NEW YORK (AP) — Aaron Judge hit his third walk-off homer this year, his major league-leading 39th home run, to lift the New York Yankees over the Kansas City Royals 1-0 Thursday night.
New York was held to one hit before Judge drove a first-pitch fastball from Scott Barlow (4-3) into the Kansas City bullpen with one out in the ninth, giving the Yankees their 12th walk-off win this season.
Judge joined Mickey Mantle as the only Yankees with three walk-off home runs in one season. Judge had been 0 for 2 with a pair of strikeouts and a walk before the homer.
Andrew Benintendi went 0 for 4 with one strikeouts in his Yankees debut, facing Kansas City one day after the Royals dealt him to New York for three minor league pitchers.
Clay Holmes (5-1) worked around two walks in a hitless ninth, combining on a four-hitter with Jameson Taillon and Ron Marinaccio.
