Yankees’ Judge thrilled with his walk-off walk: ‘I wanted to win it, any way possible’

The New York Yankees are red-hot right now. They haven’t lost a series since mid-April and are coming off a sweep of a major American League contender, the Chicago White Sox, after winning the finale on Sunday 5-4.

Yesterday, it was Aaron Judge’s time to shine. However, he did it in a quite unconventional way, but using one of his best skills as a batter: his eye and pitch recognition. The Yankees ended up prevailing with a walk-off walk, the first play of that nature for Judge.

Against Liam Hendriks, no less, Judge was able to work a bases-loaded walk to force the winning run home. The Yankees have now won six straight games.

“I wanted to win it, any way possible,” Judge told the media after the game, according to MLB.com. “The guys in front of me had some great at-bats. It was my turn to go up there and either drive a ball in the gap or do whatever it takes. I was just trying to get something out over the plate and win it for the team.”

The Yankees will take the win, no matter how it came

Hendriks has been the unquestioned best reliever in the American League for the past two years, so it may not seem like a big deal, but it is.

“It was a legitimate ‘walk’ off,” Judge said, with a chuckle. “I’m not complaining one bit, especially against a pitcher like that who has had quite a bit of success, one of the top pitchers in the game. We’ll take it any way we can against him.”

In the end, the Yankees will take the win, no matter how it came. It was a needed victory, as the Boston Red Sox and, especially, the Tampa Bay Rays have been playing very well.

“We’ve won games in different ways,” Boone said, “but the common theme is that the starting pitching has been terrific. Our guys weren’t going to be denied.”