his first rehab appearance for Class A Rome.

Yankees: Torres went 1-for-4 in his return after missing a game with right groin tightness.

FOLLOWING

Yankees LHP Nestor Cortes (4-5, 3.36 ERA) and Braves LHP Max Fried (6-3, 3.11 ERA) start the series finale on Sunday.