The New York Yankees closed out their series in Atlanta with a strong all-around effort, securing a 4-2 win over the Atlanta Braves on Sunday behind Aaron Judge’s power and Marcus Stroman’s strong outing on the mound.
Judge wasted no time making an impact, launching his 36th home run of the season in the first innin, a solo shot that tied him with Alex Rodriguez for sixth on the franchise’s all-time homer list with 351. Paul Goldschmidt followed with an RBI single to cap a two-run opening frame. The Yankees added a run in the sixth after Jorbit Vivas was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded, and Jazz Chisholm Jr. extended the lead to 4-1 with a seventh-inning RBI double.
Stroman delivered exactly what the Yankees needed with the bullpen taxed. Despite working hard through long at-bats, the veteran righty allowed just one run on five hits over six innings while striking out four. A solo home run by Matt Olson was his only blemish.
Ian Hamilton and Tim Hill combined for two solid innings of relief before Devin Williams closed it out in the ninth. After giving up a towering solo homer to Ronald Acuña Jr., Williams locked down his 14th save of the season.
The Yankees (55-44) now head to Toronto to face the Blue Jays (58-41) in a key division matchup. Carlos Rodón is scheduled to start Monday’s opener, with the first pitch scheduled for 7:07 p.m.
Kyle leads sports coverage and hosts the Concrete Jungle podcast. Have a lead or question? Send it to [email protected].