Aaron Judge is coming off his worst series of a season in which he has flirted with a .400 average, but the New York Yankees are not concerned.
Instead, New York’s focus is centered on avoiding a season-high fourth straight loss Monday night when they host the Los Angeles Angels for the opener of a four-game series.
The Yankees swept a three-game series against the Angels May 26-28 when they recorded a pair of one-run wins to go along with a 5-1 victory. Those games gave New York a seven-game lead in the American League East and was part of a 16-4 run that was preceded by a three-game losing streak May 3-5.
Judge held a .391 average after the previous meeting with the Angels but returns home hitting .378.
While Judge is hitting .327 (18-for-55) in his past 15 games, he went 1-for-12 over the weekend as the Yankees scored four runs, produced 15 hits and struck out 27 times while getting swept by the Boston Red Sox.
“I don’t think much of it,” New York’s Ben Rice said. “If I could have that guy hitting every single at-bat even if he’s not at his best, I would do it. I’m sure he’ll bounce back. He’ll be all right.”
On Sunday, the Yankees were blanked for the third time this season in a 2-0 loss. Judge was 0-for-4 with three strikeouts.
“That usually helps any hitter when you swing at strikes,” Judge said. “Definitely some pitches off the edge or off the edge in, you know, taking some hacks just trying to make something happen.”
Judge and the Yankees may be getting some more help for a lineup who leads the AL with homers (109), runs (370) and average (.256) if Giancarlo Stanton returns from an elbow injury that has sidelined him since before spring training began. Stanton spent this weekend in the final stages of his rehab and could be activated Monday or Tuesday.
The Angels are 8-7 since scoring three runs against the Yankees. Los Angeles is attempting to avoid a fourth straight loss after an 11-2 setback to the host Baltimore Orioles on Sunday when they committed two errors and allowed 12 hits.
Nolan Schanuel homered and is hitting .312 (29-for-93) in his past 25 contests but the Angels were held to five hits.
Mike Trout was hitless Sunday but is hitting .302 (16-for-53) since returning from a bruised left knee on May 30.
“We’ve got to go to New York and get back on track,” Los Angeles manager Ron Washington said. “No one’s lost confidence in that room in there. We’ve just got to play better baseball.”
The Angels will get their next chance at bouncing back from a lost weekend against Clarke Schmidt (3-3, 3.60 ERA).
Schmidt allowed four hits in six innings in New York’s 1-0 win in Los Angeles on May 28 and he has allowed three runs or less in nine of 10 starts, including Wednesday, when he allowed two hits in six scoreless innings of a 6-3 win over the Kansas City Royals.
Schmidt is 1-1 with a 4.35 ERA in three career appearances (two starts) against the Angels.
Jose Soriano (4-5, 3.86) will start for the Angels after getting a career-high 12 strikeouts over seven innings during a no-decision against the A’s on Tuesday. Soriano pitched at least seven innings for the fourth time this season and took a no-hitter into the sixth while pitching with his highest velocity of the season.
Soriano is starting against the Yankees for the first time. The right-hander made a relief appearance against them in Los Angeles on July 19, 2023. He allowed one run on two hits in 1/3 of an inning.
–Field Level Media
