United States captain Aaron Judge delivered in a big way during Team USA’s highly anticipated World Baseball Classic matchup against Mexico on Monday night at Daikin Park in Houston.
Judge made a game-changing impact on both sides of the ball during the third inning of the pool-play showdown between the tournament’s two unbeaten teams. In the top half of the frame, the New York Yankees star showed off his arm from right field, firing a 91.8 mph strike to cut down Joey Ortiz attempting to advance from first to third on a single by Mexico’s Jarren Duran. The play kept the game scoreless and halted Mexico’s early momentum.
Moments later, Judge provided the spark at the plate. Leading off the bottom of the third, he launched an opposite-field home run just over the wall in right field, his second of the tournament, igniting loud “U-S-A!” chants from the Houston crowd and giving the United States the game’s first run.
The blast helped fuel a five-run inning for Team USA. Shortly after Judge’s homer, Roman Anthony delivered a three-run shot that quickly expanded the lead and put Mexico on its heels.
The Americans held on for a 5-3 win, and will now face Italy on Tuesday at 9 p.m.
Kyle leads sports coverage and hosts the Concrete Jungle podcast. Have a lead or question? Send it to [email protected].