Slumping Aaron Judge still manages to come up big for Yankees
Aaron Judge
Aaron Judge  always seems to make it happen â no matter what.
Even when  he âs not hitting   he  still manages to make a game-saving catch â just like  he  did in Game 3  when  he  robbed Francisco Lindor of a two-run homer.
And even when  he âs striking out in nearly every at-bat   he  still manages to come up with the biggest hit of the night â just like  he  did in Game 4  when  he  battled back against Trevor Bauer and ultimately produced a two-out  two-run double in the second inning that gave the Yankees a 4-0 lead en route to a 7-3 victory over the Indians in the Bronx  which sets up a do-or-die Game 5 on Wednesday night at Progressive Field.
 Judge  entered that at-bat 0-for-11 with nine strikeouts in the ALDS. But  he  certainly made  his  first hit of the series count â producing two huge runs.
â He  continues to be patient â Joe Girardi said. âTheyâre making a lot of good pitches on  him   thereâs no doubt about that. But heâs maintaining the strike zone when he gets a pitch to hit â and a lot of times  heâs able to hit it. He was able to do it (Monday night). Thatâs a huge hit. Thereâs a big difference between 2-0 and 4-0. It allowed Luis Severino to relax a bit.â
Girardi had said going into Game 4 that  Judge  was due. And given that  Judge  had a couple of bad strike three calls go against him earlier in the series â the manager had a point.
 Aaron Judge  delivered the biggest hit of the night. (Al Bello/Getty Images)
Yet  Judge  was facing a starter in Bauer that had  his  number.
Bauer had fanned  Judge  three times in his Game 1 gem  another time in Judgeâs first at-bat of Game 4 â getting him to chase a high fastball with the count full â and after  Judge  fell behind 0-2 in his second at-bat  it was about to be five Ks in a row.
But  Judge  is the potential 2017 AL MVP  after all  no easy out â even when  he âs not going well at the plate.
So  Judge  took two straight curveballs in the dirt from arguably the best curveball pitcher in baseball  evening the count at 2-2.
 He  then fouled off a curve and a 97-mph fastball to stay alive.
 Aaron Judge  hits a two-run RBI double in the second inning. ( Adam Hunger/USA Today Sports)
 Judge  took a third breaking ball in the dirt to bring about a second consecutive full count. And Bauer threw  him  a second consecutive high heater after that.
But this time   Judge  got on top of the 96-mph fastball  driving it into left field  as Aaron Hicks and Brett Gardner came around to score  sending the sellout crowd at Yankee Stadium into a frenzy  and forcing Bauer out of the game after just 1.2 innings following an intentional walk to Didi Gregorius.
âStay on the heater. Stay on the heater â  Judge  said when asked about  his  approach. âBauerâs a guy that has great stuff  and he wants to go out there and show it. Heâs a dominant pitcher. I wasnât surprised (I got a fastball there).â
[TGT] always seems to make it happen â no matter what.
Even when   [TGT]  âs not hitting    [TGT]   still manages to make a game-saving catch â just like   [TGT]   did in Game 3  when   [TGT]   robbed Francisco Lindor of a two-run homer.
And even when   [TGT]  âs striking out in nearly every at-bat    [TGT]   still manages to come up with the biggest hit of the night â just like   [TGT]   did in Game 4  when   [TGT]   battled back against Trevor Bauer and ultimately produced a two-out  two-run double in the second inning that gave the Yankees a 4-0 lead en route to a 7-3 victory over the Indians in the Bronx  which sets up a do-or-die Game 5 on Wednesday night at Progressive Field.
  [TGT] entered that at-bat 0-for-11 with nine strikeouts in the ALDS. But   [TGT]   certainly made   [TGT]   first hit of the series count â producing two huge runs.
â  [TGT]   continues to be patient â Joe Girardi said. âTheyâre making a lot of good pitches on  him   thereâs no doubt about that. But heâs maintaining the strike zone when he gets a pitch to hit â and a lot of times  heâs able to hit it. He was able to do it (Monday night). Thatâs a huge hit. Thereâs a big difference between 2-0 and 4-0. It allowed Luis Severino to relax a bit.â
Girardi had said going into Game 4 that   [TGT] was due. And given that   [TGT] had a couple of bad strike three calls go against  [TGT]  earlier in the series â the manager had a point.
  [TGT] delivered the biggest hit of the night. (Al Bello/Getty Images)
Yet   [TGT] was facing a starter in Bauer that had   [TGT]   number.
Bauer had fanned  Judge  three times in his Game 1 gem  another time in Judgeâs first at-bat of Game 4 â getting him to chase a high fastball with the count full â and after   [TGT] fell behind 0-2 in  [TGT]  second at-bat  it was about to be five Ks in a row.
But   [TGT] is the potential 2017 AL MVP  after all  no easy out â even when   [TGT]  âs not going well at the plate.
So   [TGT] took two straight curveballs in the dirt from arguably the best curveball pitcher in baseball  evening the count at 2-2.
  [TGT]   then fouled off a curve and a 97-mph fastball to stay alive.
  [TGT] hits a two-run RBI double in the second inning. ( Adam Hunger/USA Today Sports [TGT] 
took a third breaking ball in the dirt to bring about a second consecutive full count. And Bauer threw   [TGT]   a second consecutive high heater after that.
But this time    [TGT] got on top of the 96-mph fastball  driving it into left field  as Aaron Hicks and Brett Gardner came around to score  sending the sellout crowd at Yankee Stadium into a frenzy  and forcing Bauer out of the game after just 1.2 innings following an intentional walk to Didi Gregorius.
âStay on the heater. Stay on the heater â   [TGT] said when asked about   [TGT]   approach. âBauerâs a guy that has great stuff  and he wants to go out there and show it. Heâs a dominant pitcher. I wasnât surprised (I got a fastball there).â