NEW YORK (AP) — Aaron Judge hit two of the Yankees’ six solo homers off rookie Matt Swarmer, and New York routed the Chicago Cubs 8-0 on Saturday night for its 10th win in 11 games.
Giancarlo Stanton, Gleyber Torres, Jose Trevino and former Cub Anthony Rizzo also went deep against the 28-year-old right-hander as the Yankees hit their most homers since Sept. 17, 2020, against Toronto. Swarmer became the first Cubs pitcher in 138 years to allow six homers.
Batting leadoff for the fourth time this year, Judge hit his second career leadoff homer, sending a 1-0 fastball from Swarmer (1-1) into the left field seats. Judge added his major league-leading 24th, one of three home runs in the fifth.
“It’s fun, I don’t mind leading off,” Judge said. “It doesn’t matter if I’m leading off or hitting second.”
Judge had his 21st multihomer game and leads the majors with five this season. He joined Babe Ruth (1928) as the second Yankee to get five multihomer games within the Yankees’ first 59 games. He also joined Babe Ruth and Mickey Mantle as the third Yankee to hit at least 24 homers within the first 59 games
Stanton hit a 436-foot drive off the facing of the left-field second deck in the fourth for his 360th homer — one shy of Joe DiMaggio. Stanton’s 119.8 mph drive was the hardest-hit home run in the major league this season. Of 42 homers hit 119 mph or higher since Statcast began tracking in 2015, Stanton has 31.
“It’s quite a sight,” Judge said of Stanton. “You try to soak it all in the moment because when he hits one like that you don’t see that every day.”
Stanton’s drive was the hardest hit in the majors since he had a 120.3 mph single Sept. 16 in Baltimore.
“You hit the ball on the barrel, I feel like when anyone squares…