NEW YORK (AP) — Aaron Judge became the first big leaguer with 40 homers this season, smashed a grand slam for No. 41 and robbed a home run in right field as the New York Yankees rallied to beat the Kansas City Royals 11-5 Friday night.
Isiah Kiner-Falefa lined a tiebreaking single in the eighth inning as New York completed its major league-leading 29th comeback victory.
Judge was lavished with “MVP!” chants throughout the night, none louder than after his slam in the eighth cemented yet another Yankees rally. He also had a single and finished with six RBIs.
Judge and Anthony Rizzo homered early on a rainy night in the Bronx, but Kansas City came back against Gerrit Cole, with Whit Merrifield’s two-run single in the fifth ending a scoreless drought of 31 2/3 innings for the Royals.
Salvador Perez followed Merrifield with a go-ahead, three-run homer in his return from the injured list.
New York erased its deficit by batting around during a messy eighth inning that followed a 23-minute rain delay.
Albert Abreu (2-0) pitched a scoreless eighth against a Kansas City team that waived him June 21. Scott Barlow (4-4) took the loss.
Judge began the game by reaching over the right-field fence to rob MJ Melendez of a homer.